Regulation of the amino-terminal transcription activation domain of progesterone receptor by a cofactor-induced protein folding mechanism

Mol Cell Biol. 2005 Oct;25(20):8792-808. doi: 10.1128/MCB.25.20.8792-8808.2005.

Abstract

We previously identified a small basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein, Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP-2), that acts as a coregulator of the N-terminal transcriptional activation domain of progesterone receptor (PR). We show here that JDP-2, through interaction with the DNA binding domain (DBD), induces or stabilizes structure in the N-terminal domain in a manner that correlates with JDP-2 stimulation of transcriptional activity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy experiments showed that JDP-2 interaction caused a significant increase in overall helical content of a two-domain PR polypeptide containing the N-terminal domain and DBD and that the change in structure resides primarily in the N-terminal domain. Thermal melt curves showed that the JDP-2/PR complex is significantly more stable than either protein alone, and partial proteolysis confirmed that JDP-2 interaction alters conformation of the N-terminal domain of PR. Functional analysis of N-terminal domain mutants and receptor chimeras provides evidence that the stimulatory effect of JDP-2 on transcriptional activity of PR is mediated through an interdomain communication between the DBD and the N-terminal domain and that transcriptional activity and functional response to JDP-2 are mediated by multiple elements of the N-terminal domain as opposed to a discrete region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Models, Molecular
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rats
  • Receptors, Progesterone / chemistry*
  • Receptors, Progesterone / genetics
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / chemistry
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • Jdp2 protein, rat
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins