Arsenic Dispensing Powder Promotes Erythropoiesis in Myelodysplastic Syndromes via Downregulation of HIF1A and Upregulation of GATA Factors.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a practical medicine based on thousands of years of medical practice in China. Arsenic dispensing powder (ADP) has been used as a treatment for MDS patients with a superior efficacy on anemia at Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed MDS patients that received ADP treatment in the past 9 years and confirmed that ADP improves patients' anemia and prolongs overall survival in intermediate-risk MDS patients. Then, we used the MDS transgenic mice model and cell line to explore the drug mechanism. In normal and MDS cells, ADP does not show cellular toxicity but promotes differentiation. In mouse MDS models, we observed that ADP showed significant efficacy on promoting erythropoiesis. In the BFU-E and CFU-E assays, ADP could promote erythropoiesis not only in normal clones but also in MDS clones. Mechanistically, we found that ADP could downregulate HIF1A in MDS clones through upregulation of VHL, P53 and MDM2, which is involved in two parallel pathways to downregulate HIF1A. We also confirmed that ADP upregulates GATA factors in normal clones. Thus, our clinical and experimental studies indicate that ADP is a promising drug to promote erythropoiesis in both MDS and normal clones with a superior outcome than current regular therapies. ADP promotes erythropoiesis in myelodysplastic syndromes via downregulation of HIF1A and upregulation of GATA factors.

Effects of interleukin-1ß on human follicular dendritic cell-secreted protein gene expression in periodontal ligament cells.

Follicular dendritic cell-secreted protein (FDC-SP) is expressed in FDCs, human periodontal ligament (HPL) cells, and junctional epithelium. To evaluate the effects of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) on FDC-SP gene expression in immortalized HPL cells, FDC-SP mRNA and protein levels in HPL cells following stimulation by IL-1ß were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Luciferase (LUC), gel mobility shift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses were performed to study the interaction between transcription factors and promoter regions in the human FDC-SP gene. IL-1ß (1 ng/mL) induced the expression of FDC-SP mRNA and protein levels at 3 h, and reached maximum levels at 12 h. IL-1ß increased LUC activities of constructs (-116FDCSP - -948FDCSP) including the FDC-SP gene promoter. Transcriptional inductions by IL-1ß were partially inhibited by 3-base-pair (3-bp) mutations in the Yin Yang 1 (YY1), GATA, CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein2 (C/EBP2), or C/EBP3 in the -345FDCSP. IL-1ß-induced -345FDCSP activities were inhibited by protein kinase A, tyrosine-kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)1/2, and PI3-kinase inhibitors. The results of gel shift and ChIP assays revealed that YY1, GATA, and C/EBP-ß interacted with the YY1, GATA, C/EBP2, and C/EBP3 elements that were increased by IL-1ß. These studies demonstrate that IL-1ß increases FDC-SP gene transcription in HPL cells by targeting YY1, GATA, C/EBP2, and C/EBP3 in the human FDC-SP gene promoter.

Tumor necrosis factor-α regulates human follicular dendritic cell-secreted protein gene transcription in gingival epithelial cells.

Follicular dendritic cell-secreted protein (FDC-SP) is a secreted protein expressed in follicular dendritic cells, periodontal ligament and junctional epithelium. To elucidate the transcriptional regulation of the human FDC-SP gene by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), we conducted real-time PCR, Western blotting, transient transfection analyses with chimeric constructs of the FDC-SP gene promoter linked to a luciferase reporter gene, gel mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays using Ca9-22 gingival epithelial cells. TNF-α (10 ng/ml) induced FDC-SP mRNA and protein levels at 3 hr and reached maximum at 12 hr. In transient transfection assays, TNF-α (12 hr) increased the LUC activities of constructs between -116FDCSP and -948FDCSP including the human FDC-SP gene promoter. Transcriptional stimulations by TNF-α were partially inhibited in the -345FDCSP constructs that included 3-bp mutations in the YY1, GATA, CCAAT enhancer-binding protein 2 (C/EBP2) and C/EBP3. Transcriptional activities induced by TNF-α were inhibited by tyrosine kinase, MEK1/2 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitors. The results of ChIP assays showed that YY1, GATA and C/EBPß transcription factors interacted with the YY1, GATA, C/EBP2 and C/EBP3 elements that were increased by TNF-α. These studies show that TNF-α stimulates human FDC-SP gene transcription by targeting YY1, GATA, C/EBP2 and C/EBP3 in the FDC-SP gene promoter.

Epigenetic regulation of puberty via Zinc finger protein-mediated transcriptional repression.

In primates, puberty is unleashed by increased GnRH release from the hypothalamus following an interval of juvenile quiescence. GWAS implicates Zinc finger (ZNF) genes in timing human puberty. Here we show that hypothalamic expression of several ZNFs decreased in agonadal male monkeys in association with the pubertal reactivation of gonadotropin secretion. Expression of two of these ZNFs, GATAD1 and ZNF573, also decreases in peripubertal female monkeys. However, only GATAD1 abundance increases when gonadotropin secretion is suppressed during late infancy. Targeted delivery of GATAD1 or ZNF573 to the rat hypothalamus delays puberty by impairing the transition of a transcriptional network from an immature repressive epigenetic configuration to one of activation. GATAD1 represses transcription of two key puberty-related genes, KISS1 and TAC3, directly, and reduces the activating histone mark H3K4me2 at each promoter via recruitment of histone demethylase KDM1A. We conclude that GATAD1 epitomizes a subset of ZNFs involved in epigenetic repression of primate puberty.

Panax notoginseng saponins induced up-regulation, phosphorylation and binding activity of MEK, ERK, AKT, PI-3K protein kinases and GATA transcription factors in hematopoietic cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on expression, regulation and phosphorylation of multiple protein kinases in mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) intracellular signal pathway and GATA transcription factors in hematopoietic cells, so as to explore its mechanism of proliferation and differentiation activity on hematopoiesis. METHODS: The human granulocytic HL-60, erythrocytic K562, megakaryocytic CHRF-288 and Meg-01 cell lines were treated by PNS, the positive control of K562, CHRF-288 cells treated by recombination human erythropoietin (Epo) and thrombopoietin (Tpo) respectively. The total cell lysate and nuclei protein were extracted after being treated by PNS, subsequently, analyzed by both Western blot and immune-precipitation. Meanwhile, the nuclei extract was performed for electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) by using (32)P radio labeled double-stranded GATA consensus oligonucleotide. RESULTS: The expression levels of kinase MEK-1, MEK-2, ERK-1, ERK-2, AKT-1, AKT-2 and PI-3K were increased by PNS treatment to different extent in four cell lines, depending on cellular heterogeneity and sensitivity to PNS, also phosphorylation of MEK-1, ERK-1 was differentially promoted by PNS respectively P<0.05, 0.01, 0.001). The expression levels of transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 were increased, moreover, their DNA binding activities were raised dramatically in PNS treated K562, CHRF-288 and Meg-01 cells compared with the controls respectively (P<0.05, 0.01, 0.001). The positive control of K562, CHRF-288 cells treated by Epo or Tpo respectively also displayed up-regulation of protein kinases and GATA transcription factors respectively (P<0.05, 0.01, 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that intracellular signal pathway initiated by PNS was involved in MAPK pathway and transcription factors of GATA family in hematopoietic cells. PNS displayed the role to promote proliferation and differentiation, by means of increasing expression level and phosphorylation status of multiple protein kinases, also inducing synthesis of GATA transcription factors and upregulation its DNA binding activity.

Polymethoxyflavonoids from Kaempferia parviflora induce adipogenesis on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by regulating transcription factors at an early stage of differentiation.

We previously reported that Kaempferia parviflora WALL. ex BAKER (KP) and its ethyl acetate extract (KPE) improve various metabolic disorders in obesity-model mice. However the mechanism is not certain, and, in this study, in order to elucidate the mechanism of the suppressive effect of KP on fat accumulation, we focused on adipocytes, which are closely linked to metabolic diseases. The finding was that KPE and its components, 3,5,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone, strongly induced differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes. The above two polymethoxyflavonoids (PMFs) also induced adiponectin mRNA levels, and release of adiponectin into the medium. In addition, these PMFs enhanced the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), but did not show PPARγ ligand activity. We then investigated the expression of the differentiation-regulator located upstream of PPARγ. Expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) ß and -δ mRNA, a transcriptional regulator of PPARγ, was induced, and expression of GATA-2 mRNA, a down-regulator of adipogenesis, was suppressed by these PMFs. These functions of the KP PMFs that enhance adipogenesis and secretion of adiponectin are, to some extent at least, involved in the mechanisms of anti-metabolic disorders effects.

Characterization of PIR1, a GATA family transcription factor involved in iron responses in the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Iron, although toxic in excess, is an essential element for biological systems. Therefore, its homeostasis is of critical importance and tight mechanisms participate in its acquisition by microbial organisms. Lately, the relevance of this metal for biomass conversion by wood-degrading fungi has been gaining increasing attention. Iron plays a critical role as cofactor of key enzymes such as lignin and manganese peroxidases in lignin-degrading white-rot fungi, while Fe(II) also serves a pivotal role in Fenton reactions that are central in cellulose depolymerization by brown-rotters. It has been hypothesized that multicopper oxidases with ferroxidase activity might participate in controlling the bioavailability of iron in the hyphal proximity, fine-tuning Fenton chemistry and balancing lignin versus cellulose degradation. In order to further explore the dynamics of iron regulation in the well known white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, we analyzed the mRNA levels of the multicopper oxidases genes (mcos) in response to iron supplementation, confirming down-regulation of their expression in response to this metal. To gain a better understanding on the transcriptional mechanisms mediating this effect, we searched for a gene encoding a GATA-type transcription factor with homology to URBS1, the major transcriptional regulator of iron homeostasis in Ustilago maydis. Due to the limitation of experimental tools in P. chrysosporium, the alleged Phanerochaete iron regulator (PIR1) was studied by complementation of a Neurospora SRE/URBS1-deficient strain, where phenotypic and molecular characteristics of this transcriptional regulator could be easily assessed. In addition, using a genome-wide in silico strategy, we searched for putative cis-acting iron-responsive elements in P. chrysosporium. Some of the identified genes showed reduced transcript levels after 30 min in the presence of the metal, consistent with an SRE/URBS1-mediated mechanism, and suggesting a broad effect of iron on the regulation of several cellular processes.

Anthocyanins from black soybean seed coats preferentially inhibit TNF-alpha-mediated induction of VCAM-1 over ICAM-1 through the regulation of GATAs and IRF-1.

Adhesion molecules have a key role in pathological inflammation. Thus, we investigated the effect of anthocyanins on the induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) by TNF-alpha and the possible molecular mechanisms by which anthocyanins differentially regulate ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression. Stimulation of cells with TNF-alpha increased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, and pretreatment with anthocyanins inhibited VCAM-1 expression, but not ICAM-1 expression. We found that IRF-1 and GATAs, especially GATA-4 and -6, were involved in the TNF-alpha-mediated expression of VCAM-1 but not ICAM-1, and anthocyanins decreased nuclear levels of GATA-4 and GATA-6 as well as IRF-1. Moreover, pretreatment with a Jak/STAT inhibitor decreased TNF-alpha-induced VCAM-1 expression and nuclear GATA-4, GATA-6, and IRF-1 levels. Furthermore, anthocyanins efficiently inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT-3. This suggests that anthocyanins differentially regulate TNF-alpha-mediated expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 through modulation of the GATA and IRF-1 binding activity via Jak/STAT-3 activation.