A novel induction mechanism of the rat CYP1A2 gene mediated by Ah receptor-Arnt heterodimer

We have identified an enhancer responsible for induction by 3-methylcholanthrene in the upstream region of the CYP1A2 gene. The enhancer does not contain the invariant core sequence of XREs that are binding sites for the Ah receptor (AhR) and Arnt heterodimer. The enhancer did not show any inducible expression in Hepa-1-derived cell lines, C4 and C12, deficient of Arnt and AhR, respectively. On the other hand, bacterially expressed AhR-Arnt heterodimer could not bind to the enhancer. Mutational analysis of the enhancer revealed that a repeated sequence separated by six nucleotides is important for expression. A factor binding specifically to the enhancer was found by using gel shift assays. Bacterially expressed AhR-Arnt heterodimer interacted with the factor. A dominant negative mutant of the AhR to XRE activated the enhancer. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a novel induction mechanism is present in which the AhR-Arnt heterodimer functions as a coactivator.     

Dietary polyphenols increase paraoxonase 1 gene expression by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent mechanism

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) is a serum high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme mainly secreted by the liver. It has endogenous and exogenous substrates and displays protective properties with respect to cardiovascular disease and organophosphate intoxication. In the HuH7 human hepatoma cell line, PON-1 activity and mRNA levels were increased by dietary polyphenolic compounds such as quercetin but also by toxic ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) such as 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC). However, the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorobenzo(p)dioxin (TCDD) was a poor inducer. Transient and stable transfection assays indicated that these compounds increased the PON-1 gene promoter activity in an AhR-dependent manner, since their effect was inhibited by 7-keto-cholesterol and AhR-directed short interfering RNA. Deletions and mutations studies showed that a xenobiotic responsive element (XRE)-like sequence within the PON-1 promoter mediated the effect of 3-MC and quercetin. In contrast with consensus XREs from the cytochrome P450 1A1 gene, the PON-1 XRE-like element mediated preferentially the effect of quercetin compared to the results seen with TCDD. Furthermore, AhR binding to this element was preferentially activated by quercetin. These observations provide a molecular mechanism for the regulation of the cardioprotective enzyme PON-1 by polyphenols. They suggest also that AhR ligands may differentially regulate gene expression depending on the DNA target sequence.     

Characterization of xenobiotic responsive elements upstream from the drug-metabolizing cytochrome P-450c gene: a similarity to glucocorticoid regulatory elements.

The DNA element governing the inducible expression of drug-metabolizing P-450c gene by xenobiotic treatments was investigated by gene transfer methods. A variety of dissected fragments from -844 to -1140bp region which was essential for the inducibility of P-450c gene were placed on the heterologous SV40 promoter for testing the inducibility. Mapping studies in combination with gel retardation assay defined the presence of the two xenobiotic responsive elements (XRE, XRE1, -1007 - -1021bp; XRE2, -1088 - -1092bp) composed of about 15 nucleotides which expressed the enhancer activity in response to xenobiotic inducers. The two XREs share 10 nucleotides in common out of 15 as expressed in the sequence CG/CTG/CC/TTG/CTCACGCT/AA and are arranged in the inverse orientation. They are different from DREs (drug responsive element) proposed previously (Sogawa, K. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 83, 8044-8048 (1986] and expressed a strong enhancer activity in response to 3-methylcholanthrene. The XRE shows a significant homology with glucocorticoid regulatory elements and apparently needs normal functions of a putative xenobiotic receptor for the inducible enhancer activity.     

Structure and transcriptional regulation of the mouse ferrochelatase gene

Ferrochelatase (EC.4.99.1.1), the final step in the biosynthesis of heme, is widely expressed in various tissues and is induced in erythroid cells. We determined the structure of the mouse ferrochelatase gene after isolation and characterization of lambda phage clones mapping discrete regions of the cDNA. The gene spans about 25 kb and consists of 11 exons. The exon/intron boundary sequences conform to consensus acceptor (GTn)/donor (nAG) sequences, and exons in the gene encode functional protein domains. The promoter region contains multiple Sp1 sites, a CACCC box and GATA-1 binding sites. Function analysis of the promoter by transient transfection assay demonstrated that one Sp1 binding site located at -37/-32 is essential for basic expression of the ferrochelatase gene in both mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) and non-erythroid EL4 cells. In addition, the region (-66/-51) containing a CACCC box and the neighboring GC box partly contributes to the inducible activity of the reporter in MEL cells upon induction with dimethylsulfoxide. It appears that at least two promoter regions of the mouse ferrochelatase gene function in basic and inducible expression.     

人成纤维细胞转录因子Sp1Sp3对p16~(INK4a)基因的调控

p16 INK4a是一种细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶 (cdk)的抑制因子 ,它通过抑制cdk4与cdk6的活性 ,使视网膜母细胞瘤抑制蛋白Rb处于低磷酸化状态 ,从而使细胞阻滞于G1期 .对p16 INK4aATG上游 6 2 2bp片段进行序列分析发现 ,该区域富含GC ,其中有 5个GC盒 (分别命名为GC Ⅰ～GC Ⅴ ) .将上述片段插入到荧光素酶报告载体pGL3 Basic ,分别对 5个GC盒进行点突变后转染人胚肺二倍体成纤维细胞 (2BS)发现 ,Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅳ位点的突变体显著下调p16 INK4a启动子的活性 ,而Ⅲ、Ⅴ位点突变体无明显作用 .电泳迁移率变动分析 (EMSA)证实 ,GC Ⅰ ,Ⅱ ,Ⅳ能与转录因子Sp1和Sp3结合 ,而且结合条带可被转录因子Sp1和Sp3的抗体所拮抗 .共转染Sp1有助于增加启动子的活性 ,而共转染Sp3则有较弱的抑制作用 ,证明p16 INK4a的转录受到Sp1与Sp3的调控 .     

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated reporter gene expression systems in transgenic tobacco plants

In mammals, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates expression of certain genes, including CYP1A1, in response to exposure to dioxins and related compounds. We have constructed a mouse AhR-mediated gene expression systems for a β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene consisting of an AhR, an AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt), and a xenobiotic response element (XRE)-driven promoter in transgenic tobacco plants. On treatment with the AhR ligands 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), β-naphthoflavone (βNF), and indigo, the transgenic tobacco plants exhibited enhanced GUS activity, presumably by inducible expression of the reporter gene. The recombinant AhR (AhRV), with the activation domain replaced by that of the Herpes simplex virus protein VP16, induced GUS activity much more than the wild-type AhR in the transgenic tobacco plants. Plants carrying AhRV expressed the GUS reporter gene in a dose- and time-dependent manner when treated with MC; GUS activity was detected at 5 nM MC on solid medium and at 12 h after soaking in 25 μM MC. Histochemical GUS staining showed that this system was active mainly in leaf and stem. These results suggest that the AhR-mediated reporter gene expression system has potential for the bioassay of dioxins in the environment and as a novel gene expression system in plants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Cloning of GT box-binding proteins: a novel Sp1 multigene family regulating T-cell receptor gene expression.

Analysis of a T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha promoter from a variable gene segment (V) revealed a critical GT box element which is also found in upstream regions of several V alpha genes, TCR enhancer, and regulatory elements of other genes. This element is necessary for TCR gene expression and binds several proteins. These GT box-binding proteins were identified as members of a novel Sp1 multigene family. Two of them, which we term Sp2 and Sp3, were cloned. Sp2 and Sp3 contain zinc fingers and transactivation domains similar to those of Sp1. Like Sp1, Sp2 and Sp3 are expressed ubiquitously, and their in vitro-translated products bind to the GT box in TCR V alpha promoters. Sp3, in particular, also binds to the Sp1 consensus sequence GC box and has binding activity similar to that of Sp1. As the GT box has also previously been shown to play a role in gene regulation of other genes, these newly isolated Sp2 and Sp3 proteins might regulate expression not only of the TCR gene but of other genes as well.