title: Activation of elastin transcription by transforming growth factor-beta in human lung fibroblasts.
abstract: Elastin synthesis is essential for lung development and postnatal maturation as well as for repair following injury. Using human embryonic lung fibroblasts that express undetectable levels of elastin as assessed by Northern analyses, we found that treatment with exogenous transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) induced rapid and transient increases in levels of elastin heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) followed by increases of elastin mRNA and protein expression. In fibroblasts derived from transgenic mice, TGF-beta induced increases in the expression of a human elastin gene promoter fragment driving a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter gene. The induction of elastin hnRNA and mRNA expression by TGF-beta was abolished by pretreatments with TGF-beta receptor I inhibitor, global transcription inhibitor actinomycin D, and partially blocked by addition of protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, but was not affected by the p44/42 MAPK inhibitor U0126. Pretreatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 also partially attenuated the levels of TGF-beta-induced elastin mRNA but not its hnRNA. Western analysis indicated that TGF-beta stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt phosphorylation by LY-294002 abolished TGF-beta-induced increases in elastin hnRNA and mRNA expression. Treatment of lung fibroblasts with interleukin-1beta or the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A inhibited TGF-beta-induced elastin mRNA and hnRNA expression by a mechanism that involved inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. Downregulation of Akt2 but not Akt1 expression employing small interfering RNA duplexes blocked TGF-beta-induced increases of elastin hnRNA and mRNA levels. Together, our results demonstrated that TGF-beta activates elastin transcription that is dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt activity.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 80 E. Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA. ppkuang@bu.edu
authors.forename: Ping-Ping
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Xiao-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Celeste B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Mangalalaxmy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Ronald H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004549:Elastin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002867:Chromones; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D009025:Morpholines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C012589:trichostatin A; D004549:Elastin; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C494921:AKT2 protein, human; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt