title: Inactivation of CBF/NF-Y in postnatal liver causes hepatocellular degeneration, lipid deposition, and endoplasmic reticulum stress.
abstract: We previously demonstrated that CBF activity is needed for cell proliferation and early embryonic development. To examine the in vivo function of CBF in differentiated hepatocytes, we conditionally deleted CBF-B in hepatocytes after birth. Deletion of CBF-B resulted in progressive liver injury and severe hepatocellular degeneration 4 weeks after birth. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated pleiotropic changes of hepatocytes including enlarged cell and nuclear size, intracellular lipid deposition, disorganized endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondrial abnormalities. Gene expression analyses showed that deletion of CBF-B activated expression of specific endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-regulated genes. Inactivation of CBF-B also inhibited expression of C/EBP alpha, an important transcription factor controlling various metabolic processes in adult hepatocytes. Altogether, our study reveals for the first time that CBF is a key transcription factor controlling ER function and metabolic processes in mature hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Sherry A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Klumpp
authors.forename: Milton J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Finegold
authors.forename: Sankar N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Maity
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
chemical_list: D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor