title: Ras regulates interleukin-1β-induced HIF-1α transcriptional activity in glioblastoma.
abstract: We observed elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in glioblastoma multiforme tumor samples. Since hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays a crucial role in linking inflammatory and oncogenic pathways, we investigated the effect of IL-1β on HIF-1α expression in glioma cells under normoxia. IL-1β-mediated elevation of HIF-1α transcriptional activity was dependent on Ras-induced NF-κB activation, as IL-1β failed to induce NF-κB and HIF-1α activity in cells transfected with dominant negative RasN17. Increased Ras expression was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of Ras effectors AKT, ERK, JNK, and p38MAPK. While inhibition of these effectors individually failed to block the IL-1β-mediated increase in HIF-1α induction, co-inhibition of both AKT and ERK resulted in a significant decrease in IL-1β-induced HIF-1α activation. Interestingly, IL-1β elevated Wnt-1 expression in a Ras-dependent manner, and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of Wnt-1 decreased HIF-1α activity. Although Wnt-1-mediated HIF-1α was independent of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, it regulated HIF-1α through NF-κB. siRNA-mediated HIF-1α knockdown attenuated elevated IL-1β mRNA levels induced upon IL-1β treatment. This was accompanied by increased interaction of HIF-1α with HIF responsive element on the IL-1β promoter upon IL-1β treatment, under normoxia. Our studies highlights for first time that (1) Ras is a key mediator of IL-1β-induced NF-κB and HIF-1α activation, under normoxia; (2) Wnt-1 regulates IL-1β-mediated HIF-1α induction via NF-κB; (3) Ras and Wnt-1 are intermediaries in the canonical IL-1β-NF-κB signaling pathway downstream of MyD88; and (4) IL-1β-induced HIF-1α drives a HIF-1α-IL-1β autocrine loop to maintain persistently elevated IL-1β level.
authors.affiliation: National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana, 122 050, India.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Deobrat
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koul
authors.forename: Veer Singh
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Ellora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D019898:Autocrine Communication; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D016328:NF-kappa B; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)