title: Activation of hepatitis B virus S promoter by a cell type-restricted IRE1-dependent pathway induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress.
abstract: IRE1-alpha is an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that is a key sensor in the cellular transcriptional response to stress in the ER. Upon induction of ER stress, IRE1-alpha is activated, resulting in the synthesis of the active form of the transcription factor XBP1 via IRE1-mediated splicing of its mRNA. In this report, we have examined the role of IRE1-alpha and XBP1 in activation of the hepatitis B virus S promoter by ER stress. Cotransfection experiments revealed that overexpression of either IRE1-alpha or XBP1 activated this promoter. Conversely, cotransfected dominant-negative IRE1-alpha or small interfering RNA directed against XBP1 decreased the activation of the S promoter by ER stress, confirming an important role for the IRE1-alpha/XBP1 signaling pathway in activation of the S promoter. However, XBP1 does not bind directly to the S promoter; rather, a novel S promoter-binding complex that does not contain XBP1 is induced in cells undergoing ER stress in an XBP1-dependent manner. This complex, as well as transcriptional activation of the S promoter, is induced by ER stress in hepatocytes but not in fibroblasts, despite the presence of active XBP1 in the latter. Thus, the hepatitis B virus S promoter responds to a novel, cell type-restricted transcriptional pathway downstream of IRE1-alpha and XBP1.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Hiderou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: T S Benedict
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071701:Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014415:Tunicamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071717:X-Box Binding Protein 1
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000071701:Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071717:X-Box Binding Protein 1; C000605543:XBP1 protein, human; C000605544:Xbp1 protein, mouse; D014415:Tunicamycin; C403982:ERN2 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D004722:Endoribonucleases