Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1989 Apr;8(4):1129–1138. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03483.x

Double-stranded RNA activates binding of NF-kappa B to an inducible element in the human beta-interferon promoter.

K V Visvanathan 1, S Goodbourn 1
PMCID: PMC400924  PMID: 2663471

Abstract

The human beta-interferon promoter contains at least two positive acting domains (PRD I and PRD II). PRD I has been previously shown to stimulate basal transcription and to respond to induction by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Here we show that PRD II functions independently as a constitutive element that also responds to induction. A cellular factor that specifically binds to PRD II has been identified, and the levels of this factor increase markedly in extracts from cells treated with dsRNA. The inducible factor has a binding specificity that is indistinguishable from the transcription factor NF-kappa B. As has been shown for NF-kappa B, the PRD II-specific factor can be activated in uninduced extracts by treatment with detergent, suggesting that the inactive state is due to association with an inhibitory factor. Induction by dsRNA therefore provides a novel means for the post-translational activation of NF-kappa B. Potential binding sites for NF-kappa B are present in the 5' flanking regions of a number of genes involved in the immune response, several of which are inducible by dsRNA. These findings demonstrate a role for NF-kappa B in the physiological activation of genes in non-lymphoid cells.

Full text

PDF
1135

Images in this article

1130Image
on p.1130
1132Image
on p.1132
1133Image
on p.1133
1134Image
on p.1134
1134Image
on p.1134

