An enhancer-like sequence within the Xenopus U2 gene promoter facilitates the formation of stable transcription complexes

Mattaj, Iain W.; Lienhard, Susanne; Jiricny, Josef; Robertis, Edward M. De

doi:10.1038/316163a0

Cited by 248 publications

(213 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

202

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, when 10 393 Figure 2A and B, the sequence 5'-ATGCAAA-3' homologous to the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (position 212 -206) is underlined, and the polyoma virus enhancer homology (P-motif, position 196-186) is boxed. References for the various sequence elements are as follows (see also text): LPV enhancer (Pawlita et al, 1985;Mosthaf et al, 1985); BK virus (BKV) enhancer (Rosenthal et al, 1983); Igx light chain enhancer (Picard and Schaffner, 1984;Queen and Stafford, 1984); consensus sequences of the upstream promoter elements of the immunoglobulin heavy (VH) and light (VL, opposite strand) chain genes (Falkner and Zachau, 1984;Parslow et al, 1984); Ig heavy chain enhancer (opposite strand, Ephrussi et al, 1985 and references therein; the star indicates the C complementary to the G protected against dimethylsulfate modification, see text); Xenopus Ul/U2 RNA genes (Mattaj et al, 1985;Ciiberto et al, 1985;Krol et al, 1985); polyoma virus enhancer (opposite strand, Veldman et al, 1985;Ruley and Fried, 1983). For comparison the ElA-like motif of the polyoma virus enhancer (Hearing and Shenk, 1983;Herbomel et al 1984) is shown.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, the juxtaposition of the two Sph-motifs in the SV40 enhancer generates a sequence element which is present in the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (Banerji et al, 1983;Gilles et al, 1983;Neuberger, 1983) and in the upstream elements of the promoters of the VH and VL immunoglobulin genes (Falkner and Zachau, 1984;Parslow et al, 1984) (Figure 6). A homologous motif, which exhibits enhancer properties (Mattaj et al, 1985), has also been described in a conserved sequence of a distal element of the Xenopus Ul and U2 RNA genes (Mattaj et al, 1985;Ciliberto et al, 1985;Krol et al, 1985). It is interesting to note that the G residue complementary to the C present in this sequence in the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (see Figure 6) is protected against dimethylsulfate methylation in lymphoid B cells, but not in other cell lines, which suggests that this sequence interacts with a protein specifically in lymphoid B cells (Ephrussi et al, 1985).…”

Section: Discussion 7he Sv40 Enhancer Domainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Multiple sequence motifs are involved in SV40 enhancer function.

Zenke¹,

Grundström²,

Matthes³

et al. 1986

The EMBO Journal

493

322

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A systematic mutagenesis of the SV40 enhancer indicates that it spans -100 bp and is composed of at least two distinct DNA domains which exhibit very little enhancing activity on their own. Their association results in a 400-fold enhancement of transcription, virtually irrespective of their relative orientation and, to some extent, of the distance between them. Enhancer activity can also be generated by duplication of either domain. We show also that the activity of each domain is due to the presence of several specific sequence motifs. These motifs are found assorted in different combinations in other viral and cellular enhancers. Key words: transcription/site-directed mutagenesis/promoter/ RNA polymerase B(ll)/simian virus 40 1983;Lusky et al., 1983;Hearing and Shenk, 1983;Veldman et al., 1985). However, such enhancer consensus sequences occur in DNA segments without enhancer properties, and enhancer activity can be generated by duplicating DNA sequences without enhancer activity on their own (Weber et al., 1984;Swimmer and Shenk, 1984), thus questioning the real functional significance of these consensus sequences.Therefore, we decided to determine, at the nucleotide level, the DNA sequences essential for the activity of the prototype SV40 enhancer. Systematic deletions and point mutations have been constructed throughout the enhancer region and their effect on SV40 early transcription investigated in vivo, using a transient expression assay in HeLa cells. We show here that the SV40 enhancer encompasses a large DNA segment of -100 nucleotides containing the 72-bp sequence, but also extending further upstream. Furthermore, the present study reveals that the enhancer is composed of at least two distinct DNA domains which exhibit very little enhancing activity on their own. However, their association results in a dramatic 400-fold enhancement of transcription, virtually irrespective of their relative orientation and, to some extent, of the distance between them. Enhancer activity can also be generated by duplication of either domain. In addition, we show that the activity of each domain is due to the presence of several specific sequence motifs. Various assortments of these motifs are found in other viral and cellular enhancers, suggesting that enhancers are mosaics of a limited number of basic evolutionary related sequence motifs.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussion 7he Sv40 Enhancer Domainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple sequence motifs are involved in SV40 enhancer function.

Zenke¹,

Grundström²,

Matthes³

et al. 1986

The EMBO Journal

493

322

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The frog U2 gene contains an enhancer-like element (Mattaj et al 1985) that is nearly identical in sequence to the human U2 enhancer over the region where Spl and NF-A bind to the human enhancer ( Figs. 2-4; see Ares et al 1985).…”

Section: Is a Protein-protein Interaction Between Spl And Nf-a A Specmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A 4-bp deletion in the octamer of the human U2 gene abolishes U2 enhancer activity (Ares et al 1985;Mangin et al 1986) and the human U2 gene can compete with the histone H2B promoter for binding of NF-A1 (Sire and Roeder 1986). In addition, a synthetic oligonucleotide containing an octamer sequence can partly replace the frog U2 enhancer (Mattaj et al 1985).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct factors with Sp1 and NF-A specificities bind to adjacent functional elements of the human U2 snRNA gene enhancer.

Ares¹,

Chung²,

Giglio³

et al. 1987

Genes Dev.

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The enhancer regions of mammalian and avian U1 and U2 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes are unusual in containing the sequence GGGCGG (GC-box) immediately upstream from the sequence ATGCAAAT (octamer). We made point mutations in the human U2 snRNA enhancer and tested them for the ability to direct U2 transcription in HeLa cells, as well as for the ability to form complexes with factors present in HeLa cell nuclear extracts. We show that neither the GC-box nor the octamer alone is sufficient for enhancer activity in vivo. Mutations in the GC-box reduce the ability of enhancer DNA fragments to bind a factor (probably Spl), whereas mutations in the octamer independently reduce the ability to bind a second factor (probably nuclear factor A, NF-A). The results suggest that adjacent binding of Spl and NF-A is an important feature of some UsnRNA gene enhancers.[Key Words: U2 snRNA~ U2 enhancer~ enhancer binding proteins; transcription factors]

show abstract

“…The octamer site is also important for transcription of the snRNA genes although their expression is not restricted to lymphoid cells (Mattaj et al, 1985;Ares et al, 1987;Ciliberto et al, 1987;Janson et al, 1987Janson et al, , 1989Dahlberg and Schenborn, 1988;Tanaka et al, 1988). Transcription of human U2 genes is controlled by a proximal sequence element (PSE) and a distal sequence element (DSE) which is also called the U2 enhancer (Westin et al, 1984;Ares et al, 1985;Mangin et al, 1986; for review see Dahlberg and Lund, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Both Oct-1 and Oct-2A contain domains which can activate the ubiquitously expressed U2 snRNA genes.

et al. 1991

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The U2 snRNA genes, which are transcribed by RNA polymerase II at high levels in all tissues examined, require both a distal and a proximal sequence element for efficient expression. The distal sequence element which has many properties in common with transcriptional enhancers contains, in addition to Sp1 binding sites, an octamer binding site which mediates activation through interactions with the ubiquitous transcription factor Oct‐1. In the present study we have attempted to answer the question whether Oct‐1 contains a unique activating domain which is required for activation of snRNA genes or whether ubiquitously expressed and lymphoid specific octamer binding factors both have the capacity to activate snRNA transcription. Our results show that in the presence of Oct‐1, overexpression of Oct‐2A in HeLa or COS1 cells neither inhibits nor stimulates transcription of U2 constructions which contain octamer binding sites with or without an adjacent Sp1 binding site. Moreover, an Oct‐2A‐‐GAL4 fusion protein in which the DNA binding domain of Oct‐2A was substituted for by the one of the yeast transcription activator GAL4 activates transcription of a human U2 snRNA gene in which the octamer binding site was replaced by a GAL4 binding site. From the results it is concluded that both Oct‐1 and Oct‐2A contain domains which can activate the ubiquitously expressed U2 snRNA genes.

show abstract

An enhancer-like sequence within the Xenopus U2 gene promoter facilitates the formation of stable transcription complexes

Cited by 248 publications

References 26 publications

Multiple sequence motifs are involved in SV40 enhancer function.

Multiple sequence motifs are involved in SV40 enhancer function.

Distinct factors with Sp1 and NF-A specificities bind to adjacent functional elements of the human U2 snRNA gene enhancer.

Both Oct-1 and Oct-2A contain domains which can activate the ubiquitously expressed U2 snRNA genes.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About