title: Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) and IRF-2 distinctively up-regulate gene expression and production of interleukin-7 in human intestinal epithelial cells.
abstract: Intestinal epithelial cell-derived interleukin (IL)-7 functions as a pleiotropic and nonredundant cytokine in the human intestinal mucosa; however, the molecular basis of its production has remained totally unknown. We here showed that human intestinal epithelial cells both constitutively and when induced by gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) produced IL-7, while several other factors we tested had no effect. Transcriptional regulation via an IFN regulatory factor element (IRF-E) on the 5' flanking region, which lacks canonical core promoter sequences, was pivotal for both modes of IL-7 expression. IRF-1 and IRF-2, the latter of which is generally known as a transcriptional repressor, were shown to interact with IRF-E and transactivate IL-7 gene expression in an IFN-gamma-inducible and constitutive manner, respectively. Indeed, tetracycline-inducible expression experiments revealed that both of these IRF proteins up-regulated IL-7 protein production, and their exclusive roles were further confirmed by small interfering RNA-mediated gene silencing systems. Moreover, these IRFs displayed distinct properties concerning the profile of IL-7 transcripts upon activation and expression patterns within human colonic epithelial tissues. These results suggest that the functional interplay between IRF-1 and IRF-2 serves as an elaborate and cooperative mechanism for timely as well as continuous regulation of IL-7 production that is essential for local immune regulation within human intestinal mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namiki
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Kiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Motomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aida
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494257:IRF1 protein, human; C494229:IRF2 protein, human; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D050836:Interferon Regulatory Factor-2; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015851:Interleukin-7; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma