Regulation of gene expression in hepatic cells by the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR).
BACKGROUND
We investigated mTOR regulation of gene expression by studying rapamycin effect in two hepatic cell lines, the non-tumorigenic WB-F344 cells and the tumorigenic WB311 cells. The latter are resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of rapamycin, thus providing us with an opportunity to study the gene expression effects of rapamycin without confounding effects on cell proliferation.


RESULTS
The hepatic cells were exposed to rapamycin for 24 hr. Microarray analysis on total RNA preparations identified genes that were affected by rapamycin in both cell lines and, therefore, modulated independent of growth arrest. Further studies showed that the promoter regions of these genes included E-box-containing transcription factor binding sites at higher than expected rates. Based on this, we tested the hypothesis that c-Myc is involved in regulation of gene expression by mTOR by comparing genes altered by rapamycin in the hepatic cells and by c-Myc induction in fibroblasts engineered to express c-myc in an inducible manner. Results showed enrichment for c-Myc targets among rapamycin sensitive genes in both hepatic cell lines. However, microarray analyses on wild type and c-myc null fibroblasts showed similar rapamycin effect, with the set of rapamycin-sensitive genes being enriched for c-Myc targets in both cases.


CONCLUSIONS
There is considerable overlap in the regulation of gene expression by mTOR and c-Myc. However, regulation of gene expression through mTOR is c-Myc-independent and cannot be attributed to the involvement of specific transcription factors regulated by the rapamycin-sensitive mTOR Complex 1.
Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
Rosa H
RH
Jimenez
Ju-Seog
JS
Lee
Mirko
M
Francesconi
Gastone
G
Castellani
Nicola
N
Neretti
Jennifer A
JA
Sanders
John
J
Sedivy
Philip A
PA
Gruppuso
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D014157:Transcription Factors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020123:Sirolimus