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Members of the CAAT/enhancer-binding protein, hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 and nuclear factor-1 families can differentially modulate the activities of the rat alpha-fetoprotein promoter and enhancer.

ABSTRACT: The promoter of the rat alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene, which makes the expression of the developmentally regulated AFP gene specific to the liver, is a putative target for transcription factors of the CAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP), hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1) and nuclear factor-1 (NF-1) families. We have evaluated the influence of these factors on the activity of the AFP promoter by transfection of HepG2 hepatoma cells with the appropriate expression vector plus a CAT plasmid under the control of the AFP promoter. A similar plasmid bearing the rat albumin promoter was used as a control. C/EBP alpha, C/EBP beta and D-binding protein (DBP) acted as trans-activators on the AFP promoter, whereas liver inhibitory protein (LIP), a truncated form of C/EBP beta, was a potent negative regulator of the promoter. C/EBP alpha also bound to and stimulated the activity of the AFP enhancer at -2.5 kb. Interestingly, HNF-1 beta was found to be more potent than HNF-1 alpha in activating the AFP promoter. This effect was specific, as it did not occur with the rat albumin promoter. HNF-1 beta, which is produced earlier than HNF-1 alpha during liver development, would thus have the greater influence on the AFP promoter in early development. Both HNF-1s allowed expression of the AFP promoter in cells of nonhepatic origin. Overexpression of NF-1 induced a specific decrease in the activity of the AFP promoter. This strongly suggests that competition between NF-1 and HNF-1 for binding to their overlapping binding sites on the AFP promoter is critical for modulating its activity. Thus changing combinations of these trans-acting factors may tightly modulate the AFP promoter activity in the course of liver development and carcinogenesis.

SUBMITTER: Bois-Joyeux B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1137141 | biostudies-other | 1994 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:The sensitization of hepatocytes to cell death from tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF?) underlies many forms of hepatic injury, including that from toxins. Critical for hepatocyte resistance to TNF? toxicity is activation of nuclear factor ?B (NF-?B) signaling, which prevents TNF?-induced death by the up-regulation of protective proteins. To further define the mechanisms of hepatocyte sensitization to TNF? killing, immunoblot analysis comparing livers from mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone or LPS together with the hepatotoxin galactosamine (GalN) was performed to identify TNF?-induced protective proteins blocked by GalN. Levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ? (C/EBP?) were increased after LPS treatment but not GalN/LPS treatment. In a nontransformed rat hepatocyte cell line, TNF?-induced increases in C/EBP? protein levels were dependent on NF-?B-mediated inhibition of proteasomal degradation. Pharmacological inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) did not affect C/EBP? degradation, indicating that the process was JNK-independent. C/EBP? functioned to prevent cell death as adenoviral C/EBP? overexpression blocked TNF?-induced apoptosis in cells sensitized to TNF? toxicity by NF-?B inhibition. C/EBP? inhibited TNF?-induced caspase 8 activation and downstream mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase 3 and caspase 7 activation. Studies in primary hepatocytes from c/ebp?(-/-) mice confirmed that loss of C/EBP? increased death from TNF?. c/ebp?(-/-) mice were also sensitized to liver injury from a nontoxic dose of LPS or TNF?. The absence of jnk2 failed to reverse the GalN-induced block in C/EBP? induction by LPS, again demonstrating that C/EBP? degradation was JNK-independent.C/EBP? is up-regulated by TNF? and mediates hepatocyte resistance to TNF? toxicity by inhibiting caspase-dependent apoptosis. In the absence of NF-?B signaling, proteasomal degradation of C/EBP? is increased by a JNK-independent mechanism and promotes death from TNF?.

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Members of the CAAT/enhancer-binding protein, hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 and nuclear factor-1 families can differentially modulate the activities of the rat alpha-fetoprotein promoter and enhancer.

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