scholarly journals Cyclosporin A-Sensitive Transcription Factor Egr-3 Regulates Fas Ligand Expression

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3744-3751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Mittelstadt ◽  
Jonathan D. Ashwell

ABSTRACT Activation-induced transcriptional upregulation of the ligand for Fas (FasL) and the resulting apoptosis of Fas-bearing cells constitute essential steps in a host of normal and pathological processes. Here we describe an activation-inducible cis-acting regulatory element in the fasL promoter that is required for gene expression. Oligonucleotide competition and antibody supershift analyses identified two activation-induced DNA-binding species: Egr-1 (NGFI-A, krox-24, zif268, TIS-8), a transcription factor that has been implicated in growth, differentiation, and apoptosis; and Egr-3 (PILOT), a transcription factor of no previously known function. Activation-induced expression of Egr-3, like that of FasL, was inhibited by cyclosporin A, whereas expression of Egr-1 was unaffected. Transient expression of Egr-3 alone increased fasL promoter activity in a cyclosporin A-insensitive manner, whereas expression of Egr-1 had little effect. Moreover, endogenous fasL mRNA was induced in nonlymphoid cells by forced expression of Egr-3 in the absence of any other stimulus. These studies identify a critical Egr family-binding site in the fasL promoter and demonstrate that activation-induced Egr-3, but not Egr-1, directly upregulatesfasL transcription in response to activating stimuli.

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6690-6701
Author(s):  
H Koizumi ◽  
M F Horta ◽  
B S Youn ◽  
K C Fu ◽  
B S Kwon ◽  
...  

The gene encoding the cytolytic protein perforin is selectively expressed by activated killer lymphocytes. To understand the mechanisms underlying the cell-type-specific expression of this gene, we have characterized the regulatory functions and the DNA-protein interactions of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse perforin gene (Pfp). A region extending from residues +62 through -141, which possesses the essential promoter activity, and regions further upstream, which are able to either enhance or suppress gene expression, were identified. The region between residues -411 and -566 was chosen for further characterization, since it contains an enhancer-like activity. We have identified a 32-mer sequence (residues -491 to -522) which appeared to be capable of enhancing gene expression in a killer cell-specific manner. Within this segment, a 9-mer motif (5'-ACAGGAAGT-3', residues -505 to -497; designated NF-P motif), which is highly homologous to the Ets proto-oncoprotein-binding site, was found to interact with two proteins, NF-P1 and NF-P2. NF-P2 appears to be induced by reagents known to up-regulate the perforin message level and is present exclusively in killer cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and UV cross-linking experiments revealed that NF-P1 and NF-P2 may possess common DNA-binding subunits. However, the larger native molecular mass of NF-P1 suggests that NF-P1 contains an additional non-DNA-binding subunit(s). In view of the homology between the NF-P motif and other Ets proto-oncoprotein-binding sites, it is postulated that NF-P1 and NF-P2 belong to the Ets protein family. Results obtained from the binding competition assay, nevertheless, suggest that NF-P1 and NF-P2 are related to but distinct from Ets proteins, e.g., Ets-1, Ets-2, and NF-AT/Elf-1, known to be expressed in T cells.


2006 ◽  
Vol 401 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Dong ◽  
Feng-Qi Zhao

Transcription of the milk protein β-casein gene is induced by the lactogenic hormones Prl (prolactin) and glucocorticoids. Multiple transcription factors involved in this induction have been identified, including the STAT5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5) and the GR (glucocorticoid receptor). Our previous studies have identified a binding site for the ubiquitous Oct-1 (octamer-binding transcription factor 1) protein in the lactogenic hormonal regulatory region of the mouse β-casein promoter. In the present study, we report that Oct-1 is indeed expressed and binds to the β-casein promoter in mammary epithelial cells. Oct-1 activates hormonally induced β-casein promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. Hormonal induction of promoter activity was decreased not only by mutating the Oct-1-binding site from ATTAGCAT to GCTAGCAT, which abolishes Oct-1 binding (50% decrease, P<0.01), but also by changing the site to the consensus Oct-1-binding motif ATTTGCAT (40% decrease, P<0.01). Reversing the Oct-1-binding site reduced hormonal induction by 70% (P<0.01), showing that orientation of Oct-1 binding is also critical in hormonal action. In transient transfection experiments, Oct-1 collaboratively transactivated the β-casein gene promoter with STAT5 and/or GR in the presence of Prl receptor in cells treated with the lactogenic hormones. The C-terminus of Oct-1 was not essential to its function. The results of the present study provide biochemical evidence that the ubiquitous Oct-1 transcription factor may be involved in hormonally regulated, tissue-specific β-casein gene expression.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6690-6701 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Koizumi ◽  
M F Horta ◽  
B S Youn ◽  
K C Fu ◽  
B S Kwon ◽  
...  

The gene encoding the cytolytic protein perforin is selectively expressed by activated killer lymphocytes. To understand the mechanisms underlying the cell-type-specific expression of this gene, we have characterized the regulatory functions and the DNA-protein interactions of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse perforin gene (Pfp). A region extending from residues +62 through -141, which possesses the essential promoter activity, and regions further upstream, which are able to either enhance or suppress gene expression, were identified. The region between residues -411 and -566 was chosen for further characterization, since it contains an enhancer-like activity. We have identified a 32-mer sequence (residues -491 to -522) which appeared to be capable of enhancing gene expression in a killer cell-specific manner. Within this segment, a 9-mer motif (5'-ACAGGAAGT-3', residues -505 to -497; designated NF-P motif), which is highly homologous to the Ets proto-oncoprotein-binding site, was found to interact with two proteins, NF-P1 and NF-P2. NF-P2 appears to be induced by reagents known to up-regulate the perforin message level and is present exclusively in killer cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and UV cross-linking experiments revealed that NF-P1 and NF-P2 may possess common DNA-binding subunits. However, the larger native molecular mass of NF-P1 suggests that NF-P1 contains an additional non-DNA-binding subunit(s). In view of the homology between the NF-P motif and other Ets proto-oncoprotein-binding sites, it is postulated that NF-P1 and NF-P2 belong to the Ets protein family. Results obtained from the binding competition assay, nevertheless, suggest that NF-P1 and NF-P2 are related to but distinct from Ets proteins, e.g., Ets-1, Ets-2, and NF-AT/Elf-1, known to be expressed in T cells.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (2) ◽  
pp. L351-L358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loretta Sparkman ◽  
Hemakumar Chandru ◽  
Vijayakumar Boggaram

Ceramide, a sphingolipid, is an important signaling molecule in the inflammatory response. Mediators of acute lung injury such as TNF-α, platelet-activating factor, and Fas/Apo ligand stimulate sphingomyelin hydrolysis to increase intracellular ceramide levels. Surfactant protein B (SP-B), a hydrophobic protein of pulmonary surfactant, is essential for surfactant function and lung stability. In this study we investigated the effects of ceramide on SP-B gene expression in H441 lung epithelial cells. Ceramide decreased SP-B mRNA levels in control and dexamethasone-treated cells after 24-h incubation and inhibition of SP-B mRNA was associated with inhibition of immunoreactive SP-B. In transient transfections assays, ceramide inhibited SP-B promoter activity, indicating that the inhibitory effects are exerted at the transcriptional level. Deletion mapping experiments showed that the ceramide-responsive region is located within the −233/−80-bp region of human SP-B promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift and reporter assays showed that ceramide reduced the DNA binding activity and transactivation capability of thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1/Nkx2.1), a key factor for SP-B promoter activity. Collectively these data showed that ceramide inhibits SP-B gene expression by reducing the DNA biding activity of TTF-1/Nkx2.1 transcription factor. Protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide and the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein partially reversed ceramide inhibition, indicating that protein kinases play important roles in the ceramide inhibition of SP-B gene expression. Chemical inhibitors of de novo ceramide synthesis and sphingomyelin hydrolysis had no effect on TNF-α inhibition of SP-B promoter activity and mRNA levels, suggesting that ceramide does not play a role in the inhibition.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 2084-2093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Schaley ◽  
Robert J. O'Connor ◽  
Laura J. Taylor ◽  
Dafna Bar-Sagi ◽  
Patrick Hearing

ABSTRACT The adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E4-6/7 protein interacts directly with different members of the E2F family and mediates the cooperative and stable binding of E2F to a unique pair of binding sites in the Ad5 E2a promoter region. This induction of E2F DNA binding activity strongly correlates with increased E2a transcription when analyzed using virus infection and transient expression assays. Here we show that while different adenovirus isolates express an E4-6/7 protein that is capable of induction of E2F dimerization and stable DNA binding to the Ad5 E2a promoter region, not all of these viruses carry the inverted E2F binding site targets in their E2a promoter regions. The Ad12 and Ad40 E2a promoter regions bind E2F via a single binding site. However, these promoters bind adenovirus-induced (dimerized) E2F very weakly. The Ad3 E2a promoter region binds E2F very poorly, even via a single binding site. A possible explanation of these results is that the Ad E4-6/7 protein evolved to induce cellular gene expression. Consistent with this notion, we show that infection with different adenovirus isolates induces the binding of E2F to an inverted configuration of binding sites present in the cellular E2F-1 promoter. Transient expression of the E4-6/7 protein alone in uninfected cells is sufficient to induce transactivation of the E2F-1 promoter linked to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase or green fluorescent protein reporter genes. Further, expression of the E4-6/7 protein in the context of adenovirus infection induces E2F-1 protein accumulation. Thus, the induction of E2F binding to the E2F-1 promoter by the E4-6/7 protein observed in vitro correlates with transactivation of E2F-1 promoter activity in vivo. These results suggest that adenovirus has evolved two distinct mechanisms to induce the expression of the E2F-1 gene. The E1A proteins displace repressors of E2F activity (the Rb family members) and thus relieve E2F-1 promoter repression; the E4-6/7 protein complements this function by stably recruiting active E2F to the E2F-1 promoter to transactivate expression.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 853
Author(s):  
Siti Aisyah Faten Mohamed Sa’dom ◽  
Sweta Raikundalia ◽  
Shaharum Shamsuddin ◽  
Wei Cun See Too ◽  
Ling Ling Few

Choline kinase (CK) is the enzyme catalyzing the first reaction in CDP-choline pathway for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Higher expression of the α isozyme of CK has been implicated in carcinogenesis, and inhibition or downregulation of CKα (CHKA) is a promising anticancer approach. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of CKα expression by DNA methylation of the CpG islands found on the promoter of this gene in MCF-7 cells. Four CpG islands have been predicted in the 2000 bp promoter region of ckα (chka) gene. Six CpG island deletion mutants were constructed using PCR site-directed mutagenesis method and cloned into pGL4.10 vectors for promoter activity assays. Deletion of CpG4C region located between –225 and –56 significantly increased the promoter activity by 4-fold, indicating the presence of important repressive transcription factor binding site. The promoter activity of methylated full-length promoter was significantly lower than the methylated CpG4C deletion mutant by 16-fold. The results show that DNA methylation of CpG4C promotes the binding of the transcription factor that suppresses the promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis showed that cytosine methylation at MZF1 binding site in CpG4C increased the binding of putative MZF1 in nuclear extract. In conclusion, the results suggest that DNA methylation decreased the promoter activity by promoting the binding of putative MZF1 transcription factor at CpG4C region of the ckα gene promoter.


2002 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Quirk ◽  
P Brown

The homeobox repressor Hesx1, expressed throughout Rathke's pouch and required for normal pituitary development, has been implicated in anterior pituitary pathogenesis in man. Prolonged expression of Hesx1 delays the appearance of anterior pituitary terminal differentiation markers in mice, particularly the gonadotroph hormones. We tested if Hesx1 could modulate gonadotrophin gene expression directly, and found that Hesx1 repressed both common alpha subunit (alpha GSU) and luteinising hormone beta-subunit (LH beta) gene promoters. Repression mapped to the Pitx1 homeodomain protein transactivation site in the proximal alpha GSU promoter, but did not map to the equivalent site on LH beta. Hesx1 repression of the alpha GSU Pitx1 site was overridden by co-transfection of Pitx1. In contrast, Hesx1 antagonised Pitx1 transactivation of LH beta in a dose-dependent manner. This was due to monomeric binding of Hesx1 on alpha GSU and homodimerisation on LH beta. The homodimerisation site comprises the Pitx1 DNA binding site and a proximal binding site, and mutation of either inhibited homodimer formation. Conversion of the LH beta Pitx1 DNA binding site to an alpha GSU-type did not promote homodimer formation, arguing that Hesx1 has pronounced site selectivity. Furthermore, mutation of the proximal half of the homodimerisation site blocked Hesx1 antagonisation of Pitx1 transactivation. We conclude that Hesx1 monomers repress gene expression, and homodimers block specific transactivation sites.


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