Regulation of CCK mRNA in the human neuroepithelioma cell line SK-N-MCIXC in response to second messenger activators

The human mineralocorticoid receptor gene promoter: its structure and expression

The structure and expression of a clone containing the promoter region, all of exon 1, and part of the first intron of the human mineralocorticoid receptor (hMR) gene is presented. The clone has three sets of CAAT and TATA elements, one located at the very 5'-end of the clone, one located just 5'- to the start of transcription, and one set located in intron A, approximately 300 bp into the intron. The major start of transcription site by primer extension analysis and ribonuclease protection assays is located 26 bp downstream of a TATA-like box (TTTAA) and 90 and 143 bp downstream, respectively, of two CCAAT boxes. Putative cis-transcription factor binding sites are as follows: two potential AP1 sites, one potential AP2 site, two ATF/CREB sites, six potential GC boxes or SP1 sites, one potential perfect half-palindromic estrogen response element, and three potential PEA3 sites. Therefore, the hMR promoter region contains elements characteristic of both regulated genes and "housekeeping" genes. CAT assays of overlapping deletions of the promoter region demonstrated tissue-specific regulation in human neuroepithelioma (SK-N-MC-IXC) and non-neuronal, peripheral choriocarcinoma cell lines (JEG-3).

Differential modulation of prohormone convertase mRNA by second messenger activators in two cholecystokinin-producing cell lines

Regulation of prohormone convertase expression was studied in two neuropeptide-producing cell lines, the human neuroepithelioma cell line SK-N-MCIXC and the rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line WE 4/2. The cells were treated with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutyl-methylxanthine and the tumor-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol-12-myristate-13 acetate, activators of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) and protein kinase C (PKC) second messenger pathways, respectively. mRNA levels of prohormone convertase 1 (PC1), prohormone convertase 2 (PC2), and furin were determined after 3- and 6-h treatments, using Northern analysis. Activation of both cAMP and PKC pathways increased PC1, but not PC2 or furin mRNA levels in SK-N-MCIXC cells. Activation of the cAMP pathway increased PC1, PC2, and furin mRNA levels in WE 4/2 cells, whereas activation of the PKC pathway did not change prohormone convertase mRNA levels in this cell line. These results indicate that prohormone convertases may be differentially regulated by cAMP and PKC mechanisms and regulation may be tissue specific.

Vitamin D3 effects on basal and cAMP modulated expression of cholecystokinin and somatostatin genes in a rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line [CA-77]

The regulation of cholecystokinin and somatostatin expression by vitamin D and cyclic AMP in the rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line CA-77 was investigated. Treatment with 100 nmol/l vitamin D did not affect cholecystokinin mRNA and peptide concentrations significantly; somatostatin mRNA level increased 6 times and the somatostatin peptide concentration increased 2-fold after 5 days of drug treatment. Under the same experimental conditions cyclic AMP increased cholecystokinin mRNA level 4.5 times and the cellular cholecystokinin-peptide concentration 2-fold; somatostatin mRNA and peptide concentrations were not significantly changed. Cyclic AMP stimulated peptide secretion from the cells were not affected by vitamin D, but cyclic AMP mediated increase in CCK peptide concentration was significantly inhibited by vitamin D (p < 0.05).