The novel Jab1 inhibitor CSN5i-3 suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Jab1 is a vital subunit of the CSN family and is reported to be overexpressed in numerous cancer types. Due to the importance of Jab1/CSN5 in cancer cell proliferation and survival, Jab1 is considered a promising therapeutic target. Therefore, we evaluated the anticancer effect of the novel Jab1 inhibitor CSN5i-3 in breast cancer cells. In our study, we found that Jab1 was overexpressed in breast cancer tissues and was correlated with poor prognosis in human breast cancer patients. An MTS assay revealed that CSN5i-3 suppressed cell proliferation in the breast cancer cell lines BT474 and SKBR3. We also found that CSN5i-3 significantly induced apoptosis and G1 phase cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells. A mechanistic investigation revealed that CSN5i-3 inhibited Jab1 expression and increased the level of the apoptosis marker cleaved PARP and the cell-cycle-related protein p27 in BT474 and SKBR3 cells. A nude mouse xenograft model also indicated that CSN5i-3 exerted a potent anticancer effect in vivo. Overall, our study suggested that the Jab1 inhibitor CSN5i-3 might be a promising agent for the treatment of breast cancer in humans and should be studied further.

Identification of a dual specificity kinase that activates the Jun kinases and p38-Mpk2.

One Ras-dependent protein kinase cascade leading from growth factor receptors to the ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinases) subgroup of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) is dependent on the protein kinase Raf-1, which activates the MEK (MAPK or ERK kinase) dual specificity kinases. A second protein kinase cascade leading to activation of the Jun kinases (JNKs) is dependent on MEKK (MEK kinase). A dual-specificity kinase that activates JNK, named JNKK, was identified that functions between MEKK and JNK. JNKK activated the JNKs but did not activate the ERKs and was unresponsive to Raf-1 in transfected HeLa cells. JNKK also activated another MAPK, p38 (Mpk2; the mammalian homolog of HOG1 from yeast), whose activity is regulated similarly to that of the JNKs.

A four-methylated mRNA signature-based risk score system predicts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Evidence suggests that altered DNA methylation plays a causative role in the pathogenesis of various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, methylated differently expressed genes (MDEGs) could potentially serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. In the present study, screening four genomics profiling datasets (GSE62232, GSE84402, GSE73003 and GSE57956) enabled us to identify a total of 148 MDEGs. A signature was then established based on the top four MDEGs (BRCA1, CAD, CDC20 and RBM8A). Taking clinical variables into consideration, we constructed a risk score system consisting of the four-MDEG signature and the patients' clinical features, which was predictive of prognosis in HCC. The prognostic value of the HCC risk score system was confirmed using TCGA HCC samples. The scores were then used to construct a nomogram, performance of which was evaluated using Harrel's concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve. The signature-based nomogram for prediction of overall survival in HCC patients exhibited good performance and was superior to traditional staging systems (C-index: 0.676 vs 0.629, P< 0.05). We have thus established a novel risk score system that is predictive of prognosis and is a potentially useful guide for personalized treatment of HCC patients.

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide-induced apoptosis triggered by reactive oxygen species is mediated by activation of MAPKs in head and neck squamous carcinoma cells.

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR), a synthetic retinoid effective in cancer chemoprevention and therapy, is thought to act via apoptosis induction resulting from increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. As ROS can activate MAP kinases and protein kinase C (PKC), we examined the role of such enzymes in 4HPR-induced apoptosis in HNSCC UMSCC22B cells. 4HPR increased ROS level within 1 h and induced activation of caspase 3 and PARP cleavage within 24 h. Activation of MKK3/6 and MKK4, JNK, p38 and ERK was detected between 6 and 12 h, increased up to 24 h and preceded apoptosis. 4HPR-induced activation of these kinases was abrogated by the antioxidants BHA and vitamin C. SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, suppressed 4HPR-induced c-Jun phosphorylation, cytochrome c release from mitochondria and apoptosis. Suppression of JNK1 and JNK2 using siRNA decreased, whereas overexpression of wild type-JNK1 enhanced 4HPR-induced apoptosis. PD169316, a p38, inhibitor suppressed phosphorylation of Hsp27 and apoptosis. PD98059, an MEK1/2 inhibitor, also suppressed ERK1/2 activation and apoptosis induced by 4HPR. Likewise, PKC inhibitor GF109203X suppressed ERK and p38 phosphorylation and PARP cleavage. These data indicate that 4HPR-induced apoptosis is triggered by ROS increase, leading to the activation of the mitogen-activated protein serine/threonine kinases JNK, p38, PKC and ERK, and subsequent apoptosis.

A shift in the ligand responsiveness of thyroid hormone receptor alpha induced by heterodimerization with retinoid X receptor alpha.

Thyroid hormone (T3) receptors (T3Rs) are ligand-modulated transcription factors that bind to thyroid hormone response elements (T3REs) and mediate either positive or negative transcriptional regulation of target genes. In addition, in response to ligand binding, T3Rs can interfere with AP-1 activity and thereby inhibit transcription of AP-1-responsive genes. T3Rs were recently shown to form heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs), leading to increased binding to T3REs in vitro and potentiation of transcriptional responses in vivo. Here we demonstrate that T3R alpha forms stable heterodimers with RXR alpha in living cells. Most important, we describe a new role for RXR alpha in modulating ligand-dependent T3R alpha activity: heterodimerization with RXR alpha greatly increases transcriptional interference with AP-1 activity, augments T3-dependent transcriptional activation, and potentiates the reversal of ligand-independent activation by T3R alpha. In all three cases, the responses occur at substantially lower T3 concentrations when elicited by T3R alpha plus RXR alpha than by T3R alpha alone. In vitro, the binding of T3 decreases the DNA-binding activity of T3R alpha homodimers but does not affect DNA binding by T3R alpha:RXR alpha heterodimers. We provide evidence that increased activities of T3R alpha at lower T3 concentrations are not due to changes in its T3 binding properties. Instead, the altered response could be mediated by either RXR alpha-induced conformational changes, increased stability of heterodimers over homodimers, especially following T3 binding, or both.

A nuclear factor I-like activity and a liver-specific repressor govern estrogen-regulated in vitro transcription from the Xenopus laevis vitellogenin B1 promoter.

A hormone-controlled in vitro transcription system derived from Xenopus liver nuclear extracts was exploited to identify novel cis-acting elements within the vitellogenin gene B1 promoter region. In addition to the already well-documented estrogen-responsive element (ERE), two elements were found within the 140 base pairs upstream of the transcription initiation site. One of them, a negative regulatory element, is responsible for the lack of promoter activity in the absence of the hormone and, as demonstrated by DNA-binding assays, interacts with a liver-specific transcription factor. The second is required in association with the estrogen-responsive element to mediate hormonal induction and is recognized by the Xenopus liver homolog of nuclear factor I.

All-trans-retinoic acid inhibits Jun N-terminal kinase by increasing dual-specificity phosphatase activity.

Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are serine-threonine kinases that play a critical role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. We previously observed that JNK activity is suppressed by all-trans-retinoic acid (t-RA), a ligand for retinoic acid nuclear receptors (RARs), in normal human bronchial epithelial cells, which are growth inhibited by t-RA. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which t-RA inhibits JNK and the possibility that this signaling event is blocked in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Virtually all NSCLC cell lines are resistant to the growth-inhibitory effects of t-RA, and a subset of them have a transcriptional defect specific to retinoid nuclear receptors. We found that in NSCLC cells expressing functional retinoid receptors, serum-induced JNK phosphorylation and activity were inhibited by t-RA in a bimodal pattern, transiently within 30 min and in a sustained fashion beginning at 12 h. Retinoid receptor transcriptional activation was required for the late, but not the early, suppression of JNK activity. t-RA inhibited serum-induced JNK activity by blocking mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 4-induced signaling events. This effect of t-RA was phosphatase dependent and involved an increase in the expression of the dual-specificity MAP kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1). t-RA did not activate MKP-1 expression or inhibit JNK activity in a NSCLC cell line with retinoid receptors that are refractory to ligand-induced transcriptional activation. These findings provide the first evidence that t-RA suppresses JNK activity by inhibiting JNK phosphorylation. Retinoid receptor transcriptional activation was necessary for the sustained inhibition of JNK activity by t-RA, and this signaling event was disrupted in NSCLC cells with retinoid receptors that are refractory to ligand-induced transcriptional activation.

