TY - JOUR
T1 - Cloning and functional characterization of Roaz, a zinc finger protein that interacts with O/E-1 to regulate gene expression
T2 - Implications for olfactory neuronal development
AU - Tsai, Robert Y.L.
AU - Reed, Randall R.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - We have identified a protein, Rat O/E-1-associated zinc finger protein (Roaz), that plays a role in regulating the temporal and spatial pattern of olfactory neuronal-specific gene expression. This protein functions by interacting with the olfactory factor O/E-1 and modulating its transcriptional activity. Roaz, isolated via a yeast two-hybrid screen, encoded a protein containing 29 C2H2 zinc fingers of the TFIIIA type. The Roaz mRNA was found in brain, eye, olfactory epithelium, spleen, and heart. In situ hybridization data indicated that Roaz was expressed in the basal layer, consisting of neural precursor cells and immature sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium, but not in the mature receptor cells. We showed that the Roaz protein bound specifically to O/E-1 by using the yeast two- hybrid system. The two proteins formed a stable complex in coimmunoprecipitation and in vitro binding assays. Introduction of Roaz and O/E-1 into cells containing an olfactory promoter-driven luciferase reporter demonstrated that Roaz abolished O/E-1-mediated transcriptional activation. We propose that the function of Roaz is to modulate negatively the transactivational activity of O/E-1 and to act as a switch protein in the coordination of olfactory sensory neuron differentiation.
AB - We have identified a protein, Rat O/E-1-associated zinc finger protein (Roaz), that plays a role in regulating the temporal and spatial pattern of olfactory neuronal-specific gene expression. This protein functions by interacting with the olfactory factor O/E-1 and modulating its transcriptional activity. Roaz, isolated via a yeast two-hybrid screen, encoded a protein containing 29 C2H2 zinc fingers of the TFIIIA type. The Roaz mRNA was found in brain, eye, olfactory epithelium, spleen, and heart. In situ hybridization data indicated that Roaz was expressed in the basal layer, consisting of neural precursor cells and immature sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium, but not in the mature receptor cells. We showed that the Roaz protein bound specifically to O/E-1 by using the yeast two- hybrid system. The two proteins formed a stable complex in coimmunoprecipitation and in vitro binding assays. Introduction of Roaz and O/E-1 into cells containing an olfactory promoter-driven luciferase reporter demonstrated that Roaz abolished O/E-1-mediated transcriptional activation. We propose that the function of Roaz is to modulate negatively the transactivational activity of O/E-1 and to act as a switch protein in the coordination of olfactory sensory neuron differentiation.
KW - coregulator
KW - neurodevelopment
KW - olfactory epithelium
KW - sensory neuron
KW - transcription factors
KW - zinc finger
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030981019&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030981019&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1523/jneurosci.17-11-04159.1997
DO - 10.1523/jneurosci.17-11-04159.1997
M3 - Article
C2 - 9151733
AN - SCOPUS:0030981019
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 17
SP - 4159
EP - 4169
JO - Journal of Neuroscience
JF - Journal of Neuroscience
IS - 11
ER -