Acetylation of human TCF4 (TCF7L2) proteins attenuates inhibition by the HBP1 repressor and induces a conformational change in the TCF4::DNA complex

PLoS One. 2013 Apr 15;8(4):e61867. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061867. Print 2013.

Abstract

The members of the TCF/LEF family of DNA-binding proteins are components of diverse gene regulatory networks. As nuclear effectors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling they act as assembly platforms for multimeric transcription complexes that either repress or activate gene expression. Previously, it was shown that several aspects of TCF/LEF protein function are regulated by post-translational modification. The association of TCF/LEF family members with acetyltransferases and deacetylases prompted us to investigate whether vertebrate TCF/LEF proteins are subject to acetylation. Through co-expression with p300 and CBP and subsequent analyses using mass spectrometry and immunodetection with anti-acetyl-lysine antibodies we show that TCF4 can be acetylated at lysine K₁₅₀ by CBP. K₁₅₀ acetylation is restricted to TCF4E splice variants and requires the simultaneous presence of β-catenin and the unique TCF4E C-terminus. To examine the functional consequences of K₁₅₀ acetylation we substituted K₁₅₀ with amino acids representing the non-acetylated and acetylated states. Reporter gene assays based on Wnt/β-catenin-responsive promoter regions did not indicate a general role of K₁₅₀ acetylation in transactivation by TCF4E. However, in the presence of CBP, non-acetylatable TCF4E with a K₁₅₀R substitution was more susceptible to inhibition by the HBP-1 repressor protein compared to wild-type TCF4E. Acetylation of K₁₅₀ using a bacterial expression system or amino acid substitutions at K₁₅₀ alter the electrophoretic properties of TCF4E::DNA complexes. This result suggests that K₁₅₀ acetylation leads to a conformational change that may also represent the mechanism whereby acetylated TCF4E acquires resistance against HBP1. In summary, TCF4 not only recruits acetyltransferases but is also a substrate for these enzymes. The fact that acetylation affects only a subset of TCF4 splice variants and is mediated preferentially by CBP suggests that the conditional acetylation of TCF4E is a novel regulatory mechanism that diversifies the transcriptional output of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in response to changing intracellular signaling milieus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / chemistry
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • CREB-Binding Protein / metabolism
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • High Mobility Group Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • Protein Isoforms / chemistry
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Transcription Factor 4
  • Transcription Factors / chemistry
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • HBP1 protein, human
  • High Mobility Group Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Repressor Proteins
  • TCF4 protein, human
  • Transcription Factor 4
  • Transcription Factors
  • beta Catenin
  • DNA
  • CREB-Binding Protein
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG; http://www.dfg.de) grant He2004/8-1 and CRC-850/B5 to AH. Publication fees for this article were covered by funding from the DFG and the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg (Open Access Publishing program; http://www.ub.uni-freiburg.de/go/oapf). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.