Transformation by the fos or jun oncogene does not increase AP-1 DNA-binding activity

Stress, Adaptation, and the Deep Genome: Why Transposons Matter

Stress is a common, if often unpredictable life event. It can be defined from an evolutionary perspective as a force an organism perceives it must adapt to. Thus stress is a useful tool to study adaptation and the adaptive capacity of organisms. The deep genome, long neglected as a pile of “junk” has emerged as a source of regulatory DNA and RNA as well as a potential stockpile of adaptive capacity at the organismal and species levels. Recent work on the regulation of transposable elements (TEs), the principle constituents of the deep genome, by stress has shown that these elements are responsive to host stress and other environmental cues. Further, we have shown that some are likely directly regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), one of the two major vertebrate stress steroid receptors in a fashion that appears adaptive. On the basis of this and other emerging evidence I argue that the deep genome may represent an adaptive toolkit for organisms to respond to their environments at both individual and evolutionary scales. This argues that genomes may be adapted for what Waddington called “trait adaptability” rather than being purely passive objects of natural selection and single nucleotide level mutation.

Transcription factors control invasion: AP-1 the first among equals

Metastasis, the aggressive spread of a malignant tumor to distant organs, is a major cause of death in cancer patients. Despite this critical role in cancer outcomes, the molecular mechanisms that control this process are just beginning to be understood. Metastasis is largely dependent upon the ability of tumor cells to invade the barrier formed by the basement membrane and to migrate through neighboring tissues. This review will summarize the evidence that tumor cell invasion is the result of oncogene-mediated signal transduction pathways that control the expression of a specific set of genes that together mediate tumor cell invasion. We focus on the role of the transcription factor AP-1 to both induce the expression of genes that function as invasion effectors and repress other genes that function as invasion suppressors. This identifies AP-1 as a critical regulator of a complex program of gene expression that defines the invasive phenotype.

Artificial oncoproteins: modified versions of the yeast bZip protein GCN4 induce cellular transformation

We have constructed artificial AP-1 proteins containing elements derived from yeast GCN4 and from the herpes simplex virus activator VP16. These proteins can only homodimerize but do not heterodimerize, and lacking significant homology to Jun outside the DNA-binding domain, they are largely unaffected by proteins that modulate Jun. Constructs in which the transactivation domain of GCN4 is replaced by that of VP16 induce oncogenic transformation in cultures of chicken embryo fibroblasts. The availability of transforming VP16-GCN4 fusion proteins permits an evaluation of downstream target genes, based on the hypothesis that transformation-relevant targets should be common between Jun and the artificial AP-1 proteins. In a pilot study, we examined the expression of several Jun target genes in cells transformed by the VP16-GCN4 fusions and found that some of the Jun targets are not upregulated by the GCN4-derived transforming construct, suggesting that their upregulation in Jun-transformed cells is not essential for cell transformation. We have further constructed a regulatable GCN4-VP16 protein that will permit a kinetic characterization of target gene responses and will facilitate discrimination between direct and indirect targets.

Jun, the oncoprotein

Cellular Jun (c-Jun) and viral Jun (v-Jun) can induce oncogenic transformation. For this activity, c-Jun requires an upstream signal, delivered by the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). v-Jun does not interact with JNK; it is autonomous and constitutively active. v-Jun and c-Jun address overlapping but not identical sets of genes. Whether all genes essential for transformation reside within the overlap of the v-Jun and c-Jun target spectra remains to be determined. The search for transformation-relevant targets of Jun is moving into a new stage with the application of DNA microarrays technology. Genetic screens and functional tests remain a necessity for the identification of genes that control the oncogenic phenotype.

