Project description:Specific regulation of target genes by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a given cellular context is determined in part by transcription factors and cofactors that interact with the Smad complex. In the present study, we determined Smad2 and Smad3 (Smad2/3) binding regions in the promoters of known genes in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells, and compared them to those in HaCaT epidermal keratinocytes to elucidate the mechanisms of cell type- and context-dependent regulation of transcription induced by TGF-β. Our results show that 81% of the Smad2/3 binding regions in HepG2 cells were not shared with those found in HaCaT cells. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is expressed in HepG2 cells, but not in HaCaT cells, and the HNF4α binding motif was identified as an enriched motif in the HepG2-specific Smad2/3 binding regions. ChIP-sequencing analysis of HNF4A binding regions under TGF-β stimulation revealed that 32.5% of the Smad2/3 binding regions overlapped HNF4A bindings. MIXL1 was identified as a new combinatorial target of HNF4A and Smad2/3, and both the HNF4A protein and its binding motif were required for the induction of MIXL1 by TGF-β in HepG2 cells. These findings generalize the importance of binding of HNF4A on Smad2/3 binding genomic regions for HepG2-specific regulation of transcription by TGF-β, and suggest that certain transcription factors expressed in a cell-type-specific manner play important roles in the transcription regulated by the TGF-β-Smad signaling pathway. HepG2 cells were treated with TGF-beta for 1.5 h or left untreated. anti-HNF4A ChIP-seq was performed. One lane was used for each sample.
Project description:Specific regulation of target genes by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a given cellular context is determined in part by transcription factors and cofactors that interact with the Smad complex. In the present study, we determined Smad2 and Smad3 (Smad2/3) binding regions in the promoters of known genes in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells, and compared them to those in HaCaT epidermal keratinocytes to elucidate the mechanisms of cell type- and context-dependent regulation of transcription induced by TGF-β. Our results show that 81% of the Smad2/3 binding regions in HepG2 cells were not shared with those found in HaCaT cells. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is expressed in HepG2 cells, but not in HaCaT cells, and the HNF4α binding motif was identified as an enriched motif in the HepG2-specific Smad2/3 binding regions. ChIP-sequencing analysis of HNF4A binding regions under TGF-β stimulation revealed that 32.5% of the Smad2/3 binding regions overlapped HNF4A bindings. MIXL1 was identified as a new combinatorial target of HNF4A and Smad2/3, and both the HNF4A protein and its binding motif were required for the induction of MIXL1 by TGF-β in HepG2 cells. These findings generalize the importance of binding of HNF4A on Smad2/3 binding genomic regions for HepG2-specific regulation of transcription by TGF-β, and suggest that certain transcription factors expressed in a cell-type-specific manner play important roles in the transcription regulated by the TGF-β-Smad signaling pathway.
Project description:Specific regulation of target genes by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a given cellular context is determined in part by transcription factors and cofactors that interact with the Smad complex. In the present study, we determined Smad2 and Smad3 (Smad2/3) binding regions in the promoters of known genes in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells, and compared them to those in HaCaT epidermal keratinocytes to elucidate the mechanisms of cell-type- and context-dependent regulation of transcription induced by TGF-β. Our results show that 81% of the Smad2/3 binding regions in HepG2 cells were not shared with those found in HaCaT cells. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is expressed in HepG2 cells, but not in HaCaT cells, and the HNF4α binding motif was identified as an enriched motif in the HepG2-specific Smad2/3 binding regions. ChIP-sequencing analysis of HNF4α binding regions under TGFα stimulation revealed that 32.5% of the Smad2/3 binding regions overlapped HNF4α bindings. MIXL1 was identified as a new combinatorial target of HNF4α and Smad2/3, and both the HNF4α protein and its binding motif were required for the induction of MIXL1 by TGF-β in HepG2 cells. These findings generalize the importance of binding of HNF4α on Smad2/3 binding genomic regions for HepG2-specific regulation of transcription by TGF-β, and suggest that certain transcription factors expressed in a cell-type-specific manner play important roles in the transcription regulated by the TGF-β-Smad signaling pathway.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.