Sequences at the 3' side of the c-fos SRE mediate gene expression via an Sob1-dependent, TCF-independent pathway

MIP-1alpha induces differential MAP kinase activation and IkappaB gene expression in human B lymphocytes

The chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) stimulates migration of B cells and affects B cell immunoglobulin production. However, the molecular mechanisms by which MIP-1alpha modulates these biologic effects have not been completely defined. Previously, we demonstrated that treatment of B cells with MIP-1alpha induced the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, to bind to DNA, concomitant with the degradation of IkappaBalpha, a cytoplasmic inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation. Here, we report that MIP-1alpha treatment of tonsil B cells induced IkappaB gene expression that was dependent on MIP-1alpha-mediated activation of a pathway(s) involving NF-kappaB and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K). The NF-kappaB pathway is understood to be controlled in an autoregulatory fashion, so expression of IkappaB is thought to provide a means by which B cells modulate this pathway after stimulation with MIP-1alpha. Although the idea of NF-kappaB autoregulation is not novel, this is the first report to suggest the regulation of B cell gene expression by MIP-1alpha. In addition, we observed the activation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogenic-activated protein kinase (MAPK), but not extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) in response to MIP-1alpha. Although p38 and NF-kappaB activity were both necessary for B cell migration, IkappaB gene expression was not affected by p38 inhibition, suggesting that p38 is involved in a separate MIP-1alpha-mediated signal transduction pathway.

Modulation of apolipoprotein D and apolipoprotein E mRNA expression by growth arrest and identification of key elements in the promoter

Apolipoprotein D (apoD) and apolipoprotein E (apoE) are co-expressed in many tissues, and, in certain neuropathological situations, their expression appears to be under coordinate regulation. We have previously shown that apoD gene expression in cultured human fibroblasts is up-regulated when the cells undergo growth arrest. Here, we demonstrate that, starting around day 2 of growth arrest, both apoD and apoE mRNA levels increase between 1.5- and 27-fold in other cell types, including mouse primary fibroblasts and fibroblast-like and human astrocytoma cell lines. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of apoD expression, we have used apoD promoter-luciferase reporter constructs to compare gene expression in growing cells and in cells that have undergone growth arrest. Analysis of gene expression in cells transfected with constructs with deletions and mutations in the apoD promoter and constructs with artificial promoters demonstrated that the region between nucleotides -174 and -4 is fully responsible for the basal gene expression, whereas the region from -558 to -179 is implicated in the induction of apoD expression following growth arrest. Within this region, an alternating purine-pyrimidine stretch and a pair of serum-responsive elements (SRE) were found to be major determinants of growth arrest-induced apoD gene expression. Evidence is also presented that SREs in the apoE promoter may contribute to the up-regulation of apoE gene expression following growth arrest.

MIP-1alpha induces binding of nuclear factors to the kappaB DNA element in human B cells

The chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1alpha) stimulates migration of B cells through an unknown mechanism. Furthermore, little is known about signal transduction mechanisms through which MIP-1alpha might signal phenotypic changes in B cells. We are investigating the role of MIP-1alpha in B cell signaling. Here we report that stimulation of the Ramos B cell line or tonsil B or peripheral blood-B (PBL-B) cells with MIP-1alpha caused the transcription factor NF-kappaB to bind to DNA. NF-kappaB induction was dose dependent, and was transient, with peak induction occurring at 30 min. MIP-1alpha treatment stimulated the degradation of IkappaBalpha, a cytoplasmic inhibitor of NF-kappaB. The biological significance of NF-kappaB activation by MIP-1alpha is currently unknown, but it is known that NF-kappaB modulates expression of genes involved in many inflammatory and immune responses. Here we show that NF-kappaB activation is a target of signals sent into B cells by MIP-1alpha.