title: Alien/CSN2 gene expression is regulated by thyroid hormone in rat brain.
abstract: Alien has been described as a corepressor for the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). Corepressors are coregulators that mediate gene silencing of DNA-bound transcriptional repressors. We describe here that Alien gene expression in vivo is regulated by thyroid hormone both in the rat brain and in cultured cells. In situ hybridization revealed that Alien is widely expressed in the mouse embryo and also throughout the rat brain. Hypothyroid animals exhibit lower expression of both Alien mRNAs and protein levels as compared with normal animals. Accordingly, we show that Alien gene is inducible after thyroid hormone treatment both in vivo and in cell culture. In cultured cells, the hormonal induction is mediated by either TRalpha or TRbeta, while cells lacking detectable amounts of functional TR lack hormonal induction of Alien. We have detected two Alien-specific mRNAs by Northern experiments and two Alien-specific proteins in vivo and in cell lines by Western analysis, one of the two forms representing the CSN2 subunit of the COP9 signalosome. Interestingly, both Alien mRNAs and both detected proteins are regulated by thyroid hormone in vivo and in cell lines. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the existence of at least two Alien genes in rodents. Taken together, we conclude that Alien gene expression is under control of TR and thyroid hormone. This suggests a negative feedback mechanism between TR and its own corepressor. Thus, the reduction of corepressor levels may represent a control mechanism of TR-mediated gene silencing.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas CSIC/UAM, C/ Arturo Duperier 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tenbaum
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juenemann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schlitt
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renkawitz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Aria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baniahmad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075686:COP9 Signalosome Complex; D017931:DNA Primers; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000235:genetics; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C118919:Cops2 protein, mouse; C513737:Cops2 protein, rat; D017931:DNA Primers; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000075686:COP9 Signalosome Complex