Sp1-mediated transcriptional activation from the dominant promoter of the rat alpha1B adrenergic receptor gene in DDT1MF-2 cells

Hybridization of short complementary PNAs to G-quadruplex forming oligonucleotides: An electrospray mass spectrometry study

We investigated the interaction of the short peptide nucleic acid (PNA) strand [acccca]-PNA with oligodeoxynucleotides containing one, two, or four tracts of TGGGGT units. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry allowed exploring the wide variety of complex stoichiometries that were found to coexist in solution. In water, the PNA strand forms short heteroduplexes with the complementary DNA sequences, but higher-order structures are also found, with PNA(2n).DNA(n) triplex units, culminating in precipitation at very low ionic strength. In the presence of ammonium acetate, there is a competition between PNA.DNA heteroduplex formation and DNA G-quadruplex formation. Heteroduplex formation is favored when the PNA + DNA mixture in ammonium acetate is heated and cooled at room temperature, but not if the PNA is added at room temperature to the preformed G-quadruplex. We also found that the short [acccca]-PNA strand binds to G-quadruplexes.

Epigenetic regulation of human alpha1d-adrenergic receptor gene expression: a role for DNA methylation in Sp1-dependent regulation

A growing body of evidence implicates alpha1-adrenergic receptors (alpha1ARs) as potent regulators of growth pathways. The three alpha1AR subtypes (alpha1aAR, alpha1bAR, alpha1dAR) display highly restricted tissue expression that undergoes subtype switching with many pathological stimuli, the mechanistic basis of which remains unknown. To gain insight into transcriptional pathways governing cell-specific regulation of the human alpha1dAR subtype, we cloned and characterized the alpha1dAR promoter region in two human cellular models that display disparate levels of endogenous alpha1dAR expression (SK-N-MC and DU145). Results reveal that alpha1dAR basal expression is regulated by Sp1-dependent binding of two promoter-proximal GC boxes, the mutation of which attenuates alpha1dAR promoter activity 10-fold. Mechanistically, chromatin immunoprecipitation data demonstrate that Sp1 binding correlates with expression of the endogenous gene in vivo, correlating highly with alpha1dAR promoter methylation-dependent silencing of both episomally expressed reporter constructs and the endogenous gene. Further, analysis of methylation status of proximal GC boxes using sodium bisulfite sequencing reveals differential methylation of proximal GC boxes in the two cell lines examined. Together, the data support a mechanism of methylation-dependent disruption of Sp1 binding in a cell-specific manner resulting in repression of basal alpha1dAR expression.

Kinetics of double-chain reversals bridging contiguous quartets in tetramolecular quadruplexes

Repetitive 5′GGXGG DNA segments abound in, or near, regulatory regions of the genome and may form unusual structures called G-quadruplexes. Using NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that a family of 5′GCGGXGGY sequences adopts a folding topology containing double-chain reversals. The topology is composed of two bistranded quadruplex monomeric units linked by formation of G:C:G:C tetrads. We provide a complete thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of 13 different sequences using absorbance spectroscopy and DSC, and compare their kinetics with a canonical tetrameric parallel-stranded quadruplex formed by TG₄T. We demonstrate large differences (up to 10⁵-fold) in the association constants of these quadruplexes depending on primary sequence; the fastest samples exhibiting association rate equal or higher than the canonical TG₄T quadruplex. In contrast, all sequences studied here unfold at a lower temperature than this quadruplex. Some sequences have thermodynamic stability comparable to the canonical TG₄T tetramolecular quadruplex, but with faster association and dissociation. Sequence effects on the dissociation processes are discussed in light of structural data.

Trans-activators regulating neuronal glucose transporter isoform-3 gene expression in mammalian neurons