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. Activation of DNA-binding activity in an apparently cytoplasmic precursor of the NF-kappa B transcription factor. Cell. 1988 Apr 22;53(2):211–217. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90382-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baeuerle P. A., Baltimore D. I kappa B: a specific inhibitor of the NF-kappa B transcription factor. Science. 1988 Oct 28;242(4878):540–546. doi: 10.1126/science.3140380. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baldwin A. S., Jr, Sharp P. A. Binding of a nuclear factor to a regulatory sequence in the promoter of the mouse H-2Kb class I major histocompatibility gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Jan;7(1):305–313. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.1.305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baldwin A. S., Jr, Sharp P. A. Two transcription factors, NF-kappa B and H2TF1, interact with a single regulatory sequence in the class I major histocompatibility complex promoter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Feb;85(3):723–727. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.3.723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Billiau A. BSF-2 is not just a differentiation factor. Nature. 1986 Dec 4;324(6096):415–415. doi: 10.1038/324415a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Boshart M., Weber F., Jahn G., Dorsch-Häsler K., Fleckenstein B., Schaffner W. A very strong enhancer is located upstream of an immediate early gene of human cytomegalovirus. Cell. 1985 Jun;41(2):521–530. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80025-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dignam J. D., Lebovitz R. M., Roeder R. G. Accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in a soluble extract from isolated mammalian nuclei. Nucleic Acids Res. 1983 Mar 11;11(5):1475–1489. doi: 10.1093/nar/11.5.1475. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Emorine L., Kuehl M., Weir L., Leder P., Max E. E. A conserved sequence in the immunoglobulin J kappa-C kappa intron: possible enhancer element. Nature. 1983 Aug 4;304(5925):447–449. doi: 10.1038/304447a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Enoch T., Zinn K., Maniatis T. Activation of the human beta-interferon gene requires an interferon-inducible factor. Mol Cell Biol. 1986 Mar;6(3):801–810. doi: 10.1128/mcb.6.3.801. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fujita T., Ohno S., Yasumitsu H., Taniguchi T. Delimitation and properties of DNA sequences required for the regulated expression of human interferon-beta gene. Cell. 1985 Jun;41(2):489–496. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80022-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fujita T., Sakakibara J., Sudo Y., Miyamoto M., Kimura Y., Taniguchi T. Evidence for a nuclear factor(s), IRF-1, mediating induction and silencing properties to human IFN-beta gene regulatory elements. EMBO J. 1988 Nov;7(11):3397–3405. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03213.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fujita T., Shibuya H., Hotta H., Yamanishi K., Taniguchi T. Interferon-beta gene regulation: tandemly repeated sequences of a synthetic 6 bp oligomer function as a virus-inducible enhancer. Cell. 1987 May 8;49(3):357–367. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90288-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gauldie J., Richards C., Harnish D., Lansdorp P., Baumann H. Interferon beta 2/B-cell stimulatory factor type 2 shares identity with monocyte-derived hepatocyte-stimulating factor and regulates the major acute phase protein response in liver cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Oct;84(20):7251–7255. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.20.7251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Goodbourn S., Burstein H., Maniatis T. The human beta-interferon gene enhancer is under negative control. Cell. 1986 May 23;45(4):601–610. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90292-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Goodbourn S., Maniatis T. Overlapping positive and negative regulatory domains of the human beta-interferon gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Mar;85(5):1447–1451. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.5.1447. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Goodbourn S., Zinn K., Maniatis T. Human beta-interferon gene expression is regulated by an inducible enhancer element. Cell. 1985 Jun;41(2):509–520. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(85)80024-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gorman C. M., Moffat L. F., Howard B. H. Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1982 Sep;2(9):1044–1051. doi: 10.1128/mcb.2.9.1044. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hug H., Costas M., Staeheli P., Aebi M., Weissmann C. Organization of the murine Mx gene and characterization of its interferon- and virus-inducible promoter. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Aug;8(8):3065–3079. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.8.3065. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kaufman J. D., Valandra G., Roderiquez G., Bushar G., Giri C., Norcross M. A. Phorbol ester enhances human immunodeficiency virus-promoted gene expression and acts on a repeated 10-base-pair functional enhancer element. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Oct;7(10):3759–3766. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.10.3759. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kawakami K., Scheidereit C., Roeder R. G. Identification and purification of a human immunoglobulin-enhancer-binding protein (NF-kappa B) that activates transcription from a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 promoter in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jul;85(13):4700–4704. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.13.4700. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Keller A. D., Maniatis T. Identification of an inducible factor that binds to a positive regulatory element of the human beta-interferon gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 May;85(10):3309–3313. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.10.3309. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kelley K. A., Pitha P. M. Differential effect of poly rI.rC and Newcastle disease virus on the expression of interferon and cellular genes in mouse cells. Virology. 1985 Dec;147(2):382–393. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(85)90140-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Kohase M., May L. T., Tamm I., Vilcek J., Sehgal P. B. A cytokine network in human diploid fibroblasts: interactions of beta-interferons, tumor necrosis factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and interleukin-1. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Jan;7(1):273–280. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.1.273. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Krönke M., Hensel G., Schlüter C., Scheurich P., Schütze S., Pfizenmaier K. Tumor necrosis factor and lymphotoxin gene expression in human tumor cell lines. Cancer Res. 1988 Oct 1;48(19):5417–5421. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Lenardo M., Pierce J. W., Baltimore D. Protein-binding sites in Ig gene enhancers determine transcriptional activity and inducibility. Science. 1987 Jun 19;236(4808):1573–1577. doi: 10.1126/science.3109035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lengyel P. Biochemistry of interferons and their actions. Annu Rev Biochem. 1982;51:251–282. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.51.070182.001343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Leung K., Nabel G. J. HTLV-1 transactivator induces interleukin-2 receptor expression through an NF-kappa B-like factor. Nature. 