A common intermediary factor (p52/54) recognizing "acidic blob"-type domains is required for transcriptional activation by the Jun proteins.

The ability of the c-Jun protein, the main component of the transcription factor AP1, to interact directly or indirectly with the RNA polymerase II-initiation complex to activate transcription was investigated by in vivo transcription interference ("squelching") experiments. Coexpression of a Jun mutant lacking its DNA binding domain strongly represses the activity of wild-type c-Jun. Repression depends on the presence of the transactivation domains (TADs), suggesting that a limiting factor interacting with the TADs is essential to link Jun and the components of the transcriptional machinery. The activity of this intermediary factor(s) is restricted to TADs characterized by an abundance of negatively charged amino acids, as demonstrated by the abilities of the TADs of JunB, GAL4, and VP16 to repress c-Jun activity. Depending on the presence of the TADs of Jun, we found physical interaction between Jun and a cluster of three proteins with molecular masses of 52, 53, and 54 kDa (p52/54). Association between Jun and p52/54 is strongly reduced in the presence of VP16, suggesting that the two proteins compete for binding to p52/54. Transcription factors containing a different type of TAD (e.g., GHF1, estrogen receptor, or serum response factor) fail to inhibit Jun activity, suggesting that these proteins act through a different mechanism. We consider the requirement of Jun to interact with p52/54 utilized by other transcription factors a new mechanism in the regulation of transcription of Jun-dependent target genes.