title: Identification and functional analysis of a novel human CYP2E1 far upstream enhancer.
abstract: Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional CYP2E1 regulatory mechanisms are known, resulting in 20-fold or greater variation in CYP2E1 expression. To evaluate functional regulatory elements controlling transcription, CYP2E1 promoter constructs were used to make adenovirus vectors containing CYP2E1 promoter-driven luciferase reporters for analyses in both primary human hepatocytes and HepG2 cells. A 1.2-kilobase pair portion of the CYP2E1 promoter was associated with 5- to 10-fold greater luciferase activity. This upstream region contained five direct repeats of 59 base pairs (bp) that increased thymidine kinase-driven luciferase reporter activity in HepG2 cells more than 5-fold, regardless of orientation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) identified sequence-specific nuclear protein binding to the 59-bp repeats that was dependent on a 17-bp sequence containing a canonical GATA binding site (WGATAR). Competitive and supershift EMSA identified the participation of GATA4, another GATA family member or GATA-like factor, and a third factor unrelated to the GATA family. Involvement of the tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome-1 factor, which also binds a GATA sequence, was eliminated. Rather, competitive EMSA using known binding sequences for the orphan nuclear receptors, steroidogenic factor-1 (or NR5A1), and fetoprotein transcription factor (or NR5A2) implicated an NR5A member in binding a sequence overlapping the canonical GATA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated in vivo binding of NR5A2 to the enhancer sequence in human hepatocytes. The enhancer sequence is conserved within the human population but seems species-specific. The identification of this novel enhancer and its putative mechanism adds to the complexities of human CYP2E1 regulation.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacogenetics & Teratology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226-4801, USA. jshadley@mcw.edu
authors.forename: Jeff D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Shadley
authors.forename: Karthika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Divakaran
authors.forename: Kimber
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Munson
authors.forename: Ronald N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: D Gail
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: McCarver
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000502:physiology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D015534:Trans-Activators; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; C484170:GATA4 protein, human; C515057:NR5A1 protein, human; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D015534:Trans-Activators; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1