scholarly journals Overexpression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1) enhances T- cell cytokine gene expression: role of AP1, NF-AT, and NF-KB

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 2470-2477 ◽  
Author(s):  
JH Park ◽  
L Levitt

Abstract Transfected Jurkat cells overexpressing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1), also referred to as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, were selected by Western blotting assay using anti-ERK1 and antiphosphotyrosine antibodies in combination with a functional MAP kinase assay. We then asked whether enhanced ERK1 expression had any effect on induction of T-cell cytokine genes. The results show that overexpression of ERK1 enhances expression of T-cell interleukin-2 (IL- 2), IL-3, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA; no change was seen in expression of the alpha-actin gene. DNA-binding activities of the transcription factors AP1, NF-AT, and NF-kB were specifically increased twofold to fourfold in ERK1-overexpressing clones relative to nontransformed or vector-transformed cells, whereas no enhancement of CK1-CK2 protein DNA binding activity was detected after ERK1 overexpression. Additionally, increased NF-AT DNA binding activity was associated with functional enhancement of NF-AT transactivating activity in ERK1-overexpressing cells. These results provide direct evidence for the role of MAP kinase in the regulation of cytokine gene expression and indicate that such regulation is likely mediated through the enhanced DNA binding activity of specific nuclear transcription factors.

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 2470-2477
Author(s):  
JH Park ◽  
L Levitt

Transfected Jurkat cells overexpressing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1), also referred to as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, were selected by Western blotting assay using anti-ERK1 and antiphosphotyrosine antibodies in combination with a functional MAP kinase assay. We then asked whether enhanced ERK1 expression had any effect on induction of T-cell cytokine genes. The results show that overexpression of ERK1 enhances expression of T-cell interleukin-2 (IL- 2), IL-3, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA; no change was seen in expression of the alpha-actin gene. DNA-binding activities of the transcription factors AP1, NF-AT, and NF-kB were specifically increased twofold to fourfold in ERK1-overexpressing clones relative to nontransformed or vector-transformed cells, whereas no enhancement of CK1-CK2 protein DNA binding activity was detected after ERK1 overexpression. Additionally, increased NF-AT DNA binding activity was associated with functional enhancement of NF-AT transactivating activity in ERK1-overexpressing cells. These results provide direct evidence for the role of MAP kinase in the regulation of cytokine gene expression and indicate that such regulation is likely mediated through the enhanced DNA binding activity of specific nuclear transcription factors.


Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (12) ◽  
pp. 4129-4138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Arnulf ◽  
Aude Villemain ◽  
Christophe Nicot ◽  
Elodie Mordelet ◽  
Pierre Charneau ◽  
...  

Human T-cell leukemia virus I is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), an aggressive T-cell malignancy. The viral oncoprotein Tax, through the activation of nuclear factorκB (NF-κB), CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (CREB), and activated protein-1 (AP-1) pathways, is a transcriptional regulator of critical genes for T-cell homeostasis. In ATL cells, activated AP-1 complexes induce the production of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). TGF-β1 is an inhibitor of T-cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. Here we show that, in contrast to normal peripheral T cells, ATL cells are resistant to TGF-β1–induced growth inhibition. The retroviral transduction of the Tax protein in peripheral T cells resulted in the loss of TGF-β1 sensitivity. Transient transfection of Tax in HepG2 cells specifically inhibited Smad/TGF-β1 signaling in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of Tax transfection, increasing amounts of Smad3 restored TGF-β1 signaling. Tax mutants unable to activate NF-κB or CREB pathways were also able to repress Smad3 transcriptional activity. Next we have demonstrated that Tax inhibits TGF-β1 signaling by reducing the Smad3 DNA binding activity. However, Tax did not decrease the expression and the nuclear translocation of Smad3 nor did it interact physically with Smad3. Rather, Tax induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity and c-Jun phosphorylation, leading to the formation of Smad3/c-Jun complexes. Whereas c-Jun alone abrogates Smad3 DNA binding, cotransfection of Tax and of a dominant-negative form of JNK or a c-Jun antisense-restored Smad3 DNA binding activity and TGF-β1 responsiveness. In ATL and in normal T cells transduced by Tax, c-Jun was constitutively phosphorylated. Thus, we describe a new function of Tax, as a repressor of TGF-β1 signaling through JNK/c-Jun constitutive activation, which may play a critical role in ATL leukemogenesis.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1547-1552
Author(s):  
D Leshkowitz ◽  
M D Walker

Insulin-producing cells and fibroblasts were fused to produce hybrid lines. In hybrids derived from both hamster and rat insulinoma cells, no insulin mRNA could be detected in any of seven lines examined by Northern (RNA) analysis despite the presence in each line of the insulin genes of both parental cells. Hybrid cells were transfected with recombinant chloramphenicol acetyltransferase plasmids containing defined segments of the rat insulin I gene 5' flank. We observed no transcriptional activity of the intact insulin enhancer or of IEB2, a critical cis-acting element of the insulin enhancer. IEB2 has previously been shown to interact in vitro with IEF1, a DNA-binding activity observed selectively in insulin-producing cells. Hybrid cells showed no detectable IEF1 activity. Furthermore, the insulin enhancer was unable to reduce transcription directed by the Moloney sarcoma virus enhancer in a double-enhancer construct. Thus, extinction of insulin gene expression in the hybrids apparently does not operate through a direct action of repressors on the insulin enhancer; rather, extinction is accompanied by, and may be caused by, reduced DNA-binding activity of the putative transcriptional activator IEF1.


2005 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Chirgwin ◽  
U. R. Rao ◽  
Z. Mai ◽  
S. U. Coleman ◽  
J. M. Nowling ◽  
...  

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