Abstract:
The retroviral oncogene v-myb is a mutated and truncated version of the
c-myb proto-oncogene. It encodes a transcription factor (v-Myb), which disrupts
myelomonocytic differentiation resulting in cellular transformation. Generally,
biological effects of v-Myb are caused by deregulation of specific target genes. The
CCAAT box/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ), which plays an important
role during myelomonocytic differentiation, has been shown to be regulated by
Myb protein. It appears that Myb stimulates C/EBPβ expression by a dual
mechanism which is acting on the promoter as well as on an enhancer of C/EBPβ
gene. Here we have addressed the mechanism by which v-Myb affects C/EBPβ
expression. We have found that the mechanisms by which Myb acts on the C/EBPβ
promoter and enhancer are different from each other; while Myb activation of the
promoter requires the cooperation with C/EBPβ, activation of the enhancer by Myb
is C/EBPs independent. Other transcription factors have been identified as Myb
cooperative partners by in vivo footprinting and reporter gene experiments.
Interestingly, our results indicate that Ets-1, Ets-2 and p300 are Myb cooperative
factors at the C/EBPβ enhancer. Taken together, our study suggests that Myb can
affect the activation of both C/EBPβ promoter and enhancer in different mechanism