Antagonism of COUP-TF and PPAR alpha/RXR alpha on the activation of the malic enzyme gene promoter: modulation by 9-cis RA.

We previously demonstrated that heterodimers of the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) and the Retinoid X Receptor alpha (RXR alpha) stimulate malic enzyme gene transcription through a regulatory element in the promoter region (ME-PPRE). In this report, we show that the orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TF also displays affinity for the ME-PPRE and competes with PPAR alpha/RXR alpha for binding to this element. In transient transfections of a reporter driven by the MRE-PPRE in a heterologous or in the homologous promoter context, COUP-TF strongly antagonizes the transactivation by PPAR alpha RXR alpha in the absence of exogenously added ligands. Although 9-cis RA did not further enhance the transcriptional effects of the heterodimers activated by ciprofibrate, it greatly impaired the suppressive effects of COUP-TF on the ciprofibrate activated PPAR alpha/RXR alpha. We conclude that the antagonism by COUP-TF uncovers differential activation states of PPAR alpha/RXR alpha heterodimers in the absence and in the presence of 9-cis RA.