title: Glucocorticoid receptor signaling contributes to constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in term human placenta.
abstract: Our recent study demonstrated that constitutively activated RelB/NF-κB2 positively regulates the CRH in the human placenta. In the current study, we explored the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling in constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. A glucocorticoid response element (GRE) motif search suggests that both NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) and RelB genes, which are key regulators of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway, have a putative GRE within their promoter, approximately 1 kb upstream from the transcription start site. By using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay we identified that the GR and phosphorylated GR at Ser211 were associated with the GREs of both NIK and RelB. Dexamethasone stimulated expression of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2 as well as CRH and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Repression of GR by short interfering RNA resulted in inhibition of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2, CRH, and COX-2. In addition, depletion of GR attenuated glucocorticoid-mediated up-regulation of NIK, RelB, NF-κB2, CRH, and COX-2. Furthermore, siRNA specifically targeting NIK down-regulated CRH and COX-2. Taken together, these results suggest that constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in term human placenta is driven by the GR signaling, which in turn up-regulates placental CRH and other NF-κB-responsive genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA. wangbi@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Bingbing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Palomares
authors.forename: Nataliya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parobchak
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cece
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Anh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D052003:NF-kappa B p52 Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020218:Response Elements; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051841:Transcription Factor RelB / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014327:Trophoblasts; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000097782:NF-kappaB-Inducing Kinase
chemical_list: D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D003907:Dexamethasone; D016328:NF-kappa B; D052003:NF-kappa B p52 Subunit; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D051841:Transcription Factor RelB; D000097782:NF-kappaB-Inducing Kinase; C497593:RELB protein, human; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human