The transcription of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 is regulated by Ets transcription factors

The Ets family of transcription factors comprises several members which are involved to regulate gene transcription. Although several consensus binding sites for Ets proteins can be found in a wide series of promoter, only a limited number of them are indeed activated by these transcription factors. The human intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a crucial role in immune responses by enabling the binding of effector cells to various target cell types. ICAM-1 is constitutively expressed at different levels in the absence of stimuli in different cell types, and its expression is upregulated by several proinflammatory cytokines. We have here examined the transcriptional regulation of human ICAM-1 expression by Ets proteins, and more particularly by ERM, a member of this family of transcription factors. Transient transfection assays revealed that Ets-2 and ERM significantly activate the transcription of ICAM-1 promoter, whereas the less-related Ets family member, Spi-1/Pu.1, failed to do so. Transfection of a series of ICAM-1 promoter deletion mutants together with ERM expression plasmids have shown that an Ets responsive element is located within the first 176 bp upstream from the translational start site. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting analysis have enabled us to identify two Ets binding sites at positions −158 and −138 from the ATG, respectively. Site directed mutagenesis of these elements has shown that the distal site is the major element required for the ERM-mediated activation of the ICAM-1 promoter. We can thus conclude that expression of ICAM-1 can be regulated by Ets transcription factors.