title: Analysis of complement factor H mRNA expression: dexamethasone and IFN-gamma increase the level of H in L cells.
abstract: Murine complement protein H is encoded by a 100-kb gene on chromosome 1. A 3.2-kb fragment of the 5' flanking region of the H gene was sequenced, and two transcription start sites for this gene were identified by RNase protection and S1 nuclease analyses, each of which had upstream TATA and CAAT boxes. This region shares sequence homology with known regulatory elements, including the SV40 enhancer consensus, the Sp1 binding site, and two glucocorticoid-responsive core elements (GRE). Tissue and cell-line specificity has been examined by Northern analysis, and the 4.4-kb full-length H messenger RNA was identified in liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, liver cell line 1469, and L cells. IFN-gamma did not induce H mRNA expression in the macrophage cell line P388D.1 but had a positive effect on both the mRNA and protein levels of H in L cells. PMA, LPS, and vitamin D did not increase H mRNA levels in L cells. Pursuant to the discovery of two GRE in the 5' regulatory region of the H gene, we examined the effects of glucocorticoids on H mRNA expression. Dexamethasone (10(-7) M) was found to increase markedly the levels of H mRNA and protein after 24 h of incubation, and the effect on the mRNA was detectable by 30 min. The fact that H is a down-regulator of complement activation is consistent with the known immunosuppressive role of glucocorticoids. To our knowledge, this is the first time that dexamethasone has been shown to increase the levels of a complement protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California 92037.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Cánoves
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Tack
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Vik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003180:Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017242:Complement Factor H; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression; D005809:Genes, Regulator / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D003180:Complement C3b Inactivator Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003907:Dexamethasone; D017242:Complement Factor H; D007371:Interferon-gamma