1988 Jun 23;333(6175):776–778. doi: 10.1038/333776a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Luster A. D., Ravetch J. V. Genomic characterization of a gamma-interferon-inducible gene (IP-10) and identification of an interferon-inducible hypersensitive site. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Oct;7(10):3723–3731. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.10.3723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Marcus P. I., Sekellick M. J. Interferon induction by viruses. XVI. 2-Aminopurine blocks selectively and reversibly an early stage in interferon induction. J Gen Virol. 1988 Jul;69(Pt 7):1637–1645. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-69-7-1637. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Miyamoto M., Fujita T., Kimura Y., Maruyama M., Harada H., Sudo Y., Miyata T., Taniguchi T. Regulated expression of a gene encoding a nuclear factor, IRF-1, that specifically binds to IFN-beta gene regulatory elements. Cell. 1988 Sep 9;54(6):903–913. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(88)91307-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Nabel G., Baltimore D. An inducible transcription factor activates expression of human immunodeficiency virus in T cells. Nature. 1987 Apr 16;326(6114):711–713. doi: 10.1038/326711a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Nedwin G. E., Naylor S. L., Sakaguchi A. Y., Smith D., Jarrett-Nedwin J., Pennica D., Goeddel D. V., Gray P. W. Human lymphotoxin and tumor necrosis factor genes: structure, homology and chromosomal localization. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Sep 11;13(17):6361–6373. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.17.6361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Nelsen B., Hellman L., Sen R. The NF-kappa B-binding site mediates phorbol ester-inducible transcription in nonlymphoid cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1988 Aug;8(8):3526–3531. doi: 10.1128/mcb.8.8.3526. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Nguyen V. T., Morange M., Bensaude O. Firefly luciferase luminescence assays using scintillation counters for quantitation in transfected mammalian cells. Anal Biochem. 1988 Jun;171(2):404–408. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(88)90505-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Niitsu Y., Watanabe N., Neda H., Yamauchi N., Maeda M., Sone H., Kuriyama H. Induction of synthesis of tumor necrosis factor in human and murine cell lines by exogenous recombinant human tumor necrosis factor. Cancer Res. 1988 Oct 1;48(19):5407–5410. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Pierce J. W., Lenardo M., Baltimore D. Oligonucleotide that binds nuclear factor NF-kappa B acts as a lymphoid-specific and inducible enhancer element. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Mar;85(5):1482–1486. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.5.1482. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Porter A. C., Chernajovsky Y., Dale T. C., Gilbert C. S., Stark G. R., Kerr I. M. Interferon response element of the human gene 6-16. EMBO J. 1988 Jan;7(1):85–92. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02786.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Rio D., Robbins A., Myers R., Tjian R. Regulation of simian virus 40 early transcription in vitro by a purified tumor antigen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Oct;77(10):5706–5710. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.10.5706. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Rollins B. J., Morrison E. D., Stiles C. D. Cloning and expression of JE, a gene inducible by platelet-derived growth factor and whose product has cytokine-like properties. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jun;85(11):3738–3742. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.11.3738. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Sehgal P. B., May L. T., Tamm I., Vilcek J. Human beta 2 interferon and B-cell differentiation factor BSF-2 are identical. Science. 1987 Feb 13;235(4790):731–732. doi: 10.1126/science.3492764. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Sen R., Baltimore D. Inducibility of kappa immunoglobulin enhancer-binding protein Nf-kappa B by a posttranslational mechanism. Cell. 1986 Dec 26;47(6):921–928. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90807-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Sen R., Baltimore D. Multiple nuclear factors interact with the immunoglobulin enhancer sequences. Cell. 1986 Aug 29;46(5):705–716. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90346-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Sleigh M. J. A nonchromatographic assay for expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in eucaryotic cells. Anal Biochem. 1986 Jul;156(1):251–256. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(86)90180-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Taniguchi T. Regulation of cytokine gene expression. Annu Rev Immunol. 1988;6:439–464. doi: 10.1146/annurev.iy.06.040188.002255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Tosato G., Seamon K. B., Goldman N. D., Sehgal P. B., May L. T., Washington G. C., Jones K. D., Pike S. E. Monocyte-derived human B-cell growth factor identified as interferon-beta 2 (BSF-2, IL-6). Science. 1988 Jan 29;239(4839):502–504. doi: 10.1126/science.2829354. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Wathelet M. G., Clauss I. M., Content J., Huez G. A. Regulation of two interferon-inducible human genes by interferon, poly(rI).poly(rC) and viruses. Eur J Biochem. 1988 Jun 1;174(2):323–329. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1988.tb14101.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Wong G. H., Goeddel D. V. Tumour necrosis factors alpha and beta inhibit virus replication and synergize with interferons. 1986 Oct 30-Nov 5Nature. 323(6091):819–822. doi: 10.1038/323819a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Wu L. C., Morley B. J., Campbell R. D. Cell-specific expression of the human complement protein factor B gene: evidence for the role of two distinct 5'-flanking elements. Cell. 1987 Jan 30;48(2):331–342. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90436-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Yasukawa K., Hirano T., Watanabe Y., Muratani K., Matsuda T., Nakai S., Kishimoto T. Structure and expression of human B cell stimulatory factor-2 (BSF-2/IL-6) gene. EMBO J. 1987 Oct;6(10):2939–2945. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02598.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Zimarino V., Wu C. Induction of sequence-specific binding of Drosophila heat shock activator protein without protein synthesis. 1987 Jun 25-Jul 1Nature. 327(6124):727–730. doi: 10.1038/327727a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Zinn K., DiMaio D., Maniatis T. Identification of two distinct regulatory regions adjacent to the human beta-interferon gene. Cell. 1983 Oct;34(3):865–879. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90544-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Zinn K., Keller A., Whittemore L. A., Maniatis T. 2-Aminopurine selectively inhibits the induction of beta-interferon, c-fos, and c-myc gene expression. Science. 1988 Apr 8;240(4849):210–213. doi: 10.1126/science.3281258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. de Wet J. R., Wood K. V., DeLuca M., Helinski D. R., Subramani S. Firefly luciferase gene: structure and expression in mammalian cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1987 Feb;7(2):725–737. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.2.725. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES