Differential interaction of nuclear factors with the leukocyte-specific pp52 promoter in B and T cells.

The leukocyte-specific, cytoskeleton-binding pp52 (LSP-1, WP-34) protein is widely expressed in multiple leukocyte lineages, including B and T lymphocytes, granulocytes, and macrophages. We previously detected a tissue-specific promoter preceding the exon encoding the N terminus of the pp52 leukocyte protein. Here we describe the functional characterization of this promoter and identification of the factors in B and T cells that regulate its activity.

Over-expression of p55Cdc inhibits granulocyte differentiation and accelerates apoptosis in myeloid cells.

p55Cdc is a protein identified in cycling mammalian cells. It is highly expressed in proliferating but not in differentiated or growth-arrested cells. Structurally, p55Cdc is similar to the Cdc4 and Cdc20 proteins, which have been proposed to regulate DNA synthesis and mitosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Similar mechanisms for transcription initiation mediated through a TATA box or an initiator element.

Previous studies have identified several biochemical parameters that resolve promoter-specific transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II into distinct steps. We have employed these parameters to compare the mechanisms of initiation mediated through either a TATA box or a transcriptional initiator element. Time course experiments revealed that initiator-mediated transcription in a cell-free extract does not display the lag period typically found with TATA-mediated transcription.

Roles of TATA and initiator elements in determining the start site location and direction of RNA polymerase II transcription.

Transcriptional initiator elements and TATA elements are functionally similar, in that both can act in concert with a Sp1-dependent activator element to direct high levels of accurately initiated transcription. In this study, we have used in vitro transcription experiments to elucidate the relative activities of TATA and initiator. By varying the locations of TATA and initiator elements within a simple promoter, we compared their abilities to localize transcription start sites and to mediate transcriptional activation by Sp1.