Reduction of hepatic insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) during fasting is associated with diminished splicing of IGF-I pre-mRNA and decreased stability of cytoplasmic IGF-I mRNA.
The mechanisms by which fasting decreases liver insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance have not been defined completely. In the present study, we have examined the effects of fasting in rats on hepatic IGF-I gene transcription, IGF-I pre-mRNA splicing, and cytoplasmic IGF-I mRNA stability. Using the in vitro nuclear run-on transcription technique, we observed that fasting did not change IGF-I gene transcription activity [76 +/- 32 densitometric units (DU) for fasted vs. 58 +/- 23 DU for control-fed rats; P = 0.1], whereas IGF-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) gene transcription, a positive control, was increased more than 2-fold (729 +/- 157 DU for fasted vs. 261 +/- 56 DU for control-fed rats; P < 0.05). This implies that fasting-induced reduction of liver IGF-I mRNA is due to events other than a decreased rate of IGF-I gene transcription. By measuring nonspliced (pre-mRNA) and spliced IGF-I transcripts in liver nuclear RNA using ribonuclease protection assays, we found that IGF-I pre-mRNA was increased in fasted rats (measured as the percentage of beta-actin: 34.0 +/- 5.5% for fasted vs. 8.1 +/- 3.8% for control-fed rats; P < 0.01), whereas spliced IGF-I transcript remained unchanged (measured as the percentage of beta-actin: 60.9 +/- 9.2% for fasted vs. 79.0 +/- 6.2% for control-fed rats; P = 0.75). We then compared this pattern of splicing to IGF-I pre-mRNA splicing in hypophysectomized rats subjected to GH stimulation and to IGFBP-1 pre-mRNA splicing in the same fasting experiment. One hour after GH injection, we observed a coordinate increase in both nonspliced and spliced IGF-I transcripts in liver nuclei of hypophysectomized rats. Fasting increased both IGFBP-1 pre-mRNA and spliced transcript. Taken together, these results indicate that the increase in IGF-I pre-mRNA in liver nuclei during fasting is caused by delayed pre-mRNA splicing, rather than increased IGF-I gene transcription. To examine the possible effect of fasting on hepatic IGF-I mRNA stability, we used an in vitro model of nutrient deprivation (fewer amino acids in culture medium) of rat hepatocyte primary culture. Each of the three major IGF-I mRNA species exhibited a shortened half-life in the amino acid-deprived media. The 7.5-kb IGF-I mRNA, however, was degraded faster than the two smaller IGF-I mRNA species. This may indicate that fasting decreases the stability of liver IGF-I mRNA in vivo. In summary, these results suggest that fasting regulates hepatic IGF-I gene expression mainly at the posttranscriptional level by delaying IGF-I pre-mRNA splicing, which attenuates mature IGF-I mRNA generation, and by accelerating the rate of degradation of IGF-I mRNA in cytoplasm.
Zhang
J
J
Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7220, USA.
Chrysis
D
D
Underwood
L E
LE
D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting / Q000378:metabolism*; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015347:RNA Probes / Q000235:genetics; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D000199:Actins; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D012322:RNA Precursors; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D012260:Ribonucleases