Abstract
We present evidence that the fos oncogene encodes a transcriptional trans-activation function, trans-activation was assayed by cotransfection into NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts of v-fos DNA containing plasmids together with a plasmid containing a test promoter. Three v-fos DNAs were used: (i) pFBR-1, a plasmid containing the FBR proviral sequences; (ii) pFBJ-2, a plasmid harboring the FBJ proviral sequences; (iii) pMF-J, a plasmid containing the FBJ fos sequences linked to a mouse metallothionein promoter. Each of the three v-fos DNA plasmids stimulated the expression of a cotransfected chimeric gene consisting of a promoter segment of the mouse α1(III) collagen gene linked to the gene for chloramphenicol transacetylase. In similar experiments the v-fos gene also stimulated the long terminal repeat promoter of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) but neither the early promoter of simian virus 40 nor the β-actin promoter. Evidence that the trans-activation function is specified by the v-fos coding sequences comes from the fact that a frameshift mutation in the v-fos coding sequence inhibits the trans-activation. Two mutations that map around nucleotide -100 in the RSV promoter do not respond to cotransfection with v-fos, whereas other mutations respond like the wild-type RSV promoter. These experiments suggest that the v-fos gene either encodes or induces an activator of transcription that recognizes specific sequences in promoters.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3213-3217 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 83 |
Issue number | 10 |
State | Published - 1986 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics
- General