Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Thiel, Gerald
• Backes, Tobias M.
• Guethlein, Lisbeth A.
• Rössler, Oliver G.

Titel

Critical Protein–Protein Interactions Determine the Biological Activity of Elk-1, a Master Regulator of Stimulus-Induced Gene Transcription

Ist Teil von

• Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-10, Vol.26 (20), p.6125

Ort / Verlag

Basel: MDPI AG

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Elk-1 is a transcription factor that binds together with a dimer of the serum response factor (SRF) to the serum-response element (SRE), a genetic element that connects cellular stimulation with gene transcription. Elk-1 plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation and apoptosis, thymocyte development, glucose homeostasis and brain function. The biological function of Elk-1 relies essentially on the interaction with other proteins. Elk-1 binds to SRF and generates a functional ternary complex that is required to activate SRE-mediated gene transcription. Elk-1 is kept in an inactive state under basal conditions via binding of a SUMO-histone deacetylase complex. Phosphorylation by extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase or p38 upregulates the transcriptional activity of Elk-1, mediated by binding to the mediator of RNA polymerase II transcription (Mediator) and the transcriptional coactivator p300. Strong and extended phosphorylation of Elk-1 attenuates Mediator and p300 recruitment and allows the binding of the mSin3A-histone deacetylase corepressor complex. The subsequent dephosphorylation of Elk-1, catalyzed by the protein phosphatase calcineurin, facilitates the re-SUMOylation of Elk-1, transforming Elk-1 back to a transcriptionally inactive state. Thus, numerous protein–protein interactions control the activation cycle of Elk-1 and are essential for its biological function.