|
|
||||||||

*
Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and
Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
B/Rel family
proteins (2), C/EBP (NF-IL6) (3, 4), Sp1 (5), or USF (6)) enhance LTR
activity (reviewed in 7), a few factors have been shown to
directly reduce HIV expression at the promoter level. YY1, a
multifunctional transcription factor, has been shown to repress a
number of cellular and viral gene promoters (reviewed in 8),
including the HIV-1 LTR (9, 10). Host cell factors also affect HIV at earlier steps in its replication cycle. HIV-1 entry into cells requires the CD4 molecule as well as a fusion/entry cofactor (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Several chemokine receptors serve as fusion/entry cofactors, among which CXCR4, a receptor for CXC chemokine stromal-derived factor (SDF-1) (19, 20), is a major fusion/entry cofactor for T cell-tropic HIV-1. Functional expression of CXCR4 is influenced by other host cell factors. SDF-1, a ligand of CXCR4, regulates cell surface expression of CXCR4 (21, 22), whereas IL-2 regulates the steady-state level of CXCR4 mRNA (23). We have recently cloned and analyzed the promoter region of CXCR4 (24), and found that two transcription factors, nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and Sp1, interact with the proximal region of the CXCR4 promoter, and that the former is critical for CXCR4 promoter activity. CXCR4 expression on monocytes has also been shown to be down-regulated upon differentiation of these cells into mature macrophages (25).
In this study, we characterize the further upstream region of the CXCR4 promoter. We report that USF/c-Myc and YY1 bind to the upstream region of the CXCR4 promoter, and positively or negatively regulate the CXCR4 promoter, respectively. Involvement of USF and YY1 at two critical steps of HIV-1 replication, viral fusion/entry and expression, suggests that these transcription factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of HIV disease.
| Materials and Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Plasmid pGL-CXCR4(-357) contains the CXCR4 upstream sequence
between -357 and +51 relative to the transcription start site (TSS),
followed by the luciferase gene (24). Plasmids pGL-CXCR4
E
box and pGL-CXCR4
YY1 were constructed by PCR-based site-directed
mutagenesis (26) to generate mutations on an E box around -260 and on
a YY1 binding site around -300 relative to the TSS, respectively (see
Table I
and Fig. 1
). Plasmid
pBpuro-c-myc-ER (a generous gift of T. D. Littlewood,
Imperical Cancer Research Fund, London, U.K.) encodes human c-Myc fused
to the hormone-binding domain of the mutant murine estrogen receptor.
Functional expression of a c-Myc fusion protein by the transfected
plasmid is induced by 4-hydroxytamoxifen (10 nM; Sigma, St. Louis, MO)
(27). Plasmids pCMV-Myc and pCMV-Max were gifts of D. Ayer (University
of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT) (28) and used for in vitro synthesis of
c-Myc and Max proteins. USF expression plasmids pSV-USF1 and pSV-USF2
were kindly provided by M. Sawadogo (University of Texas M.
D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX) (29), and a YY1 expression
plasmid pCMV-YY1 was a generous gift of T. Shenk (Princeton University,
Princeton, NJ) (30).
|
|
PBMC were obtained from healthy volunteers, as described previously (31). A3.01 human CD4+ T cells were propagated as described previously (24, 32).
Transfection, and luciferase and ß-galactosidase assays
Transient expression and luciferase and ß-galactosidase assays were performed as described previously (32, 33).
DNase I footprinting
DNase I footprinting was performed as described previously (34). Probes used for DNase I footprinting were prepared as follows: a MluI-SacI fragment and a MluI-SphI fragment of pGL-CXCR4(-357) were labeled with [32P]dCTP using Klenow enzyme and gel purified. These fragments span the CXCR4 promoter sequence between -357 and -277, and between -283 and -46, respectively, relative to the TSS. Furthermore, the CXCR4 promoter sequence spanning from -357 and -156 relative to the TSS was amplified with PCR and subcloned into pCR2.1 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), and a SpeI-EcoRV fragment of the resultant plasmid (in which the SpeI site is located downstream of the 3' end of the CXCR4 promoter sequence position -156) was 32P labeled and purified, as described above.
Nuclear extracts, propagation of transcription factors, and gel-mobility shift assays
Nuclear extracts were prepared from A3.01 cells or U937 cells, as described previously (33). c-Myc, Max, USF-1, and USF-2 proteins were synthesized in vitro from pCMV-Myc, pCMV-Max, pSV-USF1, and pSV-USF2, respectively, using T7 RNA polymerase/Wheat Germ Extract System (Promega, Madison, WI), and rYY1 protein was purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA). Gel-mobility shift assays were performed as described previously (33). Antisera used for supershift assays were the following: normal rabbit serum, anti-YY1 rabbit polyclonal Ab (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), anti-c-Myc rabbit polyclonal Ab (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), anti-USF-1, or anti-USF2 rabbit polyclonal Ab (provided by M. Sawadogo).
