This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhao, G Q Articles by de Crombrugghe, B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhao, G Q Articles by de Crombrugghe, B

TFEC, a basic helix-loop-helix protein, forms heterodimers with TFE3 and inhibits TFE3-dependent transcription activation.

Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.

ABSTRACT

We have identified a new basic helix-loop-helix (BHLH) DNA-binding protein, designated TFEC, which is closely related to TFE3 and TFEB. The basic domain of TFEC is identical to the basic DNA-binding domain of TFE3 and TFEB, whereas the helix-loop-helix motif of TFEC shows 88 and 85% identity with the same domains in TFE3 and TFEB, respectively. Like the other two proteins, TFEC contains a leucine zipper motif, which has a lower degree of sequence identity with homologous domains in TFE3 and TFEB than does the BHLH segment. Little sequence identity exists outside these motifs. Unlike the two other proteins, TFEC does not contain an acidic domain, which for TFE3 mediates the ability to activate transcription. Like the in vitro translation product of TFE3, the in vitro-translated TFEC binds to the mu E3 DNA sequence of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene enhancer. In addition, the product of cotranslation of TFEC RNA and TFE3 RNA forms a heteromeric protein-DNA complex with mu E3 DNA. In contrast to TFE3, TFEC is unable to transactivate a reporter gene linked to a promoter containing tandem copies of the immunoglobulin mu E3 enhancer motif. Cotransfection of TFEC DNA and TFE3 DNA strongly inhibits the transactivation caused by TFE3. TFEC RNA is found in many tissues of adult rats, but the relative concentrations of TFEC and TFE3 RNAs vary considerably in these different tissues. No TFEC RNA was detectable in several cell lines, including fibroblasts, myoblasts, chondrosarcoma cells, and myeloma cells, indicating that TFEC is not ubiquitously expressed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Esumi, N., Kachi, S., Campochiaro, P. A., Zack, D. J. (2007). VMD2 Promoter Requires Two Proximal E-box Sites for Its Activity in Vivo and Is Regulated by the MITF-TFE Family. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 1838-1850 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rehli{section}, M., Sulzbacher, S., Pape, S., Ravasi, T., Wells, C. A., Heinz, S., Sollner, L., El Chartouni, C., Krause, S. W., Steingrimsson, E., Hume, D. A., Andreesen, R. (2005). Transcription Factor Tfec Contributes to the IL-4-Inducible Expression of a Small Group of Genes in Mouse Macrophages Including the Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Receptor. J. Immunol. 174: 7111-7122 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kuiper, R. P., Schepens, M., Thijssen, J., Schoenmakers, E. F. P. M., van Kessel, A. G. (2004). Regulation of the MiTF/TFE bHLH-LZ transcription factors through restricted spatial expression and alternative splicing of functional domains. Nucleic Acids Res 32: 2315-2322 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Levy, C., Sonnenblick, A., Razin, E. (2003). Role Played by Microphthalmia Transcription Factor Phosphorylation and Its Zip Domain in Its Transcriptional Inhibition by PIAS3. Mol. Cell. Biol. 23: 9073-9080 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kuiper, R. P., Schepens, M., Thijssen, J., van Asseldonk, M., van den Berg, E., Bridge, J., Schuuring, E., Schoenmakers, E. F.P.M., van Kessel, A. G. (2003). Upregulation of the transcription factor TFEB in t(6;11)(p21;q13)-positive renal cell carcinomas due to promoter substitution. Hum Mol Genet 12: 1661-1669 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Blanc, E., Goldschneider, D., Ferrandis, E., Barrois, M., Le Roux, G., Leonce, S., Douc-Rasy, S., Benard, J., Raguenez, G. (2003). MYCN Enhances P-gp/MDR1 Gene Expression in the Human Metastatic Neuroblastoma IGR-N-91 Model. Am. J. Pathol. 163: 321-331 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Davis, I. J., Hsi, B.-L., Arroyo, J. D., Vargas, S. O., Yeh, Y. A., Motyckova, G., Valencia, P., Perez-Atayde, A. R., Argani, P., Ladanyi, M., Fletcher, J. A., Fisher, D. E. (2003). Cloning of an Alpha-TFEB fusion in renal tumors harboring the t(6;11)(p21;q13) chromosome translocation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 6051-6056 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Steingrimsson, E., Tessarollo, L., Pathak, B., Hou, L., Arnheiter, H., Copeland, N. G., Jenkins, N. A. (2002). Mitf and Tfe3, two members of the Mitf-Tfe family of bHLH-Zip transcription factors, have important but functionally redundant roles in osteoclast development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 4477-4482 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mansky, K. C., Sankar, U., Han, J., Ostrowski, M. C. (2002). Microphthalmia Transcription Factor Is a Target of the p38 MAPK Pathway in Response to Receptor Activator of NF-kappa B Ligand Signaling. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 11077-11083 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kawata, Y., Suzuki, H., Higaki, Y., Denisenko, O., Schullery, D., Abrass, C., Bomsztyk, K. (2002). bcn-1 Element-dependent Activation of the Laminin gamma 1 Chain Gene by the Cooperative Action of Transcription Factor E3 (TFE3) and Smad Proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 11375-11384 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mansky, K. C., Sulzbacher, S., Purdom, G., Nelsen, L., Hume, D. A., Rehli, M., Ostrowski, M. C. (2002). The microphthalmia transcription factor and the related helix-loop-helix zipper factors TFE-3 and TFE-C collaborate to activate the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase promoter. J. Leukoc. Biol. 71: 304-310 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Verastegui, C., Bertolotto, C., Bille, K., Abbe, P., Ortonne, J. P., Ballotti, R. (2000). TFE3, a Transcription Factor Homologous to Microphthalmia, Is a Potential Transcriptional Activator of Tyrosinase and TyrpI Genes. Mol. Endocrinol. 14: 449-456 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Massari, M. E., Murre, C. (2000). Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins: Regulators of Transcription in Eucaryotic Organisms. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20: 429-440 [Full Text]  
• Roundy, K., Kollhoff, A., Eichwald, E. J., Weis, J. J., Weis, J. H. (1999). Microphthalmic Mice Display a B Cell Deficiency Similar to that Seen for Mast and NK Cells. J. Immunol. 163: 6671-6678 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Razin, E., Zhang, Z. C., Nechushtan, H., Frenkel, S., Lee, Y.-N., Arudchandran, R., Rivera, J. (1999). Suppression of Microphthalmia Transcriptional Activity by Its Association with Protein Kinase C-interacting Protein 1 in Mast Cells. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 34272-34276 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rehli, M., Lichanska, A., Cassady, A. I., Ostrowski, M. C., Hume, D. A. (1999). TFEC Is a Macrophage-Restricted Member of the Microphthalmia-TFE Subfamily of Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors. J. Immunol. 162: 1559-1565 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Li, N., Seetharam, B. (1998). A 69-Base Pair Fragment Derived from Human Transcobalamin II Promoter Is Sufficient for High Bidirectional Activity in the Absence of a TATA Box and an Initiator Element in Transfected Cells. ROLE OF AN E BOX IN TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVITY. J. Biol. Chem. 273: 28170-28177 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hua, X., Liu, X., Ansari, D. O., Lodish, H. F. (1998). Synergistic cooperation of TFE3 and Smad proteins in TGF-beta -induced transcription of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene. Genes Dev. 12: 3084-3095 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Weilbaecher, K. N., Hershey, C. L., Takemoto, C. M., Horstmann, M. A., Hemesath, T. J., Tashjian, A. H. Jr., Fisher, D. E. (1998). Age-resolving Osteopetrosis: A Rat Model Implicating Microphthalmia and the Related Transcription Factor TFE3. J. Exp. Med. 187: 775-785 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Steingrimsson, E, Tessarollo, L, Reid, S., Jenkins, N., Copeland, N. (1998). The bHLH-Zip transcription factor Tfeb is essential for placental vascularization. Development 125: 4607-4616 [Abstract]  
• Yasumoto, K.-i., Yokoyama, K., Takahashi, K., Tomita, Y., Shibahara, S. (1997). Functional Analysis of Microphthalmia-associated Transcription Factor in Pigment Cell-specific Transcription of the Human Tyrosinase Family Genes. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 503-509 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Scholtz, B., Kingsley-Kallesen, M., Rizzino, A. (1996). Transcription of the Transforming Growth Factor-beta 2 Gene Is Dependent on an E-box Located between an Essential cAMP Response Element/Activating Transcription Factor Motif and the TATA Box of the Gene. J. Biol. Chem. 271: 32375-32380 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Swanson, H. I., Chan, W. K., Bradfield, C. A. (1995). DNA Binding Specificities and Pairing Rules of the Ah Receptor, ARNT, and SIM Proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 270: 26292-26302 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hemesath, T J, Steingrimsson, E, McGill, G, Hansen, M J, Vaught, J, Hodgkinson, C A, Arnheiter, H, Copeland, N G, Jenkins, N A, Fisher, D E (1994). microphthalmia, a critical factor in melanocyte development, defines a discrete transcription factor family.. Genes Dev. 8: 2770-2780 [Abstract]  
• Levy, C., Nechushtan, H., Razin, E. (2002). A New Role for the STAT3 Inhibitor, PIAS3. A REPRESSOR OF MICROPHTHALMIA TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 1962-1966 [Abstract] [Full Text]