NF-AB, a liver-specific and cytokine-inducible nuclear factor that interacts with the interleukin-1 response element of the rat alpha 1-acid glycoprotein gene

The hepatic orosomucoid/α1-acid glycoprotein gene cluster is regulated by the nuclear bile acid receptor FXR

The α-1-acid glycoprotein/orosomucoids (ORMs) are members of the lipocalin protein family. Encoded by 3 polymorphic genes in mouse (2 in man, 1 in rat), ORMs are expressed in hepatocytes and function as acute-phase proteins secreted in plasma under stressful conditions. In addition to their role of nanocarrier, ORMs are involved in several pathophysiological processes such as immunosuppression, cardioprotection, and inflammatory bowel disease. The nuclear bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates bile acid homeostasis and lipid and glucose metabolism and is an important modulator of enterohepatic functions. Here we report that hepatic FXR deletion in mice affects the expression of several members of the lipocalin family, among which ORMs are identified as direct FXR target genes. Indeed, a FXR response element upstream of the mouse Orm1 promoter was identified to which hepatic, but not ileal, FXR can bind and activate ORM expression in vitro and in vivo. However, ORMs are regulated in a species-specific manner because the ORM cluster is regulated by FXR neither in human nor rat cell lines. Consistent with these data, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis of the FXR genomic binding sites did not detect any FXR response element in the vicinity of the human or rat ORM gene cluster. Thus, bile acids and their cognate nuclear receptor, FXR, are regulators of ORM expression, with potential implications for the species-specific metabolic and inflammation control by FXR because the expression of the proinflammatory genes in epididymal white adipose tissue was dependent on liver FXR activation.

The action of interleukin 6 and leukaemia inhibitory factor on liver cells

The hepatic action of cytokines has generally been analysed in terms of the acute-phase response of the liver. The qualitative and quantitative changes in the expression of plasma proteins serve as defining criteria for cytokine function. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) are representatives of a group of cytokines which display strikingly similar effects in both human and rodent liver cells. Hallmarks of the action of these cytokines are the stimulation of type 2 acute-phase plasma proteins and enhancement of the effect of interleukin 1 (IL-1) or tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on type 1 acute-phase plasma proteins. The transcriptional activation of the various acute-phase plasma protein genes involves common cis-acting regulatory elements whose sequences and location relative to the transcription start site vary from gene to gene. The activity of the IL-6- and LIF-responsive genes depends in part on transcription factors including several members of the C/EBP family, JunB and the glucocorticoid receptor. The expression of these transcription factors is in turn under cytokine-specific control. In a few cases, expression is temporally correlated with the activation of 'late' acute-phase protein genes. The finding that structurally distinct cytokines interact with separate receptors but elicit an almost identical liver cell response demands a reassessment of the contribution of each factor to the in vivo acute-phase response.

Retinoids increase alpha-1 acid glycoprotein expression at the transcriptional level through two distinct DR1 retinoic acid responsive elements

In the present study, we analyzed the influence of retinoic acids on the expression of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP). We show that in rat primary hepatocytes, 9-cis retinoic acid and all-trans retinoic acid increase AGP gene expression at the transcriptional level. Transient transfections of rat primary hepatocytes with a reporter construct driven by the rat AGP gene promoter indicated that retinoids regulate AGP gene expression via the -763/-138 region of the AGP promoter. Furthermore, cotransfection experiments with retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) expression vectors in NIH3T3 cells demonstrated that both RXRalpha/RXRalpha homodimer and RXRalpha/RARalpha heterodimer are competent for ligand-induced transactivation of the AGP promoter. Unilateral deletion and site-directed mutagenesis identified two retinoic-acid responsive elements (RARE), RARE-I and RARE-II, which interestingly correspond to a direct repeat of two TGACCT-related hexanucleotides separated by a single bp only (DR1-type response element). Cotransfection assays showed that RXRalpha and RARalpha activate AGP gene transcription through these two elements either as a homodimer (RXRalpha/RXRalpha) or as a heterodimer (RXRalpha/RARalpha). The RXRalpha/RXRalpha homodimer acts most efficiently through the RARE-I response element to promote AGP transactivation, whereas the RXRalpha/RARalpha heterodimer mediates transactivation better via the RARE-II responsive element.