Regulation of a multigenic invasion programme by the transcription factor, AP-1: re-expression of a down-regulated gene, TSC-36, inhibits invasion

The transcription factor AP-1 (activator protein-1) is required for transformation by many oncogenes, which function upstream of it in the growth factor-ras signal transduction pathway. Previously, we proposed that one role of AP-1 in transformation is to regulate the expression of a multigenic invasion programme. As a test of this proposal we sought to identify AP-1 regulated genes based upon their differential expression in 208F rat fibroblasts transformed by FBR-v-fos (FBR), and to determine if they functioned in the invasion programme. Subtracted cDNA libraries specific for up- or down-regulated genes in FBRs compared to 208Fs were constructed and analysed. Northern analysis revealed that the cDNAs in both libraries represented differentially expressed genes. Nucleic acid sequence analysis of randomly selected cDNA clones from each library coupled with searches of nucleic acid and amino acid sequence databases determined that many of the cDNAs represented proteins that function in various aspects of the invasion process. Functional analysis of one the down-regulated genes, TSC-36/follistatin-related protein (TSC-36/Frp), which has not previously been associated with invasion, demonstrated that its expression in FBRs inhibited in vitro invasion. These results support the proposal that AP-1 in transformed cells regulates a multigenic invasion programme.

Directed mutation of the basic domain of v-Jun alters DNA binding specificity and abolishes its oncogenic activity in chicken embryo fibroblasts

Overexpression of v-Jun in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) leads to oncogenic transformation phenotypically characterized by anchorage independent growth and release from contact inhibition (focus formation). The mechanisms involved in this oncogenic conversion however, are not yet clear. Because Jun is a transcription factor, it has been assumed that oncogenic transformation results directly from deregulated AP-1 target gene expression. However, a number of experimental observations in avian cell culture models fail to correlate oncogenesis with AP-1 activity suggesting that transformation induced by v-Jun may occur through an indirect mechanism. To test this possibility, we introduced point mutations into the basic DNA binding domain of v-Jun and created mutants that exhibit altered binding specificity. When expressed in CEF, these mutants fail to deregulate three known v-Jun target genes (JTAP-1, apolipoprotein A1, c-Jun) thus demonstrating in vivo specificity changes. Each of the binding specificity mutants was also tested for its ability to induce oncogenic transformation. Interestingly, expression of these mutants in CEF results in a phenotype indistinguishable from the vector control with respect to growth rate, focus formation and the ability to form colonies in soft agar. These results are consistent with a model requiring direct AP-1 target deregulation as a prerequisite of v-Jun induced cell transformation. With this in mind, we generated a series of additional mutants that retain the ability to bind AP-1 sequence elements, but vary in their oncogenic potential. We demonstrate the use of these mutants to screen v-Jun induced gene targets for a functional role in cell transformation.

AP-1-mediated invasion requires increased expression of the hyaluronan receptor CD44

Fibroblasts transformed by Fos oncogenes display increased expression of a number of genes implicated in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In contrast to normal 208F rat fibroblasts, Fos-transformed 208F fibroblasts are growth factor independent for invasion. We demonstrate that invasion of v-Fos- or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-transformed cells requires AP-1 activity. v-Fos-transformed cell invasion is inhibited by c-jun antisense oligonucleotides and by expression of a c-jun dominant negative mutant, TAM-67. EGF-induced invasion is inhibited by both c-fos and c-jun antisense oligonucleotides. CD44s, the standard form of a transmembrane receptor for hyaluronan, is implicated in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. We demonstrate that increased expression of CD44 in Fos- and EGF-transformed cells is dependent upon AP-1. CD44 antisense oligonucleotides reduce expression of CD44 in v-Fos- or EGF-transformed cells and inhibit invasion but not migration. Expression of a fusion protein between human CD44s and Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) in 208F cells complements the inhibition of invasion by the rat-specific CD44 antisense oligonucleotide. We further show that both v-Fos and EGF transformations result in a concentration of endogenous CD44 or exogenous CD44-GFP at the ends of pseudopodial cell extensions. These results support the hypothesis that one role of AP-1 in transformation is to activate a multigenic invasion program.

Hepatitis B virus HBx protein induces transcription factor AP-1 by activation of extracellular signal-regulated and c-Jun N-terminal mitogen-activated protein kinases

The HBx protein of hepatitis B virus is a dual-specificity activator of transcription, stimulating signal transduction pathways in the cytoplasm and transcription factors in the nucleus, when expressed in cell lines in culture. In the cytoplasm, HBx was shown to stimulate the Ras-Raf-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) cascade, which is essential for activation of transcription factor AP-1. Here we show that HBx protein stimulates two independently regulated members of the MAP kinase family when expressed transiently in cells. HBx protein stimulates the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs). HBx activation of ERKs and JNKs leads to induction and activation of AP-1 DNA binding activity involving transient de novo synthesis of c-Fos protein and prolonged synthesis of c-Jun, mediated by N-terminal phosphorylation of c-Jun carried out by HBx-activated JNK. New c-Jun synthesis was blocked by coexpression with a dominant-negative MAP kinase kinase (MEK kinase, MEKK-1), confirming that HBx stimulates the prolonged synthesis of c-Jun by activating JNK signalling pathways. Activation of the c-fos gene was blocked by coexpression with a Raf-C4 catalytic mutant, confirming that HBx induces c-Fos by acting on Ras-Raf linked pathways. HBx activation of ERK and JNK pathways resulted in prolonged accumulation of AP-1-c-Jun dimer complexes. HBx activation of JNK and sustained activation of c-jun, should they occur in the context of hepatitis B virus infection, might play a role in viral transformation and pathogenesis.

Differential regulation of AP-1 and novel TRE-specific DNA-binding complexes during differentiation of oligodendrocyte-type-2-astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells

AP-1 is an ubiquitous transcription factor which is composed of the Jun and Fos proto-oncogene proteins and is thought to play a role in both cell proliferation and differentiation. We have used an immortal, bipotential oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte progenitor cell line (O-2A/c-myc) which can differentiate into oligodendrocytes or type-2 astrocytes in vitro, to investigate whether AP-1 DNA-binding activity fluctuates during glial cell differentiation. Unexpectedly, DNA-mobility shift assays using a TRE-containing oligonucleotide derived from the promoter of the glial-specific gene, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP/AP-1), revealed that O-2A/c-myc progenitor cells were devoid of conventional AP-1 DNA-binding complexes. O-2A/c-myc cells did however contain several novel GFAP/AP-1-specific DNA-binding complexes, which we have termed APprog. APprog complexes recognise the TRE consensus motif present in the GFAP/AP-1 oligonucleotide together with adjacent 3′ sequences but do not contain c-Jun or any other known Jun-related proteins. When O-2A/c-myc cells underwent terminal differentiation APprog complexes were lost and conventional AP-1 DNA-binding activity became evident, particularly in astrocytes. These changes appear to be closely linked to the differentiation process since they did not occur in a derivative of the O-2A/c-myc cell line that contains an activated v-ras oncogene and which fails to differentiate under appropriate culture conditions. The inverse regulation of conventional AP-1 and APprog complexes within the O-2A lineage suggests that these factors may play a role in the regulation of glial cell differentiation or glial cell-specific gene expression.

Transfected lymphocyte extracts of patients with urological tumours: complement temperature-sensitive adenovirus mutants in vitro

Patients with renal or bladder cancers exhibit a unique association with adenovirus (Ad) infections. About 60% of them contain antibodies to Ad early antigens. Both in their tumour cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) they have detectable early Ad antigens known to be involved in malignant cell transformation. Transfection of tumour cell extracts resulted in complementing temperature-sensitive (ts) Ad mutants at nonpermissive temperatures (39 degrees C) indicating that some cells of the tumour mass possess active functions for Ad. Only 4 to 18% of control subjects were positive in these tests. Here we studied whether lymphocytes might be involved in tumourigenesis by Ad. PBL extracts of patients were transfected into HEp-2 culture cells, which were subsequently superinfected with Ad-5 ts18 and ts19 mutants at 39 degrees C. Titration of virus yields indicated complementation in 76% of patients with renal and bladder cancers in contrast to 20% of control individuals. Complementing ability of lymphocytes which had been prestimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) approached that of tumour extracts. It means that both specimens contain advanced functions in contrast to resting lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are nonpermissive for latently carried Ad infections. Expression, possible transfer of early Ad gene products via frequent contacts with tissue cells can result in removal of tumour suppressor gene products from complexes regulating cell cycle negatively. Further interaction with hormone-sensitive protooncogenes explains tissue, age and gender specificity of urological malignancies. These phenomena suggest an important cofactorial role for Ad in kidney and bladder tumours.

Cell transformation by c-fos requires an extended period of expression and is independent of the cell cycle

The proto-oncogene transcription factors Fos and Jun form a heterodimeric complex that binds to DNA and regulates expression of specific target genes. Continuous expression of c-fos causes transformation of cultured fibroblasts and induces osteogenic sarcoma in mice. To investigate the molecular basis of fos-mediated oncogenesis, we developed a conditional cell transformation system in which Fos expression was regulated by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Synthesis or repression of Fos in L1-3c-fos cells occurred rapidly, within 30 min, after the removal or addition of IPTG to the culture medium. However, there was a significant delay between the induction of Fos expression and the appearance of morphological transformation. No effect was observed after 12 h of Fos expression, partial transformation was detected after 24 h, and full transformation required approximately 3 days of continuous Fos expression. Similarly, the transformed cell morphology persisted for at least 2 days after repression of Fos, and a normal phenotype was observed only after 3 days. Fos-Jun complexes, capable of binding to AP-1 sequences, were present continuously during the delay in morphological transformation. Furthermore, increased expression of several candidate Fos target genes, including those encoding Fra-1, transin (stromelysin), collagenase, and ornithine decarboxylase, was detected shortly after Fos induction. The induction of morphological transformation was not dependent on the cell cycle, as it occurred in both cycling and noncycling cells. Thus, the Fos-Jun complexes present before L1-3c-fos cells become fully transformed are transcriptionally active. These complexes disappeared, and the Fos target genes were repressed at least 2 days prior to reversion. Our results suggest that cell transformation by Fos requires increased expression of a target gene(s) with a long-lived product(s) that must reach a critical level.

Cell transformation by c-fos requires an extended period of expression and is independent of the cell cycle

The proto-oncogene transcription factors Fos and Jun form a heterodimeric complex that binds to DNA and regulates expression of specific target genes. Continuous expression of c-fos causes transformation of cultured fibroblasts and induces osteogenic sarcoma in mice. To investigate the molecular basis of fos-mediated oncogenesis, we developed a conditional cell transformation system in which Fos expression was regulated by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Synthesis or repression of Fos in L1-3c-fos cells occurred rapidly, within 30 min, after the removal or addition of IPTG to the culture medium. However, there was a significant delay between the induction of Fos expression and the appearance of morphological transformation. No effect was observed after 12 h of Fos expression, partial transformation was detected after 24 h, and full transformation required approximately 3 days of continuous Fos expression. Similarly, the transformed cell morphology persisted for at least 2 days after repression of Fos, and a normal phenotype was observed only after 3 days. Fos-Jun complexes, capable of binding to AP-1 sequences, were present continuously during the delay in morphological transformation. Furthermore, increased expression of several candidate Fos target genes, including those encoding Fra-1, transin (stromelysin), collagenase, and ornithine decarboxylase, was detected shortly after Fos induction. The induction of morphological transformation was not dependent on the cell cycle, as it occurred in both cycling and noncycling cells. Thus, the Fos-Jun complexes present before L1-3c-fos cells become fully transformed are transcriptionally active. These complexes disappeared, and the Fos target genes were repressed at least 2 days prior to reversion. Our results suggest that cell transformation by Fos requires increased expression of a target gene(s) with a long-lived product(s) that must reach a critical level.