Chronic lead exposure decreases the expression of Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) through Repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST).

Chronic lead (Pb) exposure has been shown to reduce the expression of some synaptic proteins which are involved in vesicular trafficking and affect presynaptic neurotransmitter release. However, the precise mechanisms by Pb impairs neurotransmitter release are still not well defined. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the changes of Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) in Pb exposed rats and PC12 cells models and its molecular mechanism. Repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST) modulates the expression of genes containing the repressor element 1 (RE-1) cis-regulatory DNA sequence. HAP1 promoter region contains a RE-1 binding motif. We also observed whether Pb exposure regulated the HAP1 transcription level through influencing the expression of REST. Mother rats were exposed to 0.5 and 2 g/L Pb acetate (PbAc) in drinking water from the first day of gestation until postnatal 21 days, then the offspring rats were continued to drink PbAc for 1 year, while the control groups received drinking water. PC12 cells were divided into 3 groups: 0 µM, 1 µM and 100 µM PbAc. The results revealed that Pb levels in blood and brain of Pb exposed groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. The ability of learning and memory in Pb exposed rats was decreased. Pb exposure reduced the expression of HAP1 and increased the REST expression. Silencing REST could reverse the decreasing of HAP1 in Pb exposed PC12 cells. Our findings raise a possibility that the decreasing of HAP1 expression by Pb exposure may affect neurotransmitter release and results in impairments in spatial learning and memory ability.

Regulation of Gene Expression by Thyroid Hormone in Primary Astrocytes: Factors Influencing the Genomic Response.

Astrocytes mediate the action of thyroid hormone in the brain on other neural cells through the production of the active hormone triiodothyronine (T3) from its precursor thyroxine. T3 has also many effects on the astrocytes in vivo and in culture, but whether these actions are directly mediated by transcriptional regulation is not clear. In this work, we have analyzed the genomic response to T3 of cultured astrocytes isolated from the postnatal mouse cerebral cortex using RNA sequencing. Cultured astrocytes express relevant genes of thyroid hormone metabolism and action encoding type 2 deiodinase (Dio2), Mct8 transporter (Slc16a2), T3 receptors (Thra1 and Thrb), and nuclear corepressor (Ncor1) and coactivator (Ncoa1). T3 changed the expression of 668 genes (4.5% of expressed genes), of which 117 were responsive to T3 in the presence of cycloheximide. The Wnt and Notch pathways were downregulated at the posttranscriptional level. Comparison with the effect of T3 on astrocyte-enriched genes in mixed cerebrocortical cultures isolated from fetal cortex revealed that the response to T3 is influenced by the degree of astrocyte maturation and that, in agreement with its physiological effects, T3 promotes the transition between the fetal and adult patterns of gene expression.

Importance of 5/6-aryl substitution on the pharmacological profile of 4'-((2-propyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid derived PPARγ agonists.

In this structure-activity relationship study, the influence of aryl substituents at position 5 or 6 on the pharmacological profile of the partial PPARγ agonist 4'-((2-propyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid was investigated. This lead was previously identified as the essential part of telmisartan to induce PPARγ activation. Para-OCH3-phenyl substitution strongly increased potency and efficacy independent of the position. Both compounds represent full agonists because of strong hydrophobic contacts with the amino acid Phe363 in the ligand binding domain. Partial agonists with higher potency than telmisartan or the lead were obtained with OH or Cl substituents at the phenyl ring. Molecular modeling suggested additional hydrogen or halogen bonds with Phe360 located at helix 7. It is assumed that these interactions fix helix 7, thereby promoting a partial agonist conformation of the receptor. The theoretical considerations correlate very well with the results from the luciferase transactivation assay using hPPARγ-LBD as well as those from a time-resolved fluorescent resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay in which the coactivator (TRAP220, PGC-1α) recruitment and corepressor (NCoR1) release pattern was investigated.