Growth hormone inhibits rat liver alpha-1-acid glycoprotein gene expression in vivo and in vitro

The gene encoding alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), one of the major acute-phase proteins, is positively controlled at the transcriptional level by cytokines (interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) and glucocorticoids. Here, we show that growth hormone (GH) treatment of isolated rat hepatocytes in vitro reduces AGP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. AGP gene expression remained inducible by IL-1, IL-6, and phenobarbital (PB) in GH-treated hepatocytes. Interestingly, the repressive effect of GH on AGP gene expression was also observed in vivo: liver AGP mRNA content was strongly increased in hypophysectomized rats, and GH treatment of these animals led to a decrease in mRNA to levels lower than those in untreated control animals. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of GH mainly occurs at the transcriptional level and can be observed as little as 0.5 hours after GH adding in vitro to isolated hepatocytes. These results show negative regulation of AGP gene expression and strongly suggest that GH is a major endogenous regulator of constitutive AGP gene expression. Moreover, transfection assays showed that the region of the AGP promoter located at position -147 to -123 is involved in AGP gene regulation by GH. Furthermore, GH deeply modifies the pattern of nuclear protein binding to this region. GH treatment of hypophysectomized rats led to the release of proteins of 42 to 45 and 80 kd and to the binding of proteins of 48 to 50 and 90 kd.

Insulin cooperates with IL-1 in regulating expression of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein gene in rat hepatoma cells

Insulin treatment of the rat hepatoma H-35 cells results in a reduced stimulation of acute phase plasma protein gene expression by IL-1- and IL-6-type cytokines. The cell response to insulin appears to involve both stimulatory and inhibitory regulatory mechanisms because a clonal variant line of the H-35 cells has been identified in which insulin increases specifically the IL-1 stimulation of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) gene, while still reducing the expression of the other acute phase protein genes. The magnitude of insulin and cytokine effect is dependent upon the proliferation state of the cell culture. One of the genetic targets of the insulin stimulation has been located to the cytokine-response element of the AGP gene and involves a cooperativity with the 5' adjacent IL-1-responsive element. The molecular mechanism of insulin inhibition, however, remains to be identified.

Characterization of a novel transcription complex required for glucocorticoid regulation of the rat alpha-1-acid glycoprotein gene

The liver alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) gene promoter contains several positive cis-acting sequences that are involved in the hormone regulation of its expression. We have characterized a new functionally important sequence located at -155 to -143 upstream from the glucocorticoid regulatory element (GRE, -120 to -105). At least three nuclear proteins bind to this sequence (CTGTGGGAACAG), called the upstream regulatory element (URE). One of these proteins, AGP nuclear factor 4 (ANF-4), is the major component of the DNA-protein complex we detected in footprint and electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) experiments using rat liver, HTC(JZ-1) rat hepatoma cell extracts and affinity-purified proteins. Another is C/EBP beta, which also binds to three elements downstream from the GRE. The third protein is shown to have a molecular weight of 102 kD. Deletions and site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that this complex of proteins is involved in the positive hormonal regulation of AGP gene transcription. Binding experiments revealed that ANF-4 and C/EBP beta binding sites are partially overlapping and require the palindromic structure of the URE for high-affinity binding. Southwestern (DNA-protein blot analysis) and cross-linking experiments with nuclear extracts from rat liver and HTC(JZ-1) rat hepatoma cells, revealed two identical constitutive binding activities with molecular masses of 66 and 102 kD. We concluded that this transcription complex is composed of three distinct proteins, ANF-4, C/EBP beta, and a 102-kD protein, and that they play an important role for the hormone regulation of AGP.