Withdrawal of survival factors results in activation of the JNK pathway in neuronal cells leading to Fas ligand induction and cell death.

The JNK pathway modulates AP-1 activity. While in some cells it may have proliferative and protective roles, in neuronal cells it is involved in apoptosis in response to stress or withdrawal of survival signals. To understand how JNK activation leads to apoptosis, we used PC12 cells and primary neuronal cultures. In PC12 cells, deliberate JNK activation is followed by induction of Fas ligand (FasL) expression and apoptosis. JNK activation detected by c-Jun phosphorylation and FasL induction are also observed after removal of either nerve growth factor from differentiated PC12 cells or KCl from primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGCs). Sequestation of FasL by incubation with a Fas-Fc decoy inhibits apoptosis in all three cases. CGCs derived from gld mice (defective in FasL) are less sensitive to apoptosis caused by KCl removal than wild-type neurons. In PC12 cells, protection is also conferred by a c-Jun mutant lacking JNK phosphoacceptor sites and a small molecule inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and JNK, which inhibits FasL induction. Hence, the JNK-to-c-Jun-to-FasL pathway is an important mediator of stress-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Stat3 contributes to cancer progression by regulating Jab1/Csn5 expression.

Our previous studies demonstrated that Jab1/Csn5 overexpression is correlated with low survival rates in cancer patients, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), breast cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, and contributes to NPC's resistance to radiotherapy and cisplatin by regulating DNA damage and repair pathways. However, the molecular mechanism by which Jab1/Csn5 expression is upregulated in NPCs has yet to be determined. In the present study, we identified the upstream regulator of Jab1/Csn5 expression and demonstrated its role in intrinsic resistance of NPC cells to treatment with cisplatin. Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (Stat3) expression correlates with and contributes to Jab1/Csn5 transcription. Consistently, silencing of Stat3 in tumors reduced Jab1/Csn5 expression, thereby sensitizing NPC cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, Stat3 transcriptionally regulated Jab1/Csn5. Furthermore, high mRNA expression levels of Stat3 or Jab1 in colon cancer, breast cancer and glioblastoma are associated with significantly shorter survival times from the R2 online database. These findings identify a novel Stat3-Jab1/Csn5 signaling axis in cancer pathogenesis with therapeutic and prognostic relevance.

Autophagy in the "inflammation-carcinogenesis" pathway of liver and HCC immunotherapy.

Autophagy plays a dual role in many types of cancer, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Autophagy seems to be inhibited and functions as a tumor-suppression mechanism in the "inflammation-carcinogenesis" pathway of the liver, including hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis related HCC. However, in established tumors, autophagy plays a tumor-promoting role. Because of the varied function of autophagy in HCC, we hypothesized p62 as a marker to evaluate the autophagic level. Moreover, autophagy is critical in antigen presentation and homeostasis of immune cells and tumor microenvironment. Understanding the intricate relationships of autophagy, inflammation, and immunity provides us with new insights into HCC immunotherapy.

Expression of CD26 and its associated dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme activity enhances sensitivity to doxorubicin-induced cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M checkpoint.

CD26, a M(r) 110,000 surface-bound ectopeptidase with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) activity, has an array of diverse functional properties, with a role in T-cell physiology and the development of certain human cancers. In this study, we report that surface expression of CD26, through its associated DPPIV enzyme activity, enhanced sensitivity of Jurkat T-cell transfectants to G(2)-M arrest induced by the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin. This was associated with disruption of cell cycle-related events, including hyperphosphorylation and inhibition of p34(cdc2) kinase activity, phosphorylation of cdc25C, and alteration in cyclin B1 expression. In addition, we demonstrate that the addition of exogenous soluble DPPIV enhanced sensitivity of lymphoid tumor cell lines to doxorubicin, suggesting a potentially useful clinical role for CD26/DPPIV in the treatment of selected human hematological malignancies.

Hsa-miR-24-3p increases nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiosensitivity by targeting both the 3'UTR and 5'UTR of Jab1/CSN5.

Radiotherapy is the standard therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, radioresistance can hinder successful treatment. Here we report that microRNA (miR)-24 acts as a tumor suppressor and radiosensitizer in NPC cells and xenografts by targeting Jab1/CSN5. Although accumulating evidence has shown that Jab1/CSN5 functions as an oncoprotein in human cancers, its regulation through miRs has not been described. In this study, we found that Jab1/CSN5 functioned in a manner opposite to that of miR-24 in NPC tumorigenesis and radioresistance. We demonstrated that miR-24 inhibits Jab1/CSN5 translation via direct binding to its 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) and 5'UTR, leading to tumor growth inhibition, and sensitizes NPC tumors to radiation in vivo. Furthermore, silencing Jab1/CSN5 phenocopied the function of miR-24 in NPC cells after ionizing radiation treatment, resulting in increased apoptosis. Finally, we analyzed 50 paired samples of primary and matched recurrent NPC tissues from 25 NPC patients and subjected them to high-throughput genomic quantitative nuclease protection assay for quantifying simultaneously miR and mRNA levels. Our results showed that miR-24 levels were significantly decreased in recurrent NPC and that levels of Jab1/CSN5, as its target, were higher than those in primary NPC. Together, our findings indicate that miR-24 inhibits NPC tumor growth and increases NPC radiosensitivity by directly regulating Jab1/CSN5 and that both miR-24 and Jab1/CSN5 can serve as prognostic markers for NPC recurrence; this, in turn, may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for reversing NPC radioresistance.

Immuno-electron microscopic identification of human estrogen receptor-DNA complexes at the estrogen-responsive element and in the first intron of a Xenopus vitellogenin gene.

Using an extract of nuclei from the estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, protein-DNA complexes were assembled in vitro at the 5' end of the Xenopus laevis vitellogenin gene B2 that is normally expressed in liver after estrogen induction. The complexes formed were analyzed by electron microscopy after labeling by the indirect colloidal gold immunological method using a monoclonal antibody specific for the human estrogen receptor. As identified by its interaction with protein A-gold, the antibody was found linked to two protein-DNA complexes, the first localized at the estrogen responsive element of the gene and the second in intron I, thus proving a direct participation of the receptor in these two complexes. The procedure used allows the visualization and rapid localization of specific transcription factors bound in vitro to a promoter or any other gene region.

Constitutive control of AKT1 gene expression by JUNB/CJUN in ALK+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: a novel crosstalk mechanism.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by the t(2;5), resulting in the overexpression of nucleophosmin (NPM)-ALK, which is known to activate the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, resulting in cell cycle and apoptosis deregulation. ALK+ ALCL is also characterized by strong activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity and overexpression of two AP-1 transcription factors, CJUN and JUNB. Here, we hypothesized that a biologic link between AP-1 and AKT kinase may exist, thus contributing to ALCL oncogenesis. We show that JUNB and CJUN bind directly to the AKT1 promoter, inducing AKT1 transcription in ALK+ ALCL. Knockdown of JUNB and CJUN in ALK+ ALCL cell lines downregulated AKT1 mRNA and promoter activity and was associated with lower AKT1 protein expression and activation. We provide evidence that this is a transcriptional control mechanism shared by other cell types even though it may operate in a way that is cell context-specific. In addition, STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3)-induced control of AKT1 transcription was functional in ALK+ ALCL and blocking of STAT3 and AP-1 signaling synergistically affected cell proliferation and colony formation. Our findings uncover a novel transcriptional crosstalk mechanism that links AP-1 and AKT kinase, which coordinate uncontrolled cell proliferation and survival in ALK+ ALCL.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor expression is increased in pituitary adenoma cell nuclei.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an essential regulator of the macrophage responses to endotoxin. MIF also has the ability to override the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids during an immune response, and is thus an important pro-inflammatory factor. The presence of MIF in cells of the anterior pituitary has been described, and high levels of MIF in other rapidly proliferating tIssues have also been demonstrated. It has been hypothesised that MIF release from these cells is influenced by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, and that ACTH and MIF are released simultaneously to exert counter-regulatory effects on cortisol. However, another intracellular role for MIF has also been suggested as it has been shown that MIF exerts an effect on the inhibitory cell cycle control protein p27 through an interaction with Jab1, a protein implicated in p27 degradation. We studied MIF expression in different normal and adenomatous human pituitary samples using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. There was evidence of co-immunoprecipitation of MIF with Jab1, suggesting an interaction of the two proteins. Our results showed that there is increased expression of MIF protein in the nuclei of all pituitary adenomas compared with normal tIssue (P=0.0067), but there was no statistically significant difference in nuclear MIF expression between the different adenoma types. Nuclear MIF expression correlated positively with p27 and its phosphorylated form in normal tIssue (P=0.0028 and P<0.0001); however, this relationship was not seen in the adenoma samples. Cytoplasmic expression of MIF was found to be variable both in normal and adenomatous samples, with no consistent pattern. MIF mRNA was demonstrated to be present in all tumour and normal samples studied. Somatotroph tumours showed higher MIF mRNA expression compared with normal pituitary or other types of adenomas. In conclusion, MIF is expressed in cell nuclei in pituitary adenomas to a greater extent than in normal pituitary tIssue. We speculate that it may play a role in the control of the cell cycle, but whether its higher level in adenomas is a cause or a consequence of the tumorigenic process remains to be clarified.

Suppression of Jab1/CSN5 induces radio- and chemo-sensitivity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through changes to the DNA damage and repair pathways.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancy most common in East Asia and Africa. Radiotherapy and cisplatin-based chemotherapy are the main treatment options. Unfortunately, disease response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy varies among patients with NPC, and many cases are resistant to cisplatin. Increased DNA damage repair is one of the mechanisms contributing to this resistance. Jab1/CSN5 is a multifunctional protein that participates in controlling cell proliferation and the stability of multiple proteins. Jab1 overexpression has been found to correlate with poor prognosis in several tumor types. However, the biological significance of Jab1 activity in response to cancer treatment is unclear. In this study, we used three NPC cell lines (CNE1, CNE2 and HONE1) to investigate the hypothesis that Jab1 positively regulates the DNA repair protein Rad51 and, in turn, cellular response to treatment with DNA-damaging agents such as cisplatin, ionizing radiation (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. We found that Jab1 was overexpressed in two relatively cisplatin-, IR- and UV-resistant NPC cell lines, and knocking down its expression conferred sensitivity to cisplatin, IR and UV radiation. By contrast, exogenous Jab1 expression enhanced the resistance of NPC cells to cisplatin, IR and UV radiation. Moreover, we provide a mechanism by which Jab1 positively regulated Rad51 through p53-dependent pathway, and increased ectopic expression of Rad51 conferred cellular resistance to cisplatin, IR and UV radiation in Jab1-deficient cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that Jab1 has an important role in the cellular response to cisplatin and irradiation by regulating DNA damage and repair pathways. Therefore, Jab1 is a novel biomarker for predicting the outcome of patients with NPC who are treated with DNA-damaging agents.

Activation of the p53 pathway by the MDM2 inhibitor nutlin-3a overcomes BCL2 overexpression in a preclinical model of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21).

p53 is frequently wild type (wt) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21) that overexpresses BCL2. Nutlin-3a is a small molecule that activates the p53 pathway by disrupting p53-MDM2 interaction. We show that nutlin-3a activates p53 in DLBCL cells associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21), BCL2 overexpression and wt p53, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Nutlin-3a treatment had similar effects on DLBCL cells of activated B-cell phenotype with wt p53. Cell cycle arrest was associated with upregulation of p21. Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis was accompanied by BAX and PUMA upregulation, BCL-XL downregulation, serine-70 dephosphorylation of BCL2, direct binding of BCL2 by p53, caspase-9 upregulation and caspase-3 cleavage. Cell death was reduced when p53-dependent transactivation activity was inhibited by pifithrin-α (PFT-α), or PFT-µ inhibited direct p53 targeting of mitochondria. Nutlin-3a sensitized activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by BCL2 inhibitors in t(14;18)-positive DLBCL cells with wt p53, and enhanced doxorubicin cytotoxicity against t(14;18)-positive DLBCL cells with wt or mutant p53, the latter in part via p73 upregulation. Nutlin-3a treatment in a xenograft animal lymphoma model inhibited growth of t(14;18)-positive DLBCL tumors, associated with increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation. These data suggest that disruption of the p53-MDM2 interaction by nutlin-3a offers a novel therapeutic approach for DLBCL associated with t(14;18)(q32;q21).

Essential roles of Jab1 in cell survival, spontaneous DNA damage and DNA repair.

Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1) is a multifunctional protein that participates in the control of cell proliferation and the stability of multiple proteins. JAB1 overexpression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancer. JAB1 regulates several key proteins and thereby produces varied effects on cell cycle progression, genome stability and cell survival. However, the biological significance of JAB1 activity in these cellular signaling pathways is unclear. Therefore, we developed mice that were deficient in Jab1 and analyzed the null embryos and heterozygous cells. This disruption of Jab1 in mice resulted in early embryonic lethality due to accelerated apoptosis. Loss of Jab1 expression sensitized both mouse primary embryonic fibroblasts and osteosarcoma cells to γ-radiation-induced apoptosis, with an increase in spontaneous DNA damage and homologous recombination (HR) defects, both of which correlated with reduced levels of the DNA repair protein Rad51 and elevated levels of p53. Furthermore, the accumulated p53 directly binds to Rad51 promoter, inhibits its activity and represents a major mechanism underlying the HR repair defect in Jab1-deficient cells. These results indicate that Jab1 is essential for efficient DNA repair and mechanistically link Jab1 to the maintenance of genome integrity and to cell survival.

Estrogen receptor level determines sex-specific in vitro transcription from the Xenopus vitellogenin promoter.

Female-specific expression of the Xenopus laevis vitellogenin gene was reconstituted in vitro by addition of recombinant vaccinia-virus-produced estrogen receptor to nuclear extracts from male livers, in which this gene is silent. Transcription enhancement was at least 30 times and was selectively restricted to vitellogenin templates containing the estrogen-responsive unit. Thus, in male hepatocytes, estrogen receptor is the limiting regulatory factor that in the female liver controls efficient and accurate sex-specific expression of the vitellogenin gene. Furthermore, the Xenopus liver factor B, which is essential in addition to the estrogen receptor for the activation of this gene, was successfully replaced in the Xenopus extract by purified human nuclear factor I, identifying factor B of Xenopus as a functional homolog of this well-characterized human transcription factor.

Negative transcriptional regulation by nuclear receptors.

Steroid and thyroid hormones, and vitamins A and D bind to nuclear receptors, which act as ligand-modulated transcription factors. In many cases, ligand-activated nuclear receptor binds to positively acting hormone response elements (p-HREs) to induce gene transcription. However, ligand-activated receptors also repress transcription of specific genes and several mechanisms that account for negative regulation have recently emerged. One major form of negative regulation is based on transcriptional interference between nuclear receptors and other transcription factors, such as AP-1. In this case, the liganded receptor prevents AP-1 or other positively acting transcription factors from fruitful interaction with the transcription initiation complex. A second form of negative regulation is based on binding of nuclear receptors to specialized negative HREs (n-HREs). Binding of unliganded receptor to such an element results in constitutive activation, which is terminated by the binding of ligand. While transcriptional interference with AP-1 has been described for many members of the nuclear receptor family, negative regulation through n-HREs so far has been shown only for one of the thyroid hormone receptors. However, this type of negative regulation is likely to be widespread.