The Oct-1 POU domain activates snRNA gene transcription by contacting a region in the SNAP(c) largest subunit that bears sequence similarities to the Oct-1 coactivator OBF-1

Abstract

The RNA polymerases II and III snRNA gene promoters contain an octamer sequence as part of the enhancer and a proximal sequence element (PSE) as part of the core promoter. The octamer and the PSE bind the POU domain activator Oct-1 and the basal transcription factor SNAP(c), respectively. Oct-1, but not Oct-1 with a single E7R mutation within the POU domain, binds cooperatively with SNAP(c) and, in effect, recruits SNAP(c) to the PSE. Here, we show that SNAP(c) recruitment is mediated by an interaction between the Oct-1 POU domain and a small region of the largest subunit of SNAP(c), SNAP190. This SNAP190 region is strikingly similar to a region in the B- cell-specific Oct-1 coactivator, OBF-1, that is required for interaction with octamer-bound Oct-1 POU domain. The Oct-1 POU domain-SNAP190 interaction is a direct protein-protein contact as determined by the isolation of a switched specificity SNAP190 mutant that interacts with Oct-1 POU E7R but not with wild-type Oct-1 POU. We also show that this direct protein-protein contact results in activation of transcription. Thus, we have identified an activation target of a human activator, Oct-1, within its cognate basal transcription complex.