title: Lactoferrin down-modulates the activity of the granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor promoter in interleukin-1 beta-stimulated cells.
abstract: The human neutrophil lactoferrin (Lf), a cationic iron-binding glycoprotein, has an inhibitor role on granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production via interleukin-1 (IL-1). The nuclear localization of Lf suggests that it may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of GM-CSF gene expression. To explore this possibility, the effect of Lf on GM-CSF gene expression was investigated in various cell lines and in primary cultures of fibroblasts. Down-regulation of GM-CSF mRNA level was observed in Lf-transfected embryonic fibroblasts induced to produce GM-CSF by IL-1 beta. In 5637 cell-line and in embryonic fibroblasts, co-transfection experiments, in which an Lf expression vector was used together with a vector carrying a reporter gene linked to the GM-CSF promoter, revealed that Lf reduces the activity of the GM-CSF promoter. This effect is marked in IL-1 beta-stimulated cells. These findings suggest that Lf plays a negative role in GM-CSF expression at the transcriptional level, perhaps through the mediation of IL-1 beta.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Genetics, University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Penco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pastorino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi-Scarrà
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garrè
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000473:pathology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007781:Lactoferrin