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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 33, 30478-30486, August 15, 2003
ARP-1/COUP-TF II Determines Hepatoma Phenotype by Acting as Both a Transcriptional Repressor of Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein and an Inducer of CYP7A1*![]() From the Mammalian Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Institute and Heart Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182-4614
Received for publication, April 22, 2003 , and in revised form, May 29, 2003.
L35 and FAO cells were derived as single cell isolates from H35 cells. Whereas L35 cells do not express microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), which regulates lipoprotein secretion, they express CYP7A1, which regulates bile acid synthesis from cholesterol. FAO cells display the opposite phenotype (i.e. expression of MTP but not CYP7A1). We examined the molecular basis of the transcriptional inactivation of the MTP gene in L35 cells. Nested deletion and mutagenesis studies show that a conserved DR1 element within the 135-bp proximal MTP promoter is responsible for differential expression by L35 and FAO cells. Yeast one-hybrid screening identified apolipoprotein A1 regulatory protein-1/chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (ARP-1/COUP-TFII) and retinoid X receptor (RXR ) as the protein factors that can bind to the conserved DR1
element. Nuclear extracts from L35 cells contained 2-fold more ARP-1/COUP-TFII
and 50% less RXR than those from FAO cells. Immunologic studies show
that in L35 cells, ARP-1/COUP-TFII is bound to the DR1 element, whereas in FAO
cells, a complex containing RXR is bound to the DR1 element.
Co-transfection studies show that ARP-1/COUP-TFII repressed MTP promoter
activity by 70% in FAO hepatoma cells, whereas RXR and its ligand
9-cis-retinoic acid increased MTP promoter activity by 6-fold in L35
cells. The combined data suggest that in the context of the MTP promoter,
ARP-1/COUP-TFII (repressor) and a complex containing RXR (inducer)
compete for the DR1 element. Analysis of the CYP7A1 promoter revealed that it
is 5-fold more active in L35 cells than in FAO cells. Co-transfection of
an ARP-1/COUP-TFII expression vector showed that it enhances CYP7A1 promoter
activity by 6-fold in FAO cells. These combined findings indicate that
ARP-1/COUP-TFII acts as both a transcriptional repressor (of MTP) and as a
transcription activator (of CYP7A1). This dual function of ARP-1/COUP-TFII may
play an important role in determining the metabolic phenotype of individual
liver cells.
Individual liver cells, distinguished by their anatomical localization within the portal triad and their relative expression of genes, allow the liver to provide diverse anabolic and catabolic functions. Hepatocytes localized near the portal vein express high levels of lipogenic (1) and gluconeogenic (2) enzymes, whereas those localized near the central vein express high levels of catabolic (CYP7A1) (3, 4) and glycolytic (2) enzymes. Environmental differences caused by hormonal, nutritional, and xenobiotic variations in portal versus central blood result in zonal distinctions in the gene expression of transcription factors within the hepatic acinus (5). The molecular mechanisms responsible for the distinct subsets of genes expressed by individual liver cells remain unknown. We have derived and characterized stable lines of rat hepatoma cells in order to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic expression of the anabolic lipoprotein assembly pathway regulated by microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP)1 and the catabolic pathway through which cholesterol is converted into bile acids by the rate-limiting enzyme CYP7A1.
