Estrogen receptor beta-selective transcriptional activity and recruitment of coregulators by phytoestrogens.

Estrogens used in hormone replacement therapy regimens may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Paradoxically, high consumption of plant-derived phytoestrogens, particularly soybean isoflavones, is associated with a low incidence of breast cancer. To explore the molecular basis for these potential different clinical outcomes, we investigated whether soybean isoflavones elicit distinct transcriptional actions from estrogens. Our results demonstrate that the estrogen 17beta-estradiol effectively triggers the transcriptional activation and repression pathways with both estrogen receptors (ERs) ERalpha and ERbeta. In contrast, soybean isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and biochanin A) are ERbeta-selective agonists of transcriptional repression and activation at physiological levels. The molecular mechanism for ERbeta selectivity by isoflavones involves their capacity to create an activation function-2 surface of ERbeta that has a greater affinity for coregulators than ERalpha. Phytoestrogens may act as natural selective estrogen receptor modulators that elicit distinct clinical effects from estrogens used for hormone replacement by selectively recruiting coregulatory proteins to ERbeta that trigger transcriptional pathways.

Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transcription by estrogen receptors alpha and beta.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mediates angiogenic activity in a variety of estrogen target tissues. To determine whether estrogen has a direct transcriptional effect on VEGF gene expression, we developed a model system by transiently transfecting human VEGF promoter-luciferase reporter constructs into primary human endometrial cells and into Ishikawa cells, derived from a well-differentiated human endometrial adenocarcinoma. In primary endometrial epithelial cells, treatment with 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) resulted in a 3.8-fold increase in luciferase activity, whereas a 3. 2-fold induction was demonstrated for stromal cells. Our Ishikawa cells had less than 100 functional estrogen receptors (ER)/cell and were therefore cotransfected with expression vectors encoding either the alpha- or the beta-form of the human ER. In cells cotransfected with ERalpha, E(2) induced 3.2-fold induction in VEGF-promoter luciferase activity. A 2.3-fold increase was observed in cells cotransfected with ERbeta. Through specific deletions, the E(2) response was restricted to a single 385-bp PvuII-SstI fragment in the 5' flanking DNA. Cotransfection of this upstream region with a DNA binding domain ER mutant, or site-directed mutagenesis of a variant ERE within this fragment, resulted in the loss of the E(2) response. Electromobility shift assays demonstrated that this same ERE sequence specifically binds estradiol-ER complexes. These studies demonstrate that E(2)-regulated VEGF gene transcription requires a variant ERE located 1.5 kb upstream from the transcriptional start site. Site-directed mutagenesis of this ERE abrogated E(2)-induced VEGF gene expression.

Estradiol repression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha transcription requires estrogen receptor activation function-2 and is enhanced by coactivators.

The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) promoter was used to explore the molecular mechanisms of estradiol (E(2))-dependent repression of gene transcription. E(2) inhibited basal activity and abolished TNF-alpha activation of the TNF-alpha promoter. The E(2)-inhibitory element was mapped to the -125 to -82 region of the TNF-alpha promoter, known as the TNF-responsive element (TNF-RE). An AP-1-like site in the TNF-RE is essential for repression activity. Estrogen receptor (ER) beta is more potent than ERalpha at repressing the -1044 TNF-alpha promoter and the TNF-RE upstream of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, but weaker at activating transcription through an estrogen response element. The activation function-2 (AF-2) surface in the ligand-binding domain is required for repression, because anti-estrogens and AF-2 mutations impair repression. The requirement of the AF-2 surface for repression is probably due to its capacity to recruit p160 coactivators or related coregulators, because overexpressing the coactivator glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein-1 enhances repression, whereas a glucocorticoid receptor interacting protein-1 mutant unable to interact with the AF-2 surface is ineffective. Furthermore, receptor interacting protein 140 prevents repression by ERbeta, probably by interacting with the AF-2 surface and blocking the binding of endogenous coactivators. These studies demonstrate that E(2)-mediated repression requires the AF-2 surface and the participation of coactivators or other coregulatory proteins.

Thyroid hormone activation of transcription is potentiated by activators of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

We characterized the cross-talk between activators of protein kinase A (PKA) and thyroid hormone (T3) in T3 receptor (TR)-mediated transcription. U937 cells were cotransfected with a plasmid expressing the TR and a reporter plasmid containing a T3 response element (TRE) oriented either as a direct repeat or as a palindrome upstream of the thymidine kinase promoter linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. T3 activated transcription by 10-fold. T3 response was potentiated 2.5-3-fold by activators of PKA, but an activator of protein kinase C or of guanylate kinase was ineffective. In the absence of T3, activators of PKA had no effect on transcription. TR heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor may facilitate T3/PKA cross-talk because coexpression of the retinoid X receptor potentiated cross-talk. Synergy was not observed in JEG-3, F9, CV-1, HeLa, L929, and HTC cells, indicating that it may require cell-specific factors. Synergy required the DNA- and ligand-binding domains, but not the amino-terminal domain, indicating that T3- and TRE-induced conformational changes on the TR are essential for cross-talk. PKA phosphorylated the TR in vitro, suggesting that, like other nuclear receptors, the TR is a target for PKA. These results imply that PKA cross-talks with T3 at the level of the TRE-bound TR, enhancing its transcriptional activity in a cell-specific manner.

The core promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene confers phorbol ester responsiveness to upstream transcriptional activators.

Activators of protein kinase C, such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), are known to regulate the expression of many genes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) gene, by affecting the level or activity of upstream transcription factors. To investigate the mechanism whereby TPA activates the TNF promoter, a series of 5'-deletion mutants of the human TNF promoter linked to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was transfected into U937 human promonocytic cells. TPA produced a 7- to 11-fold activation of all TNF promoters tested, even those promoters truncated to contain only the core promoter with no upstream enhancer elements. The proximal TNF promoter containing only 28 nucleotides upstream and 10 nucleotides downstream of the RNA start site confers TPA activation to a variety of unrelated upstream enhancer elements and transcription factors, including Sp1, CTF/NF1, cyclic AMP-response element, GAL-E1a, and GAL-VP16. The level of activation by TPA depends on the TATA box structure, since the TPA response is greater in promoters containing the sequence TATAAA than in those containing TATTAA or TATTTA. These findings suggest that the core promoter region is a target for gene regulation by second-messenger pathways.

Identification of a tumor necrosis factor-responsive element in the tumor necrosis factor alpha gene.

The regulation by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) of its own promoter has been investigated by transient transfection and nuclear protein binding assays. In human K652 erythroleukemia cells TNF produced an 8-10-fold activation of the human TNF promoter linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. The TNF-responsive element was localized to the -125 to -82 region by examining the TNF activation in 5'-deletion or site-directed mutants of the TNF promoter and by demonstrating that the -125 to -82 fragment confers TNF responsiveness to the thymidine kinase promoter. This region contains a palindrome, 5' TGAGCTCA 3', that resembles the consensus binding sequences for the transcription factors, activator protein-1 (AP-1), cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), and activation transcription factor (ATF). An internal deletion in the palindrome abolished the TNF responsiveness, whereas known AP-1 and CREB/ATF elements were unresponsive to TNF. In band shift analyses a nuclear factor from U937 cells specifically bound to the -125 to -82 TNF-responsive fragment in or near the palindromic sequence. Oligonucleotides containing AP-1 or CREB/ATF sites did not effectively compete for the binding, indicating that the U937 cell factor is different from these factors. Anti-c-fos antiserum did not affect binding of the U937 cell factor, whereas anti-c-jun antiserum did block its binding, indicating that either c-jun or a protein antigenically related to c-jun is a component of the factor. These results suggest that the TNF-responsive element is not activated by AP-1 or CREB in U937 cells and that a novel DNA binding factor is important for constitutive and inducible TNF gene expression.

Cross-tolerance to L-arginine-dependent guanylate cyclase activators in nitrate-tolerant LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells.

Recently, it was shown that in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells hormones such as vasopressin or oxytocin increase cyclic GMP in a receptor-mediated and L-arginine-dependent manner. In the present study, the possible existence of cross-tolerance to vasopressin and oxytocin was investigated in nitrate-tolerant LLC-PK1 cells. Pretreatment with 1 mM glyceryl trinitrate for 3 h decreased cyclic GMP stimulation by 1 microM vasopressin and 1 microM oxytocin by 49% and 54%, respectively. Under the same conditions, cyclic GMP stimulation at 1 microM sodium nitroprusside was diminished by 56% whereas the cyclic GMP response to 100 microM glyceryl trinitrate was virtually abolished. Our results demonstrate that a substantial degree of cross-tolerance to L-arginine-dependent guanylate cyclase activators occurs in nitrate-pretreated nonvascular cells which may be due to glyceryl trinitrate-induced desensitization of soluble guanylate cyclase.

Regulation of particulate guanylate cyclase by atriopeptins: relation between peptide structure, receptor binding, and enzyme kinetics.

Structural analogs of atriopeptins (APs) were compared for their ability to activate particulate guanylate cyclase and bind to specific receptors in rat adrenal membranes. All analogs tested increase Vmax without altering the concentration of substrate required for half-maximum activity or the positive coperativity exhibited by the enzyme. Maximum velocities (pmoles of cGMP produced per min per mg protein) achieved in the absence and presence of APs were 128.3 +/- 6.6 and 283.8 +/- 20.6 using Mn2+-GTP, and 53.7 +/- 3.7 and 149.9 +/- 7.6 using Mg2+-GTP as the substrate, respectively. Although all APs were equally efficacious in activating the enzyme, their rank potency was ANF (8-33) = AP III = AP II greater than AP I when either divalent cation was used as the cofactor. The EC50 for activation of guanylate cyclase by AP I was about 10(-7) M, while that for the other peptides was about 10(-8) M, using either divalent cation cofactor. 125I-labeled ANF bound to rat adrenal membranes with a KD of 5.10(-10) M. Although all APs were equally efficacious in competing with labeled ANF for receptor binding, their rank potency was identical to that for enzyme activation. The Ki for AP I was about 10(-8) M, while that for the other peptides was about 10(-10) M. These data suggest that the carboxy terminal Phe-Arg present in the AP analogs except AP I and critical for biological and receptor-binding activity are also important in coupling receptor-ligand interaction with guanylate cyclase activation. The correlation between the rank order potency for receptor binding, enzyme activation, and the reported physiological actions of APs support the suggestion of a functional coupling between these proteins.

Comparison of particulate guanylate cyclase in cells with and without atrial natriuretic peptide receptor binding activity.

A line of kidney cells (PK1) which does not possess measurable ANP binding but has an active particulate guanylate cyclase has been identified. The physical characteristics of this enzyme were compared with those of particulate guanylate cyclase and ANP receptors isolated from rat lung. Although receptor and enzyme appear to reside on the same protein in the lung while the cyclase from PK1 cells does not possess ANP binding activity, these proteins exhibit identical physical characteristics. Guanylate cyclase from PK1 cells and rat lung and ANP receptor from lung co-eluted during gel filtration chromatography, with a Stokes radius of 6.1 nm. Also, these activities co-migrated through sucrose density gradients with S20,w values of 10.4 to 10.9. Using these parameters, a molecular weight of about 270 kD was estimated for all three activities. Furthermore, these enzyme activities exhibited similar mobilities in isoelectric focusing gels, with a pI of 6.1. Thus, although particulate guanylate cyclase from lung presumably possesses receptor binding activity, it is physically identical to a form of this enzyme associated with no measurable binding activity. Possible explanations for these observations are discussed.

Relationship between biotransformation of glyceryl trinitrate and cyclic GMP accumulation in various cultured cell lines.

We assessed glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) biotransformation and cyclic GMP accumulation in cultured rat lung fibroblasts (RLF), porcine kidney epithelial (PK1), bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) and bovine aortic smooth muscle (BASM) cells. Biotransformation of 0.1 microM GTN was linear over 30 min and the percentage of glyceryl dinitrate (GDN)/10(6) cells for BAE, BASM, RLF and PK1 at 30 min was 3.1, 2.3, 5.8 and 21.7%, respectively. At low GTN concentration (0.01-0.1 microM) there was a highly selective formation of 1,2-GDN, whereas at higher GTN concentration (greater than 1 microM) this selectivity was lost. Cyclic GMP accumulation did not occur in BAE or BASM at any GTN concentration, whereas for RLF and PK1 it was highly correlated to the rate of GDN formation. Upon re-exposure to GTN after treatment of RLF or PK1 cells for 3 hr with 0.1 mM GTN, there was an almost complete loss of the cyclic GMP response, GTN biotransformation was attenuated markedly and the selective formation of 1,2-GDN at low GTN concentration was absent. However, when GTN-treated cells were incubated for 18 hr in GTN-free media, there was a recovery of the cyclic GMP response, GTN biotransformation and selective 1,2-GDN formation toward control values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Glyceryl trinitrate-induced desensitization of guanylate cyclase in cultured rat lung fibroblasts.

Cultured rat lung fibroblasts were used to explore desensitization of guanylate cyclase to nitrovasodilators. The effect of pretreatment with glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) on the concentration-response curves of GTN and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) for cyclic GMP accumulation in intact cells and activation of guanylate cyclase in broken cell preparations was measured. Pretreatment of cells with 1 microM GTN for 3 h decreased cyclic GMP accumulation induced by GTN but had no effect on SNP-induced cyclic GMP accumulation. Pretreatment of cells with 100 microM GTN decreased the efficacy of GTN and SNP for cyclic GMP elevation by 89% and 40%, respectively. In contrast to results obtained with GTN, SNP slightly desensitized cyclic GMP accumulation induced by GTN and SNP. Pretreatment of cells with 100 nM atrial natriuretic peptide resulted in a 44% decrease in cyclic GMP accumulation induced by subsequent exposure to 10 nM atrial natriuretic peptide but had no effect on cyclic GMP elevation induced by nitrovasodilators. In experiments with crude preparations of soluble guanylate cyclase from cells pretreated with 1 mM GTN, activation of the enzyme by GTN and SNP was inhibited almost completely. Tolerance to GTN in intact cells could not be reversed by subsequent incubation with thiols such as cysteine, N-acetylcysteine or glutathione. However, overnight incubation of GTN-tolerant cells in media without added thiols resulted in complete recovery of responsiveness to GTN. Recovery of GTN-induced cyclic GMP accumulation was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by cycloheximide, suggesting that reversal of organic nitrate tolerance requires de novo synthesis of gyanylate cyclase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Atrial natriuretic peptide, oxytocin, and vasopressin increase guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells.

The effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and oxytocin (OT) on cAMP and cGMP accumulation was investigated in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells. The addition of ANP, AVP, and OT to intact cells produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in cGMP accumulation. ANP produced a 1.7-fold increase in cGMP at 10 pM and a maximal 28-fold increase in cGMP at 1 microM. ANP had no effect on basal or AVP-induced stimulation of cAMP accumulation. OT was 10-fold more potent than AVP at increasing cGMP levels, producing a 2.1-fold increase in cGMP at 0.1 nM, whereas AVP was 100-fold more potent at increasing cAMP levels. At a concentration of 1 microM, AVP and OT produced a maximal 12 to 14-fold increase in cGMP, while OT and AVP produced 50- and 90-fold increase in cAMP, respectively. The selective OT agonist [Thr4, Gly7]oxytocin was very effective at increasing cGMP, but not at increasing cAMP levels. The V2-vasopressin agonist [deamino-Pen1,Val4, D-Arg8]vasopressin did not increase cGMP levels, but produced a 20-fold increase in cAMP levels. The addition of ANP together with either AVP or OT produced an additive increase in cGMP content. Simultaneous addition of AVP and OT did not lead to a greater increase in cAMP or cGMP levels. These results suggest that the AVP- and OT-induced increase in cGMP is mediated by OT receptors, whereas the increase in cAMP is probably mediated by vasopressin receptors. ANP increased the activity of particulate guanylate cyclase by 6-fold, while AVP and OT has no effect on particulate guanylate cyclase activity. The relatively selective inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, methylene blue, had no effect on the ANP-induced increase in cGMP content in intact cells, but produced a 50% inhibition of the increase in cGMP by AVP and OT. Methylene blue did not alter the stimulation of cAMP by AVP or OT. These results demonstrate that ANP, AVP, and OT increase cGMP in LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cells. The increase in cGMP by ANP is mediated by particulate guanylate cyclase, whereas AVP and OT probably increase cGMP by interacting with OT receptors coupled to soluble guanylate cyclase.

Atrial natriuretic peptide binding, cross-linking, and stimulation of cyclic GMP accumulation and particulate guanylate cyclase activity in cultured cells.

The stimulation of cyclic GMP accumulation and particulate guanylate cyclase activity by atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was compared to the affinity and number of ANP receptors in eight cultured cell types. At 100 nM, ANP increased cyclic GMP by 13-fold in bovine adrenal cortical, 35-fold in human lung fibroblast, 58-fold in canine kidney epithelial, 60-fold in bovine aortic smooth muscle, 120-fold in rat mammary epithelial, 260-fold in rat Leydig, 300-fold in bovine kidney epithelial, and 475-fold in bovine aortic endothelial cells. ANP (1 microM) increased particulate guanylate cyclase activity by 1.5-, 2.5-, 3.1-, 3.2-, 5.0-, 7.0-, 7.8-, and 8.0-fold in bovine adrenal cortical, bovine aortic smooth muscle, human lung fibroblast, canine kidney epithelial, rat mammary epithelial, rat Leydig, bovine kidney epithelial, and bovine aortic endothelial cells, respectively. Specific 125I-ANP binding to intact rat Leydig (3,000 sites/cell; Kd = 0.11 nM), bovine aortic endothelial (14,000 sites/cell; Kd = 0.09 nM), bovine adrenal cortical (50,000 sites/cell; Kd = 0.12 nM), human lung fibroblast (80,000 sites/cell; Kd = 0.32 nM), and bovine aortic smooth muscle (310,000 sites/cell; Kd = 0.82 nM) cells was saturable and high affinity. No specific and saturable ANP binding was detected in bovine and canine kidney epithelial and rat mammary epithelial cells. Two ANP-binding sites of 66,000 and 130,000 daltons were specifically labeled by 125I-ANP after cross-linking with disuccinimidyl suberate. The 130,000-dalton ANP-binding sites bound to a GTP-agarose affinity column, and the specific activity of guanylate cyclase was increased by 90-fold in this fraction. Our results demonstrate that the increase in cyclic GMP accumulation and particulate guanylate cyclase activity by ANP does not correlate with the affinity and number of ANP-binding sites. These results suggest that multiple populations of ANP receptors exist in these cells and that only one receptor subtype (130,000 daltons) is associated with particulate guanylate cyclase activity.

Atrial natriuretic factor and sodium nitroprusside increase cyclic GMP in cultured rat lung fibroblasts by activating different forms of guanylate cyclase.

We used cultured rat lung fibroblasts to evaluate the role of particulate and soluble guanylate cyclase in the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)-induced stimulation of cyclic GMP. ANF receptors were identified by binding of 125I-ANF to confluent cells at 37 degrees C. Specific ANF binding was rapid and saturable with increasing concentrations of ANF. The equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) was 0.66 +/- 0.077 nM and the Bmax. was 216 +/- 33 fmol bound/10(6) cells, which corresponds to 130,000 +/- 20,000 sites/cell. The molecular characteristics of ANF binding sites were examined by affinity cross-linking of 125I-ANF to intact cells with disuccinimidyl suberate. ANF specifically labelled two sites with molecular sizes of 66 and 130 kDa, which we have identified in other cultured cells. ANF and sodium nitroprusside produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in intracellular cyclic GMP. An increase in cyclic GMP by ANF was detected at 1 nM, and at 100 nM an approx. 100-fold increase in cyclic GMP was observed. Nitroprusside stimulated cyclic GMP at 10 nM and at 1 mM a 500-600-fold increase in cyclic GMP occurred. The simultaneous addition of 100 nM-ANF and 10 microM-nitroprusside to cells resulted in cyclic GMP levels that were additive. ANF increased the activity of particulate guanylate cyclase by about 10-fold, but had no effect on soluble guanylate cyclase. In contrast, nitroprusside did not alter the activity of particulate guanylate cyclase, but increased the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase by 17-fold. These results demonstrate that rat lung fibroblasts contain ANF receptors and suggest that the ANF-induced stimulation of cyclic GMP is mediated entirely by particulate guanylate cyclase.