title: ABCA7 expression is regulated by cellular cholesterol through the SREBP2 pathway and associated with phagocytosis.
abstract: ABCA7 is highly homologous to ABCA1 and mediates cellular cholesterol and phospholipid release by apolipoproteins when transfected in vitro. However, expression of ABCA7 was downregulated by increased cellular cholesterol while ABCA1 was upregulated, and the results were consistent by forced expression or downregulation of sterol-responsive/regulatory element (SRE) binding proteins (SREBPs). We analyzed the promoter of the ABCA7 gene and identified the new exon encoding 96 bp (mouse) and 95 bp (human) of the 5' untranslated region and the transcription start site at 1,122 bp (mouse) and 1,260 bp (human) upstream of the initiation methionine codon. At 5' upstream of this exon is the ABCA7 proximal promoter containing multiple binding sites of transcription factors for hematopoiesis and SRE of 9 bp at 212 bp (mouse) and 179 bp (human) upstream of the new exon. The apolipoprotein A-I-mediated lipid release was not influenced by suppression of the endogenous ABCA7 with small interfering RNA in mouse fibroblasts or by its increase in ABCA1-deficient mouse cells. In contrast, phagocytic activity was altered in parallel to the ABCA7 expression in these cells. When phagocytosis was induced, the messages increased for SREBP2, ABCA7, and other SREBP2-regulated proteins. The ABCA1 message decreased in this condition. We conclude that the ABCA7 gene is regulated by sterol in the opposite direction to ABCA1 through SRE/SREBP2 and that expression of ABCA7 by this regulation is associated with phagocytic activity.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, and Metabolism 1, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Sumiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe-Dohmae
authors.forename: Ryuichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C577836:ABCA1 protein, human; C411895:ABCA7 protein, human; D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C502774:SRE protein, human; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002784:Cholesterol