title: Male-dominant activation of rat renal organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3) expression by transcription factor BCL6.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organic anion transporters 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3) mediate the transport of organic anions, including frequently prescribed drugs, across cell membranes in kidney proximal tubule cells. In rats, these transporters are known to be male-dominant and testosterone-dependently expressed. The molecular mechanisms that are involved in the sex-dependent expression are unknown. Our aim was to identify genes that show a sex-dependent expression and could be involved in male-dominant regulation of Oat1 and Oat3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Promoter activities of Oat1 and Oat3 were analyzed using luciferase assays. Expression profiling was done using a SurePrint G3 rat GE 8 × 60K microarray. RNA was isolated from renal cortical slices of four adult rats per sex. To filter the achieved microarray data for genes expressed in proximal tubule cells, transcription database alignment was carried out. We demonstrate that predicted androgen response elements in the promoters of Oat1 and Oat3 are not functional when the promoters were expressed in OK cells. Using microarray analyses we analyzed 17,406 different genes. Out of these genes, 56 exhibit a sex-dependent expression in rat proximal tubule cells. As genes potentially involved in the regulation of Oat1 and Oat3 expression, we identified, amongst others, the male-dominant hydroxysteroid (17-beta) dehydrogenase 1 (Hsd17b1), B-cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (BCL6), and polymerase (RNA) III (DNA directed) polypeptide G (Polr3g). Moreover, our results revealed that the transcription factor BCL6 activates promoter constructs of Oat1 and Oat3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the male-dominant expression of both transporters, Oat1 and Oat3, is possibly not directly regulated by the classical androgen receptor mediated transcriptional pathway but appears to be regulated by the transcription factor BCL6.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systemic Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Waja
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: Birgitta Christina
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Burckhardt
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burckhardt
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henjakovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D027362:Organic Anion Transport Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D027362:Organic Anion Transport Protein 1; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent; D051560:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; C114338:organic anion transport protein 3; D013739:Testosterone