Presence of nuclear factors bound to both cAMP-responsive element and AP1 factor binding site in the porcine anterior...

Factors binding to consensus sequences of the cAMP-responsive element (CRE) and the AP1 factor binding site (AP1) were investigated using porcine anterior pituitary nuclear extracts. Each element showed specific gel mobility shifts. By reciprocal competition for the AP1 and CRE binding, CRE prevented AP1 binding completely. On the other hand, AP1 decreased the CRE binding considerably to 20%, suggesting that approximately 80% of the total CRE binding is due to factors which bind to a common site shared by both CRE and AP1, whereas proteins binding to AP1 alone are absent. Relative binding affinities of AP1 against CRE estimated from the reciprocal competition data were 0.17 for CRE binding and 0.56 for AP1 binding. UV cross-linking experiments showed that CRE and AP1 gave different patterns consisting of different molecular size. Inconsistency of the relative binding affinities and the multiple molecular size of binding factors, cannot be explained simply by the presence of two types of binding factor, common CRE/AP1-binding and specific CRE-binding factors. A more likely explanation is that the CRE/AP1-binding factors alter the dimer form by changing each respective partner to bind CRE and/or AP1.