Human ribosomal protein S13 regulates expression of its own gene at the splicing step by a feedback mechanism

The expression of ribosomal protein (rp) genes is regulated at multiple levels. In yeast, two genes are autoregulated by feedback effects of the protein on pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we have investigated whether similar mechanisms occur in eukaryotes with more complicated and highly regulated splicing patterns. Comparisons of the sequences of ribosomal protein S13 gene (RPS13) among mammals and birds revealed that intron 1 is more conserved than the other introns. Transfection of HEK 293 cells with a minigene-expressing ribosomal protein S13 showed that the presence of intron 1 reduced expression by a factor of four. Ribosomal protein S13 was found to inhibit excision of intron 1 from rpS13 pre-mRNA fragment in vitro. This protein was shown to be able to specifically bind the fragment and to confer protection against ribonuclease cleavage at sequences near the 5′ and 3′ splice sites. The results suggest that overproduction of rpS13 in mammalian cells interferes with splicing of its own pre-mRNA by a feedback mechanism.     

TraM of plasmid R1 regulates its own expression

Regulation of the traM gene, which encodes a factor essential for conjugation of resistance plasmid R1, was studied in vivo using translational gene fusions. tram″lacZ fusion constructs were transferred to the chromosome via the recombinant phage λRZ5. The level of β-galactosidase expressed by the lysogens indicates that the traM promoters are very active. Expression of traM was diminished five- to sixfold when the single-copy plasmids R1 or R1-19 were present in trans. When recombinant plasmids carrying traM were present at higher copy numbers, traM expression was reduced as much as 45-fold. The negative effect of R1 plasmids on traM expression in trans, which we interpret as autoregulation, was observed regardless of whether the plasmids were conjugatjvely repressed or derepressed. Site-specific mutagenesis of the region encoding the N-terminus of the TraM protein eliminated the autoregulative effect indicating that the N-terminal amino acids of the protein are important to its DNA-binding function. The autoregulatory behaviour of TraM is allele specific. R1- or P307-encoded TraM molecules were found to recognize only the cognate DNA.     

Urokinase induces its own expression in Beas2B lung epithelial cells

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) interacts with its receptor (uPAR) to promote local proteolysis as well as cellular proliferation and migration. These functions contribute to the pathogenesis of lung inflammation and remodeling as well as the growth and invasiveness of lung neoplasms. In this study, we sought to determine if uPA alters its own expression in lung epithelial cells. Using immunoprecipitation and Western and Northern blotting techniques, we found that uPA treatment enhanced uPA expression in Beas2B lung epithelial cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The induction of uPA expression is mediated through its cell surface receptor uPAR and does not require uPA enzymatic activity. The amino-terminal fragment of uPA, lacking the catalytic domain, is sufficient to induce uPA expression. The serine protease plasmin and the protease inhibitor aprotinin failed to alter uPA-mediated uPA expression, whereas alpha-thrombin potentiated the response. Pretreatment of Beas2B cells with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, herbimycin, suggests that activation of tyrosine kinase(s) is involved in the uPA-mediated uPA expression. Induction of uPA expression by exposure of lung-derived epithelial cells to uPA is a newly defined pathway by which this protease could influence expression of local fibrinolytic activity and other uPA-dependent cellular responses germane to lung inflammation or neoplasia.     

利用ctxb的自身启动子表达CTB

霍乱毒素B亚单位（CTB）在大肠杆菌表达体系中不能实现良好的分泌性表达。本文拟利用ctxb的自身启动子来实现CTB的高效分泌性表达。PCR方法扩增ctxb的调控序列和结构基因,克隆至pGEM－T载体,并在其下游链上肠杆菌核糖体基因的转录终止信号rmBT1T2,构建的表达质粒pGEM－T48和霍乱弧菌IEM101都实现了CTB的分泌性表达。但在pGEM－T48＊TEM101）中CTB的分泌性表达量明显高于pGEM－T48（JM109）中的量,两者比较为50：1。因此,pGEM-T48(IEM101)表达体系较为理想的CTB分泌性表达体系。     

Urokinase induces expression of its own receptor in Beas2B lung epithelial cells

Interaction between the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) localizes cellular proteolysis and promotes cellular proliferation and migration. The interaction between uPA and uPAR at the surface of epithelial cells thereby contributes to the pathogenesis of lung inflammation and neoplasia. In this study, we sought to determine if uPA itself alters uPAR expression by lung epithelial cells. uPA enhanced uPAR expression as well as (125)I-uPA binding in Beas2B lung epithelial cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The uPA-mediated induction of uPAR is not accomplished through its receptor and requires enzymatic activity. The low molecular weight fragment of uPA, lacking the receptor binding domain, was as potent as intact two-chain uPA in inducing expression of uPAR at the cell surface. Plasmin, the end product of plasminogen activation, did not alter uPA-mediated uPAR expression. Induction of uPAR by uPA represents a novel pathway by which epithelial cells can regulate uPAR-dependent cellular responses that may contribute to stromal remodeling in lung injury or neoplasia.     

Catalytic inactive heme oxygenase-1 protein regulates its own expression in oxidative stress

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) catalyzes the degradation of heme and forms antioxidant bile pigments as well as the signaling molecule carbon monoxide. HO-1 is inducible in response to a variety of chemical and physical stress conditions to function as a cytoprotective molecule. Therefore, it is important to maintain the basal level of HO-1 expression even when substrate availability is limited. We hypothesized that the HO-1 protein itself could regulate its own expression in a positive feedback manner, and that this positive feedback was important in the HO-1 gene induction in response to oxidative stress. In cultured NIH 3T3 cells, transfection of HO-1 cDNA or intracellular delivery of pure HO-1 protein resulted in activation of a 15-kb HO-1 promoter upstream of luciferase as visualized by bioluminescent technology and increased HO-1 mRNA and protein levels. These effects were independent of HO activity because an enzymatically inactive mutant form of HO-1 similarly activated the HO-1 promoter and incubation with HO inhibitor metalloporphyrin SnPP did not affect the promoter activation. In addition, HO-1-specific siRNA significantly reduced hemin and cadmium chloride-mediated HO-1 induction. Furthermore, deletion analyses demonstrated that the E1 and E2 distal enhancers of the HO-1 promoter are required for this HO-1 autoregulation. These experiments document feed-forward autoregulation of HO-1 in oxidative stress and suggest that HO-1 protein has a role in the induction process. We speculate that this mechanism may be useful for maintaining HO-1 expression when substrate is limited and may also serve to up-regulate other genes to promote cytoprotection and to modulate cell proliferation.