Nucleolin binds specifically to an AP‐1 DNA sequence and represses AP1‐dependent transactivation of the matrix metalloproteinase‐13 gene

Transcriptional regulation via activator protein-1 (AP-1) protein binding to AP-1 binding sites within gene promoter regions of AP-1 target genes plays a key role in controlling cellular invasion, proliferation, and oncogenesis, and is important to pathogenesis of arthritis and cardiovascular disease. To identify new proteins that interact with the AP-1 DNA binding site, we performed the DNA affinity chromatography-based Nucleotide Affinity Preincubation Specificity TEst of Recognition (NAPSTER) assay, and discovered a 97 kDa protein that binds in vitro to a minimal AP-1 DNA sequence element. Mass spectrometric fragmentation sequencing determined that p97 is nucleolin. Immunoblotting of DNA affinity-purified material with anti-nucleolin antibodies confirmed this identification. Nucleolin also binds the AP-1 site in gel shift assays. Nucleolin interacts in NAPSTER with the AP-1 site within the promoter sequence of the metalloproteinase-13 gene (MMP-13), and binds in vivo in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in the vicinity of the AP-1 site in the MMP-13 promoter. Overexpression of nucleolin in human HeLa cervical carcinoma cells significantly represses AP-1 dependent gene transactivation of a minimal AP-1 reporter construct and of an MMP-13 promoter reporter sequence. This is the first report of nucleolin binding and transregulation at the AP-1 site. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.