title: Repressive effect of Sp1 on the C/EBPalpha gene promoter: role in adipocyte differentiation.
abstract: Expression of C/EBPalpha is required for differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes. Previous investigations indicated that transcription of the C/EBPalpha gene is sequentially activated during differentiation, initially by C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta and later by C/EBPalpha (autoactivation). These events are mediated by a C/EBP regulatory element in the promoter of the C/EBPalpha gene. This article presents evidence that members of the Sp family, notably Sp1, act repressively on the C/EBPalpha promoter prior to the induction of differentiation. Sp1 was shown to bind to a GC box at the 5' end of the C/EBP regulatory element in the C/EBPalpha promoter and, in so doing, to competitively prevent binding to and transactivation of the promoter by the C/EBPs. One of the differentiation inducers methylisobutylxanthine (a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor) or Forskolin, both of which increase the cellular cAMP level, causes down-regulation of Sp1. This decrease in Sp1 level early in the differentiation program appears to facilitate access of C/EBPbeta and/or C/EBPdelta to the C/EBP regulatory element and, thereby, derepression of the C/EBPalpha gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Q Q
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018983:DNA Footprinting; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005807:Genes, Overlapping; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I