Regulation of Murine Granzyme B Gene Transcription in Activated Primary T Cells

Abstract

A murine granzyme B promoter fragment that extends 243 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site confers high levels of luciferase reporter gene activity in transient transfection assays into T cells and mouse L cell fibroblasts. This promoter fragment contains canonical binding sites for the transcription factors AP-1, core binding factor (CBF), Ikaros, and the cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein (CREB). Oligonucleotides containing the granzyme B AP-1 or CBF elements form specific complexes with proteins present in nuclear extracts from activated CD8(+) splenocytes, MTL cells, EL4 T cells, and L cells. A strong DNase1 hypersensitive site that coincides with the closely associated AP-1, CBF, Ikaros, and CRE elements is present in activated CD8(+) T cells but not in resting T cells or L cells. Both in vitro and in vivo footprints are observed at these sequence elements in activated cytotoxic T cells (CTL) but not in resting T cells. The endogenous granzyme B gene is CTL-specific as no mRNA is detectable in EL4 or L cells. We propose that a condensed chromatin structure at the granzyme B promoter is responsible for transcription factor inaccessibility and repression of transcription in non-T cells.