Suppression of glutathione transferase P expression by glucocorticoid.

A strong enhancer element, GPEI, of the glutathione transferase P gene (GST-P) gene is composed of two phorbol 12-O-tetradecanoate 13-acetate (TPA) responsive element (TRE)-like sequences at opposite orientation. Unlike TRE sequences of other genes, GPEI exhibits a strong enhancer activity in F9 cells, which contains little AP-1. GPEI bound to AP-1 In vitro and GST-P expression was activated by TPA and exogenously introduced c-jun gene in a rat fibroblast cell line. Both the stimulated expression of GST-P gene by TPA and that by over-expressed c-Jun were suppressed to the basal level by dexamethasone, an inhibitor of AP-1. Basal expression of GST-P gene, however, was not inhibited by dexamethasone. Transfected chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene having GPEI also behaved as the endogenous GST-P gene. These results indicate that the GPEI is activated by AP-1 but constitutive activity of this enhancer in a rat fibroblast cell line 3Y1 cells is due to some unknown mechanism other than AP-1.     

Functional characterization of phosphorylation of 69-kDa human choline acetyltransferase at serine 440 by protein kinase C

Choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme that synthesizes the transmitter acetylcholine in cholinergic neurons, is a substrate for protein kinase C. In the present study, we used mass spectrometry to identify serine 440 in recombinant human 69-kDa choline acetyltransferase as a protein kinase C phosphorylation site, and site-directed mutagenesis to determine that phosphorylation of this residue is involved in regulation of the enzyme's catalytic activity and binding to subcellular membranes. Incubation of HEK293 cells stably expressing wild-type 69-kDa choline acetyltransferase with the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate showed time- and dose-related increases in specific activity of the enzyme; in control and phorbol ester-treated cells, the enzyme was distributed predominantly in cytoplasm (about 88%) with the remainder (about 12%) bound to cellular membranes. Mutation of serine 440 to alanine resulted in localization of the enzyme entirely in cytoplasm, and this was unchanged by phorbol ester treatment. Furthermore, activation of mutant enzyme in phorbol ester-treated HEK293 cells was about 50% that observed for wild-type enzyme. Incubation of immunoaffinity purified wild-type and mutant choline acetyltransferase with protein kinase C under phosphorylating conditions led to incorporation of [(32)P]phosphate, with radiolabeling of mutant enzyme being about one-half that of wild-type, indicating that another residue is phosphorylated by protein kinase C. Acetylcholine synthesis in HEK293 cells expressing wild-type choline acetyltransferase, but not mutant enzyme, was increased by about 17% by phorbol ester treatment.     

Phosphorylation of 69-kDa choline acetyltransferase at threonine 456 in response to amyloid-beta peptide 1-42

Choline acetyltransferase synthesizes acetylcholine in cholinergic neurons. In the brain, these neurons are especially vulnerable to effects of beta-amyloid (A beta) peptides. Choline acetyltransferase is a substrate for several protein kinases. In the present study, we demonstrate that short term exposure of IMR32 neuroblastoma cells expressing human choline acetyltransferase to A beta-(1-42) changes phosphorylation of the enzyme, resulting in increased activity and alterations in its interaction with other cellular proteins. Using mass spectrometry, we identified threonine 456 as a new phosphorylation site in choline acetyltransferase from A beta-(1-42)-treated cells and in purified recombinant ChAT phosphorylated in vitro by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II). Whereas phosphorylation of choline acetyltransferase by protein kinase C alone caused a 2-fold increase in enzyme activity, phosphorylation by CaM kinase II alone did not alter enzyme activity. A 3-fold increase in choline acetyltransferase activity was found with coordinate phosphorylation of threonine 456 by CaM kinase II and phosphorylation of serine 440 by protein kinase C. This phosphorylation combination was observed in choline acetyltransferase from A beta-(1-42)-treated cells. Treatment of cells with A beta-(1-42) resulted in two phases of activation of choline acetyltransferase, the first within 30 min and associated with phosphorylation by protein kinase C and the second by 10 h and associated with phosphorylation by both CaM kinase II and protein kinase C. We also show that choline acetyltransferase from A beta-(1-42)-treated cells co-immunoprecipitates with valosin-containing protein, and mutation of threonine 456 to alanine abolished the A beta-(1-42)-induced effects. These studies demonstrate that A beta-(1-42) can acutely regulate the function of choline acetyltransferase, thus potentially altering cholinergic neurotransmission.     

Identification and characterization of a 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element in the human corticotropin-releasing hormone gene promoter.

The regulation of human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) gene promoter activity by inducers of cAMP was investigated by transient transfection with a construct containing the hCRH gene promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. Expression of hCRH-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was strongly enhanced by forskolin in the neuroblastoma SK-N-MC and choriocarcinoma JAR cell lines. Overexpression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A dispensed the need for forskolin, and cotransfection of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein cDNAs enhanced forskolin-dependent expression of the hCRH promoter. Progressive 5'-end deletions of the hCRH promoter delineated a cAMP- responsive region between -226 and -164 base pairs. This fragment contained the sequence TGACGTCA at -221 base pairs, consistent with the consensus motif for a CRE. A homologous oligonucleotide responded to cAMP when cloned in either orientation in front of the thymidine kinase promoter. However, the level of constitutive and inductive cAMP expression was dependent on the cell line and on intrinsic properties of the promoter. Mutation of the wild type CRH-CRE sequence into an AP-1 site (TGAGTCA) completely abolished stimulation by cAMP. In contrast, coexpression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A dispensed the need for stimulation with forskolin, which showed that the CRH-CRE oligonucleotide served as a functional equivalent of the native CRE element.     

The estrogen-responsive element as an inducible enhancer: DNA sequence requirements and conversion to a glucocorticoid-responsive element.

The estrogen-responsive element (ERE) present in the 5'-flanking region of the Xenopus laevis vitellogenin (vit) gene B1 has been characterized by transient expression analysis of chimeric vit-tk-CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) gene constructs transfected into the human estrogen-responsive MCF-7 cell line. The vit B1 ERE behaves like an inducible enhancer, since it is able to confer estrogen inducibility to the heterologous HSV thymidine kinase (tk) promoter in a relative position- and orientation-independent manner. In this assay, the minimal B1 ERE is 33 bp long and consists of two 13 bp imperfect palindromic elements both of which are required for the enhancer activity. A third imperfect palindromic element is present further upstream within the 5'-flanking region of the gene but is unable to confer hormone responsiveness by itself. Similarly, neither element forming the B1 ERE can alone confer estrogen inducibility to the tk promoter. However, in combinations of two, all three imperfect palindromes can act cooperatively to form a functional ERE. In contrast a single 13 bp perfect palindromic element, GGTCACTGTGACC, such as the one found upstream of the vit gene A2, is itself sufficient to act as a fully active ERE. Single point mutations within this element abolish estrogen inducibility, while a defined combination of two mutations converts this ERE into a glucocorticoid-responsive element.     

Induction of choline acetyltransferase in the neuroblastoma x glioma cell line NG108-15

The mechanism of the induction of choline acetyltransferase activity in the hybrid cell line NG108-15 was studied. Induction by cyclic AMP analogs, forskolin, and prostaglandin E₁ + theophylline was found to be rapid with an increase in choline acetyltransferase specific activity detectable within 8 hrs and maximal after 24 hrs. Immunoblot analysis was used to demonstrate that the increase in choline acetyltransferase specific activity induced by prostaglandin E₁ + theophylline was due to an increase in enzyme protein. Cycloheximide effectively blocked the induction of choline acetyltransferase by prostaglandin E₁ + theophylline. These results demonstrate that the induction of choline acetyltransferase activity involves the synthesis of new enzyme protein. Attempts to measure choline acetyltransferase turnover by blocking its synthesis with cycloheximide indicated that this enzyme is a relatively stable protein with a half-life of greater than 24 hrs.     

Molecular genetic analysis of the regulatory and catalytic domains of protein kinase C

We have constructed the expression plasmids harboring protein kinase C (PKC) mutant cDNAs with a series of deletions in the PKC coding region. These plasmids were transfected into COS7 cells to characterize the PKC mutants. Immunoblot analysis using the anti-PKC antibody identified proteins with the Mr values expected from the PKC mutant cDNAs in the extracts from COS7 cells. The wild-type PKC, when expressed in COS7 cells, conferred increased phorbol ester binding activity on intact cells; but the PKC mutants with the deletion around the C1 region did not show this activity. The wild-type PKC showed protein kinase activity dependent on phospholipid, Ca2+, and phorbol ester, whereas these PKC mutants exhibited protein kinase activity independent of the activators in a cell-free system. A PKC mutant cDNA with the deletion in the C2 region gave increased phorbol ester binding activity. Protein kinase activity of this mutant was much less dependent on Ca2+ compared with the wild-type PKC. A PKC mutant cDNA with the deletion in the C3 region conferred increased phorbol ester binding activity, but neither activator-dependent nor -independent protein kinase activity. These results indicate that elimination of the C1 region of PKC gives rise to constitutively active PKC independent of phospholipid, Ca2+, and phorbol ester and that the C1-C3 regions play distinct roles in the regulatory and catalytic function of PKC. In another series of experiments, transfection of some PKC mutant cDNAs with the deletions around the C1 region into Chinese hamster ovary and Jurkat cells activated the activator protein-1-binding element or the c-fos gene enhancer linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in the absence of phorbol ester. Microinjection of these constructs into Xenopus oocytes induced initiation of germinal vesicle breakdown, indicating that they stimulated the PKC pathway in vivo. Thus, the phorbol ester-independent PKC mutant cDNAs could be a powerful tool to investigate the transmembrane signaling pathway mediated by PKC.