scholarly journals Pathophysiological Potentials of NRF3-Regulated Transcriptional Axes in Protein and Lipid Homeostasis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 12686
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Waku ◽  
Akira Kobayashi

NRF3 (NFE2L3) belongs to the CNC-basic leucine zipper transcription factor family. An NRF3 homolog, NRF1 (NFE2L1), induces the expression of proteasome-related genes in response to proteasome inhibition. Another homolog, NRF2 (NFE2L2), induces the expression of genes related to antioxidant responses and encodes metabolic enzymes in response to oxidative stress. Dysfunction of each homolog causes several diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer development. However, NRF3 target genes and their biological roles remain unknown. This review summarizes our recent reports that showed NRF3-regulated transcriptional axes for protein and lipid homeostasis. NRF3 induces the gene expression of POMP for 20S proteasome assembly and CPEB3 for NRF1 translational repression, inhibiting tumor suppression responses, including cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis, with resistance to a proteasome inhibitor anticancer agent bortezomib. NRF3 also promotes mevalonate biosynthesis by inducing SREBP2 and HMGCR gene expression, and reduces the intracellular levels of neural fatty acids by inducing GGPS1 gene expression. In parallel, NRF3 induces macropinocytosis for cholesterol uptake by inducing RAB5 gene expression. Finally, this review mentions not only the pathophysiological aspects of these NRF3-regulated axes for cancer cell growth and anti-obesity potential but also their possible role in obesity-induced cancer development.

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2149
Author(s):  
Nkulu Kabange Rolly ◽  
Byung-Wook Yun

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient, which contributes substantially to the growth and development of plants. In the soil, nitrate (NO3) is the predominant form of N available to the plant and its acquisition by the plant involves several NO3 transporters; however, the mechanism underlying their involvement in the adaptive response under abiotic stress is poorly understood. Initially, we performed an in silico analysis to identify potential binding sites for the basic leucine zipper 62 transcription factor (AtbZIP62 TF) in the promoter of the target genes, and constructed their protein–protein interaction networks. Rather than AtbZIP62, results revealed the presence of cis-regulatory elements specific to two other bZIP TFs, AtbZIP18 and 69. A recent report showed that AtbZIP62 TF negatively regulated AtbZIP18 and AtbZIP69. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of AtNPF6.2/NRT1.4 (low-affinity NO3 transporter), AtNPF6.3/NRT1.1 (dual-affinity NO3 transporter), AtNRT2.1 and AtNRT2.2 (high-affinity NO3 transporters), and AtGLU1 and AtGLU2 (both encoding glutamate synthase) in response to drought stress in Col-0. From the perspective of exploring the transcriptional interplay of the target genes with AtbZIP62 TF, we measured their expression by qPCR in the atbzip62 (lacking the AtbZIP62 gene) under the same conditions. Our recent study revealed that AtbZIP62 TF positively regulates the expression of AtPYD1 (Pyrimidine 1, a key gene of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway know to share a common substrate with the N metabolic pathway). For this reason, we included the atpyd1-2 mutant in the study. Our findings revealed that the expression of AtNPF6.2/NRT1.4, AtNPF6.3/NRT1.1 and AtNRT2.2 was similarly regulated in atzbip62 and atpyd1-2 but differentially regulated between the mutant lines and Col-0. Meanwhile, the expression pattern of AtNRT2.1 in atbzip62 was similar to that observed in Col-0 but was suppressed in atpyd1-2. The breakthrough is that AtNRT2.2 had the highest expression level in Col-0, while being suppressed in atbzip62 and atpyd1-2. Furthermore, the transcript accumulation of AtGLU1 and AtGLU2 showed differential regulation patterns between Col-0 and atbzip62, and atpyd1-2. Therefore, results suggest that of all tested NO3 transporters, AtNRT2.2 is thought to play a preponderant role in contributing to NO3 transport events under the regulatory influence of AtbZIP62 TF in response to drought stress.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 3632
Author(s):  
Jianglin Xiong ◽  
Hang Sha ◽  
Hualin Zhou ◽  
Lijuan Peng ◽  
Lingying Wu ◽  
...  

2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) is a common environmental pollutant, and was classified as a group 2B human carcinogenic compound by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. This study determined the toxic effects of 2,4-DNT exposure on zebrafish at the embryo-larvae stage, in terms of organ morphogenesis and the expression pattern of selected target genes related to lipid metabolism and oxygen transportation. The results showed that the 120-h post-fertilization LC50 of 2,4-DNT was 9.59 mg/L with a 95% confidence interval of 8.89–10.44 mg/L. The larvae treated with 2,4-DNT showed toxic symptoms including smaller body, less skin pigment production, yolk malabsorption, and disordered liver development. Further studies on the expression of genes related to lipid transport and metabolism, and respiration indicated that they were significantly affected by 2,4-DNT. It is concluded that 2,4-DNT exposure perturbed liver development and yolk absorption in early-life zebrafish, and disturbed the lipid metabolism /oxygen transport gene expression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effi Haque ◽  
M. Rezaul Karim ◽  
Aamir Salam Teeli ◽  
Magdalena Śmiech ◽  
Paweł Leszczynski ◽  
...  

NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a basic leucine zipper transcription factor, a master regulator of redox homeostasis regulating a variety of genes for antioxidant and detoxification enzymes. NRF2 was, therefore, initially thought to protect the liver from oxidative stress. Recent studies, however, have revealed that mutations in NRF2 cause aberrant accumulation of NRF2 in the nucleus and exert the upregulation of NRF2 target genes. Moreover, among all molecular changes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), NRF2 activation has been revealed as a more prominent pathway contributing to the progression of precancerous lesions to malignancy. Nevertheless, how its activation leads to poor prognosis in HCC patients remains unclear. In this review, we provide an overview of how aberrant activation of NRF2 triggers HCC development. We also summarize the emerging roles of other NRF family members in liver cancer development.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 1352-1352
Author(s):  
Kerstin Schwarz ◽  
Oliver Ottmann ◽  
Annette Romanski ◽  
Anja Vogel ◽  
Jeffrey W. Scott ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Histone deacetylase inhibitors (DACi) have shown promising antileukemic activity by overcoming the differentiation block and inducing apoptosis in AML blasts. Recent data demonstrating enhanced maintenance and functional capacity of normal, but also leukemic hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) by the selective class I DACi valproic acid (VPA) have raised concerns about VPA in AML therapy. As more potent pan-DACi have entered clinical trials, we analysed the impact of the hydroxamic acid LAQ824 on phenotype and function of normal and leukemic CD34+ HPC and studied LAQ824- induced gene expression in the most primitive CD34+CD38- population of normal HPC. Methods: Differentiation and proliferation of CD34+ cells of bone marrow of healthy donors and peripheral blood samples of newly diagnosed AML patients were evaluated after one week of culture in presence of SCF, FLT3 ligand, TPO, IL-3 +/− LAQ824. The effect of LAQ824 on gene expression profiles in normal CD34+CD38− cells was assessed in three independent cell samples following incubation with cytokines +/− LAQ824 for 48 hours using Affymetrix GeneChip Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 and Gene Spring Software. Serial replating of murine Sca1+Lin- HPC was performed in the presence of SCF, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-3, IL-6 +/− LAQ824. Results: Treatment of murine Sca1+Lin- HPC with LAQ824 (10 nM) significantly augmented colony numbers (p<0.01; n=3), and supported colony growth after four cycles of replating whereas no colonies developed in its absence beyond the second plating indicating preservation of functionally active multipotent progenitor cells. LAQ824 (10–20 nM) mediated acetylation of histone H3 in human normal and leukemic HPC. In normal HPC, LAQ824 (0–20 nM) lead to a dose-dependent increase in the proportion of CD34+ cells (20% w/o LAQ824 vs. 36% with LAQ824 20nM, p=0.07) and a significant reduction of CD14+ monocytes (18% vs. 3%, p= 0.02; n=3). The total number of CD34+ cells remained stable up to 10 nM and decreased at 20 nM. Gene expression analysis showed, that LAQ824 (20 nM) lead to an at least 3-fold up-regulation of 221 genes in all three HPC samples tested including HDAC11 and the cell cycle inhibitor p21waf1/cip1 known to be induced by most DACi in HPC. We identified several members of the notch pathway such as mastermind-like protein 2 (MAML2, a component of the active notch transcriptional complex) and notch target genes including the transcription factors HES1, HEY1 and HOXA10 and confirmed increase of protein levels by Western blotting. Reduced gene expression of mini-chromosome-maintenance (MCM) protein family members was observed which - in addition to up-regulation of p21 - has previously been associated with notch-mediated cell cycle arrest. To compare the effect of LAQ824 (20 nM) with VPA (150 ng/ml) on leukemic HPC, cells were cultured for one week with or w/o DACi. Of note, LAQ824 resulted in a 0.8-fold reduction of CD34+ leukemic HPC, while VPA expanded this population 2.2-fold compared with cytokine-treated controls (p=0.03; n=12). CFU numbers growing from CD34+ leukemic HPC in presence of LAQ824 did not differ significantly from controls (n=9). Conclusion: LAQ824 seems to diminish, but not eliminate normal as well as leukemic HPC as determined by phenotypic and functional in vitro analyses. Our gene expression analysis suggested an association with coactivator and target genes of the notch pathway and cell cycle arrest-inducing genes. In contrast to VPA, LAQ824 does not seem to support growth of leukemic HPC which may contribute to its more potent antileukemic effect.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 401-401
Author(s):  
Aniruddha J Deshpande ◽  
Liying Chen ◽  
Kathrin M Bernt ◽  
Stuart Dias ◽  
Deepti Banka ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 401 MLL-fusion proteins induce changes in histone modifications that result in the abnormal and sustained expression of downstream oncogenic target genes. A number of recent studies have identified aberrant histone 3 lysine 79 (H3K79) methylation by the chromatin modifying enzyme DOT1L as an important epigenetic modification that sustains MLL-target gene expression. Aberrant H3K79 methylation has been shown to be necessary for oncogenic transformation mediated by a number of MLL-fusions. These recent findings have generated tremendous interest in H3K79 methylation as a therapeutic target in the MLL rearranged leukemias. The plant-homeodomain (PHD) and leucine zipper-containing protein AF10 biochemically interacts with DOT1L and is believed to influence H3K79 methylation. We generated conditional knockout mice in which the Dot1l-interacting octapeptide-motif leucine zipper (OM-LZ) domain of Af10 was flanked by LoxP sites. Deletion of the Af10OM-LZ domain with the Cre recombinase is predicted to abrogate the Af10-Dot1l interaction. Deletion of the Af10OM-LZ domain greatly reduced global H3K79 dimethylation as assessed by immunoblotting as well as mass spectrometry in Af10OM-LZ deleted HoxA9/Meis1a transformed cells. Given the importance of H3K79 methylation in MLL-rearranged leukemias, we sought to assess whether the transforming activity of the MLL-AF9 fusion gene was dependent on the Af10-Dot1l interaction. Using an MLL-AF9-IRES-GFP encoding retrovirus, we established immortalized blast-colony forming cultures from mouse lineage negative Sca-1 positive/Kit positive (LSK) bone marrow cells bearing floxed Af10OM-LZ alleles. Deletion of the Af10OM-LZ domain with Cre-recombinase dramatically reduced H3K79me2 on the MLL-target genes Hoxa5-10 and Meis1, leading to downregulation of these transcripts. We performed colony-forming cell (CFC) assays from MLL-AF9 transformed cells in the presence or absence of the Af10OM-LZ allele. In the first week, Af10OM-LZ deletion profoundly impaired the blast-colony forming potential of MLL-AF9 transformed LSKs and the only clones that could serially replate in subsequent passages had escaped Af10OM-LZ excision. Af10OM-LZ deleted colonies were very small and spread-out and showed morphological features of terminal myeloid differentiation. In contrast, HoxA9/Meis1 transformed LSK cells expanded normally in the absence of the Af10OM-LZ domain. These results demonstrate that the Af10OM-LZ, much like Dot1l, is critical for the in vitro transforming activity of the MLL-AF9 fusion gene, but does not non-specifically inhibit cellular proliferation. We then sought to investigate the potential role of the Af10OM-LZ domain in the in vivo leukemogenic activity of MLL-AF9. We generated primary MLL-AF9 leukemias from LSKs harboring floxed Af10OM-LZ alleles. Deletion of the Af10OM-LZ domain in cells explanted from the MLL-AF9 primary leukemias led to a significant increase in the disease latency in secondary recipient mice. Moreover, limiting dilution analysis of MLL-AF9 leukemias with or without the Af10OM-LZ domain demonstrated a >100 fold decrease in the frequency of leukemia initiating cells in the absence of the Af10OM-LZ domain. Microarray analysis showed that a vast majority of MLL-AF9 target genes were significantly downregulated in Af10OM-LZ deleted as compared to Af10OM-LZ wildtype MLL-AF9 leukemias. However, the Af10OM-LZ deleted cells could still eventually cause leukemia. This is intriguing given that Af10OM-LZ deletion, similar to Dot1l deletion, leads to a significant reduction in H3K79 dimethylation as well as MLL-target gene expression. A more detailed analysis of H3K79 methylation using mass spectrometry revealed that in contrast to H3K79 dimethylation, global levels of H3K79 mono-methylation were largely unchanged in Af10OM-LZ deleted cells. This suggests the residual MLL-AF9 target gene expression seen in Af10OM-LZ deleted cells is maintained by H3K79 monomethylation. Our results demonstrate a surprising role for Af10 in the conversion of H3K79 monomethylation to dimethylation and reveal the AF10-DOT1L interaction as an attractive therapeutic target in MLL-rearranged leukemias. Disclosures: Armstrong: Epizyme: Consultancy.


2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Hosui ◽  
Lothar Hennighausen

Growth hormone (GH) controls the physiology and pathophysiology of the liver, and its signals are conducted by two members of the family of signal transducers and activators of transcription, STAT5A and STAT5B. Mice in which the Stat5a/b locus has been inactivated specifically in hepatocytes display GH resistance, the sex-specific expression of genes associated with liver metabolism and the cytochrome P-450 system is lost, and they develop hepatosteatosis. Several groups have shown by global gene expression profiling that a cadre of STAT5A/B target genes identify genetic cascades induced by GH and other cytokines. Evidence is accumulating that in the absence of STAT5A/B GH aberrantly activates STAT1 and STAT3 and their downstream target genes and thereby offers a partial explanation of some of the physiological alterations observed in Stat5a/b-null mice and human patients. We hypothesize that phenotypic changes observed in the absence of STAT5A/B are due to two distinct molecular consequences: first, the failure of STAT5A/B target genes to be activated by GH and second, the rerouting of GH signaling to other members of the STAT family. Rerouting of GH signaling to STAT1 and STAT3 might partially compensate for the loss of STAT5A/B, but it certainly activates biological programs distinct from STAT5A/B. Here we discuss the extent to which studies on global gene expression profiling have fostered a better understanding of the biology behind cytokine-STAT5A/B networks in hepatocytes. We also explore whether this wealth of information on gene activity can be used to further understand the roles of cytokines in liver disease.


Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (7) ◽  
pp. 2151-2158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson Y. Chan ◽  
Mandy Kwong ◽  
Margaret Lo ◽  
Renee Emerson ◽  
Frans A. Kuypers

Abstract p45NF-E2 is a member of the cap ‘n’ collar (CNC)-basic leucine zipper family of transcriptional activators that is expressed at high levels in various types of blood cells. Mice deficient in p45NF-E2 that were generated by gene targeting have high mortality from bleeding resulting from severe thrombocytopenia. Survivingp45nf-e2−/− adults have mild anemia characterized by hypochromic red blood cells (RBCs), reticulocytosis, and splenomegaly. Erythroid abnormalities inp45nf-e2−/− animals were previously attributed to stress erythropoiesis caused by chronic bleeding and, possibly, ineffective erythropoiesis. Previous studies suggested that CNC factors might play essential roles in regulating expression of genes that protect cells against oxidative stress. In this study, we found that p45NF-E2–deficient RBCs have increased levels of reactive oxygen species and an increased susceptibility to oxidative-stress–induced damage. Deformability of p45NF-E2–deficient RBCs was markedly reduced with oxidative stress, and mutant cells had a reduced life span. One possible reason for increased sensitivity to oxidative stress is that catalase levels were reduced in mutant RBCs. These findings suggest a role for p45NF-E2 in the oxidative-stress response in RBCs and indicate that p45NF-E2 deficiency contributes to the anemia inp45nf-e2−/− mice.


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