Open AccessRegulatory Role of MEF2D in Serum Induction of the c-jun Promoter
Author(s) -
Tae-Hee Han,
Ron Prywes
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.15.6.2907
Subject(s) - biology , transcription factor , promoter , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , gene expression
Serum induction of c-jun expression in HeLa cells requires a MEF2 site at -59 in the c-jun promoter. MEF2 sites, found in many muscle-specific enhancers, are bound by a family of transcription factors, MEF2A through -D, which are related to serum response factor in their DNA binding domains. We have found that MEF2D is the predominant protein in HeLa cells that binds to the c-jun MEF2 site. Serum induction of a MEF2 reporter gene was not observed in a line of NIH 3T3 cells which contain low MEF2 site binding activity. Transfection of MEF2D into NIH 3T3 cells reconstituted serum induction, demonstrating that MEF2D is required for the serum response. Deletion analysis of MEF2D showed that its DNA binding domain, when fused to a heterologous transcriptional activation domain, was sufficient for serum induction of a MEF2 reporter gene. This is the domain homologous to that in the serum response factor which is required for serum induction of the c-fos serum response element, suggesting that serum regulation of c-fos and c-jun may share a common mechanism.