Assembly of glucocorticoid receptor and c-JUN homodimer on the promoter of mouse mammary tumor virus-long terminal repeat is influenced by order of addition.

Interactions between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and c-Jun/c-Jun homodimer (JUN) on the promoter DNA of mouse mammary tumor virus-long terminal repeat (MMTV-LTR) are reported here using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Both GR and JUN are capable of independently binding to their respective response elements, including glucocorticoid response element (GRE) and phorbol ester response element (TRE), on MMTV-LTR promoter. The protein-DNA complex, assembled by pre-incubating JUN and DNA before the addition of GR, migrates slower (supershift) on gel electrophoresis than do the complexes formed by the other orders of addition. The formation of the supershifted complex is GR and JUN dose-dependent. The supershift is not detected with the cleaved fragments of MMTV-LTR promoter that separate GRE from TRE, indicating that the integrity of the promoter and possibly the spacing between GRE and TRE are important. The interaction of GR and JUN on the MMTV-LTR promoter appears to be more complex than simple protein-protein interaction.