Low pH enhances Sp1 DNA binding activity and interaction with TBP.

Sp1 is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of genes, including housekeeping genes and genes involved in tumor growth. Sp1 is a member of the C2-H2 zinc-finger family and is important for protection against cellular acidosis in cells that grow under hypoxic or acidic conditions, such as tumor cells. To obtain an insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying pH-dependent transcription by Sp1, both its DNA binding activity and its interaction with TATA binding protein (TBP) were investigated under various pH conditions. We show here that the DNA binding activity of Sp1 increased and Sp1 formed a stable interaction with TBP at low pH. These findings indicate that pH changes significantly modulate the activity of Sp1 and thus contribute to the cellular response under hypoxic or acidic conditions.