Signaling disrupts mSin3A binding to the Mad1-like Sin3-interacting domain of TIEG2, an Sp1-like repressor

A Sin3-interacting domain (SID) originally described in Mad proteins is necessary for both transcriptional repression and growth suppression by these transcription factors. We recently reported that a structurally and functionally related Mad1-like SID is also present in five Sp1-like repressor proteins (TIEG1, TIEG2, BTEB1, BTEB3 and BTEB4), demonstrating that SID–mSin3A interactions have a wider functional impact on transcriptional repression. SID–mSin3A interaction is necessary for the anti-proliferative function of Mad, TIEG and BTEB proteins. It remains to be established, however, whether the SID–mSin3A interaction is constitutive or regulated. Here, we describe that the Mad1-like SID domain of the Sp1-like repressor TIEG2 is inhibited by the epidermal growth factor (EGF)–Ras–MEK1–ERK2 signaling pathway, via phosphorylation of four serine/threonine sites adjacent to the SID. This phenomenon disrupts the SID–mSin3A interaction and thereby inhibits TIEG2’s repression activity. Thus, these results show for the first time that the repression of a SID-containing protein is regulated by signaling rather than functioning in a constitutive manner, extending our understanding of how the function of SID-containing repressors may be controlled.