JAB1 (Jun activation domain-binding protein-1) has previously been described as a coactivator of AP1 transcription factor. We show here, by yeast and mammalian two-hybrid analyses and by pull-down experiments, that JAB1 also interacts with both the progesterone receptor (PR) and the steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) and that it stabilizes PR-SRC-1 complexes. We also show that JAB1 potentiates the activity of a variety of transcription factors known to associate with SRC-1 (nuclear receptors, activator protein-1, and nuclear factor B). This occurs without any modification of PR or SRC-1 concentration. JAB1 is a subunit of a large multiprotein complex that has been called the COP9 signalosome. The latter is present in plant and animal cells and has been shown to be involved in a variety of cellular mechanisms including transcription regulation, cell cycle control, and phosphorylation cascades. We now show that it is also involved in the mechanisms of action of nuclear receptors and of their coactivators.JAB1 (Jun activation domain-binding protein-1) was initially isolated by a two-hybrid screen (1) using the c-Jun Nterminal activation domain as a bait. It was shown that JAB1 potentiates target gene transcription activation by AP1 proteins (especially c-Jun and JunD) (1). This initial study also pointed to the sequence homology between JAB1 and the yeast protein Pad-1. The latter has been demonstrated to be necessary for the transcriptional activity of Pap-1, the yeast equivalent of c-Jun (1, 2). Furthermore it was shown that JAB1 could functionally replace Pad-1 in yeast. Thus JAB1 and Pad-1 appeared to play similar roles in mammalian and yeast cells, respectively. However, recent studies have uncovered the true human homolog of Pad-1, which has been called POH-1. Both Pad-1 and POH-1 are components of the 26 S proteasome (3, 4).On the contrary JAB1 is not found in the proteasome but has very recently been shown to be a subunit of a different multiprotein complex that has been called the signalosome (or COP9 signalosome). This complex contains several proteins with sequence homologies to proteins present in the regulatory 19 S subunit of the 26 S proteasome (5-7). It has been proposed that the latter and the signalosome have a common evolutionary origin but have diverged to assume different cellular functions.Moreover recent studies have shown an interaction of Fos/ Jun with SRC-1. The latter potentiates AP1 1 -mediated gene transactivation (8). SRC-1, also called p160 and ERAP160 (9 -12) is a member of the large family of nuclear receptor coactivators including SRC-2 (also called TIF2 and GRIP1) (13, 14), SRC-3 (also called TRAM1, ACTR, AIB1, RAC3, and p/CIP) (15-19), and ARA-70 (androgen receptor-associated protein) (20). These proteins form complexes with nuclear receptors and CBP or p300 (12,16,19,(21)(22)(23)(24). The latter recruit into transcription complexes histone acetylases such as p300/CBP-associated factor (16,25,26). Coactivators CBP and p300 also have intrinsic histone acetylase activity. Histo...