title: Hepatocyte-nuclear factor 3 beta gene transcripts generate protein isoforms with different transactivation properties on the glucagon gene.
abstract: Hepatocyte-nuclear factor 3 beta (HNF-3 beta), a member of the HNF-3 gene family, is expressed in glucagon-producing islet cells and represses glucagon gene expression. We show here that at least three different HNF-3 beta transcripts that encode HNF-3 beta protein variants are present in glucagon-producing cells, HNF-3 beta 1, HNF-3 beta 2, and HNF-3 beta 3. Compared with the HNF-3 beta 1 cDNA, HNF-3 beta 2 cDNA lacks sequences of exon 1 while exons 1 and 4 are absent from the HNF-3 beta 3 cDNA. The deduced amino-acid (aa) sequence of HNF-3 beta 2 and HNF-3 beta 3 proteins differs from HNF-3 beta 1 by a 6-aa amino-terminal extension and by the absence of the first 30 aa, respectively. HNF-3 beta 1, HNF-3 beta 2, and HNF-3 beta 3 bind to the major enhancer of the rat glucagon gene G2 with similar affinity. By contrast to HNF-3 beta 1, which represses glucagon gene expression when overexpressed in the glucagon-producing cell line InR1G9, HNF-3 beta 2 and HNF-3 beta 3 do not affect transcriptional activity. Furthermore, cotransfection of HNF-3 beta 2 or HNF-3 beta 3 along with HNF-3 beta 1 decreases the negative effects of HNF-3 beta 1. We conclude that glucagon gene expression may be regulated by the relative abundance of the three different HNF-3 beta variants in alpha-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Microbiology and Medicine Centre Médical Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Philippe
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005091:Exons; D005934:Glucagon / Q000235:genetics*; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C496503:Foxa2 protein, mouse; C496504:Foxa2 protein, rat; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051542:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-beta; D005934:Glucagon