Target gene specificity of E2F and pocket protein family members in living cells.

E2F-mediated transcription is thought to involve binding of an E2F-pocket protein complex to promoters in the G(0) phase of the cell cycle and release of the pocket protein in late G(1), followed by release of E2F in S phase. We have tested this model by monitoring protein-DNA interactions in living cells using a formaldehyde cross-linking and immunoprecipitation assay. We find that E2F target genes are bound by distinct E2F-pocket protein complexes which change as cells progress through the cell cycle. We also find that certain E2F target gene promoters are bound by pocket proteins when such promoters are transcriptionally active. Our data indicate that the current model applies only to certain E2F target genes and suggest that Rb family members may regulate transcription in both G(0) and S phases. Finally, we find that a given promoter can be bound by one of several different E2F-pocket protein complexes at a given time in the cell cycle, suggesting that cell cycle-regulated transcription is a stochastic, not a predetermined, process.

Age, stability of the precorneal tear film and the refractive index of tears.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between age, stability of the precorneal tear film and refractive index of tear samples drawn from a normal population. METHODS: The stability of the precorneal tear film was estimated by measuring the Tear Thinning Time MT) using the Bausch and Lomb keratometer. Microlitre tear samples were obtained from the lower tear meniscus using glass capillary tubes. The refractive index (RI) was measured using a digital electronic Abbe refractometer with an accuracy of +/- 0.00005 units. Measurements were obtained from the right eyes of 110 subjects (55 male and 55 female) ranging in age from 18 to 89 years. They were all healthy, non-contact lens wearing individuals with no history of ocular disease or dry eye symptoms. RESULTS: A significant relationship was found between age (x) and tear stability (TTT) in both genders. Females, TTT = 32.89-0.33x, (Spearman correlation coefficient, r = -0.537, P = 0.0001). Males, TTT = 29.25-0.29x (Spearman correlation coefficient, r = -0.353, P = 0.008). A significant correlation was found between age (x) and refractive index (RI) in females only RI = 1.33815-0.000023x, (Spearman correlation coefficient, r = -0.299, P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Tear stability is lower in the aged eye regardless of gender. Tear refractive index is lower in the older female eye.

Coexamination of site-specific transcription factor binding and promoter activity in living cells.

Previously, we have used a chromatin cross-linking and immunoprecipitation protocol for the analysis of Myc and USF binding to the cad promoter. The adaptation of this technique for the study of mammalian transcription factors was a big step forward in the analysis of transcription factor family member specificity, allowing for the first time a definitive knowledge of which factor binds to a promoter region under normal physiological conditions. However, due to limitations of the assay, our previous studies could not definitively prove that both Myc and USF bound to the exact same site on the cad promoter, nor could we directly correlate loss of in vivo binding of a particular factor with loss of transcriptional activity. Therefore, we have further modified the chromatin immunoprecipitation protocol to alleviate these problems. We have now shown that it is possible to coexamine growth-regulated transcriptional activity and promoter occupancy by using stably integrated promoter constructs. We show that both Myc and USF bind to the exact same E box on the cad promoter, suggesting that competition between these two factors for a single site occurs in living cells. We also find that cad promoter constructs that retain USF binding but lose Myc binding in vivo no longer display an increase in transcriptional activity in mid- to late G(1) phase of the cell cycle. Finally, we propose that cell cycle-regulated transcriptional activation of the cad promoter may be a stochastic, rather than a predetermined, process.

Identification of target genes of oncogenic transcription factors.

Disregulation of many transcription factors is associated with the development of human neoplasia. Transcription factors regulate cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis by binding to specific DNA sequences within the promoter regions of growth-regulatory genes and modulating expression of these genes. This simple model is complicated by the fact that mammalian transcription factors are often members of large protein families that bind to similar DNA sequences. This raises the question as to whether members of a particular family regulate expression of overlapping or unique sets of genes. This review is focused on addressing this question using the Ets, Myc, and E2F transcription factor families as examples. Deregulated activity of some, but not all, members of these families is observed in cancer. Here, we summarize the data illustrating the concept that binding of individual members of these families of factors can result in promoter-specific responses and review the studies that have provided some insight into how target gene specificity is achieved. Since, for all of these oncogenic transcription factors, it remains unclear exactly which target genes are important in neoplasia, we have also reviewed the many approaches researchers are using to identify target genes of the various Ets, Myc, and E2F family members.

c-Myc target gene specificity is determined by a post-DNAbinding mechanism.

Uncertainty as to which member of a family of DNA-binding transcription factors regulates a specific promoter in intact cells is a problem common to many investigators. Determining target gene specificity requires both an analysis of protein binding to the endogenous promoter as well as a characterization of the functional consequences of transcription factor binding. By using a formaldehyde crosslinking procedure and Gal4 fusion proteins, we have analyzed the timing and functional consequences of binding of Myc and upstream stimulatory factor (USF)1 to endogenous cellular genes. We demonstrate that the endogenous cad promoter can be immunoprecipitated with antibodies against Myc and USF1. We further demonstrate that although both Myc and USF1 can bind to cad, the cad promoter can respond only to the Myc transactivation domain. We also show that the amount of Myc bound to the cad promoter fluctuates in a growth-dependent manner. Thus, our data analyzing both DNA binding and promoter activity in intact cells suggest that cad is a Myc target gene. In addition, we show that Myc binding can occur at many sites in vivo but that the position of the binding site determines the functional consequences of this binding. Our data indicate that a post-DNA-binding mechanism determines Myc target gene specificity. Importantly, we have demonstrated the feasibility of analyzing the binding of site-specific transcription factors in vivo to single copy mammalian genes.

Myc versus USF: discrimination at the cad gene is determined by core promoter elements.

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthase/aspartate carbamoyltransferase/dihydroorotase, which is encoded by the cad gene, is required for the first three rate-limiting steps of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. It has been previously demonstrated that cad transcription increases at the G1/S-phase boundary, as quiescent cells reenter the proliferative cell cycle. The growth-responsive element has been mapped to an E box at +65 in the hamster cad promoter. Using an in vivo UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation assay, we show that Myc, Max, and upstream stimulatory factor (USF) bind to the chromosomal cad promoter. To determine whether binding of Myc-Max or USF is critical for cad growth regulation, we analyzed promoter constructs which contain mutations in the nucleotides flanking the E box. We demonstrate that altering nucleotides which flank the cad E box to sequences which decrease Myc-Max binding in vitro correlates with a loss of cad G1/S-phase transcriptional activation. This result supports the conclusion that binding of Myc-Max, but not USF, is essential for cad regulation. Our investigations demonstrate that the endogenous cad E box can be bound by more than one transcription factor, but growth-induced cad expression is achieved only by Myc.

Effect of the trichothecene deoxynivalenol on brain biogenic monoamines concentrations in rats and chickens.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (180 g) and 28-day-old Single Comb White Leghorn Cockerels (300 g) were orally dosed with deoxynivalenol (DON) at 2.5 mg kg-1 body weight. In the first experiment, whole brains were collected at 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after the toxin treatment and analyzed for brain biogenic monoamines by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Although several interesting trends were observed, DON did not influence whole brain concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitters or their metabolites in either species, at any time. In a second experiment, brains were collected 24 hours postdosing, dissected into 5 brain regions (pons and medulla oblongata, cerebellum, hypothalamus, hippocampus and cerebral cortex), and analyzed. DON treatment resulted in significantly elevated concentrations of serotonin (HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (HIAA) in all brain regions of the rat. However, this was not seen in poultry, where DON treatment resulted in a decrease in norepinephrine (NE) in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, and a decrease in dopamine (DA) in the pons and medulla oblongata region. These results suggest that DON influences brain biogenic amine metabolism, and that there may be intraspecies differences in the central effects of this mycotoxin.

Effect of T-2 toxin on brain biogenic monoamines in rats and chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of T-2 toxin on brain biogenic monoamines and their metabolites. Male rats (180 g) and cockerels (28 day, 300 g) were orally dosed with T-2 toxin at 2.5 mg kg-1 body weight. In the first experiment, whole brains were collected 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h postdosing and analyzed for monoamines by high performance liquid chromatography with electro-chemical detection. T-2 toxin did not influence whole brain concentrations of monoamines in either species. In the second experiment, brains were collected 24 h postdosing, dissected into five brain regions, and analyzed for monoamines. T-2 toxin treatment resulted in increased serotonin and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in all brain regions of the rat. However, this was not seen in poultry where T-2 toxin treatment resulted in an increase in 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid, no alteration in serotonin concentration and a decrease in regional norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations. These results suggest that T-2 toxin influences brain biogenic amine metabolism and that there is an intraspecies difference in the central effects of this mycotoxin.

Comparison of the trichothecenes deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin for their effects on brain biogenic monoamines in the rat.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (180 g) were orally dosed with deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin at 2.5 mg kg-1 body weight. Brains were collected 24 h postdosing, dissected into five brain regions and analyzed for biogenic monoamines by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. DON and T-2 toxin treatment resulted in significantly elevated concentrations of the indoleamines, serotonin (HT) and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid (HIAA) in all brain regions examined, whereas norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) regional concentrations were not significantly altered. These results indicate that DON and T-2 toxin influence brain biogenic monamine metabolism, and suggest that the central nervous system (CNS) actions of these trichothecenes are similar.