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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
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Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome
Published on: June 15, 2016
The oncogene qin codes for a transcriptional repressor
1Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Cancer Research
|December 1, 1995
Summary
The retroviral oncogene qin encodes a winged helix transcriptional regulator protein. This protein, Qin, functions as a nuclear transcriptional repressor, binding DNA similarly to rat brain factor 1 (BF-1).
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The retroviral oncogene qin encodes a protein regulating gene transcription.
- Qin belongs to the winged helix family of transcriptional regulators.
- Qin shares DNA binding similarities with rat brain factor 1 (BF-1).
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the transcriptional regulatory functions of the Qin protein.
- To investigate the DNA binding properties and transcriptional activity of Qin.
- To identify the functional domains responsible for Qin's repression activity.
Main Methods:
- DNA binding assays to compare Qin and BF-1 affinity.
- Transcriptional reporter assays using Qin alone and fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain.
- Mapping of the transcriptional repression domain within the viral Qin protein.
Main Results:
- Qin protein is localized to the nucleus.
- Both cellular and viral Qin proteins bind to the same DNA consensus sequence as BF-1.
- Cellular Qin exhibits higher DNA binding affinity compared to viral Qin.
- Both Qin proteins function as transcriptional repressors.
- The major repression domain of viral Qin was mapped to amino acids 252-395.
Conclusions:
- The Qin protein is a nuclear transcriptional repressor with DNA binding characteristics similar to BF-1.
- The identified repression domain is crucial for Qin's function in regulating gene expression.
- Understanding Qin's function provides insights into retroviral oncogenesis and transcriptional regulation.
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