Differential repression of c-myc and cdc2 gene expression by ERF and PE-1/METS.

The molecular mechanisms that control the proliferation and differentiation of specific cell types remain poorly understood. Positive ETS factors play important roles in mediating proliferative responses to Ras/MAPK signaling in many cell types following mitogenic stimulation. PE-1/METS, a member of the ETS-domain family transcription factors that functions as a transcriptional repressor, can block mitogenic responses mediated by positively acting Ets factors. The anti-proliferative functions of PE-1/METS require its interaction with DP103, a multifunctional DEAD-box protein that mediates interactions with co-repressor proteins and acts in a cooperative manner with Rb family members and to repress cell cycle control genes. ETS-2 Repressor Factor (ERF) is structurally related to and also functions as a transcriptional repressor, but endogenous target genes and mechanisms of repression remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that like PE-1/METS, ERF-mediated repression also requires DP103, and that ERF negativ...