title: Modulation of the human interleukin-6 promoter (IL-6) and transcription factor C/EBP beta (NF-IL6) activity by p53 species.
abstract: Constitutive up-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression is observed in many neoplastic cell lines. The contribution of mutations in p53 to the up-regulation of the IL-6 promoter was evaluated in transient transfection experiments. In HeLa cells, wild-type (wt) human or murine p53 preferentially repressed the IL-6 promoter. The p53 mutants Val-135 and Phe-132 up-regulated IL-6 promoter activity in these cells at both 32.5 and 37 degrees C. The temperature-sensitive Val-135 mutant was not only not inhibitory or "wt-like" at the lower temperature, but had gained a transcriptional activator phenotype which was temperature-independent in HeLa cells. The functional DNA target for transcriptional modulation of the IL-6 promoter by p53 species included the multiple cytokine- and second messenger-response element (-173 to -145); point mutations in the transcription factor C/EBP beta-binding site within the second messenger-response element largely blocked the ability of p53 mutants Val-135 and Phe-132 to up-regulate this promoter. The up-regulation of IL-6 promoter constructs by co-transfection into HeLa cells of a C/EBP beta constitutive expression vector was blocked in a dominant negative manner by wt p53. In contrast, the p53 mutants Val-135 and Phe-132 further enhanced C/EBP beta-mediated up-regulation of IL-6 promoter constructs. The modulation of C/EBP beta function by p53 species provides a basis for the involvement of p53 not only in the regulation of cytokine synthesis but also in the altered responsiveness of tumor cells to cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla 10595.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Margulies
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Sehgal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016158:Genes, p53; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors