scholarly journals Sp1-dependent activation of KLF4 is required for PDGF-BB-induced phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle

2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (4) ◽  
pp. H1027-H1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca A. Deaton ◽  
Qiong Gan ◽  
Gary K. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Vascular Injury ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Phenotypic Modulation ◽  
Marker Gene Expression

There is clear evidence that the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) contributes to the pathophysiology of vascular disease. Phenotypic modulation refers to the unique ability of SMCs to alter their phenotype in response to extracellular stimuli and is hallmarked by the loss of SMC marker gene expression. The transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a known powerful negative regulator of SMC marker gene expression that works, in part, by decreasing the expression of the serum response factor (SRF) myocardin. KLF4 is not expressed in healthy adult SMCs but is increased in SMCs in response to vascular injury in vivo or PDGF-BB treatment in vitro. The aim of the present study was to determine the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of KLF4 in phenotypically modulated SMCs. The results demonstrated that the transcription factor stimulating protein-1 (Sp1) regulated the expression of KLF4 in SMCs. The KLF4 promoter contains three consensus Sp1 binding sites. Using a series of truncated KLF4 promoters, we showed that only fragments containing these Sp1 sites could be activated by PDGF-BB. In addition, overexpression of Sp1 alone was sufficient to increase the activity of the KLF4 promoter. Moreover, inhibiting Sp1 expression with small-interfering RNA attenuated the effects of PDGF-BB on KLF4 expression. Mutation of the three Sp1 sites within the KLF4 promoter abolished both baseline and PDGF-BB-induced activity. Finally, the results demonstrated enhanced Sp1 binding to the KLF4 promoter in SMCs treated with PDGF-BB in vitro and following vascular injury in vivo. Taken together, the results suggest a novel role for Sp1 in increasing the expression of KLF4 in phenotypically modulated SMCs.

scholarly journals Interleukin-1β modulates smooth muscle cell phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD via NF-κB-dependent mechanisms

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 417-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Alexander ◽  
Meera Murgai ◽  
Christopher W. Moehle ◽  
Gary K. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cell ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaques ◽  
Phenotypic Modulation ◽  
Marker Gene Expression ◽  
Inflammatory State ◽  
Differentiation Marker

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic modulation in atherosclerosis and in response to PDGF in vitro involves repression of differentiation marker genes and increases in SMC proliferation, migration, and matrix synthesis. However, SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques can also express a number of proinflammatory genes, and in cultured SMCs the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β represses SMC marker gene expression and induces inflammatory gene expression. Studies herein tested the hypothesis that IL-1β modulates SMC phenotype to a distinct inflammatory state relative to PDGF-DD. Genome-wide gene expression analysis of IL-1β- or PDGF-DD-treated SMCs revealed that although both stimuli repressed SMC differentiation marker gene expression, IL-1β distinctly induced expression of proinflammatory genes, while PDGF-DD primarily induced genes involved in cell proliferation. Promoters of inflammatory genes distinctly induced by IL-1β exhibited over-representation of NF-κB binding sites, and NF-κB inhibition in SMCs reduced IL-1β-induced upregulation of proinflammatory genes as well as repression of SMC differentiation marker genes. Interestingly, PDGF-DD-induced SMC marker gene repression was not NF-κB dependent. Finally, immunofluorescent staining of mouse atherosclerotic lesions revealed the presence of cells positive for the marker of an IL-1β-stimulated inflammatory SMC, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20), but not the PDGF-DD-induced gene, regulator of G protein signaling 17 (RGS17). Results demonstrate that IL-1β- but not PDGF-DD-induced phenotypic modulation of SMC is characterized by NF-κB-dependent activation of proinflammatory genes, suggesting the existence of a distinct inflammatory SMC phenotype. In addition, studies provide evidence for the possible utility of CCL20 and RGS17 as markers of inflammatory and proliferative state SMCs within atherosclerotic plaques in vivo.

Subnuclear compartmentalization of sequence-specific transcription factors and regulation of eukaryotic gene expression

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth N Corry ◽  
D Alan Underhill
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Nuclear Architecture ◽  
Subnuclear Localization ◽  
Modular Structures

To date, the majority of the research regarding eukaryotic transcription factors has focused on characterizing their function primarily through in vitro methods. These studies have revealed that transcription factors are essentially modular structures, containing separate regions that participate in such activities as DNA binding, protein–protein interaction, and transcriptional activation or repression. To fully comprehend the behavior of a given transcription factor, however, these domains must be analyzed in the context of the entire protein, and in certain cases the context of a multiprotein complex. Furthermore, it must be appreciated that transcription factors function in the nucleus, where they must contend with a variety of factors, including the nuclear architecture, chromatin domains, chromosome territories, and cell-cycle-associated processes. Recent examinations of transcription factors in the nucleus have clarified the behavior of these proteins in vivo and have increased our understanding of how gene expression is regulated in eukaryotes. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding sequence-specific transcription factor compartmentalization within the nucleus and discuss its impact on the regulation of such processes as activation or repression of gene expression and interaction with coregulatory factors.Key words: transcription, subnuclear localization, chromatin, gene expression, nuclear architecture.

Production of the CYS3 regulator, a bZIP DNA-binding protein, is sufficient to induce sulfur gene expression in Neurospora crassa

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1568-1577
Author(s):  
J V Paietta
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Structural Gene ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Cys3 Protein

The cys-3+ gene of Neurospora crassa encodes a bZIP (basic region-leucine zipper) regulatory protein that is essential for sulfur structural gene expression (e.g., ars-1+). Nuclear transcription assays confirmed that cys-3+ was under sulfur-regulated transcriptional control and that cys-3+ transcription was constitutive in sulfur controller (scon)-negative regulator mutants. Given these results, I have tested whether expression of cys-3+ under high-sulfur (repressing) conditions was sufficient to induce sulfur gene expression. The N. crassa beta-tubulin (tub) promoter was fused to the cys-3+ coding segment and used to transform a cys-3 deletion mutant. Function of the tub::cys-3 fusion in homokaryotic transformants grown under high-sulfur conditions was confirmed by Northern (RNA) and Western immunoblot analysis. The tub::cys-3 transformants showed arylsulfatase gene expression under normally repressing high-sulfur conditions. A tub::cys-3ts fusion encoding a temperature-sensitive CYS3 protein was used to confirm that the induced structural gene expression was due to CYS3 protein function. Constitutive CYS3 production did not induce scon-2+ expression under repressing conditions. In addition, a cys-3 promoter fusion to lacZ showed that CYS3 production was sufficient to induce its own expression and provides in vivo evidence for autoregulation. Finally, an apparent inhibitory effect observed with a strain carrying a point mutation at the cys-3 locus was examined by in vitro heterodimerization studies. These results support an interpretation of CYS3 as a transcriptional activator whose regulation is a crucial control point in the signal response pathway triggered by sulfur limitation.

Transcription factor GATA4 regulates cardiac BCL2 gene expression in vitro and in vivo

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 800-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Kobayashi ◽  
Troy Lackey ◽  
Yuan Huang ◽  
Egbert Bisping ◽  
William T. Pu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Bcl2 Gene

scholarly journals miR-539 mediates osteoblast mineralization by regulating Distal-less genes 2 in MC3T3-E1 cell line

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 294-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Han ◽  
Li Su ◽  
Chunyang Zhang ◽  
Rongcai Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Osteoblast Differentiation ◽  
Marker Gene ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Matrix Mineralization ◽  
Marker Gene Expression

AbstractmicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in osteoblast differentiation. However, the mechanisms of miRNAs regulating osteoblast mineralization still needs to be further cleared. Distal-less genes 2 (Dlx2) plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation. We have found that miR-539 was significantly downregulated and Dlx2 was found to be inversely correlated with miR-539 in MC3T3-E1 cell line during osteoblast mineralization. The overexpression of miR-539 significantly decreased the expression level of Dlx2 and suppressed the osteogenic marker gene expression level, alkaline phosphatase activity and matrix mineralization. Our study showed that miR-539 was a negative regulator in osteoblast mineralization and that the targeting of Dlx2 gene partly contributes to this inhibitory effect exerted by miR-539.

Regulation of SM22α expression by arginine vasopressin and PDGF-BB in vascular smooth muscle cells

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (4) ◽  
pp. H1444-H1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nihal Kaplan-Albuquerque ◽  
Chrystelle Garat ◽  
Vicki Van Putten ◽  
Raphael A. Nemenoff
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Vascular Smooth Muscle ◽  
Arginine Vasopressin ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Serum Response Factor ◽  
Phenotypic Modulation ◽  
Carg Box ◽  
Pdgf Signaling

Vascular smooth muscle (SM) cells (VSMC) undergo phenotypic modulation in vivo and in vitro. This process involves coordinated changes in expression of multiple SM-specific genes. In cultured VSMC, arginine vasopressin (AVP) increases and PDGF decreases expression of SM α-actin (SMA), the earliest marker of SM cells (SMC). However, it is unknown whether these agents regulate other SM genes in a similar fashion. SM22α appears secondary to SMA during development and is also a marker for SMC. This study examined the regulation of SM22α expression by AVP and PDGF in cultured VSMC. Levels of SM22α mRNA and protein were increased by AVP and suppressed by PDGF. Consistent with these changes, AVP increased SM22α promoter activity, whereas PDGF inhibited basal promoter activity and blocked AVP-induced increase. Activation of both JNK and p38 MAPK pathways was necessary for AVP-mediated induction of SM22α promoter. Expression of constitutively active Ras produced similar suppressions on SM22α promoter activity as PDGF. Signaling relayed from PDGF/Ras activation involved Raf, or a protein that competes for this site, Ral-GDS, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation. Truncational analysis showed that the proximal location of three CArG boxes in the promoter was sufficient for AVP stimulation. Mutations in this CArG box reduced basal and AVP-stimulated promoter activity without effecting PDGF suppression. Overexpression of serum response factor enhanced basal and AVP-stimulated promoter activity but had no effect on PDGF-BB-induced suppression. These data indicate that AVP and PDGF initiate specific signaling pathways that control expression of multiple SM genes leading to phenotypic modulation.

scholarly journals Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Modulation in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6334
Author(s):  
Rijan Gurung ◽  
Andrew Mark Choong ◽  
Chin Cheng Woo ◽  
Roger Foo ◽  
Vitaly Sorokin
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ◽  
Aortic Aneurysm ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Aortic Wall ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Phenotypic Modulation ◽  
Abdominal Aortic

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) refers to the localized dilatation of the infra-renal aorta, in which the diameter exceeds 3.0 cm. Loss of vascular smooth muscle cells, degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), vascular inflammation, and oxidative stress are hallmarks of AAA pathogenesis and contribute to the progressive thinning of the media and adventitia of the aortic wall. With increasing AAA diameter, and left untreated, aortic rupture ensues with high mortality. Collective evidence of recent genetic and epigenetic studies has shown that phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) towards dedifferentiation and proliferative state, which associate with the ECM remodeling of the vascular wall and accompanied with increased cell senescence and inflammation, is seen in in vitro and in vivo models of the disease. This review critically analyses existing publications on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms implicated in the complex role of SMCs within the aortic wall in AAA formation and reflects the importance of SMCs plasticity in AAA formation. Although evidence from the wide variety of mouse models is convincing, how this knowledge is applied to human biology needs to be addressed urgently leveraging modern in vitro and in vivo experimental technology.

scholarly journals BTB Protein Keap1 Targets Antioxidant Transcription Factor Nrf2 for Ubiquitination by the Cullin 3-Roc1 Ligase

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manabu Furukawa ◽  
Yue Xiong
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Ring Finger ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Protein Accumulation ◽  
Protein Motif ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Catalytic Function ◽  
Cullin 3

ABSTRACT The concentrations and functions of many eukaryotic proteins are regulated by the ubiquitin pathway, which consists of ubiquitin activation (E1), conjugation (E2), and ligation (E3). Cullins are a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins that assemble by far the largest family of E3 ligase complexes. Cullins, via a conserved C-terminal domain, bind with the RING finger protein Roc1 to recruit the catalytic function of E2. Via a distinct N-terminal domain, individual cullins bind to a protein motif present in multiple proteins to recruit specific substrates. Cullin 3 (Cul3), but not other cullins, binds directly with BTB domains to constitute a potentially large number of BTB-CUL3-ROC1 E3 ubiquitin ligases. Here we report that the human BTB-Kelch protein Keap1, a negative regulator of the antioxidative transcription factor Nrf2, binds to CUL3 and Nrf2 via its BTB and Kelch domains, respectively. The KEAP1-CUL3-ROC1 complex promoted NRF2 ubiquitination in vitro and knocking down Keap1 or CUL3 by short interfering RNA resulted in NRF2 protein accumulation in vivo. We suggest that Keap1 negatively regulates Nrf2 function in part by targeting Nrf2 for ubiquitination by the CUL3-ROC1 ligase and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Blocking NRF2 degradation in cells expressing both KEAP1 and NRF2 by either inhibiting the proteasome activity or knocking down Cul3, resulted in NRF2 accumulation in the cytoplasm. These results may reconcile previously observed cytoplasmic sequestration of NRF2 by KEAP1 and suggest a possible regulatory step between KEAP1-NRF2 binding and NRF2 degradation.

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