Transcriptional activation of E2F1 gene expression by 17β-estradiol in MCF-7 cells is regulated by NF-Y-Sp1/estrogen receptor interactions

17 beta-Estradiol (E-2) stimulated proliferation and DNA synthesis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, and this was accompanied by induction of E2F1 mRNA and protein levels. Analysis of the E2F1 gene promoter showed that the -146 to -54 region was required for E-2-responsiveness in transient transfection assays, and subsequent deletion/mutation analysis showed that a single upstream GO-rich and two downstream CCAAT-binding sites were required for transactivation by E-2. Gel mobility shift assays with multiple oligonucleotides and protein antibodies (for supershifts) showed that the -146 to -54 region of the E2F1 gene promoter bound Sp1 and NF-Y proteins in MCF-7 cells, The estrogen receptor (ER) protein enhanced Sp1 interactions with upstream GO-rich sites, and interactions of ER, Sp1, and ER/Sp1 with downstream DNA bound-NF-Y was investigated by kinetic analysis for protein-DNA binding (on- and off-rates), coimmunoprecipitation, and pulldown assays using wild-type and truncated glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Sp1 chimeric proteins. The results showed that Sp1 protein enhanced the B-max of NF-Y-DNA binding by more than B-fold (on-rate); in addition, the Sp1-enhanced NF-Y-DNA complex was further stabilized by coincubation with ER and the rate of dissociation (t(1/2)) was decreased by approximately 50%. Sp1 antibodies immunoprecipitated [S-35]NF-YA after coincubation with unlabeled Sp1 protein. Thus, transcriptional activation of E2F1 gene expression in MCF-7 cells by E-2 is regulated by multiprotein ER/Sp1-NF-Y interactions at GC-rich and two CCAAT elements in the proximal region of the E2F1 gene promoter. This represents a unique trans-acting protein complex in which ligand-dependent transactivation by the ER is independent of direct ER interactions with promoter elements.