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At least 1,603 records · Page 89Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Long-term expression in sensory neurons in tissue culture from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) promoters in an HSV-1-derived vector.

Amplicons, defective herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vectors, were constructed to use four HSV-1 promoters, from the immediate-early (IE) 1 IE 3, IE 4/5, and late glycoprotein C (gC) genes, to regulate expression of the Escherichia coli lacZ gene, encoding beta-galactosidase, and packaged into infectious particles. Infection of sensory neurons in vitro with amplicons containing the IE 1, IE 3, or IE 4/5 promoter resulted in stable long-term expression of beta-galactosidase from 2 to 10 weeks after gene transfer. The number of neurons expressing beta-galactosidase was not changed by treatments previously shown to produce reactivation of latent HSV-1. In addition, the latency-associated transcript was detected in many of the same neurons that expressed beta-galactosidase, indicating that the viral IE promoters in the amplicons can function in the same neurons that harbor latent virus. Delivery of beta-galactosidase protein directly into neurons by microinjection indicated that the half-life for histochemical detection of beta-galactosidase was between 24 and 48 h, suggesting that the persistence of beta-galactosidase histochemical staining cannot be explained by the stability of the reporter protein alone. In contrast to the IE promoters, the gC promoter of the late gene class did not support long-term expression of beta-galactosidase; instead, beta-galactosidase was detected in only a few neurons per culture at 2 weeks after infection, and superinfection with wild-type HSV-1 did not increase the level of expression from the gC promoter. These results suggest that the HSV-1 IE promoters in the amplicons are not subject to the promoter inactivation that occurs with many types of virus vectors and that the IE promoters in the context of the amplicon avoid the promoter inactivation observed from the same promoters in the HSV-1 genome during latency.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The vesicular stomatitis virus matrix protein inhibits transcription from the human beta interferon promoter.

In cells infected by wild-type (wt) vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) Indiana, host transcription is severely inhibited. DNA cotransfection studies have implicated the VSV matrix (M) protein in this process (B. L. Black and D. S. Lyles, J. Virol. 66:4058-4064, 1992). The M protein inhibited transcription not only from viral promoters in plasmids but also from the chromosomally integrated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) provirus promoter (S.-Y. Paik, A. C. Banerjea, G. G. Harmison, C.-J. Chen, and M. Schubert, J. Virol. 69:3529-3537, 1995). In this study, we investigated the effect of wt VSV M protein on expression of a reporter gene under control of a cellular promoter (beta-interferon [IFN-beta] promoter), using double transient transfections in BHK and COS-1 cells. The cellular IFN-beta promoter was as susceptible to the inhibitory effect of the M protein as the viral promoters used previously. Viral proteins N, P, and G had no significant effect on reporter gene expression. The M protein gene from VSV mutant T1026R1, which is defective in host transcription inhibition, was cloned and sequenced, and its effect on reporter gene expression was tested. The mutant M protein had a methionine-to-arginine change at position 51 in the protein sequence and did not inhibit transcription from either the IFN-beta promoter or viral promoters. This VSV mutant is a good inducer of IFN, as opposed to the wt virus, which suppresses IFN induction. These results show that the M protein inhibits transcription from cellular as well as viral promoters and that the M protein does not regulate the IFN promoter any differently from viral promoters. While the M protein may play a role in IFN gene regulation, other viral or cellular factors that provide specificity to the induction process must also be involved.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Protein-DNA binding and CpG methylation at nucleotide resolution of latency-associated promoters Qp, Cp, and LMP1p of Epstein-Barr virus.

Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) latency-associated promoters Qp, Cp, and LMP1p are crucial for the regulated expression of the EBNA and LMP transcripts in dependence of the latency type. By transient transfection and in vitro binding analyses, many promoter elements and transcription factors have previously been shown to be involved in the activities of these promoters. However, the latency promoters have only partially been examined at the nucleotide level in vivo. Therefore, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of in vivo protein binding and CpG methylation patterns at these promoters in five representative cell lines and correlated the results with the known in vitro binding data and activities of these promoters from previous transfection experiments. Promoter activity inversely correlated with the methylation state of promoters, although Qp was a remarkable exception. Novel protein binding data were obtained for all promoters. For Cp, binding correlated well with promoter activity; for LMP1p and Qp, binding patterns looked similar regardless of promoter activity.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗
PubMed2003

Role of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) in activation of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) lytic-cycle replication-associated protein (RAP) promoter in cooperation with the KSHV replication and transcription activator (RTA) and RAP.

The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-encoded replication-associated protein (RAP, or K8) has been shown to induce both CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) and p21(CIP-1) expression, resulting in G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest during the lytic cycle. RAP and C/EBPalpha are also known to interact strongly both in vitro and in lytically infected cells. We recognized two potential consensus C/EBP binding sites in the RAP promoter and performed electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analysis with in vitro-translated C/EBPalpha; this analysis showed that one of these sites has a very high affinity for C/EBPalpha. Luciferase (LUC) assays performed with a target RAP promoter-LUC reporter gene confirmed that C/EBPalpha can transcriptionally activate the RAP promoter up to 50-fold. Although RAP had no effect on its own promoter by itself, the addition of RAP and C/EBPalpha together resulted in a threefold increase in activity over that obtained with C/EBPalpha alone. Importantly, the introduction of exogenous Flag-tagged C/EBPalpha triggered RAP expression in BCBL-1 cells latently infected with KSHV, as detected by both reverse transcription-PCR and double-label immunofluorescence assay analyses, suggesting the presence of a self-reinforcing loop with C/EBPalpha and RAP activating each other. The RAP promoter can also be activated 50- to 120-fold by the KSHV lytic-cycle-triggering protein known as replication and transcription activator (RTA). C/EBPalpha and RTA together cooperated to elevate RAP promoter activity four- to sixfold more than either alone. Furthermore, the addition of RAP, C/EBPalpha, and RTA in LUC reporter cotransfection assays resulted in 7- to 15-fold more activation than that seen with either C/EBPalpha or RTA alone. Site-specific mutational analysis of the RAP promoter showed that the strong C/EBP binding site is crucial for C/EBPalpha-mediated transactivation of the RAP promoter. However, the C/EBP binding site also overlaps the previously reported 16-bp RTA-responsive element (RRE), and the same mutation also both reduced RTA-mediated transactivation and abolished the cooperativity between C/EBPalpha and RTA. Furthermore, in vitro-translated RTA, although capable of binding directly to the polyadenylated nuclear RNA (PAN) RRE motif, failed to bind to the RAP RRE and interfered with RRE-bound C/EBPalpha in EMSA experiments. Partial RTA responsiveness but no cooperativity could be transferred to a heterologous promoter containing added consensus C/EBP binding sites. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that all three proteins associated specifically with RAP promoter DNA in vivo and that, when C/EBPalpha was removed from a tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-treated JSC-1 primary effusion lymphoma cell lysate, the levels of association of RTA and RAP with the RAP promoter were reduced 3- and 13-fold, respectively. Finally, RTA also proved to physically interact with both C/EBPalpha and RAP, as assayed both in vitro and by immunoprecipitation. Binding to C/EBPalpha occurred within the N-terminal DNA binding domain of RTA, and deletion of a 17-amino-acid basic motif of RTA abolished both the C/EBPalpha and DNA binding activities as well as all RTA transactivation and the cooperativity with C/EBPalpha. Therefore, we suggest that RTA transactivation of the RAP RRE is mediated by an interaction with DNA-bound C/EBPalpha but that full activity requires more than just the core C/EBP binding site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

In vitro analysis of promoter elements regulating transcription of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) gene.

A cell-free system for the study of transcription from the promoter of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) gene by using nuclear extracts from rat tissues was developed. The level of basal transcription from the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter between -490 and +73 was highest when extracts from liver nuclei, rather than kidney, spleen, and HeLa nuclear extracts, were used. A series of 5' deletions and block mutations were also tested for their effects on basal transcription in vitro. The promoter truncated to -355 had the highest rate of basal transcription, while subsequent deletion to -277 markedly decreased the rate of transcription. Further deletion of the promoter to -134 resulted in a twofold increase in the basal level of transcription compared with that of the promoter deleted to -277. However, subsequent deletion of the NF-1-CCAAT-binding transcription factor binding site or the proximal cyclic AMP (cAMP) regulatory element caused a decrease in basal transcription. Block mutations were inserted into nine specific protein-binding regions of the PEPCK promoter previously shown to be of functional significance or to bind nuclear proteins. Mutation of the TATA box resulted in a 94% decrease in the level of transcription noted with the intact promoter, while sequence substitutions within the proximal cAMP regulatory element decreased the transcription rate to 25%. The addition of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase to the in vitro system stimulated transcription from the intact promoter or from a promoter deletion to -109. However, a promoter deletion to -68, which removes the proximal cAMP regulatory element, was unresponsive to added protein kinase catalytic subunit. These findings indicate that the PEPCK promoter between -490 and +73 contains sequences responsive to hormonal and tissue-specific factors in nuclei from rat tissues. The sensitivity of this in vitro transcription system closely mimics the process regulating PEPCK transcription in rat tissues and should make it ideal for testing the function of purified transcription factors.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

E2F mediates dihydrofolate reductase promoter activation and multiprotein complex formation in human cytomegalovirus infection.

The adenovirus immediate-early protein E1A activates the adenovirus E2 promoter and several cellular gene promoters through transcription factor E2F. The immediate-early proteins of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can complement an E1A-deficient adenovirus mutant and activate the adenovirus E2 promoter. HCMV also has been shown to activate the adenovirus E2 promoter. On the basis of these findings, we have investigated whether HCMV can activate the promoter of the cellular dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene, which requires E2F binding for maximal promoter activity. We show that HCMV activates the DHFR promoter and that products of the HCMV major immediate-early gene region mediate the activation of the promoter specifically through the E2F site. We used gel mobility shift assays to search for potential molecular mechanisms for this activation and found an "infection-specific" multimeric complex that bound to the E2F sites in the DHFR and E2 promoters in extracts from HCMV-infected cells but not in extracts from uninfected cells. Several antibodies against HCMV immediate-early gene products had no effect on this infection-specific complex. Subsequently, the complex was found to contain E2F, cyclin A, p33cdk2, and p107 and to be similar to S-phase-specific complexes that recently have been identified in several cell types. A functional role for the binding of the cyclin A-p33cdk2 complex to cellular gene promoters has yet to be demonstrated; however, HCMV infection causes the induction of both cellular DNA replication and transcription of growth-related genes containing E2F sites in their promoters. The findings described above therefore may relate to both of these effects of HCMV infection. We also provide evidence that some of the molecular events associated with adenovirus infection are different from those associated with HCMV infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

TATA-dependent enhancer stimulation of promoter activity in mice is developmentally acquired.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (tk) promoter activity depends on four transcription factor binding sites, one of which is a TATA box sequence, and the presence of either a cis-acting enhancer sequence or a transactivator protein. Studies presented here show that this TATA box was required for promoter activity only after cells began to differentiate and then only when promoter activity was stimulated by either an enhancer or a transactivator. When the HSV tk promoter was utilized by mouse embryos from the one-cell to eight-cell stage of development or by undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells, disruption of the HSV tk TATA box by site-specific mutations did not reduce promoter activity. This was true even when HSV tk promoter activity was stimulated strongly by either the embryo-responsive polyomavirus F101 enhancer or its natural transactivator, the HSV ICP4 gene product. However, stimulated expression was dependent on a distal Sp1 DNA binding site. Similarly, disruption of the TATA box did not reduce tk promoter activity in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts or in immortalized 3T3 mouse fibroblasts; in fact, promoter activity was increased up to 2.6-fold. However, in these differentiated cells, stimulation of the HSV tk promoter by either the F101 enhancer or ICP4 protein required the TATA box. HSV tk promoter activity also was dependent on its TATA box in the mouse oocyte, a terminally differentiated cell with an endogenous transactivating activity. These results reveal that the need for a TATA box is developmentally acquired and depends on at least two parameters: the differentiated state of the cell and stimulation of the promoter by either an enhancer or a transactivator.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Role of chromatin and Xenopus laevis heat shock transcription factor in regulation of transcription from the X. laevis hsp70 promoter in vivo.

Xenopus laevis oocytes activate transcription from the Xenopus hsp70 promoter within a chromatin template in response to heat shock. Expression of exogenous Xenopus heat shock transcription factor 1 (XHSF1) causes the activation of the wild-type hsp70 promoter within chromatin. XHSF1 activates transcription at normal growth temperatures (18 degrees C), but heat shock (34 degrees C) facilitates transcriptional activation. Titration of chromatin in vivo leads to constitutive transcription from the wild-type hsp70 promoter. The Y box elements within the hsp70 promoter facilitate transcription in the presence or absence of chromatin. The presence of the Y box elements prevents the assembly of canonical nucleosomal arrays over the promoter and facilitates transcription. In a mutant hsp70 promoter lacking Y boxes, exogenous XHSF1 activates transcription from a chromatin template much more efficiently under heat shock conditions. Activation of transcription from the mutant promoter by exogenous XHSF1 correlates with the disappearance of a canonical nucleosomal array over the promoter. Chromatin structure on a mutant hsp70 promoter lacking Y boxes can restrict XHSF1 access; however, on both mutant and wild-type promoters, chromatin assembly can also restrict the function of the basal transcriptional machinery. We suggest that chromatin assembly has a physiological role in establishing a transcriptionally repressed state on the Xenopus hsp70 promoter in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Identification of a novel p53 promoter element involved in genotoxic stress-inducible p53 gene expression.

p53 is recruited in response to DNA-damaging genotoxic stress and plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the genome. We show that exposure of cells to various genotoxic agents, including anticancer drugs such as mitomycin and 5-fluorouracil, results in an increase in p53 mRNA levels and in p53 promoter activation, indicating that the p53 genotoxic stress response is partly regulated at the transcriptional level. The results of the p53 promoter analysis show that a novel p53 promoter element, termed a p53 core promoter element (from -70 to -46), is essential for basal p53 promoter activity and promoter activation induced by genotoxic agents such as anticancer drugs and UV. Although a kappa B motif partially overlaps with this element and those genotoxic agents activate NF-kappa B, it does not play a major role in p53 genotoxic stress response: NF-kappa B p65 expression did not induce significant p53 promoter activation, and NF-kappa B inhibitors (N-acetyl cysteine and I kappa B alpha) did not inhibit genotoxic stress-inducible p53 promoter activation. Finally, we characterized nuclear factors, the binding of which to the p53 core promoter element is essential for basal p53 promoter activity and p53 promoter activation induced by genotoxic agents.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Methylation of the cyclin A1 promoter correlates with gene silencing in somatic cell lines, while tissue-specific expression of cyclin A1 is methylation independent.

Gene expression in mammalian organisms is regulated at multiple levels, including DNA accessibility for transcription factors and chromatin structure. Methylation of CpG dinucleotides is thought to be involved in imprinting and in the pathogenesis of cancer. However, the relevance of methylation for directing tissue-specific gene expression is highly controversial. The cyclin A1 gene is expressed in very few tissues, with high levels restricted to spermatogenesis and leukemic blasts. Here, we show that methylation of the CpG island of the human cyclin A1 promoter was correlated with nonexpression in cell lines, and the methyl-CpG binding protein MeCP2 suppressed transcription from the methylated cyclin A1 promoter. Repression could be relieved by trichostatin A. Silencing of a cyclin A1 promoter-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgene in stable transfected MG63 osteosarcoma cells was also closely associated with de novo promoter methylation. Cyclin A1 could be strongly induced in nonexpressing cell lines by trichostatin A but not by 5-aza-cytidine. The cyclin A1 promoter-EGFP construct directed tissue-specific expression in male germ cells of transgenic mice. Expression in the testes of these mice was independent of promoter methylation, and even strong promoter methylation did not suppress promoter activity. MeCP2 expression was notably absent in EGFP-expressing cells. Transcription from the transgenic cyclin A1 promoter was repressed in most organs outside the testis, even when the promoter was not methylated. These data show the association of methylation with silencing of the cyclin A1 gene in cancer cell lines. However, appropriate tissue-specific repression of the cyclin A1 promoter occurs independently of CpG methylation.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Acetylation of a specific promoter nucleosome accompanies activation of the epsilon-globin gene by beta-globin locus control region HS2.

On stably replicating episomes, transcriptional activation of the epsilon-globin promoter by the beta-globin locus control region HS2 enhancer is correlated with an increase in nuclease sensitivity which is limited to the TATA-proximal nucleosome (N1). To elucidate what underlies this increase in nuclease sensitivity and the link between chromatin modification and gene expression, we examined the nucleoprotein composition and histone acetylation status of transcriptionally active and inactive promoters. Micrococcal nuclease digestion of active promoters in nuclei released few nucleosome-like nucleoprotein complexes containing N1 sequences in comparison to results with inactive promoters. We also observed that N1 DNA fragments from active promoters are of a subnucleosomal length. Nevertheless, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that histones H3 and H4 are present on N1 sequences from active promoters, with H3 being dramatically hyperacetylated compared with that from inactive promoters and vector sequences. Strikingly, H3 in the adjacent upstream nucleosome (N2) does not appear to be differentially acetylated in active and inactive promoters, indicating that the nucleosome modification of the promoter that accompanies transactivation by HS2 is highly directed and specific. However, global acetylation of histones in vivo by trichostatin A did not activate transcription in the absence of HS2, suggesting that HS2 contributes additional activities necessary for transactivation. N1 sequences from active promoters also contain reduced levels of linker histone H1. The detection of a protected subnucleosomal sized N1 DNA fragment and the recovery of N1 DNA sequences in immunoprecipitations using anti-acetylated H3 and H4 antibodies argue that N1 is present, but in an altered conformation, in the active promoters.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1985

Myosin light-chain 1 and 3 gene has two structurally distinct and differentially regulated promoters evolving at different rates.

DNA fragments located 10 kilobases apart in the genome and containing, respectively, the first myosin light chain 1 (MLC1f) and the first myosin light chain 3 (MLC3f) specific exon of the rat myosin light chain 1 and 3 gene, together with several hundred base pairs of upstream flanking sequences, have been shown in runoff in vitro transcription assays to direct initiation of transcription at the cap sites of MLC1f and MLC3f mRNAs used in vivo. These results establish the presence of two separate, functional promoters within that gene. A comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the rat MLC1f/3f gene with the corresponding sequences from mouse and chicken shows that: the MLC1f promoter regions have been highly conserved up to position -150 from the cap site while the MLC3f promoter regions display a very poor degree of homology and even the absence or poor conservation of typical eucaryotic promoter elements such as TATA and CAT boxes; the exon/intron structure of this gene has been completely conserved in the three species; and corresponding exons, except for the regions encoding most of the 5' and 3' untranslated sequences, show greater than 75% homology while corresponding introns are similar in size but considerably divergent in sequence. The above findings indicate that the overall structure of the MLC1f/3f genes has been maintained between avian and mammalian species and that these genes contain two functional and widely spaced promoters. The fact that the structures of the alkali light chain gene from Drosophila melanogaster and of other related genes of the troponin C supergene family resemble a MLC3f gene without an upstream promoter and first exon strongly suggests that the present-day MLC1f/3f genes of higher vertebrates arose from a primordial alkali light chain gene through the addition of a far-upstream MLC1f-specific promoter and first exon. The two promoters have evolved at different rates, with the MLC1f promoter being more conserved than the MLC3f promoter. This discrepant evolutionary rate might reflect different mechanisms of promoter activation for the transcription of MLC1f and MLC3f RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Stimulation of the adenovirus E2 promoter by simian virus 40 T antigen or E1A occurs by different mechanisms.

We have examined the ability of simian virus 40 T antigen to stimulate transcription from the adenovirus E2 promoter. T antigen, produced from a cotransfected plasmid, stimulated chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enzyme and mRNA production from an E2 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion plasmid (pEC113) in monkey kidney CV-1 cells. The level of stimulation of E2 transcription by simian virus 40 T antigen was equal to that observed in cotransfections of pEC113 and the adenovirus E1A gene product. Deletion mutations from the 5' end of the E2 promoter were examined for their ability to express basal, T-antigen, or E1A trans-activated promoter activity. In each case, deletion of upstream promoter sequences to -70 base pairs reduced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression to approximately 30% of the level observed with the intact E2 promoter. Deletion to -59 base pairs resulted in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression that was 3 to 5% of that observed with the intact E2 promoter. At saturating levels of the stimulatory proteins, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase levels obtained in response to T antigen and adenovirus E1A were additive. COS-1 cells, which are derived from CV-1 cells and constitutively express simian virus 40 T antigen, do not support E2 promoter trans activation by T antigen. E1A trans activation of the E2 promoter is efficient in COS-1 cells. These results suggest that although promoter sequence requirements are similar, T antigen and E1A trans activate the E2 promoter by different mechanisms.

Adenovirus Early Proteins↗
PubMed2003

In vitro and in vivo characterization of the minimal promoter region of the human thiamin transporter SLC19A2.

The molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of thiamin transport in mammalian cells are poorly understood. Previous studies established that a human thiamin transporter, SLC19A2, plays a role in thiamin uptake in human tissues. We cloned the 5' regulatory region of the SLC19A2 gene, identified the minimal promoter required for basal activity, and located multiple putative cis elements. To further characterize the SLC19A2 promoter, we investigated, in the present study, the role of the putative cis elements in regulating the activity of the SLC19A2 promoter in vitro and confirmed the activity of the SLC19A2 promoter in vivo. In vitro studies demonstrated that mutation of specific cis elements in the SLC19A2 minimal promoter [Gut-enriched Krupple-like factor (GKLF), nuclear factor-1 (NF-1), and stimulating protein-1 (SP-1)] led to a decrease in activity. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, four specific DNA/protein complexes were identified. The interacting factors were determined by oligonucleotide competition and antibody supershift analysis and shown to be GKLF, NF-1, and SP-1. Cotransfection studies of the SLC19A2 promoter with an SP-1 containing vector in Drosophila SL2 cells further confirmed a role for SP-1 in regulating SLC19A2 promoter activity. In vivo studies using transgenic mice established the functionality of the full-length and minimal SLC19A2 promoters. Furthermore, our studies revealed that the pattern of expression of the SLC19A2 promoter-Luciferase constructs in transgenic mice was similar to the reported SLC19A2 RNA expression pattern in native human tissues. The results demonstrate the importance of GKLF, NF-1, and SP-1 in regulating the activity of the SLC19A2 promoter and provide direct in vivo confirmation of promoter activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Interleukin-12 up-regulates Fas expression in human osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma cells by enhancing its promoter activity.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) has shown significant antitumor activity in several preclinical animal tumor models. Our previous studies showed that IL-12 inhibited tumor growth in human osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma animal model. Decreased Fas expression in osteosarcoma increased the lung metastatic potential. In this study, we further examined the mechanism of IL-12 antitumor activity and showed that IL-12 significantly increased Fas expression in both human osteosarcoma cells LM7 and Ewing's sarcoma cells TC71. Up-regulation of Fas expression increased their sensitivity to Fas-induced cell apoptosis. Constructs of the Fas promoter linked to a luciferase reporter gene were used to determine the promoter activity. IL-12 increased Fas promoter activity 4.2- and 4.9-fold in TC71 and LM7 cells, respectively. Time course studies have shown that recombinant IL-12 stimulated Fas promoter activity at 2 hours, reached the peak level at 4 hours, and then declined at 24 hours. To investigate whether IL-12 specifically enhanced Fas promoter activity, we determined whether another gene (E1A) was able to stimulate Fas promoter activity. We also evaluated effect of IL-12 on the topoisomerase IIalpha promoter. The results indicated that E1A but not IL-12 stimulated topoisomerase IIalpha promoter activity. E1A failed to increase Fas promoter activity. We also found that kappaB-Sp1 element at position -295 to -286 in Fas promoter was essential for IL-12-induced activation, and nuclear factor-kappaB transcription factor was activated after IL-12 treatment in TC71 cells. These results indicate that IL-12 up-regulates Fas expression in human osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma by enhancing Fas promoter activity. Understanding this mechanism may lead to new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of sarcoma involving the use of IL-12.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and tumor necrosis factor-alpha attenuate Clara cell secretory protein promoter function.

The Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP, also CC-10/uterglobin) is a 16-kD homodimeric protein abundantly expressed in the airways of mammals. Although the molecular function is unknown, gene-targeting studies indicate CCSP as a regulator of lung inflammation following acute respiratory infection or injury. CCSP is decreased in the lungs of mice following acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a.) infection. In the present study, the role of decreased promoter function in the regulation of CCSP by P.a. was assessed using an in vitro co-culture system and in vivo studies of transgenic mice. CCSP promoter activity in lung epithelial cells was markedly decreased by P.a. or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in a dose-dependent manner. Regulation of CCSP promoter function by either P.a. or TNF-alpha was localized to the proximal 166 bp flanking region of the CCSP promoter activity. Decreased regulation of the CCSP promoter by P.a. or TNF-alpha was specific to CCSP, as human surfactant protein D (SP-D) promoter activity was unaffected or increased by P.a. or TNF-alpha, respectively. A neutralizing antibody against human TNF-alpha was able to reverse both the TNF-alpha- mediated as well as P.a.-mediated decrease in CCSP promoter function in lung epithelial cells. TNF-alpha secretion by lung epithelial cells coincided with the decrease in CCSP promoter function following P.a. administration. Using a transgenic mouse model, P.a. administration to the lung markedly attenuated CCSP promoter-conferred gene expression in vivo. The attenuation of CCSP promoter activity in lung epithelial cells by P.a. involves, in part, autocrine/paracrine secretion of TNF-alpha, which in turn regulates CCSP transcription through cis-active elements in the proximal promoter region.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The CCT promoter directs high-level transgene expression in distal lung epithelial cell lines.

Gene therapy requires the presence of a robust and yet small promoter to drive high-level expression of desired proteins. In comparative analysis, we investigated the promoter strength of the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase promoter (CCT alpha) with other commonly used promoters, which were all cloned into a similar background vector (PGL3 basic). Transient promoter-reporter assays in murine lung epithelial (MLE-12) cells revealed that the core CCT alpha promoter (240 bp) was observed to exhibit a 40-fold, 8-fold, and 3-fold higher level of activity compared with the simian virus 40, human cytomegalovirus, and Rous sarcoma virus promoters, respectively. The CCT alpha promoter was significantly more active than the Clara cell 10, thymidine kinase, and phosphoglycerate kinase promoters. This pattern of high-level expression for CCT alpha was detected primarily in cell lines of distal lung epithelial origin (MLE-12, RLE, H441) and was reduced in other cell lines (A549, CHO, HepG 2). CCT alpha promoter-reporter activity, CCT alpha transcript levels, and immunoreactive protein levels increased significantly in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid. The CCT alpha promoter, in a retinoic acid-inducible manner, efficiently directed expression of murine erythropoietin in MLE-12 cells. Collectively, these observations suggest that the CCT alpha construct might be useful to drive high-level, regulatable expression of heterologous proteins in alveolar epithelia.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Insertion of a Pax6 consensus binding site into the alphaA-crystallin promoter acts as a lens epithelial cell enhancer in transgenic mice.

PURPOSE: Although the murine alphaA-crystallin promoter is the most commonly used promoter for achieving transgene expression in the developing lens, this promoter directs transgene expression efficiently only in lens fiber cells. The purpose of the present study was to generate promoters capable of directing transgene expression to the entire lens but not to the corneal epithelium. METHODS: Transgenic mice were generated with fragments of the murine alphaA- and alphaB-crystallin promoters, as well as with an alphaA-crystallin promoter engineered with the insertion of a Pax6 consensus binding site driving either human growth hormone (hGH) or Cre recombinase genes. hGH expression was evaluated by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Cre expression was revealed by x-gal staining after crossing Cre transgenic mice with a Cre reporter strain. RESULTS: Within the lens, the -214/+38 alphaB-crystallin promoter fragment directed transgene expression in the lens epithelium, but not in fiber cells. The native -282/+43 alphaA-crystallin promoter drove transgene expression in the lens fiber cells of several independent lines of transgenic mice, but none of these mice demonstrated significant transgene expression in the lens epithelium. In contrast, the insertion of a 32-bp sequence containing a Pax6 consensus binding site into the -282/+43 alphaA-crystallin promoter reproducibly led to transgene expression in the lens epithelium as well as the lens fiber cells. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of a Pax6 consensus binding site within the -282/+43 alphaA-crystallin promoter enhances the ability of this promoter to drive transgene expression in the lens epithelium.

Animals↗