The oncoprotein Evi-1 represses TGF-beta signalling by inhibiting Smad3

Evi-1 encodes a zinc-finger protein that may be involved in leukaemic transformation of haematopoietic cells. Evi-1 has two zinc-finger domains, one with seven repeats of a zinc-finger motif and one with three repeats, and it has characteristics of a transcriptional regulator. Although Evi-1 is thought to be able to promote growth and to block differentiation in some cell types, its biological functions are poorly understood. Here we study the mechanisms that underlie oncogenesis induced by Evi-1 by investigating whether Evi-1 perturbs signalling through transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), one of the most studied growth-regulatory factors, which inhibits proliferation of a wide range of cell types. We show that Evi-1 represses TGF-beta signalling and antagonizes the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF-beta. Two separate regions of Evi-1 are responsible for this repression; one of these regions is the first zinc-finger domain. Through this domain, Evi-1 interacts with Smad3, an intracellular mediator of TGF-beta signalling, thereby suppressing the transcriptional activity of Smad3. These results define a new function of Evi-1 as a repressor of signalling through TGF-beta.