Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-1 Promoter Research Articles

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) suppression of IGFBP-1 production: evidence for mediation by the type I IGF receptor.

The regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) by its ligands, IGF-I and IGF-II, was studied in continuous cultures of HepG2 human hepatoma cells. Both IGF-I and IGF-II in concentrations as low as 1-10 nmol/l caused significant suppression of IGFBP-I protein levels. This suppression was accompanied by decreased IGFBP-1 mRNA levels occurring within 2-4 h of exposure to IGF-I or IGF-II, and by a significant decrease in IGFBP-1 promoter activity. IGF-I and IGF-II were equipotent in suppressing basal levels of IGFBP-1 protein, mRNA and promoter activity. IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF-analogs with low IGFBP-1 affinity, (des 1-3)IGF-I and long R3IGF-I, all potently suppressed the previously characterized increase in IGFBP-1 protein levels and promoter activity induced by cAMP and theophylline. In contrast, [Leu-27]IGF-II, which interacts with the type II but not type I IGF receptor, had no effect on IGFBP-1 protein levels or promoter activity. Our data indicate that IGFBP-1 production is inhibited by its ligands, IGF-I and IGF-II, and that this effect is probably mediated at the transcriptional level. The effects of IGF-I and IGF-II apparently occur as a result of binding to the type I IGF receptor, and are similar to the previously characterized suppressive effects of insulin on IGFBP-1 transcription mediated through the insulin receptor. When considered with previous data regarding expression of IGFBP-1 and the type I IGF receptor, our results suggest that IGF regulation of IGFBP-1 may play an as yet undefined role in fetal development and postnatal hepatic regeneration.

Interplay of the Liver-Enriched trans-Acting Factors, DBP and HNF1, in the Transactivation of Human IGFBP-1 Promoter

In the liver, expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is regulated essentially at the transcriptional level, at least in part by HNF1. In this study, the functional role of DBP and C/EBP (which have several potential binding sites on the IGFBP-1 proximal promoter) have been investigated. Transient co-transfection of the reporter plasmid, pBP-1 341 and eukaryotic expression vectors which code for DBP and C/EBP in human cell lines Hep3B, HepG2 and C 33 showed that IGFBP-1 promoter activity was unchanged by C/EBP, but increased between 2 and 7 times by DBP (depending on the cell line). In addition, DBP and HNF1 were capable of functional co-operation in activating the IGFBP-1 promoter. Our results support the notion of DBP being involved in limited tissue specificity of IGFBP-1 expression.

Identification of an insulin-responsive element in the promoter of the human gene for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1

Insulin inhibits the hepatic transcription of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1). In the present studies, human HEP G2 hepatoma cells were transiently transfected with human IGFBP-1 gene promoter constructs in order to identify cis elements and trans-acting factors that confer the insulin effect. Transfections of IGFBP-1 promoter deletion constructs localized an insulin responsive element (IRE) between approximately 140- and approximately 103-base pair (bp) 5' to the mRNA capsite. This region contains a 25-bp sequence which is 100% conserved in the rat IGFBP-1 promoter and which has two AT-rich, 8-bp elements exhibiting dyad symmetry. Site-directed mutagenesis of both elements in the same 1205-bp IGFBP-1 promoter construct abolished the inhibitory effect of insulin on promoter activity. Also, the native but not the mutant IGFBP-1 IRE conferred the inhibitory effect of insulin to the heterologous thymidine kinase promoter. Gel mobility shift assays identified a DNA binding activity which specifically binds the native IGFBP-1 IRE and which is not altered by prior insulin treatment. The IGFBP-1 IRE sequence is similar to those of functionally mapped IREs from other gene promoters, suggesting that this common IRE and the protein(s) which it binds confer the insulin effect to a number of insulin-sensitive genes.

Cycloheximide stabilizes insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) mRNA and inhibits IGFBP-1 transcription in H4-II-E rat hepatoma cells

The insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) are a family of six proteins that modulate the biological activity of IGF-I and IGF-II and determine their bioavailability to tissues. One of the IGFBPs, IGFBP-1, is distinctive in the dynamic response of its levels in human plasma to metabolic changes. Parallel changes occur in IGFBP-1 mRNA and IGFBP-1 transcription in rat liver. Using the well differentiated H4-II-E rat hepatoma cell line as a model system, we demonstrated previously that IGFBP-1 transcription is positively regulated by dexamethasone and negatively regulated by insulin. We now examine the effect of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, on the hormonal regulation of IGFBP-1 gene expression. Preincubation of H4-II-E cells with 10.7 microM cycloheximide for 1.5 h did not prevent the induction of IGFBP-1 mRNA and IGFBP-1 transcription (determined in nuclear run-on assays) by dexamethasone. By contrast, cycloheximide treatment abolished the decrease in IGFBP-1 mRNA induced by insulin. Insulin rapidly decreased IGFBP-1 transcription in the absence of cycloheximide (> 50% inhibition in 20 min) and caused a similar decrease in cells pretreated with cycloheximide. Cycloheximide alone also decreased IGFBP-1 transcription. Similar results were observed with a second protein synthesis inhibitor, anisomycin, which also prevented the insulin-induced decrease in IGFBP-1 mRNA without abolishing the insulin-induced inhibition of IGFBP-1 transcription. These results suggest that although insulin decreases IGFBP-1 gene transcription in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors, IGFBP-1 mRNA levels are maintained because of stabilization of the mRNA. Stabilization was demonstrated directly in actinomycin D-treated cells, where the t1/2 of IGFBP-1 mRNA increased from approximately 2 to approximately 20 h in the presence of cycloheximide; insulin did not affect IGFBP-1 mRNA turnover. Thus, cycloheximide-sensitive labile proteins contribute to the maintenance of basal IGFBP-1 promoter activity and the rapid turnover of IGFBP-1 mRNA, which determine the dynamic regulation of IGFBP-1 gene expression.

Identification of a promoter element which participates in cAMP-stimulated expression of human insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1

In hepatocytes, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) levels are increased by glucocorticoids and by agents that raise intracellular cAMP levels such as glucagon, theophylline, forskolin, and cAMP analogues. In contrast, insulin lowers IGFBP-1 levels, an effect dominant over the glucocorticoid and cAMP effects. Previous studies showed that dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP) and theophylline increase IGFBP-1 promoter activity in HEP G2 human hepatoma cells and that insulin abolishes this increase. In studies reported here, HEP G2 cells were used to further evaluate the role of cAMP in stimulating IGFBP-1 expression. Initial studies found that either 0.5 or 5.0 mM Bt2cAMP alone, or the combination of 0.5 mM Bt2cAMP and 2 mM theophylline, increased IGFBP-1 protein levels, mRNA levels, and promoter activity, but that the addition of theophylline to Bt2cAMP was required to give a approximately 5-fold increase in promoter activity. Deletion mutations of the IGFBP-1 promoter were used to show that much of the effect of Bt2cAMP and theophylline was conferred by the region between 269 and 246 base pairs (bp) 5' of the IGFBP-1 mRNA cap site. DNase I protection assays showed that HEP G2 nuclear extract footprinted the region from 273 to 249 bp 5' of the cap site; this region, designated P2, has a central CGTCA motif common to cAMP-responsive elements (CREs). Mutating the CGTCA motif in the 1205-bp IGFBP-1 promoter construct to TAGCA led to a 51% decrease in the ability of Bt2cAMP and theophylline to stimulate IGFBP-1 promoter activity above control levels. In addition, cotransfection of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) with the native 1205-bp IGFBP-1 promoter construct stimulated IGFBP-1 promoter activity 3.9-fold, but the TAGCA mutation decreased by 73% the ability of PKA to stimulate IGFBP-1 promoter activity above control levels. Mutating the CGTCA motif to TAGCA also blocked the ability of both crude HEP G2 nuclear extract and recombinant CRE-binding protein to bind to the P2 element. These data suggest that the P2 element is a CRE that confers at least part of the stimulatory effect of cAMP on the human IGFBP-1 promoter.

HNF1 activates transcription of the human gene for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is expressed primarily in the liver, kidney, and uterus. Basal IGFBP-1 promoter activity in human HEP G2 hepatoma cells is dependent upon a proximal promoter element that binds hepatic nuclear factor 1 (HNF1), a protein that is likely to be an important factor regulating the expression of many genes in liver and kidney. To test whether HNF1 activates IGFBP-1 transcription, HEP G2 cells and HeLa cells were cotransfected transiently with HNF1 expression vectors and with IGFBP-1 promoter/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene constructs. HNF1 increased IGFBP-1 promoter activity in both HEP G2 and HeLa cells. Gel mobility-shift assays and additional transfections in HeLa cells showed that expressed full-length and carboxy-terminal truncated forms of HNF1 could each bind the HNF1 cis element of the IGFBP-1 promoter; however, significant trans-activation only occurred in the presence of the full-length HNF1 protein, similar to past experience with these two HNF1 forms and the albumin promoter. Further studies showed that IGFBP-1 promoter constructs containing mutations with high or low affinity for HNF1 responded to HNF1 expression with increased or decreased activity, respectively, relative to the native promoter. These studies suggest that HNF1 and/or related proteins play a role in hepatic, and perhaps also renal, expression of IGFBP-1.

Liver-specific expression of human insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1: functional role of transcription factor HNF1 in vivo.

Tissue-specific expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1) in the liver has been studied using differentiated (H4II and C2Rev7) and dedifferentiated (H5 and C2) rat hepatoma cell lines. Northern blot analysis showed that endogenous IGFBP-1 mRNA was expressed only in the differentiated cell lines. The first 341 base pairs 5' to the transcription initiation site of the human IGFBP-1 gene were inserted upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene (pBP-1(341)). Expression of this gene from the human IGFBP-1 promoter was 10-16 times more efficient in the H4II line than in the other hepatoma cell lines and 40 and approximately 12 times more so than in rat fibroblasts (FR3T3) and a human cervical carcinoma cell line (C33), respectively. Cotransfection of pBP-1(341) and pRSV-HNF1 and/or pRSV-v-HNF1 (eukaryotic expression vectors that drive the synthesis of the liver-enriched trans-acting factor HNF1 or of v-HNF1, a related form) in C33 recipient cells yielded a 6-fold increase in IGFBP-1 promoter activity by HNF1 and a 2-fold increase by v-HNF1. These increases were dependent on the integrity of an HNF1 binding site located 58-74 nucleotides upstream of the cap site. Stimulation of promoter activity by cotransfection of both HNF1 and v-HNF1 fell between these values. Our results indicate that HNF1 is instrumental in human IGFBP-1 promoter activity in vivo and that v-HNF1 modulates this functional role.

Insulin inhibits transcription of the human gene for insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1.

Insulin rapidly lowers serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) levels in vivo. In studies reported here, HEP G2 cells were used as a model system to investigate how insulin achieves this effect. When HEP G2 cells were incubated with 100 nM insulin for 6, 14, or 24 h, IGFBP-1 protein levels in conditioned medium fell to approximately 50% of control values. This apparently was due to a fall in the rate of IGFBP-1 protein synthesis, since HEP G2 cells incorporated 46% less [35S]methionine into IGFBP-1 during a 4-h incubation with 100 nM insulin. IGFBP-1 mRNA levels were similarly affected by 100 nM insulin, falling to 45% of control values after 2 h, and to 9% of control values after 4 h of incubation with this hormone. The fall in IGFBP-1 mRNA level is consistent with data from nuclear transcription assays. HEP G2 nuclei isolated from cells that were incubated with 100 nM insulin for 2 h synthesized only approximately 1/3 the number of IGFBP-1 transcripts as did control nuclei. Further evidence that insulin decreases IGFBP-1 gene transcription comes from transient transfections using chimeric IGFBP-1 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene constructs. IGFBP-1 promoter activity fell to approximately 50% of control values when HEP G2 cells transfected with a construct containing the first 1205 base pairs of the IGFBP-1 promoter were incubated with 100 nM insulin for 6, 14, or 24 h. Insulin lowered both IGFBP-1 protein levels and promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. A half-maximal effect was found at approximately 1 nM insulin and a maximal effect was found at approximately 10 nM insulin in each instance. Transfections with constructs containing smaller IGFBP-1 promoter fragments showed that the region spanning from 103 to 529 base pairs 5' to the IGFBP-1 mRNA cap site was necessary to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of insulin. These studies indicate that insulin lowers IGFBP-1 protein levels, at least in part, by rapidly decreasing the rate of IGFBP-1 gene transcription, and suggest that this insulin-mediated fall in transcription is conferred through a specific region of the IGFBP-1 promoter.

The promoter of the human gene for insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1. Basal promoter activity in HEP G2 cells depends upon liver factor B1.

Characterization of the human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) promoter was initiated to facilitate study of developmental and hormonal factors regulating IGFBP-1 production. The region immediately 5' to the IGFBP-1 mRNA capsite is typical of a eukaryotic promoter, with a TATA sequence beginning 28 base pairs (bp) and a CCAAT promoter element beginning 72 bp upstream from this capsite. A 1.3-kilobase insert containing the IGFBP-1 capsite and 1205 bp of this putative IGFBP-1 promoter region directs expression of the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) in an orientation-specific manner in transfected HEP G2 cells, and the capsite identified for the CAT mRNA is identical to that identified for native IGFBP-1 mRNA. These observations suggest that the 1.3-kilobase insert contains the IGFBP-1 promoter. This promoter was further characterized by deletion analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, gel mobility shift assays, and DNaseI protection assays. These studies identify the CCAAT box region as the major cis element involved in basal IGFBP-1 promoter activity in HEP G2 cells, demonstrate that increased basal promoter activity is associated with the binding of at least one HEP G2 nuclear factor to the CCAAT box region, and indicate that the DNA binding factor(s) responsible for increased basal promoter activity is related to liver factor B1. These observations suggest that liver B1 is the major trans-acting factor stimulating basal IGFBP-1 promoter activity in HEP G2 cells.