title: The murine and human cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase gene promoters are differentially responsive to regulation by fatty acids mediated via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha.
abstract: We determined if fatty acids can regulate the murine Cyp7a1 and human CYP7A1 gene promoters via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha)/9-cis-retinoic acid receptor alpha (RXRalpha). In transfected cells, the murine Cyp7a1 gene promoter displayed markedly lower basal activity, but greater sensitivity to fatty acid- or WY 14,643-activated PPARalpha/RXRalpha when compared with the human CYP7A1 gene promoter. PPARalpha/RXRalpha can bind to a site (Site II) located within the region at nucleotides -158 to -132 of both promoters. Mutagenesis of the human CYP7A1 Site II element abolished the response to activated PPARalpha/RXRalpha. The murine Cyp7a1 gene promoter contains an additional PPARalpha/RXRalpha-binding site (Site I) located within nucleotides -72 to -57. Replacement of a single residue in human CYP7A1 Site I with that found in the murine Cyp7a1 Site I sequence enabled PPARalpha/RXRalpha binding, and this mutation resulted in reduced basal activity, but substantially improved the response to activated PPARalpha/RXRalpha in transfected cells. We conclude that fatty acids can regulate the cyp7a gene promoter via PPARalpha/RXRalpha. The differential response of the murine Cyp7a1 and human CYP7A1 gene promoters to PPARalpha activators is attributable to the additional PPARalpha/RXRalpha-binding site in the murine Cyp7a1 gene promoter.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Group on Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Agellon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; C000607071:RARA protein, human; C000607072:Rara protein, mouse; C000607073:Rara protein, rat; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002790:Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase