Function Of X-box Binding Protein 1 Research Articles

XBP1 Regulates the Transcription of HIF-1a in BALB/c Mice with Chronic Rhinosinusitis without Polyps.

X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that recognizes the CRE-like element in enhancers of human T-cell leukemia virus and MHC class II gene and induces their transcription. This study was performed to characterize the function of XBP1, which was identified to be a differentially expressed gene via GEO database, in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). XBP1 expression was significantly elevated in both CRSsNP patients and mice who were accompanied with mucosal thickening, goblet cell hyperplasia and chemosis, glandular hyperplasia, and dense infiltration of inflammatory cells. Silencing of XBP1 suppressed the development of CRSsNP in mice. Mechanistically, knockdown of XBP1 downregulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a), and overexpression of XBP1 led to the opposite result. Silencing of HIF-1a inhibited β-catenin expression and impaired the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Further overexpression of HIF-1a in XBP1-silenced CRSsNP mice exacerbated pathological changes in mouse nasal mucosal tissues, promoted inflammation, and activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, overexpression of XBP1 may be associated with increased expression of HIF-1a and possibly contribute to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation and the development of CRSsNP.

Systemic Delivery of Aptamer-Conjugated XBP1 siRNA Nanoparticles for Efficient Suppression of HER2+ Breast Cancer.

siRNA therapeutics as an emerging class of drug development is successfully coming to clinical utilization. The RNA-based therapy is widely utilized to explore the mechanism and cure a variety of gene-specific diseases. Tumor is an oncogene-driven disease; many genes are related to tumor progression and chemoresistance. Although human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy has dramatically improved the survival rate, chemotherapy remains essential to HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer patients. Recently, X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) has been involved in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemoresistance and progression, but its function in HER2+ breast cancer is poorly explored. Here, we silenced XBP1 expression using RNase-resistant RNA nanoparticles (NPs). Intravenous injection of RNA NPs with HER2-specific aptamers resulted in strong binding to tumors but not to healthy tissues. XBP1 deletion by RNA NPs impaired angiogenesis and inhibited cell proliferation, significantly suppressed breast cancer growth, and promoted the sensitization of chemotherapy in an HER2+ breast cancer mouse model. Overall, these results reveal the function of XBP1 in HER2+ breast cancer development and chemoresistance and imply that targeting XBP1 by RNA NPs may offer an easy and promising strategy for a combination treatment of breast cancer in the future.

Downregulation of XBP1 decreases serous ovarian cancer cell viability and enhances sensitivity to oxidative stress by increasing intracellular ROS levels

Interaction between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress contributes to the occurrence and development of various types of cancer. The X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1), which is an important transcription factor in ER stress-related pathways, has also been reported to serve a protective role against oxidative stress. However, the role of XBP1 in serous ovarian cancer (SOC) remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to explore the biological function of XBP1 in SOC cells under normal or oxidative stress conditions. The expression of XBP1 was downregulated in the SOC cell lines A2780 and HO8910 by lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Cell proliferative ability was evaluated by cell colony formation and viability assays. The sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to oxidative stress was evaluated using cell survival rate and apoptotic rate, determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured by flow cytometry and cell immunofluorescence using a dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate probe. The mRNA and protein expression levels were detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that XBP1 was overexpressed in SOC compared with normal ovarian epithelial cells, and that downregulation of XBP1 significantly reduced cell proliferative ability. In addition, the downregulation of XBP1 significantly enhanced the sensitivity of SOC cells to H2O2 by increasing the intracellular ROS levels. The phosphorylation level of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 decreased in the cells of the XBP1-knockdown group. These results indicated that XBP1 may serve a protective role against oxidative stress in SOC cells, and the underlying molecular mechanism may be associated with the downregulation of phosphorylated p38. Therefore, targeting XBP1 may act synergistically with ROS inducers in the treatment of SOC.

Molecular characterization and expression pattern of X box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): Indications for a role of XBP1 in antibacterial and antiviral immunity

X box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that is essential for the unfolded protein response (UPR) and the differentiation of plasma cells, and some findings have also uncovered its function in innate immunity. XBP1 typically has two different transcripts, un-spliced (XBP1u) and spliced forms (XBP1s), but XBP1s is an active transcription factor in the regulation of target genes. To date, there is no evidence about the identification and function of XBP1 in common carp. Moreover, no data are currently available regarding the role of fish XBP1 in innate immunity. Thus, to determine whether XBP1 is involved in innate immune response in common carp, we cloned CcXBP1s and examined the expression of XBP1s and a XBP1s stimulated gene (IL-6) after Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) challenges. The results imply that CcXBP1s, as an active transcription factor, might play regulation roles in the antibacterial and antiviral innate immune responses of common carp. This allows us to gain new insights into the immunological function of XBP1 in fish innate immunity and the evolution of this important class of genes across vertebrates.

Involvement of the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway and XBP1s-dependent transcriptional reprogramming in metabolic diseases.

The X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is not only an important component of the unfolded protein response (UPR), but also an important nuclear transcription factor. Upon endoplasmic reticulum stress, XBP1 is spliced by inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), thereby generating functional spliced XBP1 (XBP1s). XBP1s functions by translocating into the nucleus to initiate transcriptional programs that regulate a subset of UPR- and non-UPR-associated genes involved in the pathophysiological processes of various diseases. Recent reports have implicated XBP1 in metabolic diseases. This review summarizes the effects of XBP1-mediated regulation on lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Additionally, for the first time, we present XBP1s-dependent transcriptional reprogramming in metabolic diseases under different conditions, including pathology and physiology. Understanding the function of XBP1 in metabolic diseases may provide a basic knowledge for the development of novel therapeutic targets for ameliorating these diseases.

XBP-1 deficiency in the nervous system protects against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by increasing autophagy

Mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS). Recent evidence implicates adaptive responses to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the disease process via a pathway known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). Here, we investigated the contribution to fALS of X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), a key UPR transcription factor that regulates genes involved in protein folding and quality control. Despite expectations that XBP-1 deficiency would enhance the pathogenesis of mutant SOD1, we observed a dramatic decrease in its toxicity due to an enhanced clearance of mutant SOD1 aggregates by macroautophagy, a cellular pathway involved in lysosome-mediated protein degradation. To validate these observations in vivo, we generated mutant SOD1 transgenic mice with specific deletion of XBP-1 in the nervous system. XBP-1-deficient mice were more resistant to developing disease, correlating with increased levels of autophagy in motoneurons and reduced accumulation of mutant SOD1 aggregates in the spinal cord. Post-mortem spinal cord samples from patients with sporadic ALS and fALS displayed a marked activation of both the UPR and autophagy. Our results reveal a new function of XBP-1 in the control of autophagy and indicate critical cross-talk between these two signaling pathways that can provide protection against neurodegeneration.

XBP1 governs late events in plasma cell differentiation and is not required for antigen-specific memory B cell development

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response pathway that is driven by the increased load of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum of highly secretory cells such as plasma cells (PCs). X box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that mediates one branch of the UPR and is crucial for the development of antibody-secreting PCs. PCs represent only one class of terminally differentiated B cells, however, and little is known about the role for XBP1 in the other class: memory B cells. We have developed an XBP1fl/fl CD19+/cre conditional knockout (XBP1CD19) mouse to build upon our current understanding of the function of XBP1 in PC differentiation as well as to explore the role of XBP1 in memory cell development. Using this model, we show that XBP1CD19 mice are protected from disease in an autoantibody-mediated mouse lupus model. We also identify a novel developmental stage at which B cells express the traditional PC marker CD138 (syndecan-1) but have yet to undergo XBP1-dependent functional and morphological differentiation into antibody-secreting cells. Finally, we show that memory B cells develop normally in XBP1CD19 mice, demonstrating that XBP1-mediated functions occur independently of any memory cell lineage commitment.

Unfolded protein response transcription factor XBP-1 does not influence prion replication or pathogenesis

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved adaptive reaction that increases cell survival under endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions. X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1) is a key transcriptional regulator of the UPR that activates genes involved in protein folding, secretion, and degradation to restore ER function. The occurrence of chronic ER stress has been extensively described in neurodegenerative conditions linked to protein misfolding and aggregation. However, the role of the UPR in the CNS has not been addressed directly. Here we describe the generation of a brain-specific XBP-1 conditional KO strain (XBP-1(Nes-/-)). XBP-1(Nes-/-) mice are viable and do not develop any spontaneous neurological dysfunction, although ER stress signaling in XBP-1(Nes-/-) primary neuronal cell cultures was impaired. To assess the function of XBP-1 in pathological conditions involving protein misfolding and ER stress, we infected XBP-1(Nes-/-) mice with murine prions. To our surprise, the activation of stress responses triggered by prion replication was not influenced by XBP-1 deficiency. Neither prion aggregation, neuronal loss, nor animal survival was affected. Hence, this most highly conserved arm of the UPR may not contribute to the occurrence or pathology of neurodegenerative conditions associated with prion protein misfolding despite predictions that such diseases are related to ER stress and irreversible neuronal damage.

Study of Transcription Activity of X-Box Binding Protein 1 Gene in Human Different Cell Lines

Human X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), an important transcription factor, participates in many signal transduction processes. To further investigate the biological function of XBP1, sequences of XBP1 promoter and its two deletion mutants were first determined using bioinformatic analysis. The report vectors containing XBP1 promoter and its deletion mutants were then constructed, namely, p1-XBP1p, p2-XBP1p, and p3-XBP1p. Each reporter vector was separately transfected into HepG 2, L0 2, K562, SMMC-7721, HSF, and Lipocyte Ito Cell line using FuGENE 6 transfection reagents. The activity of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) in each group of transfected cells was detected by ELISA assay, which in turn reflects the transcription activity of the XBP1 gene promoter. The activity involving p3-XBP1p was the highest in HepG 2, which was 12.4-fold of that of pCAT3-Basic. The activities of p3-XBP1p in K562 and SMMC-7721 were the second and the third highest, which were 10.9-fold and 10.0-fold of that of the pCAT3-Basic, respectively. The CAT activity in L0 2 was lower than that in the above-mentioned abnormal cell, and no reporter activity was detected in HSF and Ito Cell. The XBP1 transcription and expression in K562, HepG 2 and SMMC-7721 were found to be higher than that in L0 2, HSF and Ito cells, based on the results of real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. The XBP1 transcription and expression in L0 2, HSF was lower, whereas that in Ito cells was totally lacking. The result was similar to that of CAT-ELISA. Therefore, the XBP1 gene promoter can drive its downstream gene expression and its activity is cell line-dependent. The core sequence of XBP1 promoter was found between -227bp and 66bp sequence. This sequence was closely associated with the transcriptional activity of XBP1 promoter.

Depletion of Hsp90β Induces Multiple Defects in B Cell Receptor Signaling

Hsp90 participates in many distinct aspects of cellular functions and accomplishes these roles by interacting with multiple client proteins. To gain insight into the interactions between Hsp90 and its clients, here we have reduced the protein level of Hsp90 in avian cells by gene targeting in an attempt to elicit the otherwise undetectable (because of the vast amount of cellular Hsp90) Hsp90-interacting proteins. Hsp90beta-deficient cells can grow, albeit more slowly than wild-type cells. B cell antigen receptor signaling is multiply impaired in these mutant cells; in particular, the amount of immunoglobulin M heavy chain protein is markedly reduced. Furthermore, serum activation does not promote ERK phosphorylation in Hsp90beta-deficient cells. These multifaceted depressive effects seem to be provoked independently of each other and possibly recapitulate the proteome-wide in vivo functions of Hsp90. Reintroduction of the Hsp90beta gene efficiently restores all of the defects. Unexpectedly, however, introducing the Hsp90alpha gene is also effective in restoration; thus, these defects might be caused by a reduction in the total expression of Hsp90 rather than by loss of Hsp90beta-specific function.

XBP-1 increases ERα transcriptional activity through regulation of large-scale chromatin unfolding

Human X box binding protein 1 (XBP-1) is a transcription factor essential for hepatocyte growth, the differentiation of plasma cells, and the unfolded protein response. Recently, we have demonstrated that two forms of XBP-1, XBP-1S, and XBP-1U, enhance estrogen receptor α (ERα)-dependent transcriptional activity in a ligand-independent manner. However, how XBP-1S and XBP-1U regulate ERα transcriptional activity remains unknown. Here, we report that XBP-1S and XBP-1U induce large-scale chromatin unfolding by targeting the XBP-1 proteins to an amplified, lac operator-containing chromosome region in mammalian cells. This unfolding activity maps to the transactivation domains of XBP-1S and XBP-1U. Wild-type XBP-1S and XBP-1U, but not the mutants that completely abolished the ERα transcriptional activation, increased the chromatin unfolding activity of ERα. These data identify a novel function of XBP-1 and suggest that regulation of large-scale chromatin unfolding by XBP-1 may be responsible for the enhancement of ERα transcriptional activity.