C/EBPα and HNF6 protein complex formation stimulates HNF6‐dependent transcription by CBP coactivator recruitment in HepG2 cells

We previously demonstrated that formation of complexes between the DNA binding domains of the Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 6 (HNF6; HNF-6 or OC-1) and Forkhead Box a2 (Foxa2; HNF3β) proteins stimulated Foxa2 transcriptional activity. Here, we used HepG2 cell cotransfection assays to demonstrate that HNF6 transcriptional activity was stimulated by CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), but not by the related C/EBPβ or C/EBPδ proteins. Formation of the C/EBPα-HNF6 protein complex required the HNF6 Cut-domain and the C/EBPα activation domain 1 (AD1)/AD2 sequences. This C/EBPα-HNF6 transcriptional synergy required both the N-terminal HNF6 poly-Histidine and STP Box sequences as well as the C/EBPα AD1/AD2 sequences, the latter of which are known to recruit the CREB binding protein (CBP) transcriptional coactivator. Consistent with these findings, adenovirus E1A mediated inhibition of p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity abrogated C/EBPα-HNF6 transcriptional synergy in cotransfection assays. Co-immunoprecipitation assays with liver protein extracts demonstrate an association between the HNF6 and C/EBPα transcription factors and the CBP coactivator protein in vivo. Furthermore, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assays with hepatoma cells demonstrated that increased levels of both C/EBPα and HNF6 proteins were required to stimulate association of these transcription factors and the CBP coactivator protein with the endogenous mouse Foxa2 promoter region. Taken together, our results suggest that formation of the C/EBPα-HNF6 protein complex stimulates recruitment of the CBP coactivator protein for expression of Foxa2, a transcription factor critical for regulating expression of hepatic gluconeogenic genes during fasting.