title: Up-regulation of Bcl-xl by hepatocyte growth factor in human mesothelioma cells involves ETS transcription factors.
abstract: Bcl-xl and the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor c-Met are both highly expressed in mesotheliomas, where they protect cells from apoptosis and can confer resistance to conventional therapeutic agents. In our current study, we investigate a model for the transcriptional control of Bcl-xl that involves ETS transcription factors and the HGF/Met axis. In addition, the effects of activated c-Met on the phosphorylation of the ETS family transcriptional factors were examined. The transient expression of ETS-2 and PU.1 cDNAs in mesothelioma cell lines resulted in an increase in the promoter activity of Bcl-xl and consequently in its mRNA and protein expression levels, whereas the transcriptional repressor Tel suppressed Bcl-xl transcription. The activation of the HGF/Met axis led to rapid phosphorylation of ETS family transcription factors in mesothelioma cells through the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and via nuclear accumulation of ETS-2 and PU.1. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay further demonstrated that the activation of c-Met enhanced the binding of ETS transcriptional factors to the Bcl-x promoter. Finally, we determined the Bcl-xl and phosphorylated c-Met expression levels in mesothelioma patient samples; these data suggest a strong correlation between Bcl-xl and phosphorylated c-Met levels. Taken together, these findings support a role for c-Met as an inhibitor of apoptosis and an activator of Bcl-xl.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Littlejohn
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodarte
authors.forename: Lidong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rascoe
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jupiter
authors.forename: W Roy
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Smythe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050787:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099232:Proto-Oncogene Protein Spi-1
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D050787:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-2; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D000099232:Proto-Oncogene Protein Spi-1