The murine facilitative glucose transporter isoform 3 is developmentally regulated and is predominantly expressed in neurons. By employing the primer extension assay, the transcription start site of the murine Glut 3 gene in the brain was localized to -305 bp 5' to the ATG translation start codon. Transient transfection assays in N2A neuroblasts using murine GLUT3-luciferase reporter constructs mapped enhancer activities to two regions located at -203 to -177 and -104 to -29 bp flanking a previously described repressor element (-137 to -130 bp). Dephosphorylated Sp1 and Sp3 proteins from the 1- and 21-day-old mouse brain nuclear extracts bound the repressor elements, whereas both dephosphorylated and phosphorylated cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) in N2A, 1- and 21-day-old mouse brain nuclear extracts bound the 5'-enhancer cis-elements (-187 to -180 bp) of the Glut 3 gene, and the Y box protein MSY-1 bound the sense strand of the -83- to -69-bp region. Sp3, CREB, and MSY-1 binding to the GLUT 3 DNA was confirmed by the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, whereas CREB and MSY-1 interaction was detected by the co-immunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, small interference RNA targeted at CREB in N2A cells decreased endogenous CREB concentrations, and CREB mediated GLUT 3 transcription. Thus, in the murine brain similar to the N2A cells, phosphorylated CREB and MSY-1 bound the Glut 3 gene trans-activating the expression in neurons, whereas Sp1/Sp3 bound the repressor elements. We speculate that phosphorylated CREB and Sp3 also interacted to bring about GLUT 3 expression in response to development/cell differentiation and neurotransmission.

Reciprocal regulation of beta(1)-adrenergic receptor gene transcription by Sp1 and early growth response gene 1: induction of EGR-1 inhibits the expression of the beta(1)-adrenergic receptor gene

The beta(1)-adrenergic receptor (beta(1)-AR) plays a key role in regulating heart rate and contractility in response to catecholamines. Our studies have focused on defining the factors that regulate the expression of the beta(1)-AR gene. We determined that a 65-base-pair (bp) region in the beta(1)-AR promoter between bp -394 and bp -330 directs basal transcription. An element located between -377 and -365 can bind Sp1 and Sp3. In Drosophila melanogaster SL2 cells, Sp1 stimulated the expression of the beta(1)-AR promoter, whereas Sp3 was unable to activate transcription. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that an intact Sp1-binding site is essential for maintaining the activity of the basal promoter. In addition to binding Sp family members, the nucleotides between -381 and -367 can bind the zinc-finger transcription factor Egr-1. The Egr-1 and Sp1 binding sites are partially overlapping and their binding sequence is conserved among mammalian beta(1)-AR genes. The induction of Egr-1 in rat neonatal ventricular myocytes with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate or in HeLa S3 cells by regulated expression of Egr-1 in a tetracycline-responsive promoter, suppressed expression from the beta(1)-AR promoter. Overexpression of Sp1 in SK-N-MC cells increased beta(1)-AR mRNA by 2.4-fold, whereas overexpression of Egr-1 reduced beta(1)-AR mRNA by 40%. Coexpression of Egr-1 with Sp1 reduced Sp1-mediated up-regulation of beta(1)-AR mRNA by 60%. Mutagenesis revealed that an intact Sp1-binding site is essential for observing transcriptional repression by Egr-1 and that Egr-1 suppressed the transcription of the beta(1)-AR gene by competing with Sp1 for binding to their overlapping sites. These results reveal a novel physiologically relevant transcriptional mechanism for reciprocal regulation of beta(1)-AR gene expression.

Nuclear factor 1 interferes with Sp1 binding through a composite element on the rat poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase promoter to modulate its activity in vitro

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) catalyzes the rapid and extensive poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins in response to DNA strand breaks, and its expression, although ubiquitous, is modulated from tissue to tissue and during cellular differentiation. PARP-1 gene promoters from human, rat, and mouse have been cloned, and they share a structure common to housekeeping genes, as they lack a functional TATA box and contain multiple GC boxes, which bind the transcriptional activator Sp1. We have previously shown that, although Sp1 is important for rat PARP1 (rPARP) promoter activity, its finely tuned modulation is likely dependent on other transcription factors that bind the rPARP proximal promoter in vitro. In this study, we identified one such factor as NF1-L, a rat liver isoform of the nuclear factor 1 family of transcription factors. The NF1-L site on the rPARP promoter overlaps one of the Sp1 binding sites previously identified, and we demonstrated that binding of both factors to this composite element is mutually exclusive. Furthermore, we provide evidence that NF1-L has no effect by itself on rPARP promoter activity, but rather down-regulates the Sp1 activity by interfering with its ability to bind the rPARP promoter in order to modulate transcription of the rPARP gene.

Sequencing and characterization of the human thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (SLC12A3) gene promoter

The thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter SLC12A3 displays expression restricted to distal convoluted tubule cells where it catalyzes the uptake of sodium and chloride through the apical membrane. We sequenced 1959 bp of the 5' flanking region of human SLC12A3, located the area of transcription initiation, and used deletion constructs of the flanking region to determine areas that affect reporter gene expression in two cell lines, MDCT and CHO. Amplification of the 5' end of SLC12A3 cDNA from an adapter-ligated human kidney cDNA library demonstrated that transcription initiation is confined to an area from -18 to -6 bp upstream of the translation start codon. Maximum promoter activity (9.815 +/- 0.864 times control) was observed in MDCT cells using a promoter containing 1019 bp of the 5' flanking region. A promoter containing only 134 bp of the 5' flanking region upstream of the translation initiation codon maintained reporter gene expression at levels equal to 75% of that maximally observed (7.375 +/- 0.533 times control). Sequence analysis of this minimal promoter responsible for most of the SLC12A3 promoter activity revealed a TATA element, two Sp binding sites, a potential E box, and a potential binding site for NF-1/CTF or NY-I/CP-I. This promoter, and all other promoter constructs from SLC12A3, displayed repressor activity in CHO cells. A construct containing sequence 94 bp upstream of the initiation codon with two potential Sp binding sites was required for this repression. Protein-DNA interactions between the 182 bp region immediately upstream of the start codon and the nuclear proteins from rat kidney cortex and HeLa cells were examined to further clarify the role of the putative binding sites for SLC12A3 expression. Physiological studies investigating the effects of osmolarity, pH, and mineralocorticoid steroid on promoter activity demonstrated that the promoter activity was repressed by acidification, whereas no effects of increased osmolarity or deoxycorticosterone acetate addition were observed.

Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor regulation: basic science and clinical implications

Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are members of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, which includes alpha 1ARs, alpha 2ARs, beta 1ARs, beta 2ARs, beta 3ARs, adenosine, muscarinic, angiotensin, endothelin receptors, and many others that are responsible for a large variety of physiologic effects through G-protein coupling. This review focuses on alpha 1ARs and their regulation at both the mRNA and protein levels. Currently, three alpha 1AR subtypes have been characterized both pharmacologically and at the gene level: alpha 1aAR, alpha 1bAR, and alpha 1dAR. These are expressed in a species- and tissue-dependent manner. Mutagenesis approaches have been extremely valuable in the identification of key residues that govern alpha 1AR ligand binding and signaling. These studies reveal that alpha 1ARs have evolved an exquisitely sensitive regulation of their activity in which any disruption of the native structure has profound effects on subsequent function and effector coupling. Significant advances have also been made in the elucidation of signaling pathway components, resulting in the identification of novel pathways that can lead to pathologic conditions. Specific topics include mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and G-protein-coupled receptor cross-talk pathways. Within this context, recent studies identifying underlying transcriptional mechanisms involved in the regulation of the alpha 1AR subtypes are also discussed. Finally, given the potentially important role of alpha 1ARs in the vasculature, as well as in the pathology of many diseases, such as myocardial hypertrophy and benign prostatic hyperplasia, the clinical relevance of alpha 1AR distribution, pharmacology, and therapeutic intervention is reviewed.

Transcriptional regulation of alpha1-adrenoceptor gene in the rat liver during different phases of sepsis

Changes in alpha1-adrenoceptor (alpha1AR) gene expression in the rat liver during different phases of sepsis were studied. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Septic rats exhibit two metabolically distinct phases: an initial hyperglycemic phase (9 h after CLP, early sepsis) followed by a hypoglycemic phase (18 h after CLP; late sepsis). The [3H]prazosin binding studies show that the density of alpha1AR was increased by 30% during the early phase while it was decreased by 24% during the late phase of sepsis. Western blot analyses reveal that alpha1AR protein level was elevated by 48% during early sepsis but was decreased by 55% during late sepsis. Northern blot analyses depict that the steady-state level of alpha1bAR mRNA was enhanced by 21% during the early phase but was declined by 29% during the late phase of sepsis. Nuclear run-off assays show that the transcription rate of alpha1bAR gene transcript was increased by 76% during early sepsis while it was decreased by 29% during late sepsis. The actinomycin D pulse-chase studies indicate that the half-life of alpha1bAR mRNA remained unaffected during the early and the late phases of sepsis. These findings demonstrate that during the early phase of sepsis, the increase in the rate of transcription of alpha1bAR gene paralleled with the elevations in the alpha1bAR mRNA abundance and alpha1AR protein level, while during the late phase of sepsis, the decrease in the rate of transcription of alpha1bAR gene coincided with the declines in the alpha1bAR mRNA abundance and the alpha1AR protein level in the rat liver. These observations indicate that the altered expression of alpha1AR genes in the rat liver during the progression of sepsis was regulated transcriptionally.

