脂肪细胞分化过程中影响PAI-1基因转录表达的Dex和C/EBPs顺式调控元件的分析

在研究胰岛素(Ins)、地塞米松(Dex)和甲基异丁基黄嘌呤(Mix)对脂肪细胞分化过程中PAI-1基因表达的影响基础上,为进一步探讨Ins、Dex调控PAI-1基因转录表达的调控机制,应用DNA重组技术,构建含萤光素酶(luciferase)报告基因和PAI-1启动子不同长度片段的嵌合质粒,转染3T3-L1前脂肪细胞并测定报告基因荧光素酶的活性.结果表明,小鼠PAI-1基因起动子-690至-850碱基序列之间有一个Dex的正调控元件.用计算机软件进行分析发现:Dex顺式元件位于PAI-1启动子的-750至-770碱基序列.其组成为:5′ GGTAACCTCTGTTCTCAT 3′.同时还发现在PAI-1启动子的-720至-740碱基序列中,存在一个C/EBPs的结合元件5′CCAAT3′并用凝胶电泳迁移实验对这些元件进行了鉴定.表明Dex正是通过激活转录因子(糖皮质激素受体,GR)和C/EBPα一起与各自的顺式元件结合来促进PAI-1基因的表达.     

Role of CREB in transcriptional regulation of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta gene during adipogenesis

The proximal promoter of the C/EBPbeta gene possesses dual cis regulatory elements (TGA1 and TGA2), both of which contain core CREB binding sites. Comparison of the activities of C/EBPbeta promoter-reporter genes with 5'-truncations or site-directed mutations in the TGA elements showed that both are required for maximal promoter function. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses with antibodies specific to CREB and ATF1 showed that these CREB family members associate with the proximal promoter both in vitro and ex vivo. Immunoblotting and ChIP analysis revealed that other CREB family members, CREM and ATF1, are up-regulated and associate with the proximal C/EBPbeta promoter in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from CREB(-/-) mice. ChIP analysis of wild-type MEFs and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes revealed that interaction of phospho-CREB, the active form of CREB, with the C/EBPbeta gene promoter occurs only after induction of differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and MEFs. Consistent with the interaction of CREB and ATF1 at the TGA regulatory elements, expression of constitutively active CREB strongly activated C/EBPbeta promoter-reporter genes, induced expression of endogenous C/EBPbeta, and caused adipogenesis in the absence of the hormonal inducers normally required. Conversely, expression of a dominant-negative CREB blocked promoter-reporter activity, expression of C/EBPbeta, and adipogenesis. When subjected to the standard adipocyte differentiation protocol, wild-type MEFs differentiate into adipocytes at high frequency, whereas CREB(-/-) MEFs exhibit greatly reduced expression of C/EBPbeta and differentiation. The low level of expression of C/EBPbeta and differentiation in CREB(-/-) MEFs appears to be due to up-regulation of other CREB protein family members, i.e. ATF1 and CREM.