Abstract
The retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and the pRb-related proteins, p130 and p107, form the 'pocket protein' family of cell cycle regulatory factors. A well characterized function of these proteins is the cell cycle-dependent regulation of E2F-responsive genes. The biological activity of pocket proteins is regulated by phosphorylation and for the founding member pRb it has been shown that acetylation also has an important role in modulating its function during the cell cycle. Here, we show that hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma 2 (Rb2)/p130 also exists in an acetylated form in NIH3T3 cells. Acetylated p130 is present in the nucleus but not in the cytoplasm. Acetylation is cell cycle dependent, starting in S-phase and persisting until late G(2)-period. Using recombinant p130 and truncated forms for in vitro acetylation by the acetyltransferase p300, we could identify K1079 in the C-terminal part as the major acetylation site by mass spectrometry. Minor acetylation sites were pinpointed to K1068 and K1111 in the C-terminus, and K128 and K130 in the N-terminus. The human papilloma virus 16 protein-E7 preferentially binds to acetylated p130 and significantly increases in vitro p130 acetylation by p300.