Transcriptional autorepression of the stress-inducible gene ATF3

Curt D. Wolfgang, Guosheng Liang, Yoshichika Okamoto, Amy E. Allen, Tsonwin Hai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

86 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previously, we demonstrated that ATF3 (activating transcription factor- 3) is a stress-inducible gene, and the protein it encodes is a transcriptional repressor. In this report, we present evidence suggesting that ATF3 represses the transcription of its own gene. Interestingly, efficient repression requires a consensus ATF/cAMP-responsive element site in the promoter and a previously unidentified ATF3-binding site immediately downstream from the TATA box. Although this new site resembles the known ATF/cAMP-responsive element sequences at the flanking sequence, it differs from them at the center key residues. These observations indicate that ATF3 can tolerate variations in the center of the binding sites if the flanking sequences are favorable. The repression of the ATF3 promoter by its own gene product provides a mechanistic explanation, at least in part, for the transient expression pattern of the ATF3 gene upon stress induction.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)16865-16870
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume275
Issue number22
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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