The simian virus 40 core C enhancer-like element is a positive regulator in the rat alpha1B adrenergic receptor gene proximal promoter

Transcription of the rat alpha1B adrenergic receptor (alpha1B AR) gene is controlled by three promoters (P1, P2, and P3), which generate 2.3-, 2.7-, and 3.3-kb transcripts, respectively. The expression of the 2.3-kb mRNA species is tissue-specific. To explore the underlying mechanism, the P1 promoter was analyzed. DNase I footprinting of the P1 promoter yielded three protected regions: Plfl(-49 to -62); P1f2 (-73 to -90), and P1f3 (-95 to -115). Sequence analysis of P1f3 revealed the presence of an SV40 core C enhancer-like element. In gel mobility shift assays, P1f3 was found to bind a sequence specific protein, which was competed away by a SV40 core C enhancer consensus oligonucleotide. Mutations of this enhancer-like core sequence within P1f3 significantly reduced specific protein binding to P1f3 and inhibited P1 promoter activity. The distribution of the protein which binds to P1f3 is restricted. These findings suggest that the P1 promoter is controlled by a cell-type-specific transcription factor, which may account for the tissue-specific expression of 2.3-kb rat alpha1B AR mRNA species.

Cell type-specific transcriptional activation and suppression of the alpha1B adrenergic receptor gene middle promoter by nuclear factor 1

Nuclear factor 1 (NF1) has been reported to be a transcriptional activator for some genes and a transcriptional silencer for others. Here we report that in Hep3B cells, cotransfection of NF1/L, NF1/Red1, or NF1/X with the alpha1B adrenergic receptor (alpha1BAR) gene middle (P2) promoter increases P2 activity to more or less the same degree, whereas in DDT1 MF-2 cells cotransfection of NF1/L or NF1/Red1 causes a small but statistically significant decrease in the P2 promoter activity, and NF1/X causes a greater, 70% inhibition. Further experiments using truncated NF1/X mutants indicate that NF1/X contains both positive and negative regulatory domains. The positive domain, located between amino acids 416 and 505, is active in Hep3B cells, whereas the negative domain, located between amino acids 243 and 416, is active in DDT1 MF-2 cells. These functional domains are also capable of regulating transcription when isolated from their natural context and fused into the GAL4 binding domain. Furthermore, NF1 affinity purified from rat liver nuclear extracts copurified with a non-DNA binding protein, which can bind to the P2 promoter of the alpha1BAR gene via interacting with NF1. Taken together, these findings indicate that NF1/X contains both activation and suppression domains that may be recognized and modulated by cell type-specific cofactors. This may be one of the mechanisms whereby NF1 can activate or suppress the expression of different genes, and it may also underlie the tissue-specific regulation of the alpha1B AR gene.

Sp1 and Sp3 regulate transcriptional activity of the facilitative glucose transporter isoform-3 gene in mammalian neuroblasts and trophoblasts

The murine facilitative glucose transporter isoform 3 (Glut 3) is developmentally regulated and is predominantly expressed in neurons and trophoblasts. Employing the primer extension and RNase protection assays, the transcription start site (denoted as +1) of the murine Glut 3 gene was localized to 305 base pairs (bp) 5' to the ATG translation start codon. Transient transfection assays in N2A, H19-7 neuroblasts, and HRP.1 trophoblasts using sequential 5'-deletions of the murine Glut 3-luciferase fusion gene indicated that the -203 to +237 bp region with reference to the transcriptional start site contained promoter activity. Repressor function was limited to the -137 to -130 bp region within the transcriptional activation domain. The nuclear factors Sp1 and Sp3 bound this GC-rich region in N2A, H19-7, and HRP.1 cells. Dephosphorylation of Sp1 was essential for Glut 3 DNA binding. The related Sp3 protein also bound this same region of mouse Glut 3 in all three cell lines. Mutations of the Sp1-binding site employed in transient transfection and mobility shift assays confirmed the nature of the DNA-binding proteins, while supershift assays with anti-Sp1 and anti-Sp3 IgGs characterized the differences in the two DNA-binding proteins. Co-transfection of the Glut 3-luciferase fusion gene with or without mutations of the Sp1-binding site along with the Sp1 or Sp3 expression vectors in Drosophila SL2 cells confirmed a reciprocal effect, with Sp1 suppressing and Sp3 activating Glut 3 gene transcription.