title: Downregulation of human endothelial nitric oxide synthase promoter activity by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.
abstract: Human endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a crucial role in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis and vascular integrity. eNOS gene expression may be upregulated by a signaling pathway, including PI-3Kgamma--> Jak2--> MEK1 --> ERK1/2--> PP2A. It remains unclear whether other mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members, such as JNK, p38 kinase, and ERK5/BMK1, also modulate eNOS gene expression. Our purpose, therefore, is to shed light on the effect of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway on the regulation of eNOS promoter activity. The results showed that a red fluorescent protein reporter gene vector containing the full length of the human eNOS promoter was first successfully constructed, expressing efficiently in ECV304 cells with the characteristics of real time observation. The wild-types of p38alpha, p38beta, p38gamma, and p38delta signal molecules all markedly downregulated promoter activity, which could be reversed by their negative mutants, including p38alpha (AF), p38beta (AF), p38gamma (AF), and p38delta (AF). Promoter activity was also significantly downregulated by MKK6b (E), an active mutant of an upstream kinase of p38 MAPK. The reduction in promoter activity by p38 MAPK could be blocked by treatment with a p38 MAPK specific inhibitor, SB203580. Moreover, the activation of endogenous p38 MAPK induced by lipopolysaccharide resulted in a prominent reduction in promoter activity. These findings strongly suggest that the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway may be implicated in the downregulation of human eNOS promoter activity.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, 601# Huangpu West Avenue, Guangzhou 510632, P.R. China. tfyxing@jnu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Feiyue
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kesen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yongyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yaoying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D048669:MAP Kinase Kinase 6; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein; C482566:MAP2K6 protein, human