title: Autoregulation of pituitary corticotroph SOCS-3 expression: characterization of the murine SOCS-3 promoter.
abstract: Pituitary corticotroph SOCS-3 is a novel intracellular regulator of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-mediated proopiomelanocortin gene expression and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion, inhibiting LIF-activated Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling in a negative autoregulatory loop. We now demonstrate in corticotroph AtT-20 cells that LIF-stimulated endogenous SOCS-3 mRNA expression is blocked in stable transfectants of SOCS-3 wild type or in dominant negative STAT-3 mutants, respectively. We characterized approximately 3.8-kb genomic 5' sequence of murine SOCS-3, including approximately 2.9-kb sequence upstream of the transcription start site (+1), which was determined by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends and RNase protection assay. Different 5' constructs were cloned into the pGL3Basic vector, and luciferase activity was assayed in transiently transfected ACTH-secreting corticotroph AtT-20 cells. A STAT-1/STAT-3 binding element, located at nucleotides -72 to -64, was essential for LIF stimulation of SOCS-3 promoter activity. LIF induced 10-fold increased luciferase activity in a wild-type construct spanning -2757 to +929 bases. However, deletion or point mutation of the STAT-1/STAT-3 binding element abrogated LIF action (2- to 3-fold). Electrophoretic mobility-shift assay analysis confirmed specific binding of STAT-1 and STAT-3 to this region. These results characterize the genomic 5' region of murine SOCS-3 and identify an important STAT-1/STAT-3 binding element therein. Thus, LIF-stimulated SOCS-3 gene expression is at least in part mediated by STAT-3 and STAT-1. The cytokine inhibitor SOCS-3 acts in a negative loop to autoregulate its own gene expression, thus limiting its accumulation in the corticotroph cell. These results demonstrate a mechanism for corticotroph plasticity with rapid "on" and "off" ACTH induction in response to neuro-immuno-endocrine stimuli, such as LIF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Research Institute, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Auernhammer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bousquet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melmed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors; D018909:src Homology Domains
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C491411:Socs3 protein, mouse; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors