TAF7 (TAFII55) Plays a Role in the Transcription Activation by c-Jun*
- Christine Munza,b,
- Eleni Psicharic,d,
- Dimitris Mandilisc,
- Anne-Claire Lavignec,e,f,
- Maria Spiliotakic,g,
- Thomas Oehlera,h,
- Irwin Davidsone,
- Laszlo Torae,
- Peter Angela,i and
- Alexander Pintzasc,j
- aDivision of Signal Transduction and Growth Control, Deutsches Krebforschungszentrum, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- cLaboratory of Signal Mediated Gene Expression, Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 116 35 Athens, Greece
- eInstitut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/ULP, 67404, Illkirch Cedex BP 10142, France
- ↵iTo whom correspondence may be addressed: Deutsches Krebforschungszentrum, Division of Signal Transduction and Growth Control (B-0800), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Tel.: 49-6221-42-4570; Fax: 49-6221-42-4554; E-mail: p.angel{at}dkfz.de. j To whom correspondence may be addressed: Laboratory of Signal Mediated Gene Expression, Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48, Vas. Constantinou Ave., 116 35 Athens, Greece. Tel.: 30210-7273753; Fax: 30210-7273755; E-mail: apint{at}eie.gr.
Abstract
c-Jun is a member of the AP-1 family of transcription factors regulating expression of specific target genes in a variety of cellular processes including proliferation, stress response, and tumorigenicity. In the present study we have analyzed the mechanism of c-Jun function as a transactivator with respect to members of the basal transcription machinery, TATA-binding protein-associated factors (TAFs). We show that one member of the family, human TAF7 (formerly TAFII55), physically interacts with c-Jun through two independent interaction domains, within the N- and C-terminal part of c-Jun. Interaction in vitro correlates with enhanced transactivation function of c-Jun in HEK293 and COS cells in the presence of increasing amounts of TAF7. TAF7 interacts preferentially with DNA-bound phosphorylated c-Jun, suggesting that TAF7 represents a novel c-Jun co-activator mediating activation of AP-1 target genes in response to extracellular signals.
- Received December 16, 2002.
- Revision received April 2, 2003.
- The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