The liver is the major site for both the production of plasma lipoproteins and their uptake from plasma and catabolism (reviewed in Ref. 6). The production of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins by the liver is mainly regulated by the relative amount of de novo synthesized apoB that is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum and assembled into a secretion-competent lipoprotein particle (710). MTP, an intraluminal protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (11), plays an important role in regulating the assembly and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins (1216). In humans, the loss of MTP function blocks the production of apoB-containing lipoproteins by both the intestine and the liver (11). On the other hand, the catabolic bile acid biosynthetic pathway, regulated by CYP7A1, is the major route through which hepatic (and total body) cholesterol homeostasis is maintained (1720). Hepatic cholesterol levels indirectly regulate the expression of low density lipoprotein receptors via changes in serum response element (SRE)-binding proteins (21). Thus, the expression of CYP7A1 indirectly regulates the expression of low density lipoprotein receptors (22, 23). Bile acids, which are the end products of the CYP7A1 reaction, stimulate the secretion of phospholipids and cholesterol into bile (24). Thus, the relative expression levels of MTP and CYP7A1 by individual hepatic parenchymal cells are important determinants of whether phospholipids and cholesterol are targeted into plasma (lipoproteins) or bile (biliary lipids). We have isolated stable cell clones from rat hepatoma cells as a means to understand the mechanisms through which liver-specific genes controlling cholesterol metabolism and lipoprotein production are regulated. Whereas all cell lines express many genes commonly considered as markers of liver parenchymal cells (e.g. albumin and apolipoproteins), they display distinct phenotypes characterized by their differential expression of either CYP7A1 or MTP. One single cell clone (L35 cells) expresses CYP7A1 at levels similar to that of rat liver (2528) but expresses no detectable MTP (29). In contrast, another line (FAO cells) do not express detectable levels of CYP7A1 enzyme activity or mRNA but do express high levels of MTP (2529). The lack of MTP expression in L35 cells causes a complete block in their ability to assemble and secrete apoB-containing lipoproteins (29). Detailed analysis of L35 cells showed that their inability to express MTP is caused by a block in the transcription of the MTP gene (29). In the present report, we provide evidence showing that ARP-1/COUP-TFII (30, 31) plays a dual role in producing the L35 cell phenotype. Thus, both the transcriptional repression of the MTP gene and induction of the CYP7A1 gene displayed by L35 cells require the association of ARP-1/COUP-TFII to specific promoter elements in each gene.
Cell CultureCells were cultured and transfected as described previously (29). FAO cells were obtained as a gift from Franz Simon (University of Colorado). L35 cells were obtained as described (25).
Cells were transfected using LipofectAMINE reagent (Invitrogen) according
to the protocols from the manufacturer, with minor modifications
(29). A day before
transfection, L35 and FAO cells (2 x 105) were seeded on
12-well plates. On the day of transfection, cells were transfected with 0.6
µg of promoter/luciferase reporter construct and 6 ng of pRL-CMV plasmid as
an internal control to normalize the MTP promoter activity for differences in
transfection efficiency. The normalized pRL-CMV activities are reported
relative to activity of the empty vector (no insert) from parallel experiments
performed at the same time with the same reagents and cells. Varying doses of
COUP-TFII or RXR Reporter Gene Constructs and Expression VectorsSeveral chimeric fusion constructs containing various lengths of the 5'-flanking MTP sequence cloned upstream of the luciferase reporter gene were prepared. Initially, the 612/+84 fragment of the human MTP promoter was amplified by PCR using the MTP expression vector (a gift from Dr. N. Hariharan) as a template. The amplified fragment was then cloned into KpnI and BglII sites of promoterless luciferase reporter vector, pGL3Basic (Promega). The subsequent 5' deletions for human MTP promoters were generated by PCR, each tailored to have varying restriction enzyme sites at the 5'-end. The 3'-ends were all terminated at +84 and had the same BglII sites. To construct the MTP activator/p36 hybrid promoter reporter, the 36 to +31 fragment of the prolactin promoter was isolated by digesting the original "P36 B() Luciferse" construct (a gift from Dr. Chris Glass, University of California San Diego) with XhoI and HindIII. Subsequently, the digested fragment was subcloned into XhoI and HindIII cloning sites of pGL3Basic (Promega). Two strands of oligonucleotides (sense and antisense) containing the 115 to 77 portion of human MTP promoter sequence with flanking 5'-ends were synthesized, annealed, and phosphorylated before they were ligated into MluI and XhoI sites of the p36-pGL3basic construct. Subsequently, the digested fragment was subcloned into XhoI and HindIII cloning sites of pGL3Basic (Promega).
A specific mutation in the DR1 sequence of the MTP promoter was generated
by using the QuikChange site-directed mutagenesis kit (Stratagene, La Jolla,
CA). In vitro mutagenesis was carried out using rat MTP135-luciferase
reporter vector as the template and two oligonucleotide primers (mutated bases
are underlined) each complementary to opposite strands of the vector (forward,
5'-GGA GTT TGG AAT CTG TGC TTT CCC CTA TAG-3'; reverse,
5'-CTA TAG GGG AAA GCA CAG ATT CCA AAC TCC-3'). All
promoter deletion constructs and site-specific mutant constructs were verified
by DNA sequencing. Expression plasmid for COUP-TFII was a gift from Dr.
Ming-Jer Tsai (Baylor Medical University). Dr. Ronald Evans (Salk Institute,
LaJolla, CA) kindly provided us with the RXR
Cloning of Mouse and Rat MTP PromoterA mouse genomic clone
containing an 8.5-kb HindIII fragment in pBlueScript (a gift from
Steve Young, University of California San Francisco) was partially sequenced
to obtain the proximal mouse promoter sequence. Since the genomic clone
contained the complete exon 1 sequence and the 5'-flanking region of
To identify the rat MTP promoter sequence, the genomic DNA from L35 and FAO cells (which are from rat origin) was isolated and purified using the DNeasy tissue kit (Qiagen, Alameda, CA). Since the proximal promoter region and the coding region are highly conserved among different species, the forward primer designed from the mouse 5'-flanking region (forward, 5'-TCT TAA AAG CGA GAG ACT AC-3') and the reverse primer designed from the mouse coding region (reverse, 5'-GTA GGA GGA GAA GAA GCA-3') allowed the amplification of L35 and FAO genomic DNA. Subsequently, the amplified PCR products were subcloned into TA cloning vector (Invitrogen), and the DNA sequences were obtained. The amplified region from L35 and FAO genomic DNA displayed no difference in the DNA sequence. For the construction of rat MTP reporter vector, the 135 to +66 region of the cloned L35 MTP promoter was PCR-amplified and cloned into the SacI and BglII sites of pGL3basic. Preparation of Nuclear ExtractsNuclear extracts from L35 and FAO cells were prepared as described (21). The cells were trypsinized and harvested by centrifugation, washed with 1x phosphate-buffered saline, and resuspended in a hypotonic buffer (10 mM HEPES, pH 7.9, at 4 °C, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 10 mM KCl, 0.2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0.5 mM dithiothreitol). After a 10-min incubation on ice, the cells were lysed by Dounce homogenizer. The nuclei were pelleted by centrifugation and resuspended in low salt buffer (20 mM HEPES, pH 7.9, at 4 °C, 25% glycerol, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.02 M KCl, 0.2 mM EDTA, 0.2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0.5 mM dithiothreitol). Subsequently, the high salt buffer (20 mM HEPES, pH 7.9, at 4 °C, 25% glycerol, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 1.2 M KCl, 0.2 mM EDTA, 0.2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0.5 mM dithiothreitol) was added dropwise with stirring. The resulting suspension was rocked gently for 30 min to allow extraction of nuclear proteins. The nuclei were centrifuged again for 30 min, and the resulting supernatant was dialyzed for 1 h against dialysis buffer (20 mM HEPES, pH 7.9, at 4 °C, 20% glycerol, 100 mM KCl, 0.2 mM EDTA, 0.2 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 0.5 mM dithiothreitol).
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift AssaysAll oligonucleotides
used for EMSAs were synthesized by Invitrogen or IDT. The following
oligonucleotides were used in gel mobility shift assays: HNF-1, 5'-CCT
GCG TTT AAT CAT TAA TAG TGA G-3'; MTP-Activator (sense),
5'-CGCG TAC GTT TAA TCA TTA ATA GTG AGC CCT TCA GTG AAC
TTA-3'; MTP-Activator (antisense), 5'-TCGA TAA GTT CAC
TGA AGG GCT CAC TAT TAA TGA TTA AAC GTA-3'; MTP-DR1, 5'-TGA CCT
TTC CCC TAT AGA TAA ACA CTG TTG-3'; mutant MTP-DR1, 5'-TGT GCT TTC
CCC TAT AGA TAA ACA CTG TTG-3'; CYP7A(74/53), 5'-TTT
GGT CAC TCA AGT TCA AGTT-3'. The probes were prepared by annealing the
complementary oligonucleotides and by end labeling with
[
Construction of the L35 AD Fusion LibraryThe SMART cDNA
Library Construction Kit (Clontech, Palo Alto, CA) was used to synthesize cDNA
from L35 cells. The isolated cDNA was then purified and digested with
SfiI and ligated into modified pGADT7 vector, which contains two
unique SfiI sites. (The original pGADT7 vector (Clontech) has been
modified previously by introducing two distinct SfiI sites into
multiple cloning sites to ensure proper ligation and unidirectional
expression.) After the overnight ligation, the ligated products were
introduced into electrocompetent DH5
Yeast One-hybrid SystemThe MATCHMAKER one-hybrid system
(Clontech) was used to isolate the cDNA encoding the protein that binds to DR1
element of MTP promoter. The specific procedures were followed according to
protocols established by the manufacturer. Three tandem copies of a 30-bp DNA
fragment containing the DR-1 sequence from the human MTP promoter
(5'-TGA CCT TTC CCC AAA GAT AAA CAT GAT TGT-3') were cloned
upstream of pHISi and pLacZ genes in yeast reporter vectors. These plasmids
were then transformed into yeast strain YM4271 to generate a dual reporter
strain. This reporter strain was then transformed with the L35 GAL4-AD cDNA
library using LiAc method, and the transformants were selected on
SD/His/Leu medium containing 15 mM
3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. Large colonies from the His/Leu plates
were then transferred to a filter paper (VWR, San Diego, CA) and further
screened for
Western Blot AnalysisNuclear proteins prepared from L35 and
FAO cells were separated on a 412% gradient SDS-polyacrylamide gel and
transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes. After the blots were blocked with
10% dry milk in water for 1 h at room temperature, they were incubated
overnight at 4 °C with an antibody specific for ARP-1/COUP-TFII (a gift
from Dr. S. Karathanasis), RXR
Identification of the Cis Element Responsible for the Repression of the MTP Gene by L35 CellsWe have previously shown that the 612-bp human MTP promoter contains the sequences responsible for the cell type-specific repression of the MTP gene by L35 cells (29). To identify the minimal DNA sequence required for the repression of MTP by L35 cells, nested 5' deletions of the MTP promoter were generated and fused to a luciferase reporter gene. The relative activities in L35 and FAO cells of the promoter/luciferase reporters were determined by assaying luciferase activities in extracts from transfected cells. Deletions of the MTP promoter sequences between 612 and 135 had no effect on promoter activity in either cell type (Fig. 1). However, further deletions beyond 135 bp led to a marked decrease in the promoter activity in FAO cells, resulting in a level comparable with that of L35 cells (Fig. 1). These data indicate that sequences within the 135-bp promoter are sufficient to confer the differential expression of MTP in L35 and FAO cells.
Functional and Sequence Conservation of the Proximal Promoter of the MTP GeneSequence analysis revealed that the proximal promoter sequences (135 to +66 bp) of the MTP gene in FAO and L35 cells are identical (Fig. 2). Studies by others have shown that the proximal promoter sequences of the human and hamster MTP genes are highly conserved (32) (Fig. 2). Indeed, our sequence analysis indicated that the rat MTP promoter sequence (obtained from L35 and FAO cells) is >80% identical to those found in the mouse, hamster, and human genes (Fig. 2). Furthermore, the proximal MTP promoter sequences from mice, rats, and humans displayed similar differences in their relative activities by L35 cells and FAO cells (Fig. 3). These data indicate that the sequences responsible for the differential expression by L35 and FAO cells are conserved in all three species and are likely to be important in the regulation of MTP expression. The apparent higher activity displayed by the reporter containing the mouse MTP promoter may be caused by the presence of additional 5' sequences, which may enhance transcription.
Activator Elements in 135 to 77 bp of the MTP Promoter Exhibit Similar Activity in L35 and FAO CellsThe finding that deleting sequences between 135 and 89 bp of the MTP promoter markedly reduced the promoter activity in FAO cells (Fig. 1) suggests that they contain key element(s) responsible for the transcriptional activation. It has been proposed that these sequences contain an insulin response element and putative binding sites for HNF-1, AP-1, HNF-4 (32), and SRE-binding protein (33). Both insulin response element (123 to 113 bp) and SRE (124 to 116 bp) have previously been identified as negative elements (32, 33). However, since deletion of sequences from 135 to 111 bp of the promoter did not affect the promoter activity (Fig. 4A), it is unlikely that the insulin response element and SRE are responsible for the differential expression of MTP by L35 and FAO cells.
Deletions beyond 111 bp reduced the promoter activity in FAO cells to levels comparable with that of L35 cells (Fig. 4A). These findings suggest that a putative HNF-1 binding site (111 to 99 bp) and a putative HNF-4 binding site (115 to 77 bp) may be necessary for transcriptional activation of the MTP gene (32). To determine whether these sequences contribute to the differential expression of MTP by FAO and L35 cells, the 115 to 77 bp region of the MTP promoter was inserted 5' to the minimal prolactin promoter (P36). Without inserts, the P36 promoter exhibits almost no activity (Fig. 4B). However, the addition of the 115 to 77 bp portion of the MTP promoter increased the transcriptional activity of the heterologous P36 promoter by >7-fold in both cell types (Fig. 4B). Furthermore, EMSAs indicate that nuclear extracts from L35 and FAO cells formed similar DNA-protein complexes with the 115 to 77 bp portion of the MTP promoter (Fig. 4C). These data indicate that the sequences containing the putative HNF-1 and HNF-4 binding sites (115 to 77 bp) do not contribute to the differences in the expression of MTP by L35 and FAO cells. Identification of the Cis Element Responsible for the Differential Expression of MTP by L35 and FAO CellsComparative analysis of the MTP proximal promoter sequences downstream of 77 bp of rat, mouse, hamster, and human revealed a conserved direct repeat (DR1) hormone response element (51 to 39 bp) (Fig. 2). The 5' half-site (51 to 46; TGACCT) conforms to the consensus sequence, whereas the 3' half-site (44 to 39; TCCCCT) has a 2-bp mismatch. The functional significance of this element was tested by mutagenesis of the 5' half-site (Fig. 5A). In L35 cells, mutation of the 5' half-site resulted in a 3-fold increased activity promoter activity, whereas in FAO cells, the 5' half-site mutation caused the promoter activity to decrease (by >65%) (Fig. 5A). These findings strongly suggest that this DR1 element functions as a negative element in L35 cells, whereas it acts as a positive element in FAO cells.
To examine the binding of proteins to the DR1 element, EMSAs were performed with radiolabeled oligonucleotides containing either the wild-type or the mutant DR1 element. Incubation of the wild-type DR1 probe with nuclear extracts from both cell types produced multiple DNA-protein complexes that were observed as four distinct radiolabeled bands (Fig. 5B). L35 cells produced bands A, B, and C (Fig. 5B, lane 1). In contrast, FAO cells produced bands A, C, and D (Fig. 5B, lane 4). Incubation of the radiolabeled mutant DR1 probe with nuclear extracts from both cell types eliminated the cell type-specific differential banding patterns producing only band C (data not shown). The addition of a 500-fold excess of unlabeled oligonucleotides containing the wild-type DR1 sequence blocked the formation of all four DNA-protein complexes formed by nuclear extracts from both L35 and FAO cells (data not shown). In contrast, adding a 500-fold excess of unlabeled oligonucleotides containing the mutant DR1 sequence had almost no effect on the formation of all four DNA-protein complexes produced by nuclear extracts from L35 and FAO cells (data not shown). These findings indicate that cell type-specific DNA-protein complexes are formed by both cell types with the DR1 element. The DNA-protein complexes represented by bands A and C are common to both cell types. The DNA-protein complex represented by band D is unique to FAO cells and may represent the binding of a transcriptional activator. The DNA-protein complex represented by band B, formed by nuclear extracts from L35 cells but not from FAO cells, may represent protein factors responsible for the transcriptional repression of the MTP gene unique to L35 cells.
Differential Regulation of MTP Gene Transcription Is Mediated by
Competition between ARP-1/COUP-TFII and RXR
Increased Levels of ARP-1/COUP-TFII (L35 cells) and
RXR
Expression of ARP-1/COUP-TFII and RXR
Increased Levels of ARP-1/COUP-TFII in L35 Cells Correlate with Activation of CYP7A1 Gene TranscriptionUnlike most other stable lines of hepatoma cells including FAO cells, L35 cells express the liver-specific enzyme CYP7A1 at levels similar to those expressed in rat liver (25). The expression of CYP7A1 by L35 cells is the result of transcriptional activation of the endogenous CYP7A1 gene via a mechanism not yet defined (25). In human (HepG2) hepatoma cells, ARP-1/COUP-TFII has been shown to bind to and activate both rat and human CYP7A1 promoters (34, 35). We examined the possibility that the increased levels of ARP-1/COUP-TFII observed in L35 cells (Fig. 6) may bind to and activate the CYP7A1 promoter. EMSA/supershift analysis using labeled oligonucleotides containing a defined segment of the rat CYP7A1 promoter (34, 35) showed that nuclear extracts from L35 cells produced a distinct supershifted band with an antibody against ARP-1/COUP-TFII (Fig. 8A, lane 3). In contrast, nuclear extracts from FAO cells produced almost no detectable supershifted band (Fig. 8A, lane 4). These results suggest that ARP-1/COUP-TFII is associated with the CYP7A1 promoter in L35 cells but not in FAO cells.
Additional studies show that the activity of the rat CYP7A1 promoter was
In this report, we show that the nuclear orphan receptor ARP-1/COUP-TFII acts on two distinct metabolic pathways that define the phenotype of cultured hepatoma cells. The binding of ARP-1/COUP-TFII to a conserved DR1 site located in the 51 to 39 region of the MTP promoter repressed MTP gene transcription. ARP-1/COUP-TFII-mediated repression of the MTP gene results in an inability of L35 cells to assemble and secrete apoB-containing lipoproteins (29). Within the same cellular context, ARP-1/COUP-TFII bound to the rat CYP7A1 promoter, resulting in enhanced transcription. This dual repressor/activator characteristic of ARP-1/COUP-TFII results in the unique phenotype characterized by L35 cells: blocked MTP expression and enhanced CYP7A1 expression. Our findings provide further support for the proposal that ARP-1/COUP-TFII plays an important role in regulating the expression of genes controlling hepatic lipid metabolism (31, 36, 37) To our knowledge, our findings are the first to show that ARP-1/COUP-TFII represses MTP gene transcription. ARP-1/COUP-TFII was first identified as a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily shown to bind to a DR1 promoter element in the chicken ovalbumin gene and activate its transcription (30). ARP-1/COUP-TFII is highly expressed in the liver (38) and has been shown to repress the transcription of several apolipoprotein genes (e.g. human apoA1 (31), human apoCIII (36), and apoB (37, 39)). Together with our findings showing that ARP1/COUP-TFII represses the MTP promoter, these data suggest that ARP1/COUP-TFII acts to repress the transcription of the network of genes involved in the very low density lipoprotein assembly/secretion pathway. A similar regulatory mechanism exists in invertebrates. In the mosquito Aedes aegypti, AaSv, a homologue of COUP-TF, negatively regulates ecdysone receptor complex-mediated transactivation of vitellogenin, an invertebrate lipoprotein (40).
Our data show that the DR1 sequence located in the 51 to 39
region of the MTP promoter is required for the cell type-specific repression
of the MTP gene in L35 cells. Mutation of the DR1 site abolished both the
repression of MTP transcription exhibited by L35 cells, as well as the
activation of MTP transcription exhibited by FAO cells. As a result, the MTP
promoter construct containing the DR1 mutation was expressed at similar levels
by both cell types (Fig.
5A). The additional findings showing that an antibody
specific to ARP-1/COUP-TFII supershifted the 32P-labeled DR1 probe
incubated with nuclear extracts from L35 cells but not FAO cells, whereas an
antibody specific to RXR
In other studies, ARP-1/COUP-TFII represses transcription indirectly by
competing with an activator protein for a binding site. For example,
ARP-1/COUP-TFII reduces the transcriptional activity of the human apoA1 gene
by competing with HNF-4 (36).
Furthermore, ARP-1/COUP-TFII represses transcription by competing with RXR for
binding to a DR1 element (41)
as well as recruiting the co-repressors N-CoR and SMRT
(42). Our studies show that
the binding of RXR
Two lines of evidence indicate that the relative cellular content of
ARP-1/COUP-TFII versus RXR Our results indicate that the increased cellular content of ARP-1/COUP-TFII both repressed MTP gene transcription and activated CYP7A1 gene transcription. However, it is important to emphasize that ARP-1/COUP-TFII is one of many transcription factors that act in concert to ultimately determine the levels of MTP and CYP7A1 gene expression. As shown in our nested deletion analysis of the MTP promoter (Fig. 4A), there are many individual nuclear receptor binding sites that are required for transcription of the MTP gene. Expression of CYP7A1 is determined by an aggregate of factors that regulate gene transcription (reviewed in Refs. 19, 20, and 43) and turnover of CYP7A1 mRNA (44). Additional data are required in order to determine the hierarchical role of ARP-1/COUP-TFII in the regulation of expression of MTP and CYP7A1. Since deletion of ARP-1/COUP-TFII in mice is embryonic lethal (45), liver-specific knockouts of ARP-1/COUP-TFII should uncover its importance in regulating the expression of hepatic genes. Because of its role in nutrition and as the precursor for many of the plasma lipoproteins, the rate of very low density lipoprotein secretion by the liver has an important impact on diverse physiological and disease processes (6). The rate of very low density lipoprotein secretion by the liver is closely linked to the expression and activity of MTP (15, 4648). Multiple case-controlled studies have revealed associations between a specific polymorphism in the promoter of the human MTP gene and changes in plasma and liver lipids as well as susceptibility to vascular and hepatic diseases (4951). Our findings showing that the cellular content of ARP-1/COUP-TFII regulates MTP promoter activity provide a new insight into the complexity determining the expression of MTP, a physiologically important parameter of hepatic function.
* This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant HL51648. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
1 The abbreviations used are: MTP, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein;
apo, apolipoprotein; ARP-1, apoA regulatory protein-1; COUP-TFII, chicken
ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II; DR, direct repeat
sequence; EMSA, electrophoretic mobility shift assay; HNF, hepatocyte nuclear
factor; RXR, retinoid X receptor; SRE, serum response element.
We are most grateful to Drs. Chris Glass, Franz Simon, Narayanan Hariharan, Ming-Jer Tsai, John Chiang, and Sotirios Karathanasis for sharing reagents. We acknowledge helpful comments from Drs. Chris Glass and Peter Edwards.
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