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
First, we assessed the binding of cellular transcription
factors to the CXCR4 promoter region between -350 and -150 relative
to the TSS in DNase I footprinting analysis. Among areas protected from
DNase I digestion (Figs. 1
and
2), regions around -260 (FP-5) and -300
(FP-6) were found to share homology to an E box (a binding site for
basic region-helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLHZip) family proteins
(35)) and a YY1 binding site (8), respectively.
bHLHZip proteins c-Myc, USF-1, and USF-2 bind to the CXCR4 promoter
To demonstrate that the putative E box in the CXCR4 promoter
region actually serves as a binding site for bHLHZip family of
transcription factors, gel-mobility shift assays were performed using
in vitro synthesized proteins. Either c-Myc/Max, USF-1, or USF-2
protein formed a complex with an L-E box oligonucleotide corresponding
to the FP-5 region (Fig. 3
A);
however, c-Myc/Max complex was detectable only after longer exposure
(data not shown). c-Myc protein alone could not form a complex with the
L-E box oligonucleotide (data not shown), most likely reflecting the
fact that Max protein is an obligate heterodimeric partner for c-Myc
(35). When A3.01 CD4+ T cell nuclear extracts were used
instead of purified proteins, a DNA-protein complex, which was
specifically competed by unlabeled probe as well as by an
oligonucleotide containing the consensus E box, was formed (Fig. 3
B). Supershift assays using specific Abs to c-Myc, USF1, or
USF2 indicated that the major complex contained both USF1 and USF2, but
not c-Myc (Fig. 3
C). These results indicate that bHLHZip
proteins c-Myc, USF1, and USF2 bind to the CXCR4 promoter E box;
however, USF1 and USF2 have higher affinity for the E box than does
c-Myc.
|
To investigate whether bHLHZip proteins c-Myc, USF1, and USF2,
which can bind to the CXCR4 promoter, are capable of regulating
expression from the CXCR4 promoter, expression vectors for these
proteins were cotransfected with CXCR4 promoter-luciferase reporter
constructs. Transfection of c-Myc up-regulated expression from the
CXCR4 promoter; this effect was dependent upon the presence of an
intact E box (Fig. 4
A).
Cotransfection with the Max expression vector did not further enhance
c-Myc-mediated transactivation of the CXCR4 promoter (data not shown),
probably because Max is constitutively and abundantly expressed in most
cell types (35, 36). USF1, and to a slightly lesser extent, USF2, also
increased expression of the CXCR4 promoter reporter gene. Mutation of
the E box ablated this effect (Fig. 4
B).
|
To determine whether YY1 actually binds to the region,
gel-mobility shift assays were performed using bacterially synthesized
YY1 protein. Purified YY1 protein formed a complex with an
oligonucleotide corresponding to the FP-6 region (Fig. 5
A). A3.01 CD4+ T
cell nuclear extracts were found to contain two complexes binding to
the FP-6 region, which were specifically competed by unlabeled probe; a
fast migrating complex, but not a slowly migrating complex, was also
specifically competed by an oligonucleotide containing the consensus
YY1 binding motif (Fig. 5
B; Table I
). Gel-shift interference
assays using anti-YY1 Ab confirmed that the fast migrating complex
contains YY1 (Fig. 5
C). Thus, these results clearly indicate
that YY1 binds to the CXCR4 promoter. A slowly migrating complex was
specifically competed by an oligonucleotide containing the consensus
GATA binding motif (Fig. 5
B); however, Ab to GATA1, GATA2,
or GATA3 did not affect the mobility or formation of the complex (data
not shown). In addition, the FP-6 region has only limited homology to
GATA binding motif. Identification of this complex is currently in
progress.
|
In the context of other promoters, YY1 has been shown to activate
transcription, repress transcription, or initiate transcription
(reviewed by Shrivastava and Calame, 8). To investigate how YY1
regulates activity of the CXCR4 promoter, we transfected A3.01
CD4+ T cells with a CXCR4 promoter/luciferase reporter
construct along with a YY1 expression vector. The cells were either
unstimulated or stimulated with PMA and ionomycin immediately after
transfection, and cell lysates were tested for luciferase activity 2
days later. Overexpression of YY1 suppressed the CXCR4 promoter in
A3.01 cells up to 80% in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. 6
A).
|
c-Myc and YY1 mutually inhibit the transregulatory functions on the CXCR4 promoter
YY1 has been shown to physically associate with c-Myc, and the
interaction between the two proteins appears to result in mutual
inhibition of their transregulatory functions (37). To investigate
whether these two transcription factors mutually affect their functions
related to CXCR4 promoter activity, expression vectors for YY1 and
c-Myc were transfected into A3.01 cells individually or in combination
along with pGL-CXCR4(-357). As shown above, overexpression of YY1
repressed, while c-Myc transactivated, the CXCR4 promoter activity;
however, the net effect of the cotransfection of both expression
vectors on the promoter was negligible (Fig. 7
), implying their mutually inhibitory
interaction.
