title: Transcriptional activation of scavenger receptor expression in human smooth muscle cells requires AP-1/c-Jun and C/EBPbeta: both AP-1 binding and JNK activation are induced by phorbol esters and oxidative stress.
abstract: Reactive oxygen species generated by treatment of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with either phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or with the combination of H2O2 and vanadate strongly induce expression of the class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) gene. In the current studies, cis-acting elements in the proximal 245 bp of the SR-A promoter were shown to direct luciferase reporter expression in response to oxidative stress in both SMCs and macrophages. A composite activating protein-1 (AP-1)/ets binding element located between -67 and -50 bp relative to the transcriptional start site is critical for macrophage SR-A activity. Mutation of either the AP-1 or the ets component of this site also prevented promoter activity in SMCs. Mutation of a second site located between -44 and -21 bp, which we have identified as a CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) element, reduced the inducible activity of the promoter in SMCs by 50%, suggesting that combinatorial interactions between these sites are necessary for optimal gene induction. Interactions between SMC nuclear extracts and the SR-A promoter were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. c-Jun/AP-1 binding activity, specific for the -67- to -50-bp site, was induced in SMCs by the same conditions that increased SR-A expression. Moreover, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, H2O2, or the combination of H2O2 and sodium orthovanadate (vanadate) activated c-Jun-activating kinase. The binding activity within SMC extracts specific for the C/EBP site was shown to be C/EBPbeta in SMCs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that reactive oxygen species regulate the interactions between c-Jun/AP-1 and C/EBPbeta in the SR-A promoter. Furthermore, induction of oxidative stress in THP-1 cells, with a combination of 10 micromol/L vanadate and 100 micromol/L H2O2, induced macrophage differentiation, adhesion, and SR activity. These data suggest that vascular oxidative stress may contribute to the induction of SR-A expression and thereby promote the uptake of oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein by both macrophage and SMCs to produce foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco 94141-9100, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mietus-Snyder
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pitas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics*; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D051117:Scavenger Receptors, Class A; D051122:Scavenger Receptors, Class B; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; C454739:Scarb1 protein, mouse; D051117:Scavenger Receptors, Class A; D051122:Scavenger Receptors, Class B; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D004247:DNA; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D011494:Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate