title: AP-1 activity is negatively regulated by cannabinol through inhibition of its protein components, c-fos and c-jun.
abstract: Regulation of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) complex is very intricate because it involves phosphorylation state, protein-protein, and protein-DNA interactions. In these studies, the regulation of AP-1 activity, with emphasis on c-fos and c-jun regulation, was investigated using cannabinol (CBN) in primary mouse splenocytes in vitro. Cannabinoid compounds exhibit immunosuppressive actions that are putatively mediated through Gi-protein coupled receptors that negatively regulate adenylate cyclase. However, recent studies suggest that cannabinoids modulate other signaling cascades. Indeed, we demonstrate that CBN inhibited binding to AP-1-containing sites from the interleukin-2 promoter. This inhibition of binding was, in part, due to decreased nuclear expression of c-fos and c-jun. We further determined that the effects of CBN were due to posttranslational modifications of these phosphoproteins and showed that CBN inhibited the activation of ERK MAP kinases. Thus, cannabinoid-induced immunosuppression involves disruption of the ERK signaling cascade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Faubert
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Kaminski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002187:Cannabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016762:Genes, fos; D016758:Genes, jun; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002187:Cannabinol; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate