title: IFN-gamma-induced expression of MUC4 in pancreatic cancer cells is mediated by STAT-1 upregulation: a novel mechanism for IFN-gamma response.
abstract: MUC4 is a transmembrane mucin, which is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma with no detectable expression in the normal pancreas. Here, we present a novel mechanism of IFN-gamma-induced expression of MUC4 in pancreatic cancer cells. Our studies highlight the upregulation of STAT-1 as a basis for MUC4 induction and demonstrate that its activation and upregulation by IFN-gamma are two distinct, albeit temporally integrated, signalling events that drive the selective induction of IRF-1 and MUC4, respectively, within a single cell system. The profile of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1 gene induction by IFN-gamma is consistent with its rapid transactivation by phospho-Y701-STAT-1. In contrast, the induction of the MUC4 mucin gene expression is relatively delayed, and occurs only in response to an increase in STAT-1 expression. A progressive binding of STAT-1 to various gamma-interferon-activated sequences (GAS) in the MUC4 promoter is observed in chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, indicating its direct association. Stimulation of STAT-1 expression by double-stranded polynucleotides or ectopic expression is shown to induce MUC4 expression, without Y701 phosphorylation of STAT-1. This effect is abrogated by short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated inhibition of STAT-1 expression, supporting further the relevance of STAT-1 in MUC4 regulation. In conclusion, our findings identify a novel mechanism for MUC4 regulation in pancreatic cancer cells and unfold new perspectives on the foundation of IFN-gamma-dependent gene regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrianifahanana
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nemos
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ponnusamy
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moniaux
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Varshney
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Batra
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055264:Mucin-4; D009077:Mucins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C524658:MUC4 protein, human; D055264:Mucin-4; D009077:Mucins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D007371:Interferon-gamma