Direct interaction of the tau 1 transactivation domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor with the basal transcriptional machinery

Identification and characterization of BATF3 as a context-specific coactivator of the glucocorticoid receptor

The ability of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to regulate the transcriptional output of genes relies on its interactions with transcriptional coregulators. However, which coregulators are required for GR-dependent activation is context-dependent and can be influenced by the sequence of the DNA bound by GR and by the nature of the GR isoform responsible for the regulation of a gene. Here, we screened for GR-interacting proteins for which the interaction signal differed between two GR isoforms GRα and GRγ. These isoforms diverge by a single amino acid insertion in a domain, the lever arm, which adopts DNA sequence-specific conformations. We identify Basic Leucine Zipper ATF-Like Transcription Factor 3 (BATF3), an AP-1 family transcription factor, as a GR coregulator whose interaction with GR is modulated by the lever arm. Further, a combination of experiments uncovered that BATF3 acts as a gene-specific coactivator of GR whose coactivator potency is influenced by the sequence of the GR binding site. Together, our findings suggest that GR isoform and the sequence of GR binding site influence the interaction of GR with BATF3, which might direct the assembly of gene-specific regulatory complexes to fine-tune the expression of individual GR target genes.

Dissecting the regulatory switches of development: lessons from enhancer evolution in Drosophila

Cis-regulatory modules are non-protein-coding regions of DNA essential for the control of gene expression. One class of regulatory modules is embryonic enhancers, which drive gene expression during development as a result of transcription factor protein binding at the enhancer sequences. Recent comparative studies have begun to investigate the evolution of the sequence architecture within enhancers. These analyses are illuminating the way that developmental biologists think about enhancers by revealing their molecular mechanism of function.

Glucocorticoid receptor dynamics and gene regulation

The glucocorticoid receptor regulates the expression of a large number of genes in mammalian cells. The interaction of this receptor with regulatory elements has been discovered to be highly dynamic, with occupancy states measured in seconds, rather than minutes or hours. This finding has led to a paradigm shift in our understanding of receptor function throughout the genome. The mechanisms involved in these rapid exchange events, as well as the implications for receptor function, are discussed.

Glucocorticoid receptor physiology

Glucocorticoid action in cells is mediated by a specific receptor protein, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). GR is a member of a superfamily of ligand-inducible transcription factors that control a variety of physiological functions; such as, metabolism, development, and reproduction. Unliganded GR is predominantly localized within the cytoplasm but rapidly and efficiently translocates to the nucleus following hormone binding. This review will focus on the intracellular signaling pathway utilized by the GR including the mechanisms that control its intracellular trafficking, hormone binding and transcriptional regulation. Many receptor-interacting proteins are involved in distinct steps in GR signal transduction, each with a unique mechanism to regulate receptor action and providing potential drug targets for the manipulation of cellular responses to glucocorticoids.

Structure and function of steroid receptor AF1 transactivation domains: induction of active conformations

Steroid hormones are important endocrine signalling molecules controlling reproduction, development, metabolism, salt balance and specialized cellular responses, such as inflammation and immunity. They are lipophilic in character and act by binding to intracellular receptor proteins. These receptors function as ligand-activated transcription factors, switching on or off networks of genes in response to a specific hormone signal. The receptor proteins have a conserved domain organization, comprising a C-terminal LBD (ligand-binding domain), a hinge region, a central DBD (DNA-binding domain) and a highly variable NTD (N-terminal domain). The NTD is structurally flexible and contains surfaces for both activation and repression of gene transcription, and the strength of the transactivation response has been correlated with protein length. Recent evidence supports a structural and functional model for the NTD that involves induced folding, possibly involving alpha-helix structure, in response to protein-protein interactions and structure-stabilizing solutes.

Recruitment of the SWI-SNF chromatin remodeling complex as a mechanism of gene activation by the glucocorticoid receptor tau1 activation domain

The SWI-SNF complex has been shown to alter nucleosome conformation in an ATP-dependent manner, leading to increased accessibility of nucleosomal DNA to transcription factors. In this study, we show that the SWI-SNF complex can potentiate the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) through the N-terminal transactivation domain, tau1, in both yeast and mammalian cells. GR-tau1 can directly interact with purified SWI-SNF complex, and mutations in tau1 that affect the transactivation activity in vivo also directly affect tau1 interaction with SWI-SNF. Furthermore, the SWI-SNF complex can stimulate tau1-driven transcription from chromatin templates in vitro. Taken together, these results support a model in which the GR can directly recruit the SWI-SNF complex to target promoters during glucocorticoid-dependent gene activation. We also provide evidence that the SWI-SNF and SAGA complexes represent independent pathways of tau1-mediated activation but play overlapping roles that are able to compensate for one another under some conditions.

Histone acetyltransferase complexes can mediate transcriptional activation by the major glucocorticoid receptor activation domain

Previous studies have shown that the Ada adapter proteins are important for glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated gene activation in yeast. The N-terminal transactivation domain of GR, tau1, is dependent upon Ada2, Ada3, and Gcn5 for transactivation in vitro and in vivo. Using in vitro techniques, we demonstrate that the GR-tau1 interacts directly with the native Ada containing histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex SAGA but not the related Ada complex. Mutations in tau1 that reduce tau1 transactivation activity in vivo lead to a reduced binding of tau1 to the SAGA complex and conversely, mutations increasing the transactivation activity of tau1 lead to an increased binding of tau1 to SAGA. In addition, the Ada-independent NuA4 HAT complex also interacts with tau1. GAL4-tau1-driven transcription from chromatin templates is stimulated by SAGA and NuA4 in an acetyl coenzyme A-dependent manner. Low-activity tau1 mutants reduce SAGA- and NuA4-stimulated transcription while high-activity tau1 mutants increase transcriptional activation, specifically from chromatin templates. Our results demonstrate that the targeting of native HAT complexes by the GR-tau1 activation domain mediates transcriptional stimulation from chromatin templates.

Interaction of the human androgen receptor transactivation function with the general transcription factor TFIIF

The human androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates genes important for male sexual differentiation and development. To better understand the role of the receptor as a transcription factor we have studied the mechanism of action of the N-terminal transactivation function. In a protein-protein interaction assay the AR N terminus (amino acids 142-485) selectively bound to the basal transcription factors TFIIF and the TATA-box-binding protein (TBP). Reconstitution of the transactivation activity in vitro revealed that AR142-485 fused to the LexA protein DNA-binding domain was competent to activate a reporter gene in the presence of a competing DNA template lacking LexA binding sites. Furthermore, consistent with direct interaction with basal transcription factors, addition of recombinant TFIIF relieved squelching of basal transcription by AR142-485. Taken together these results suggest that one mechanism of transcriptional activation by the AR involves binding to TFIIF and recruitment of the transcriptional machinery.

Role of the Ada adaptor complex in gene activation by the glucocorticoid receptor

We have shown that the Ada adaptor complex is important for the gene activation capacity of the glucocorticoid receptor in yeast. The recently isolated human Ada2 protein also increases the potency of the receptor protein in mammalian cells. The Ada pathway is of key significance for the tau1 core transactivation domain (tau1c) of the receptor, which requires Ada for activity in vivo and in vitro. Ada2 can be precipitated from nuclear extracts by a glutathione S-transferase-tau1 fusion protein coupled to agarose beads, and a direct interaction between Ada2 and tau1c can be shown by using purified proteins. This interaction is strongly reduced by a mutation in tau1c that reduces transactivation activity. Mutations affecting the Ada complex do not reverse transcriptional squelching by the tau1 domain, as they do for the VP16 transactivation domain, and thus these powerful acidic activators differ in at least some important aspects of gene activation. Mutations that reduce the activity of the tau1c domain in wild-type yeast strains cause similar reductions in ada mutants that contain little or no Ada activity. Thus, gene activation mechanisms, in addition to the Ada pathway, are involved in the activity of the tau1c domain.

Role of hydrophobic amino acid clusters in the transactivation activity of the human glucocorticoid receptor

We have performed a mutagenesis analysis of the 58-amino-acid tau1-core peptide, which represents the core transactivation activity of the tau1 transactivation domain from the glucocorticoid receptor. Mutants with altered activity were identified by phenotypic screening in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Most mutants with reduced activity had substitutions of hydrophobic amino acids. Most single-substitution mutants with reduced activity were localized near the N terminus of the tau1-core within a segment that has been shown previously to have a propensity for alpha-helix conformation, suggesting that this helical region is of predominant importance. The particular importance of hydrophobic residues within this region was confirmed by comparing the activities of alanine substitutions of the hydrophobic residues in this and two other helical regions. The hydrophobic residues were shown to be important for the transactivation activity of both the isolated tau1-core and the intact glucocorticoid receptor in mammalian cells. Rare mutations in helical regions I and II gave rise to increased transcriptional activation activity. These mutations increase the hydrophobicity of hydrophobic patches on each of these helices, suggesting a relationship between the hydrophobicity of the patches and transactivation activity. However, certain nonhydrophobic residues are also important for activity. Interestingly, helical region I partially matches a consensus motif found in the retinoic acid receptor, VP16, and several other activator proteins.

Constitutive repression and nuclear factor I-dependent hormone activation of the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To study the influence of various transactivators and the role of nucleosomal structure in gene regulation by steroid hormones, we have introduced mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter sequences along with expression vectors for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and nuclear factor I (NFI) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an organism amenable to genetic manipulation. Both in the context of an episomal multicopy vector and in a centromeric single-copy plasmid, the MMTV promoter was virtually silent in the absence of inducer, even in yeast strains expressing GR and NFI. Induction was optimal with deacylcortivazol and required both GR and NFI. The transactivation function AF1 in the N-terminal half of GR is required for ligand-dependent induction and acts constitutively in truncated GR lacking the ligand binding domain. A piece of the MMTV long terminal repeat extending from -236 to +111 is sufficient to position a nucleosome, B, over the regulatory region of the promoter from -45 to -190 and another nucleosome over the transcription start region. The rotational orientation of the DNA on the surface of nucleosome B is the same as that previously found in animal cells and in reconstitution experiments. This orientation is compatible with binding of GR to two sites, while it should preclude binding of NFI and hence be responsible for constitutive repression. Upon ligand induction, there is no major chromatin rearrangement, but the proximal linker DNA, including the TATA box, becomes hypersensitive to nucleases. The transcriptional behavior of the MMTV promoter was unaffected by deletions of the genes for zuotin or SIN1/SPT2, two proteins which have been claimed to assume some of the functions of linker histones. Thus, despite the lack of histone H1, yeast cells could be a suitable system to study the contribution of nucleosomal organization to the regulated expression of the MMTV promoter.

Structural characterization of a minimal functional transactivation domain from the human glucocorticoid receptor

A 58-amino acid polypeptide containing the functional core region, the tau 1 core, of the major transactivation domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor has been expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The polypeptide retains 60-70% of the activity of the intact domain when assayed in vivo or in vitro. This report describes a structural characterization of the tau 1 core peptide fragment. Circular dichroism spectroscopy shows that the tau 1 core and a larger fragment encompassing the intact tau 1 domain are largely unstructured in water solution under a variety of pH conditions. The tau 1 core, however, acquires a significant alpha-helical structure when analyzed in the presence of trifluoroethanol, an agent that favors secondary structure formation in regions that have propensity for alpha-helical conformation. Two- and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy of 15N-labeled tau 1 core, in the presence of trifluoroethanol, has allowed sequential assignment of 1H and 15N resonances and identification of three protein segments with alpha-helical character. Potentially helix-breaking proline substitutions, in proposed alpha-helical regions, lead to reduced activity, suggesting that alpha-helices are important for transactivation in vivo.

Targeting of promoters for trans activation by a carboxy-terminal domain of the NS-1 protein of the parvovirus minute virus of mice

The NS-1 gene of the parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM) (prototype strain, MVMp) was fused in phase with the sequence coding for the DNA-binding domain of the bacterial LexA repressor. The resulting chimeric protein, LexNS-1, was tested for its transcriptional activity by using various target promoters in which multiple LexA operator sequences had been introduced. Under these conditions, NS-1 was shown to stimulate gene expression driven by the modified long terminal repeat promoters (from the retroviruses mouse mammary tumor virus and Rous sarcoma virus) and P38 promoter (from MVMp), indicating that the NS-1 protein is a potent transcriptional activator. It is noteworthy that in the absence of LexA operator-mediated targeting, the genuine mouse mammary tumor virus and Rous sarcoma virus promoters were inhibited by NS-1. Together these data strongly suggest that NS-1 contains an activating region able to induce promoters with which this protein interacts but also to repress transcription from nonrecognized promoters by a squelching mechanism similar to that described for other activators. Deletion mutant analysis led to the identification of an NS-1 domain that exhibited an activating potential comparable to that of the whole polypeptide when fused to the DNA-binding region of LexA. This domain is localized in the carboxy-terminal part of NS-1 and corresponds to one of the two regions previously found to be responsible for toxicity. These results argue for the involvement of the regulatory functions of NS-1 in the cytopathic effect of this parvovirus product.

Recombinant thyroid hormone receptor and retinoid X receptor stimulate ligand-dependent transcription in vitro

The thyroid hormone and retinoid X receptors form a heterodimer with each other and mediate thyroid hormone (T3)-dependent transcription. Retinoid X receptor, in addition, forms a homodimer and mediates 9-cis-retinoic acid-dependent transcription. Here, recombinant thyroid hormone receptor and recombinant retinoid X receptor beta expressed from baculovirus vectors have been studied for ligand-mediated activation of transcription in vitro. We show that the two recombinant receptors, most likely as a heterodimer, cooperatively enhance transcription in vitro from a template containing functional T3 responsive elements. The enhancement was specific for the T3 responsive element and was greatest when T3 was added to the reaction (approximately 14-fold increase). Albeit to a lesser degree, the two receptors also directed transcription in the absence of T3. Template competition experiments suggest that the two receptors enhance formation of the preinitiation complex and that activation by T3 occurs when the ligand binds the receptor prior to (or during), but not after, the formation of the preinitiation complex. Although 9-cis-retinoic acid had no effect on the T3-dependent transcription, this ligand activated transcription in vitro directed by recombinant retinoic X receptor beta, most likely as a homodimer. This activation was observed when using nuclear extracts from embryonal carcinoma cells as a source of basal transcription factors, but not those from B lymphocytes. These results demonstrate that transcriptional activation mediated by T3 and 9-cis-retinoic acid can be reconstituted in vitro with the respective recombinant receptors.

Delineation of a small region within the major transactivation domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor that mediates transactivation of gene expression

Previous deletion analysis localized the major transactivation function of the human glucocorticoid receptor to a 185-amino acid segment close to the N terminus of the receptor protein. This region was named tau 1 [Hollenberg, S. M. & Evans, R. M. (1988) Cell 55, 899-906]. To delineate the smallest active region within tau 1, we have systematically tested the transactivation capacity of deletion derivatives of the tau 1 domain, fused to the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain, in yeast cells. Internal scanning deletions suggested that residues near the C terminus of tau 1 are most important for activity. Deletions of N-terminal and C-terminal sequences identified a 41-amino acid "core" region near the C terminus of tau 1 that is crucial for tau 1 function. Small peptide fragments containing the tau 1 core region are competent for transactivation, while regions outside the tau 1 core are not active. We have previously demonstrated that the intact tau 1 domain squelches the activity of a minimal promoter in vivo and in vitro, suggesting involvement of interactions with a component/components of the basal transcription machinery in the mechanism of transactivation. This activity was maintained in the tau 1 core-containing segments.