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Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Emami, KH; Burke, TW; Smale, ST
Published in: Nucleic acids research
February 1998

Sp1 is a ubiquitous activator of numerous TATA-containing and TATA-less promoters within the human genome. This transcription factor is distinct from several other mammalian activators because it cannot stimulate transcription of reporter genes when ectopically expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Here we report that in cultured cells from Drosophila melanogaster human Sp1 efficiently activates transcription from synthetic promoters containing TATA boxes, but not from promoters that contain an initiator instead of a TATA box. The inability of Sp1 to activate initiator-mediated transcription did not result from inactivity of the consensus initiator element used for the experiments, as other initiator functions were conserved in Drosophila cells. Interestingly, a difference between the Drosophila and human TFIID complexes was found to be responsible for the selective inability of Sp1 to activate initiator-mediated transcription in Drosophila; in a complementation assay with a TFIID-depleted HeLa cell extract both the Drosophila and human TFIID complexes supported TATA-mediated transcription, but only the human complex supported initiator-mediated transcription. These results suggest that a species-specific interaction is required for activation of TATA-less promoters by Sp1, revealing a difference in transcriptional activation mechanisms between vertebrates and invertebrates.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Nucleic acids research

DOI

EISSN

1362-4962

ISSN

0305-1048

Publication Date

February 1998

Volume

26

Issue

3

Start / End Page

839 / 846

Related Subject Headings

  • Transfection
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Transcription Factors, TFII
  • Transcription Factor TFIID
  • TATA Box
  • Species Specificity
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Emami, K. H., Burke, T. W., & Smale, S. T. (1998). Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID. Nucleic Acids Research, 26(3), 839–846. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/26.3.839
Emami, K. H., T. W. Burke, and S. T. Smale. “Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID.Nucleic Acids Research 26, no. 3 (February 1998): 839–46. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/26.3.839.
Emami KH, Burke TW, Smale ST. Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID. Nucleic acids research. 1998 Feb;26(3):839–46.
Emami, K. H., et al. “Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID.Nucleic Acids Research, vol. 26, no. 3, Feb. 1998, pp. 839–46. Epmc, doi:10.1093/nar/26.3.839.
Emami KH, Burke TW, Smale ST. Sp1 activation of a TATA-less promoter requires a species-specific interaction involving transcription factor IID. Nucleic acids research. 1998 Feb;26(3):839–846.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nucleic acids research

DOI

EISSN

1362-4962

ISSN

0305-1048

Publication Date

February 1998

Volume

26

Issue

3

Start / End Page

839 / 846

Related Subject Headings

  • Transfection
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Transcription Factors, TFII
  • Transcription Factor TFIID
  • TATA Box
  • Species Specificity
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Humans