title: Transcription factor c-Jun activation represses mdr-1 gene expression.
abstract: Expression of mdr-1 is complex and highly regulated. Several lines of evidence indirectly suggest that transcription factor c-Jun may negatively regulate human mdr-1 gene expression. We recently found that salvicine, a novel topoisomerase II inhibitor, is cytotoxic for multidrug resistance (MDR) tumor cells and down-regulates mdr-1 expression in MDR K562/A02 cells. Salvicine also stimulates a significant increase in the level of c-jun mRNA in HL60 cells. This study investigated the relationship between c-Jun activation and down-regulation of mdr-1 expression by salvicine in K562/A02 cells. Reverse-transcription PCR and Western blotting analyses revealed that salvicine suppressed mdr-1 expression in MDR cells and promoted c-jun expression in both MDR and parental K562 cells. Moreover, levels of c-jun expression were enhanced by salvicine before reduction of mdr-1 expression in K562/A02 cells. Furthermore, c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides prevented salvicine-stimulated enhancement of c-Jun protein and reduction of mdr-1 gene expression, but did not affect the increase in c-jun mRNA levels. Salvicine promoted phosphorylation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase and c-Jun protein in MDR K562/A02 and parental K562 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis showed that salvicine enhanced DNA binding activity of transcription factor activator protein 1. Additionally, c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides also inhibited salvicine-induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity in MDR and parental K562 cells. A possible pathway emerges from these results: salvicine stimulates c-Jun-N-terminal kinase phosphorylation and activation, resulting in c-Jun phosphorylation and activation. Activated c-Jun promotes expression of c-jun itself, represses mdr-1 transcription, and triggers pro-apoptotic signals, resulting in low mdr-1 expression and cell death. The present results demonstrate that transcription factor c-Jun plays a principal role in down-regulation of mdr-1 expression and induction of apoptosis in salvicine-treated human MDR K562/A02 cells, providing new insights into the complicated mechanisms regulating mdr-1 expression. The findings also suggest that c-Jun might be a potential drug target for circumventing tumor MDR.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anti-tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ze-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019450:Genes, MDR / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020014:K562 Cells; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; C122096:salvicine; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases