Interferon consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP) is a member of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family of proteins that include IRF-1, IRF-2, and ISGF3gamma which share sequence similarity at the putative DNA binding domain (DBD). ICSBP is expressed exclusively in cells of the immune system and acts as a repressor of interferon consensus sequence (ICS) containing promoters that can be alleviated by interferons. In this communication, we have searched for functional domains of ICSBP by dissecting the DBD from the repression activity. The putative DBD of ICSBP (amino acids 1-121) when fused in frame to the transcriptional activation domain of the herpes simplex VP16 (ICSBP-VP16) is a very strong activator of ICS-containing promoters. In addition, ICSBP-VP16 fusion construct transfected into adenovirus (Ad) 12 transformed cells enabled cell surface expression of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens as did treatment with interferon. On the other hand, the DBD of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4 was fused in frame to a truncated ICSBP in which the DBD was impaired resulting in a chimeric construct GAL4-ICSBP. This construct is capable of repressing promoters containing GAL4 binding sites. Thus, ICSBP contains at least two independent domains: a DBD and a transcriptional repressor domain. Furthermore, we have tested possible interactions between ICSBP and IRFs. The chimeric construct GAL4-ICSBP inhibited the stimulated effect of IRF-1 on a reporter gene, implying for a possible interaction between IRF-1 and ICSBP. Electromobility shift assays, demonstrated that ICSBP can associate with IRF-2 or IRF-1 in vitro as well as in vivo. Thus, ICSBP contains a third functional domain that enables the association with IRFs. These associations are probably important for the fine balance between positive and negative regulators involved in the interferon-mediated signal transduction pathways in cells of the immune system.

SummaryThe expression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens on the surface of ceils transformed by adenovirus 12 (Ad12) is generally very low, and correlates with the high oncogenicity of this virus. In primary embryonal fibroblasts from transgenic mice that express both endogenous H-2 genes and a miniature swine class I gene (PD1), Ad12-mediated transformation results in suppression of cell surface expression of all class I antigens. Although class I mRNA levels of PD1 and H-2D b are similar to those in nonvirally transformed cells, recognition of newly synthesized class I molecules by a panel of monoclonal antibodies is impaired, presumably as a result of inefficient assembly and transport of the class I molecules. Class I expression can be partially induced by culturing cells at 26~ or by coculture of cells with dass I binding peptides at 37~ Analysis of steady state mRNA levels of the TAP1 and TAP2 transporter genes for Ad12-transformed cell lines revealed that they both are significantly reduced, TAP2 by about 100-fold and TAP1 by 5-10-fold. Reconstitution of PD1 and H-2D b, but not H-2K b, expression is achieved in an Ad12-transformed cell line by stable transfection with a TAP2, but not a TAP1, expression construct. From these data it may be conduded that suppressed expression of peptide transporter genes, especially TAP2, in Ad12-transformed cells inhibits cell surface expression of class I molecules. The failure to fully reconstitute H-2D b and H-2K b expression indicates that additional factors are involved in controlling class I gene expression in Ad12-transformed cells. Nevertheless, these results suggest that suppression of peptide transporter genes might be an important mechanism whereby virus-transformed cells escape immune recognition in vivo.

Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is the major physiological inhibitor of plasminogen activation, inhibiting both tissue- and urokinase-type plasminogen activators. In HTC rat hepatoma cells, glucocorticoids increase PAI-1 activity, antigen and mRNA accumulation 3- to 5-fold; this increase is due solely to an increase in the rate of PAI-1 gene transcription. We have identified the cis-acting sequences in the 5'-flanking sequence of the HTC PAI-1 gene that mediate this induction. Analysis of a series of hybrid genes containing various portions of the PAI-1 5'-flanking region fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene transfected into HTC cells localized the region involved in the transcriptional regulation by glucocorticoids to between -1237 and -764. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase-I protection assays showed that a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) 15-mer located at -1212 bound the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain protein in a concentration-dependent manner. Mutations created within this GRE eliminated its ability both to confer a glucocorticoid response and to bind the glucocorticoid receptor. When placed upstream of a heterologous promoter in either orientation, this GRE conferred glucocorticoid inducibility. We, therefore, conclude that the sole cis-acting sequence required for the glucocorticoid response of the PAI-1 gene in rat HTC hepatoma cells is the GRE at -1212.

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