title: c-Maf is essential for the F4/80 expression in macrophages in vivo.
abstract: c-Maf, which is one of the large Maf transcription factors, can bind to Maf recognition element (MARE) and activates transcription of target genes. Although c-Maf is expressed in macrophages and directly regulates the expression of interleukin-10, detailed information regarding its function in the null mutant phenotype of tissue macrophages remain unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that c-Maf is specifically expressed in the F4/80 positive fetal liver and adult macrophages. The expression of F4/80, which is a tissue macrophage-specific seven trans-membrane receptor, was dramatically suppressed in the c-Maf-deficient macrophage, whereas the expression of Mac-1 was not affected, suggesting that c-Maf is not necessary for the lineage commitment of macrophages. Luciferase reporter and EMSA showed that c-Maf directly regulates the expression of F4/80 by interacting with the half-MARE site of the F4/80 promoter. These results suggest that c-Maf is required for the F4/80 expression in macrophages in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Doctoral Program in Life System Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences and Laboratory Animal Resource Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Michito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Kazuteru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.forename: Hirona
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051257:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-maf / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; C495608:Maf protein, mouse; D051257:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-maf; C036763:monocyte-macrophage differentiation antigen