title: Transcriptional regulation of APH-1A and increased gamma-secretase cleavage of APP and Notch by HIF-1 and hypoxia.
abstract: The proteolytic cleavage of Alzheimer beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and signaling receptor Notch is mediated by the PS/gamma-secretase complex, which consists of presenilins, nicastrin, APH-1, and PEN-2. Although the four components are known to coordinately regulate each other at the protein level, information regarding their transcription regulation is scarce. Here we characterized the 5'-flanking region of the human APH-1A gene and identified a 271-bp fragment containing the transcription initiation site for the promoter activity. Sequence analysis, mutagenesis, and gel shift studies revealed a binding of AP4 and HIF-1 to the promoter, which affects the promoter activity. Activation of HIF-1 by short-term NiCl2 treatments (a condition of chemical hypoxia) dramatically increased APH-1A mRNA and protein expression, accompanied by increased secretion of Abeta and decreased APP CTFs formation, indicative of an increase in gamma-secretase activity. NiCl2 treatments had little effect on APP and the other three components of the gamma-secretase complex. The cellular concentration of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) was also increased by the hypoxic treatment. Our results demonstrate that APH-1A expression and the gamma-secretase mediated Abeta and Notch NICD generation are regulated by HIF-1, and the specific control of APH-1A expression may imply physiological functions uniquely assigned to APH-1A.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Ruishan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-Wu
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Runzhong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuigen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Jiahui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Zhuohua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huaxi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D001483:Base Sequence; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; C055473:enhancer-binding protein AP-4; C475154:APH1A protein, human; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human