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
YY1 is widely expressed and highly conserved among mammalian species,
and thus can be categorized as a ubiquitous transcription factor (8, 30). YY1 can directly interact with a wide array of cellular and viral
proteins and regulates a number of cellular and viral promoters,
depending on the gene as well as the cell type in question (reviewed in
8). For example, YY1 has been shown to associate with the c-Myc
protein, and this association may lead to mutual inhibition of the
transcription functions of both proteins (37). The c-Myc protein is a
potent regulator of cell growth and differentiation, and c-Myc
expression is down-regulated upon differentiation of cells of the
monocyte/macrophage lineage into more mature phenotypes (38).
Considering the relatively weak affinity of c-Myc protein to the CXCR4
promoter E box, we hypothesized that this oncoprotein may activate
CXCR4 promoter primarily through the relief of repression mediated by
YY1, as has been reported in other promoter contexts (30). Our
hypothesis was supported by the results shown in Fig. 7
. In contrast to
c-Myc, other bHLHZip transcription factors, USF1 and USF2, which have
higher affinity for the CXCR4 promoter E box than does c-Myc and are
not known to interact with YY1, appear to act through their direct
binding to the E box.
Other cellular proteins associated with YY1 include cyclophilin A (CyPA) and FK506-binding protein 12 (39). These two proteins specifically interact with YY1 and alter its transcriptional activity, and cyclosporin A and FK506 efficiently disrupt the YY1-CyPA and YY1-FK506-binding protein 12 interactions, respectively (39). It has also been shown that CyPA binds the HIV-1 Gag protein, is specifically incorporated into HIV-1 virion particles, and is required for efficient uncoating of the virions after cellular entry (40, 41). Therefore, it is possible that YY1 influences maturation and uncoating of the HIV-1 virions through interaction with CyPA. Furthermore, YY1 is one of a few cellular transcription factors known to repress HIV LTR transcription activity (9, 10). Taken together, YY1 may affect replication of HIV-1 at several different stages: it may inhibit viral fusion/entry through down-regulation of expression of CXCR4, a fusion/entry cofactor for T-tropic HIV-1; it may inhibit uncoating of virions through interaction with CyPA; and it may inhibit viral expression through down-regulation of HIV-1 LTR activity. It remains unknown whether the transcription factors investigated in this study can actually modulate cell surface expression of CXCR4 and fusogenicity of cells with T-tropic HIV Env; however, preliminary studies have shown that overexpression of YY1 can markedly decrease cell surface expression of CXCR4 (D. Margolis, unpublished observation). Thus, it is likely that YY1-mediated down-regulation of CXCR4 can modulate fusion/entry of T-tropic HIV-1.
Cellular entry is one of the critical events during the HIV-1 replication cycle. A recent study demonstrating that levels of expression of CCR5, a fusion/entry cofactor for macrophage-tropic HIV-1 (11, 12, 13, 15, 16), correlate with infectability of CD4+ T cells by macrophage-tropic HIV-1 in vitro (42) implies that levels of CXCR4 expression may also influence infectability of cells with T-tropic HIV-1. In addition, from previous studies demonstrating that SDF-1, a natural ligand for CXCR4, inhibits cellular entry of T-tropic HIV-1 (19, 20) as well as a recent study showing that a genetic variation in the SDF-1 gene is associated with prognosis of HIV disease (43), it is very likely that availability of functional CXCR4 is one of the critical parameters that determine the rate of progression of HIV disease in vivo. Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby expression of HIV fusion/entry cofactors is regulated. Further characterization of the promoter regions for these cofactors will help delineate the molecular mechanisms that control their expression.
|
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. H. Moriuchi, Department of Pediatrics, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan. ![]()
3 Abbreviations used in this paper: LTR, long terminal repeat; bHLHZip, basic region-helix-loop-helix-zipper; CyPA, cyclophilin A; NRF-1, nuclear respiratory factor-1; SDF-1, stromal-derived factor-1; TSS, transcription start site; YY1, Yin-Yang 1. ![]()
Received for publication October 2, 1998. Accepted for publication February 16, 1999.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
B/Rel transcription factors. J. Biol. Chem. 271:22479.
, MIP-1ß receptor as a fusion cofactor for macrophage-tropic HIV-1. Science 272:1955.[Abstract]
-dependent internalization of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 contributes to inhibition of HIV replication. J. Exp. Med. 186:139.
, and MIP-1ß, suppress HIV-1 replication in monocytes/macrophages. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:15341.
B potently up-regulates the promoter activity of RANTES, a chemokine that blocks HIV infection. J. Immunol. 158:3483.[Abstract]
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
Q. Sun, X. Yu, D. J. Degraff, and R. J. Matusik Upstream Stimulatory Factor 2, a Novel FoxA1-Interacting Protein, Is Involved in Prostate-Specific Gene Expression Mol. Endocrinol., December 1, 2009; 23(12): 2038 - 2047. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R M Thomas, J Kim, M P Revelo-Penafiel, R Angel, D W Dawson, and A M Lowy The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is expressed in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia Gut, November 1, 2008; 57(11): 1555 - 1560. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. De La Luz Sierra, P. Gasperini, P. J. McCormick, J. Zhu, and G. Tosato Transcription factor Gfi-1 induced by G-CSF is a negative regulator of CXCR4 in myeloid cells Blood, October 1, 2007; 110(7): 2276 - 2285. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B.-C. Lee, T.-H. Lee, R. Zagozdzon, S. Avraham, A. Usheva, and H. K. Avraham Carboxyl-Terminal Src Kinase Homologous Kinase Negatively Regulates the Chemokine Receptor CXCR4 through YY1 and Impairs CXCR4/CXCL12 (SDF-1{alpha})-Mediated Breast Cancer Cell Migration Cancer Res., April 1, 2005; 65(7): 2840 - 2845. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Nguyen, X. Zhang, N. Olashaw, and E. Seto Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of the Transcription Factor YY2 J. Biol. Chem., June 11, 2004; 279(24): 25927 - 25934. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
O. Kalayci, E. Birben, L. Wu, T. Oguma, K. Storm van's Gravesande, V. Subramaniam, H. K. Sheldon, E. S. Silverman, and C. M. Lilly Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-4 Core Promoter Genetic Variants: Influence on YY-1 Affinity and Plasma Levels Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., December 1, 2003; 29(6): 750 - 756. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J. Oberley, D. R. Inman, and P. J. Farnham E2F6 Negatively Regulates BRCA1 in Human Cancer Cells without Methylation of Histone H3 on Lysine 9 J. Biol. Chem., October 24, 2003; 278(43): 42466 - 42476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Moriuchi and H. Moriuchi YY1 Transcription Factor Down-regulates Expression of CCR5, a Major Coreceptor for HIV-1 J. Biol. Chem., April 4, 2003; 278(15): 13003 - 13007. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Libura, J. Drukala, M. Majka, O. Tomescu, J. M. Navenot, M. Kucia, L. Marquez, S. C. Peiper, F. G. Barr, A. Janowska-Wieczorek, et al. CXCR4-SDF-1 signaling is active in rhabdomyosarcoma cells and regulates locomotion, chemotaxis, and adhesion Blood, September 18, 2002; 100(7): 2597 - 2606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Kury, R. Greiner-Petter, C. Cornely, T. Jurgens, and H. W. Muller Mammalian Achaete Scute Homolog 2 Is Expressed in the Adult Sciatic Nerve and Regulates the Expression of Krox24, Mob-1, CXCR4, and p57kip2 in Schwann Cells J. Neurosci., September 1, 2002; 22(17): 7586 - 7595. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. D. CRISTILLO, H. C. HIGHBARGER, R. L. DEWAR, D. S. DIMITROV, H. GOLDING, and B. E. BIERER Up-regulation of HIV coreceptor CXCR4 expression in human T lymphocytes is mediated in part by a cAMP-responsive element FASEB J, March 1, 2002; 16(3): 354 - 364. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. H. Naghavi, M. C. Estable, S. Schwartz, R. G. Roeder, and A. Vahlne Upstream stimulating factor affects human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat-directed transcription in a cell-specific manner, independently of the HIV-1 subtype and the core-negative regulatory element J. Gen. Virol., March 1, 2001; 82(3): 547 - 559. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
W. Xing and M. Ram Sairam Characterization of Regulatory Elements of Ovine Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Receptor Gene: The Role of E-Box in the Regulation of Ovine FSH Receptor Expression Biol Reprod, February 1, 2001; 64(2): 579 - 589. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
A. Hasegawa, M. Yasukawa, I. Sakai, and S. Fujita Transcriptional Down-Regulation of CXC Chemokine Receptor 4 Induced by Impaired Association of Transcription Regulator YY1 with c-Myc in Human Herpesvirus 6-Infected Cells J. Immunol., January 15, 2001; 166(2): 1125 - 1131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. T. Valente, C. Chanel, J. Dumonceaux, R. Olivier, S. Marullo, P. Briand, and U. Hazan CXCR4 Is Down-Regulated in Cells Infected with the CD4-Independent X4 Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Isolate m7NDK J. Virol., January 1, 2001; 75(1): 439 - 447. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |