title: Transcription of human cathepsin B is mediated by Sp1 and Ets family factors in glioma.
abstract: Cathepsin B expression is increased at both the mRNA and protein levels in a wide variety of tumors. The mechanisms responsible for this regulation are not well elucidated. We have isolated a 2.2-kb cathepsin B genomic fragment that contains the 5'-flanking region of the cathepsin B gene. Using reporter gene analysis in human glioblastoma U87MG cells, we have mapped a 228-bp fragment (-172 to +56) having high promoter activity. This promoter region has a high G+C content; contains potential Spl, Ets, and USF binding motifs; and lacks canonical TATA and CAAT boxes immediately upstream of the major transcriptional initiation site. Cotransfection experiments demonstrated that Spl and Ets1 could trans-activate cathepsin B transcription, whereas Ets2 could not. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and supershift assays revealed that three of the four putative Sp1 sites in this promoter region form a specific complex containing the Sp1 transcription factor. Mutating all four of the Spl binding sites individually markedly reduced the promoter activity of transfected reporter genes in U87 cells. Cotransfection of this cathepsin B promoter construct with Spl family expression vectors in Schneider's Drosophila line 2 (SL2) cells demonstrated that Spl and Sp3, but not Sp4, activated cathepsin B transcription. Taken together, these results suggest that Sp1, Sp3, and Ets1 are important factors in cathepsin B transcription. The regulation of cathepsin B transcription by Sp1- and Sp1-related factors is mediated through multiple GC boxes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Berquin
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Troen
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Sloane
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051705:Sp3 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; C497121:SP3 protein, human; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051705:Sp3 Transcription Factor; D004247:DNA; D002401:Cathepsin B