title: Conditional derepression of ferritin synthesis in cells expressing a constitutive IRP1 mutant.
abstract: Iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1), a major posttranscriptional regulator of cellular iron and energy metabolism, is controlled by an iron-sulfur cluster switch. Cysteine-437 is critical for coordinating the cluster, and its replacement yields mutants that do not respond to iron perturbations and constitutively bind to cognate mRNA iron-responsive elements (IREs). The expression of IRP1(C437S) in cells has been associated with aberrations in iron homeostasis and toxicity. We have established clones of human lung (H1299) and breast (MCF7) cancer cells that express high levels of IRP1(C437S) in a tetracycline-inducible manner. As expected, IRP1(C437S) stabilizes transferrin receptor mRNA and inhibits translation of ferritin mRNA in both cell types by binding to their respective IREs. However, H1299 transfectants grown at high densities are able to overcome the IRP1(C437S)-mediated inhibition in ferritin synthesis. The mechanism involves neither alteration in ferritin mRNA levels nor utilization of alternative transcription start sites to eliminate the IRE or relocate it in less inhibitory downstream positions. The derepression of ferritin mRNA translation occurs under conditions where global protein synthesis appears to be impaired, as judged by a significant enrichment in the expression of the underphosphorylated form of the translational regulator 4E-BP1. Collectively, these data document an example where ferritin mRNA translation evades control of the IRE-IRP system. The physiological implications of this response are reflected in protection against iron-mediated toxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pantopoulos
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003545:Cysteine / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D035941:Iron Regulatory Protein 1; D035925:Iron-Regulatory Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C087000:EIF4EBP1 protein, human; D035925:Iron-Regulatory Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D035941:Iron Regulatory Protein 1; D013752:Tetracycline; D003545:Cysteine