Roles of Brahma and Brahma/SWI2-related gene 1 in hypoxic induction of the erythropoietin gene

Edaravone inhibits the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human astrocytes exposed to hypoxia

Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one), a free radical scavenger, reduces brain edema in patients with acute ischemic stroke. We have addressed the effect of edaravone on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potential mediator of brain edema, in astrocytes exposed to hypoxia. Normal human astrocytes in culture were treated with edaravone, and the levels of VEGF mRNA and protein were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), a transcriptional activator of VEGF, was examined by RT-PCR, real-time PCR and western blotting; and the binding of HIF-1alpha to the promoter region of VEGF gene by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Edaravone moderately suppressed the expression of VEGF mRNA and protein in astrocytes under hypoxia in time- and concentration-dependent manners. It also suppressed the accumulation of HIF-1alpha in the nuclei under hypoxia. ChIP assay confirmed that edaravone reduced HIF-1alpha binding to VEGF promoter. We conclude that edaravone inhibits VEGF expression in astrocytes exposed to hypoxia, at least partly, through the down-regulation of HIF-1alpha. These findings offer a partial explanation for the protective effect of edaravone on the development of brain edema in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Gene regulation under low oxygen: holding your breath for transcription

Oxygen is both an environmental and developmental signal that governs important cellular pathways. Therefore, hypoxia (or low oxygen tensions) is part of both physiological and pathological processes. To deal with hypoxic conditions, cells and organisms have evolved exquisite mechanisms for adaptation and survival. The cellular responses are reliant on controlled transcriptional and post-transcriptional events, where certain genes are positively regulated and others either remain inactive or are actively repressed. It has been known for some time that, during hypoxia, transcription is mainly regulated by the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). However, recently it has been demonstrated that additional transcription factors are also activated and that non-HIF-dependent processes are involved in the hypoxic stress response. Therefore, gene expression following hypoxia is the result of combined effects on transcription, translation and adjustment mechanisms such as the induction of microRNAs and changes in chromatin.

Hypoxia-induced and stress-specific changes in chromatin structure and function

Cellular adaptation to stress relies on specific, regulated responses to evoke changes in gene expression. Stresses such as hypoxia, heat shock, oxidative stress and DNA-damage activate signaling cascades that ultimately lead to either induction or repression of stress-responsive genes. In this review, we concentrate on the mechanisms by which stress-induced signaling promotes alterations in chromatin structure, whether the read-out is activation or repression of transcription. Specific alterations in chromatin are highly regulated and dictated by the type of imposed stress. Our primary focus is on the types of chromatin alterations that occur under hypoxic conditions, which exist within a majority of tumors, and to compare these to changes in chromatin structure that occur in response to a wide variety of cellular stresses.

Integration of oxygen signaling at the consensus HRE

The hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) was initially identified as a transcription factor that regulated erythropoietin gene expression in response to a decrease in oxygen availability in kidney tissue. Subsequently, a family of oxygen-dependent protein hydroxylases was found to regulate the abundance and activity of three oxygen-sensitive HIFalpha subunits, which, as part of the HIF heterodimer, regulated the transcription of at least 70 different effector genes. In addition to responding to a decrease in tissue oxygenation, HIF is proactively induced, even under normoxic conditions, in response to stimuli that lead to cell growth, ultimately leading to higher oxygen consumption. The growing cell thus profits from an anticipatory increase in HIF-dependent target gene expression. Growth stimuli-activated signaling pathways that influence the abundance and activity of HIFs include pathways in which kinases are activated and pathways in which reactive oxygen species are liberated. These pathways signal to the HIF protein hydroxylases, as well as to HIF itself, by means of covalent or redox modifications and protein-protein interactions. The final point of integration of all of these pathways is the hypoxia-response element (HRE) of effector genes. Here, we provide comprehensive compilations of the known growth stimuli that promote increases in HIF abundance, of protein-protein interactions involving HIF, and of the known HIF effector genes. The consensus HRE derived from a comparison of the HREs of these HIF effectors will be useful for identification of novel HIF target genes, design of oxygen-regulated gene therapy, and prediction of effects of future drugs targeting the HIF system.

Activation of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1 Transcription by Chromatin Remodeling Complex

Objective— Liver X receptor (LXR) regulates the transcription of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) by binding to the DR-4 promoter element as a heterodimer with retinoid X receptor (RXR). The role of chromatin remodeling complex in LXR or ABCA1 activation has not been established previously. In this study, we investigated the activation of ABCA1 by brahma-related gene 1 (BRG-1) and brahma, members of the SWI/SNF (mating type switching/sucrose nonfermenting) chromatin remodeling complex.

Methods and Results— Overexpression of wild-type BRG-1 in SW-13 cells, but not a catalytically inactive mutant, increased ABCA1 mRNA levels determined by RT-PCR. These effects were enhanced by LXR and RXR agonists. In 293T (epithelial kidney cell line) and Hep3B (hepatocyte cell line) cells, small interfering RNA against BRG-1/brm also affected ABCA1 mRNA levels. Synergistic activation of ABCA1 was obtained after coexpressing BRG-1 and SRC-1, a coactivator of LXR. Luciferase assays showed that this activation of ABCA1 was dependent on the promoter DR-4 element. Coimmunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies indicated that the mechanism of BRG-1–mediated activation of ABCA1 involved interaction of LXR/RXR with BRG-1 and binding of this complex to ABCA1 promoter.

Conclusions— Catalytic subunits of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, BRG-1 and brahma, play significant roles in enhancing LXR/RXR–mediated transcription of ABCA1 via the promoter DR-4 element.

The candidate tumor suppressor ING4 represses activation of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)

The hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) plays an important role in the progression of a number of pathophysiological processes including tumorigenesis. In addition to several well characterized oxygen-dependent modes of regulation, the function of the HIF transcription factor can also be influenced through the action of other regulatory pathways. Misregulation of these factors resulting in inappropriate HIF expression or activity can contribute to the progression of human cancers through the induction of genes promoting angiogenesis, glycolysis, cell survival, and metastasis, among other processes. The candidate tumor suppressor protein inhibitor of growth family member 4 (ING4) has recently been implicated as a repressor of angiogenesis and tumor growth through association with NF-kappaB. Here we demonstrate that suppression of ING4 further induces HIF transcriptional activity as well. ING4 directly associates with the HIF prolyl hydroxylase, an Fe(II)-dependent oxygenase previously shown to mediate HIF stability as a function of oxygen availability. However, rather than affecting HIF's stability, ING4 mediates HIF's activity. These data support a model in which, in addition to regulating HIF stability, HIF prolyl hydroxylases can modulate HIF function through the recruitment of ING4, a likely component of a chromatin-remodeling complex.

Retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product pRB activates hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) constitutes a regulatory subunit of HIF-1, a major transcriptional activator of genes that coordinate physiological and pathological responses towards hypoxia. In order to identify novel interaction partners of HIF-1alpha we have applied T7 phage display system and identified a domain inherent in the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). The interaction between pRB and HIF-1alpha was confirmed by in vitro experiments and in transfected cells. Thereby, an HIF-1alpha domain spanning amino acids 530-694 was mapped to be required for pRB binding. Overexpression of pRB provoked transcriptional activation of HIF-1alpha under normoxia. Furthermore, the domain of pRB identified to bind HIF-1alpha in vitro is sufficient to cause HIF-1alpha transcriptional activation with the further notion that phosphorylation deficient pRB shows stronger HIF-1alpha transactivation. Using ChIP analysis, we show that HIF-1alpha responsive elements (HREs) are precipitated using alpha-pRB antibodies. Additionally, a functional interaction between pRB and HIF-1alpha is confirmed by showing that HIF-1alpha reverses the transcription repressor function of pRB.