Role of the hinge region of glucocorticoid receptor for HEXIM1-mediated transcriptional repression

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Jun 20;371(1):44-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.03.155. Epub 2008 Apr 11.

Abstract

We previously reported that HEXIM1 (hexamethylene bisacetamide-inducible protein 1), which suppresses transcription elongation via sequestration of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) using 7SK RNA as a scaffold, directly associates with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to suppress glucocorticoid-inducible gene activation. Here, we revealed that the hinge region of GR is essential for its interaction with HEXIM1, and that oxosteroid receptors including GR show sequence homology in their hinge region and interact with HEXIM1, whereas the other members of nuclear receptors do not. We also showed that HEXIM1 suppresses GR-mediated transcription in two ways: sequestration of P-TEFb by HEXIM1 and direct interaction between GR and HEXIM1. In contrast, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-dependent gene expression is negatively modulated by HEXIM1 solely via sequestration of P-TEFb. We, therefore, conclude that HEXIM1 may act as a gene-selective transcriptional regulator via direct interaction with certain transcriptional regulators including GR and contribute to fine-tuning of, for example, glucocorticoid-mediated biological responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Humans
  • Ketosteroids / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • PPAR gamma / metabolism
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid / chemistry
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid / genetics
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcription Factors
  • Transcription, Genetic*
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • HEXIM1 protein, human
  • Ketosteroids
  • PPAR gamma
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid
  • Transcription Factors
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B