Search

ABSTRACTNumerous studies have demonstrated that the hepatitis B virus HBx protein stimulates signal transduction pathways and may bind to certain transcription factors, particularly the cyclic AMP response element binding protein, CREB. HBx has also been shown to promote early cell cycle progression, possibly by functionally replacing the TATA-binding protein-associated factor 250 (TAFII250), a transcriptional coactivator, and/or by stimulating cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways. To understand the basis for early cell cycle progression mediated by HBx, we characterized the molecular mechanism by which HBx promotes deregulation of the G0and G1cell cycle checkpoints in growth-arrested cells. We demonstrate that TAFII250 is absolutely required for HBx activation of the cyclin A promoter and for promotion of early cell cycle transit from G0through G1. Thus, HBx does not functionally replace TAFII250 for transcriptional activity or for cell cycle progression, in contrast to a previous report. Instead, HBx is shown to activate the cyclin A promoter, induce cyclin A–cyclin-dependent kinase 2 complexes, and promote cycling of growth-arrested cells into G1through a pathway involving activation of Src tyrosine kinases. HBx stimulation of Src kinases and cyclin gene expression was found to force growth-arrested cells to transit through G1but to stall at the junction with S phase, which may be important for viral replication.

ABSTRACTThe TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor TAFII250 is the largest component of the basal transcription factor IID (TFIID). A missense mutation that maps to the acetyltransferase domain of TAFII250 induces the temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant hamster cell lines ts13 and tsBN462 to arrest in late G1. At the nonpermissive temperature (39.5°C), transcription from only a subset of protein encoding genes, including the G1cyclins, is dramatically reduced in the mutant cells. Here we demonstrate that the ability of the ts13allele of TAFII250 to acetylate histones in vitro is temperature sensitive suggesting that this enzymatic activity is compromised at 39.5°C in the mutant cells. Mutagenesis of a putative acetyl coenzyme A binding site produced a TAFII250 protein that displayed significantly reduced histone acetyltransferase activity but retained TBP and TAFII150 binding. Expression of this mutant in ts13 cells was unable to complement the cell cycle arrest or transcriptional defect observed at 39.5°C. These data suggest that TAFII250 acetyltransferase activity is required for cell cycle progression and regulates the expression of essential proliferative control genes.

The TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor TAFII250 is the largest component of the basal transcription factor IID (TFIID). A missense mutation that maps to the acetyltransferase domain of TAFII250 induces the temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant hamster cell lines ts13 and tsBN462 to arrest in late G1. At the nonpermissive temperature (39.5°C), transcription from only a subset of protein encoding genes, including the G1cyclins, is dramatically reduced in the mutant cells. Here we demonstrate that the ability of the ts13allele of TAFII250 to acetylate histones in vitro is temperature sensitive suggesting that this enzymatic activity is compromised at 39.5°C in the mutant cells. Mutagenesis of a putative acetyl coenzyme A binding site produced a TAFII250 protein that displayed significantly reduced histone acetyltransferase activity but retained TBP and TAFII150 binding. Expression of this mutant in ts13 cells was unable to complement the cell cycle arrest or transcriptional defect observed at 39.5°C. These data suggest that TAFII250 acetyltransferase activity is required for cell cycle progression and regulates the expression of essential proliferative control genes.