Transcriptional activation of thymidylate synthase by 17beta-estradiol in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. uri icon

abstract

  • Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes methylation of deoxyuridine phosphate to give deoxythymidine phosphate, and 17beta-estradiol (E2) induces TS gene expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Analysis of the TS gene promoter showed that E2-responsiveness required the -229 to -140 promoter region containing a G-rich sequence and CACCC box. Subsequent mutational analysis of this region indicated that only the G-rich motif (-150 to -142) was required for E2 action. Results of gel mobility shift and in vitro DNA footprinting assays showed that both estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and Sp1 proteins were required for hormone-induced trans-activation that involved ERalpha/Sp1 binding to the G-rich site in which only Sp1 protein bound DNA. Both proteins also interacted in Drosophila cells in functional assays, confirming the transcriptional activation of TS-involved ERalpha/Sp1, and this adds to the increasing number of genes that are activated through this pathway in breast cancer cells.

published proceedings

  • Endocrinology

author list (cited authors)

  • Xie, W., Duan, R., Chen, I., Samudio, I., & Safe, S.

citation count

  • 29

complete list of authors

  • Xie, W||Duan, R||Chen, I||Samudio, I||Safe, S

publication date

  • July 2000