Transcription Control by E1A and MAP Kinase Pathway Via Sur2 Mediator Subunit

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2002-04, Vol.296 (5568), p.755-758
• Main Authors: Stevens, Jennitte L., Cantin, Greg T., Wang, Gang, Shevchenko, Andrej, Shevchenko, Anna, Berk, Arnold J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenovirus; Adenovirus E1A Proteins - metabolism; Adenoviruses; Adenoviruses, Human - physiology; Animals; Antibodies; Biological and medical sciences; Caenorhabditis elegans; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cells; Cells, Cultured; DNA; DNA-Binding Proteins; E1A protein; Elk-1 protein; ets-Domain Protein Elk-1; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genes, Immediate-Early; Genetic loci; Genetic regulation; Genetic transcription; Genetic variation; Genotypes; HeLa Cells; Humans; Individualized Instruction; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mediator Complex; Mediator protein; Metazoa; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Mutation; Organisms; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Protein kinases; Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Recruitment; Regulation; RNA; RNA polymerases; Stem cells; Stem Cells - metabolism; Sur2 protein; Trans-Activators; Transcription (Genetics); Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing; Transcriptional Activation; Transfection; Yeasts
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1068943

Sur2 is a metazoan Mediator subunit that interacts with the adenovirus E1A protein and functions in a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway required for vulva development in Caenorhabditis elegans. We generated sur2-/-embryonic stem cells to analyze its function as a mammalian Mediator component. Our results show that Sur2 forms a subcomplex of the Mediator with two other subunits, TRAP/Med100 and 95. Knock-out of Sur2 prevents activation by E1A-CR3 and the mitogen-activated protein kinase-regulated ETS transcription factor Elk-1, but not by multiple other transcription factors. These results imply that specific activation domains stimulate transcription by binding to distinct Mediator subunits. Activation by E1A and Elk-1 requires recruitment of Mediator to a promoter by binding to its Sur2 subunit.