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Increased transcription and increased messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) stability contribute to increased GATA6 mRNA abundance in polycystic ovary syndrome theca cells.

CONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) theca cells secrete increased levels of androgens. The mRNA and protein levels of the transcription factor GATA6, which regulates expression of several steroidogenic enzymes, are increased in PCOS theca cells. Thus, GATA6 is a PCOS candidate gene. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore mechanisms by which GATA6 mRNA levels are increased in PCOS theca cells. DESIGN: Theca cell cDNA and genomic DNA from normal individuals and PCOS patients were subjected to quantitative RT-PCR and sequence analysis, respectively. SETTING: The experiments were performed in a university laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred sixty-nine families that contain at least one PCOS patient were ascertained for genetic studies. Theca cells were obtained from four normal individuals and four PCOS patients. RESULTS: Nascent GATA6 transcript levels, which reflect GATA6 gene transcription, were significantly increased in PCOS theca cells. In normal theca cells, GATA6 mRNA has a short half-life, which was attributed to an AU-rich 3'-untranslated region sequence. The half-life of GATA6 transcripts was also significantly longer in the PCOS theca cells. However, no sequence variations in the GATA6 gene locus were associated with PCOS. CONCLUSIONS: In PCOS theca cells, GATA6 gene transcription and the stability of the GATA6 mRNA are increased. Because there is no sequence variation in the GATA6 gene locus, which is associated with PCOS, it is likely that the increased gene transcription and mRNA stability are due to intrinsic differences in PCOS theca cells.

Base Sequence↗

Dexamethasone enhances LPS induction of tissue factor expression in human monocytic cells by increasing tissue factor mRNA stability.

Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone (Dex), are used clinically in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. Dex acts by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). It is surprising that Dex enhances bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction of tissue factor (TF) expression in human monocytic cells. TF is a transmembrane glycoprotein that activates the coagulation protease cascade. In this study, we analyze the mechanism by which Dex enhances LPS-induced TF expression in human monocytic cells. We found that Dex reduced LPS-induced TF gene transcription but increased the stability of TF mRNA. Dex decreased the stability of MCP-1 mRNA and did not affect TNF-alpha mRNA stability. Finally, we showed that Dex increased the stability of a transcript consisting of the final 297 nucleotides of the TF mRNA in in vitro decay assays. This region contains AU-rich elements that regulate mRNA stability and may mediate the Dex response. Therefore, despite an inhibition of TF gene transcription, Dex enhances TF expression in human monocytic cells by increasing the stability of TF mRNA.

Base Sequence↗

The poly(A)-poly(A)-binding protein complex is a major determinant of mRNA stability in vitro.

Using an in vitro mRNA decay system, we investigated how poly(A) and its associated poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) affect mRNA stability. Cell extracts used in the decay reactions were depleted of functional PABP either by adding excess poly(A) competitor or by passing the extracts over a poly(A)-Sepharose column. Polyadenylated mRNAs for beta-globin, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and simian virus 40 virion proteins were degraded 3 to 10 times faster in reactions lacking PABP than in those containing excess PABP. The addition of purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae or human cytoplasmic PABP to PABP-depleted reactions stabilized the polyadenylated mRNAs. In contrast, the decay rates of nonpolyadenylated mRNAs were unaffected by PABP, indicating that both the poly(A) and its binding protein were required for maintaining mRNA stability. A nonspecific single-stranded binding protein from Escherichia coli did not restore stability to polyadenylated mRNA, and the stabilizing effect of PABP was inhibited by anti-PABP antibody. The poly(A) tract was the first mRNA segment to be degraded in PABP-depleted reactions, confirming that the poly(A)-PABP complex was protecting the 3' region from nucleolytic attack. These results indicate that an important function of poly(A), in conjunction with its binding protein, is to protect polyadenylated mRNAs from indiscriminate destruction by cellular nucleases. A model is proposed to explain how the stability of an mRNA could be affected by the stability of its poly(A)-PABP complex.

Binding Sites↗

Hepatic 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA stability is modulated by inhibitors of heme biosynthesis and by metalloporphyrins.

Hepatic 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase, the first and normally rate-controlling enzyme of heme biosynthesis, is regulated by heme. One of the known mechanisms whereby increased cellular heme regulates 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase is by decreasing the stability of its mRNA. In primary cultures of chick embryo liver cells, we tested whether a decrease in cellular heme might increase 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA stability and whether heme or other metalloporphyrins could reverse this stabilization. We found that: (a) The stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA was markedly increased by inhibitors of heme biosynthesis, namely, 4,6-dioxoheptanoic acid or deferoxamine; (b) This increased stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA was reversed by the addition of heme (10 microM) or by the combination of zinc mesoporphyrin (50 nM), an inhibitor of heme oxygenase, and heme (200 nM); (c) Repression of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA levels by zinc mesoporphyrin (10 microM) was due to inhibition of heme oxygenase, rather than a direct, heme-like, effect of zinc mesoporphyrin on 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA; (d) Among the several non-heme metalloporphyrins tested, only zinc mesoporphyrin and chromium mesoporphyrin significantly decreased 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase mRNA without increasing heme oxygenase mRNA.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

Multiple determinants of eukaryotic mRNA stability.

Regulated changes in mRNA stability play an important role in modulating the level of expression of many eukaryotic genes. In several systems, specific sequence determinants that dictate mRNA instability have been identified. Thus, the presence of instability determinants, and not the absence of sequences that dictate stability, appears to be required for regulated mRNA degradation. These instability determinants presumably interact with specific nucleases or other trans-acting factors that regulate the accessibility of the domain to nucleases. Although each RNA destabilization pathway has unique features, in many cases RNA degradation requires ongoing protein synthesis. In some of the systems discussed, the mRNAs are degraded co-translationally, perhaps by a ribosome-associated ribonuclease. For other messages, the mechanistic reasons for the dependence of mRNA degradation on ongoing protein synthesis are still unknown.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Urokinase receptor mRNA stability involves tyrosine phosphorylation in lung epithelial cells.

Interaction between urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) localizes cellular proteolysis and promotes cellular proliferation and migration, effects that may contribute to the pathogenesis of lung inflammation and neoplasia. Enhanced uPAR expression as well as stabilization of uPAR mRNA by transforming growth factor-beta and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) shares a common mechanism involving phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a uPAR mRNA-binding protein (uPAR mRNABp). PMA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the uPAR mRNABp inhibited the uPAR mRNA-uPAR mRNABp interaction, stabilized uPAR mRNA and enhanced uPAR protein expression. Downregulation of the uPAR mRNA and uPAR mRNABp interaction by PMA and transforming growth factor-beta can be reversed by pretreatment of cells with herbimycin which in turn inhibits expression of uPAR protein via a decrease in uPAR mRNA stability. Our experiments indicate that post-transcriptional regulation of uPAR expression requires activation of tyrosine kinases. Cytokines can regulate uPAR expression of lung-derived epithelial cells at the post-transcriptional level by tyrosine phosphorylation of the uPAR mRNA binding protein and may thereby influence tissue remodeling in lung injury or neoplasia.

Benzoquinones↗

Shear stress sustains atheroprotective endothelial KLF2 expression more potently than statins through mRNA stabilization.

OBJECTIVE: The transcription factor KLF2 is considered an important mediator of the anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic properties of the endothelium. KLF2 is absent from low-shear, atherosclerosis-prone sites of the vascular tree but is induced by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) in vitro. We studied KLF2-dependent induction of important determinants of the atheroprotective status of the endothelium to determine whether pharmacological intervention, e.g. by statins, can potentially replace shear stress. METHODS: Shear stress and statin effects in combination with TNF-alpha were determined in human umbilical vein endothelial cells by quantitative measurements of the steady-state levels and stability of mRNA for KLF2 and its downstream target genes thrombomodulin (TM) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). RESULTS: We demonstrate that prolonged shear stress has a potential that is superior to that of statins to induce the KLF2-dependent expression of eNOS and TM, especially in the presence of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). These effects can be attributed to the sustained stabilization of KLF2 mRNA by shear, leading to an increased KLF2 protein expression and concomitant strong induction of KLF2 downstream targets. The stabilization of KLF2 mRNA is demonstrated to be dependent on signaling involving phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). CONCLUSION: The stabilization of KLF2 steady-state levels, as induced by prolonged shear stress but not by statins, may be essential for sustaining the quiescent, atheroprotective status of the vascular endothelium under inflammatory conditions.

Atherosclerosis↗

Regulatory role of the 3' untranslated region of luteinizing hormone receptor: effect on mRNA stability.

Posttranscriptional regulation of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) mRNA has a significant role in regulating cell surface receptor expression during ovarian cycle. In order to gain insight into the mechanism of posttranscriptional regulation, the cis-acting elements in the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of LHR mRNA were examined by transfection studies followed by measurements of the receptor expression and receptor mRNA half-life. The results show that the inhibitory effect exerted by the 3.51 kb 3' UTR of the LHR resides in the distal 1.98 kb region. Half-life measurement of LHR mRNA showed that the inhibitory effect of the 3' UTR was due to a decrease in receptor mRNA stability. Deletion studies revealed that the entire 1.98 kb region is required for LHR mRNA destabilization. Although the 3.51 kb 3' UTR of LHR contains 11 AUUUA motifs, their removal had no effect on mRNA stability or receptor expression. Thus, although AUUUA motifs have been implicated in mRNA stability, these motifs do not appear to play an inhibitory role in LHR expression. The 3' UTR of LHR was also able to decrease the expression of a reporter gene indicating that the inhibitory effect of 3' UTR is not unique to the open reading frame of LHR. The present studies show that the distal 1.98 kb portion of the 3' UTR exerts an inhibitory effect on the expression of LHR by decreasing the receptor mRNA half-life. The inhibitory effect of 3' UTR might play a role in the maintenance of the steady state levels of the receptor mRNA under different physiological states.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Identification of nucleolin as an AU-rich element binding protein involved in bcl-2 mRNA stabilization.

bcl-2 mRNA contains an AU-rich element (ARE) that functions in regulating bcl-2 stability. Our earlier studies indicated that taxol- or okadaic acid-induced bcl-2 mRNA destabilization in HL-60 cells is associated with decreased binding of trans-acting factors to the ARE. To identify factors that play a role in the regulation of bcl-2 mRNA stability, bcl-2 ARE-binding proteins were purified from HL-60 cells. Three polypeptides of 100, 70, and 32 kDa were isolated from a bcl-2 ARE affinity matrix. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectroscopy analysis identified these proteins as full-length nucleolin and proteolytic fragments of nucleolin. RNA gel shifts assays indicated that recombinant nucleolin (residues 284-707) binds specifically to bcl-2 ARE RNA. In addition, recombinant nucleolin decreases the rate of decay of mRNA in HL-60 cell extracts in an ARE-dependent manner. Taxol or okadaic acid treatment of HL-60 cells results in proteolysis of nucleolin in a similar time frame as drug-induced bcl-2 mRNA down-regulation. These findings suggest that nucleolin functions as a bcl-2-stabilizing factor and that taxol and okadaic acid treatment induces apoptosis in HL-60 cells through a process that involves down-regulation of nucleolin and destabilization of bcl-2 mRNA.

Apoptosis↗

CD28-Mediated regulation of mRNA stability requires sequences within the coding region of the IL-2 mRNA.

Using sequence-tagged genomic reporter constructs, we investigated the contribution of IL-2 sequences to CD28-mediated regulation of mRNA stability. We find that CD28 signaling acts transiently to stabilize the IL-2 mRNA following T cell activation. Such stabilization requires sequences within both exon 2 and the coding region of exon 4. Unexpectedly, CD28 signaling at later times enhances the decay of the IL-2 mRNA. This CD28-dependent decay of IL-2 mRNA requires sequences localized between exon 3 and the stop codon. Our findings demonstrate that the coding region of the IL-2 mRNA contains previously undefined CD28-responsive sequence elements that are critical for the regulation of mRNA stability.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Induced mRNA stability in Bacillus subtilis.

We have investigated the induced stability of mRNA encoded by the ermC gene in Bacillus subtilis. Induction of ermC gene expression by erythromycin is known to occur at the translational level. We show that this induction is accompanied by an increase in ermC mRNA half-life from about 2 min to about 40 min. Induced stabilization of ermC mRNA occurs independently of induced translation. The regulatory sequences required for stability are promoter-proximal and can confer induced stability on large mRNAs having diverse 3' ends. Translation of the ermC leader peptide and ribosome-stalling in the leader peptide sequence are necessary for induced stabilization.

Bacillus subtilis↗

An efficient Shine-Dalgarno sequence but not translation is necessary for lacZ mRNA stability in Escherichia coli.

The 5' ends of many bacterial transcripts are important in determining mRNA stability. A series of Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence changes showed that the complementarity of the SD sequence to the anti-SD sequence of 16S rRNA correlates with lacZ mRNA stability in Escherichia coli. Several initiation codon changes showed that an efficient initiation codon is not necessary to maintain lacZ mRNA stability. A stop codon in the 10th codon of lacZ increased mRNA stability. Therefore, ribosomal binding via the SD sequence but not translation of the coding region is necessary to maintain lacZ mRNA stability.

Codon↗

Effect of the pufQ-pufB intercistronic region on puf mRNA stability in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Differential expression of genes localized within the polycistronic puf operon of Rhodobacter capsulatus is partly due to altered stabilities of individual mRNA segments. We show that the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of pufB contributes to the unusual longevity of the 0.5 kb light-harvesting (LH) I specific pufBA mRNA and of the 2.7 kb pufBALMX mRNA. Three stem-loop structures have been identified within the pufQ-pufB intercistronic region by means of RNA secondary-structure analysis in vitro and in vivo. Deletion analysis of the pufB 5' UTR indicates that the complete set of secondary structures is required to maintain wild-type levels of pufBA mRNA stability. A phylogenetic comparison of pufB 5' UTRs of other photosynthetic bacteria reveals an evolutionary conservation of the base-pairing potential despite sequence divergence. Comparison of puf mRNA decay in Escherichia coli strains with or without endoribonuclease E (RNase E) activity suggests that the pufB 5' secondary structures protect the downstream mRNA segment against degradation by RNase E. Removal of the 117-nucleotide pufQ-pufB intercistronic region results in loss of stability for the pufBA and pufBALMX mRNAs with concomitant stabilization of the full-length puf primary transcript (QBALMX). We therefore conclude that the deleted sequence functions both as a stabilizing element for pufBALMX and pufBA segments and as a target site for initial rate-limiting decay of the unstable pufQBALMX mRNA.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Role of MAP kinase activation in Nramp1 mRNA stability in RAW264.7 macrophages expressing Nramp1(Gly169).

Nramp1 (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1) is a phagosomal iron transport molecule. In addition to its anti-microbial activity, Nramp1 exerts a wide range of pleiotropic effects, including increased stability of Nramp1 mRNA and a variety of other mRNA species. Previously, we showed that the increased stability of Nramp1 mRNA is regulated by an oxidant-generated signaling pathway that requires PKC. In the current study, we show that inhibition of ERK1,2 and p38 MAP kinase activities decreases Nramp1 mRNA stability in Mycobacterium avium infected RAW264.7 cells expressing Nramp1(Gly169) but not in RAW264.7-Nramp1(Asp169) cells. Phosphorylation of ERK1,2 and p38 MAP kinases, which could be inhibited by the anti-oxidant BHA and a protein kinase C inhibitor, was higher in M. avium infected RAW264.7-Nramp1(Gly169) cells than in RAW26.47-Nramp1(Asp169) cells. These results suggest that generation of oxidants by Nramp1 iron transport activates MAP kinase signaling cascades that result in stabilization of Nramp1 mRNA.

Animals↗

The aprE leader is a determinant of extreme mRNA stability in Bacillus subtilis.

The Bacillus subtilis aprE gene encodes subtilisin, an extracellular proteolytic enzyme produced in stationary phase. The authors examined the stability of aprE mRNA and aprE leader-lacZ fusion mRNA. Both mRNAs were found to be unusually stable, with half-lives longer than 25 min, demonstrating that the aprE leader contains a determinant for extreme mRNA stability. The half-lives were the same in growing and stationary-phase cells. This contrasts with the findings of O. Resnekov et al. (1990) [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87, 8355-8359], which suggested a growth-phase-dependent mechanism for decay of aprE mRNA. The discrepancy is explained by the techniques used. Substitution of two bases or deletion of 25 nucleotides in the aprE leader led to a major difference in its predicted secondary structure and resulted in a fivefold reduction of the half-life of aprE mRNA. The authors also determined the half-life of amyE mRNA, which encodes alpha-amylase, another stationary-phase, excreted enzyme and found it to be around 5 min. This shows that extreme stability is not a general property of stationary-phase mRNAs encoding excreted enzymes.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Analysis of the contribution of changes in mRNA stability to the changes in steady-state levels of cyclin mRNA in the mammalian cell cycle.

Cyclins are the essential regulatory subunits of cyclin-dependent protein kinases. They accumulate and disappear periodically at specific phases of the cell cycle. Here we investigated whether variations in cyclin mRNA levels in exponentially growing cells can be attributed to changes in mRNA stability. Mouse EL4 lymphoma cells and 3T3 fibroblasts were synchronized by elutriation or cell sorting. Steady-state levels and degradation of cyclin mRNAs and some other cell cycle related mRNAs were measured at early G1, late G1, S and G2/M phases. In both cell lines mRNAs of cyclins C, D1 and D3 remained unchanged throughout the cell cycle. In contrast, cyclin A2 and B1 mRNAs accumulated 3.1- and 5.7-fold between early G1 and G2/M phase, whereas cyclin E1 mRNA decreased 1.7-fold. Mouse cyclin A2 and B1 genes, by alternative polyadenylation, gave rise to more than one transcript. In both cases, the longer transcripts were the minor species but accumulated more strongly in G2/M phase. All mRNAs were rather stable with half-lives of 1.5-2 h for cyclin E1 mRNA and 3-4 h for the others. Changes in mRNA stability accounted for the accumulation in G2/M phase of the short cyclin A2 and B1 mRNAs, but contributed only partially to changes in levels of the other mRNAs.

3T3 Cells↗

Identification and characterization of a 44 kDa protein that binds specifically to the 3'-untranslated region of CYP2a5 mRNA: inducibility, subcellular distribution and possible role in mRNA stabilization.

Stabilization of mRNA is important in the regulation of CYP2a5 expression but the factors involved in the process are not known [Aida and Negishi (1991) Biochemistry 30, 8041-8045]. In this paper, we describe, for the first time, a protein that binds specifically to the 3'-untranslated region of CYP2a5 mRNA and which is inducible by pyrazole, a compound known to increase the half-life of CYP2a5 mRNA. We also demonstrate that pyrazole treatment causes an elongation of the CYP2a5 mRNA poly(A) tail, and that phenobarbital, which is transcriptional activator of the CYP2a5 gene that does not affect the mRNA half-life, neither induces the RNA-binding protein nor affects the poly(A) tail size. SDS/PAGE of the UV-cross-linked RNA-protein complex demonstrated that the RNA-binding protein has an apparent molecular mass of 44 kDa. The protein-binding site was localized to a 70-nucleotide region between bases 1585 and 1655. Treatment of cytoplasmic extracts with an SH-oxidizing agent, diamide, an SH-blocking agent, N-ethylmaleimide or potato acid phosphatase abolished complex-formation, suggesting that the CYP2a5 mRNA-binding protein is subject to post-translational regulation. Subcellular fractionation showed that the 44 kDa protein is present in polyribosomes and nuclei, and that its apparent induction is much stronger in polyribosomes than in nuclear extracts. We propose that this 44 kDa RNA-binding protein is involved in the stabilization of CYP2a5 mRNA by controlling the length of the poly(A) tail.

Animals↗

A conditionally replicating adenovirus targeted to tumor cells through activated RAS/P-MAPK-selective mRNA stabilization.

The expression of various proteins associated with rapid responses to inflammation and/or proliferation can be controlled at the level of mRNA stability. Because tumor cells continually recapitulate intracellular programs of proliferation, we have used tumor cell-selective stabilization of mRNA as a means to control therapeutic gene expression. We describe an adenoviral vector that is conditionally replication competent in which expression of the essential adenoviral early region 1A (E1A) gene is regulated by ligation to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of PTGS2 (also known as COX2), the gene encoding prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, allowing activated RAS/P-MAPK-specific stabilization of its mRNA. Induction of activated RAS supports replication, whereas matched cells in which activated RAS/P-MAPK is not expressed are very poor substrates for viral replication both in vitro and in vivo. Further tumor-targeting strategies will also be required to prevent viral replication at extratumoral sites where PTGS2 is normally induced. Many different genes contain 3' UTRs that control selective mRNA stability under different physiological, pathological and tumor-associated conditions. Therefore, generating tumor selectivity at the level of mRNA stability is a strategy with broad potential applicability in vector design.

Adenoviridae↗