title: TCF-4 mediates cell type-specific regulation of proglucagon gene expression by beta-catenin and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta.
abstract: The proglucagon gene (glu) encodes glucagon, expressed in pancreatic islets, and the insulinotropic hormone GLP-1, expressed in the intestines. These two hormones exert critical and opposite effects on blood glucose homeostasis. An intriguing question that remains to be answered is whether and how glu gene expression is regulated in a cell type-specific manner. We reported previously that the glu gene promoter in gut endocrine cell lines was stimulated by beta-catenin, the major effector of the Wnt signaling pathway, whereas glu mRNA expression and GLP-1 synthesis were activated via inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, the major negative modulator of the Wnt pathway (Ni, Z., Anini, Y., Fang, X., Mills, G. B., Brubaker, P. L., & Jin, T. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 1380-1387). We now show that beta-catenin and the glycogen synthase kinase-3beta inhibitor lithium do not activate glu mRNA or glu promoter expression in pancreatic cell lines. In the intestinal GLUTag cell line, but not in the pancreatic InR1-G9 cell line, the glu promoter G2 enhancer-element was activated by lithium treatment via a TCF-binding motif. TCF-4 is abundantly expressed in the gut but not in pancreatic islets. Furthermore, both TCF-4 and beta-catenin bind to the glu gene promoter, as detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Finally, stable introduction of dominant-negative TCF-4 into the GLUTag cell line repressed basal glu mRNA expression and abolished the effect of lithium on glu mRNA expression and GLP-1 synthesis. We have therefore identified a unique mechanism that regulates glu expression in gut endocrine cells only. Tissue-specific expression of TCF factors thus may play a role in the diversity of the Wnt pathway.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell & Molecular Biology, Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M1, Canada.
authors.forename: Fenghua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Brubaker
authors.forename: Tianru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005934:Glucagon / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism; D008094:Lithium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D052336:Proglucagon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495268:Ctnnb1 protein, rat; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; C553059:Tcf7l2 protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; D052336:Proglucagon; D005934:Glucagon; D008094:Lithium; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605508:Gsk3b protein, rat; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3