Transcriptional repression of the RET proto-oncogene by a mitogen activated protein kinase-dependent signalling pathway

Gene. 2002 Sep 18;298(1):9-19. doi: 10.1016/s0378-1119(02)00919-8.

Abstract

Transcription factors play important roles in regulating cell growth and differentiation. In this study, treatment of the MTC cell line, TT, with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was shown to reduce neurite outgrowth which may be associated with de-differentiation and loss of the transformed phenotype. Northern blotting revealed that PMA transiently induced early growth response gene 1 (Egr-1) expression and decreased RET expression. Transient transfection analyses using 5'-deletion constructs of the basal RET promoter, demonstrated the requirement of a region between -70 and -33 bp for PMA-inducible expression. Gel shift and supershift studies demonstrated that PMA induced Egr-1 formed part of a complex capable of binding to the RET minimal promoter. Overexpression of Egr-1 displaced both sephacryl and phosphocellulose protein 1 (Sp1) and Sp3 from a GC-box element previously found to be important for RET basal expression. Furthermore, use of a raf-1 inducible TT cell line, that has been previously shown to downregulate RET expression, revealed that this downregulation may be linked to the induction of Egr-1. Our data suggest that regulation of RET expression during development and in medullary thyroid carcinoma may be determined, at least in part, by this complex of Sp and Egr-1 proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Size / drug effects
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins*
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • Flavonoids / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Immediate-Early Proteins*
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / drug effects
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / physiology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotides / genetics
  • Oligonucleotides / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Response Elements / drug effects
  • Response Elements / genetics
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / pharmacology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • EGR1 protein, human
  • Early Growth Response Protein 1
  • Flavonoids
  • Immediate-Early Proteins
  • MAS1 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Luciferases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Ret protein, Drosophila
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate
  • 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one