title: Regulation of cholinergic gene expression by the neuron restrictive silencer factor/repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor.
abstract: The role of protein kinase A in regulating transcription of the cholinergic gene locus, which contains both the vesicular acetylcholine transporter gene and the choline acetyltransferase gene, was investigated in PC12 cells and a protein kinase A deficient PC12 mutant, A126.1B2 in which transcription of the locus is reduced. The site of action of protein kinase A was localized to a neuron restrictive silencer element/repressor element-1 (NRSE/RE-1) within the upstream region of the cholinergic gene locus. The neuron restrictive silencer factor/repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (NRSF/REST), the transcription factor which binds to NRSE/RE-1, was expressed at similar levels in both PC12 and A126.1B2. Although nuclear extracts containing NRSF/REST from A126.1B2 exhibited binding to NRSE/RE-1, nuclear extracts from PC12 cells did not. The NRSF/REST isoform repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor-4 (REST4) was found to be expressed in PC12 cells, but not in the protein kinase A deficient PC12 cell line. REST4 inhibited the binding of NRSF/REST to NRSE/RE-1 as determined by gel mobility shift assays. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to demonstrate interaction between NRSF/REST and REST4. Expression of recombinant REST4 in the protein kinase A deficient PC12 cell line was sufficient to transcriptionally activate the cholinergic gene locus. Thus in PC12 cells protein kinase A promotes the production of REST4, which in turn de-represses of the cholinergic gene locus by inactivating the transcription repressor NRSF/REST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose St, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA. lhersh@pop.uky.edu
authors.forename: Louis B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hersh
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimojo
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking / Q000494:pharmacology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor