title: cAMP responsive element modulator: a critical regulator of cytokine production.
abstract: T lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) display a complex array of cellular, molecular, and signaling anomalies, many of which have been attributed to increased expression of the transcriptional regulator cAMP responsive element modulator α (CREMα). Recent evidence indicates that CREMα, in addition to its regulatory functions on gene promoters in T lymphocytes, alters the epigenetic conformation of cytokine genes by interacting with enzymes that control histone methylation and acetylation as well as cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG) DNA methylation. This review summarizes the most recent findings on CREM protein expression in various cell types, in particular its effects on T lymphocyte biology in the context of both health and SLE. We emphasize CREMα as a key molecule that drives autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rauen
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hedrich
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tenbrock
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Tsokos
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051786:Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006657:Histones; D051786:Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator