title: Serine/threonine phosphorylation regulates HNF-4alpha-dependent redox-mediated iNOS expression in hepatocytes.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO), endogenously synthesized by inducible NO synthase (iNOS), serves antioxidant and antiapoptotic functions in settings characterized by oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines such as sepsis and shock. However, the redox-sensitive mechanisms regulating hepatocyte expression of iNOS are largely unknown. In interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-stimulated hepatocytes exposed to superoxide, we demonstrate that hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha (HNF-4alpha) acts as an activator of redox-associated hepatocyte iNOS expression at the level of protein, mRNA, and promoter activation. In the absence of HNF-4alpha, this redox-mediated enhancement is ablated. HNF-4alpha functional activity is associated with a unique serine/threonine kinase-mediated phosphorylation pattern. This suggests that a redox-sensitive kinase pathway targets HNF-4alpha to augment hepatocyte iNOS expression. Previous studies have not addressed a redox-dependent kinase signaling pathway that targets HNF-4alpha and enhances hepatocyte iNOS gene transcription. A unique pattern of phosphorylation determines HNF-4alpha activity as a trans-activator of IL-1beta-mediated hepatocyte iNOS expression in the presence of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000235:genetics; D016296:Mutagenesis; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D051778:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C501970:Tcfl4 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013912:Threonine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D012694:Serine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat