Transcriptional profiling of genes that are regulated by the endoplasmic reticulum-bound transcription factor AIbZIP/CREB3L4 in prostate cells

Physiol Genomics. 2007 Oct 22;31(2):295-305. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00097.2007. Epub 2007 Aug 21.

Abstract

The androgen-regulated protein androgen-induced bZIP (AIbZIP) is a bZIP transcription factor that localizes to the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The physiological role of AIbZIP is unknown, but other ER-bound transcription factors such as ATF6 and SREBPs play a crucial role in the regulation of protein processing and lipid synthesis, respectively. In response to alterations in the intracellular milieu, ATF6 and SREBPs are processed to their transcriptionally active forms by regulated intramembrane proteolysis. In humans, AIbZIP mRNA is expressed in several organs including the pancreas, liver, and gonads, but it is especially abundant in prostate epithelial cells. We therefore used LNCaP human prostate cancer cells as a model to identify stimuli that lead to AIbZIP activation and define the transcriptional targets of AIbZIP. In LNCaP cells, AIbZIP was processed to its transcriptionally active form by drugs that deplete ER calcium stores (i.e., A23187 and caffeine), but it was unaffected by an inhibitor of protein glycosylation (tunicamycin). To identify AIbZIP-regulated genes, we generated LNCaP cell lines that conditionally express the processed form of AIbZIP and used Affymetrix microarrays to screen for AIbZIP-regulated transcripts. Selected genes (n = 48) were validated by Northern blot hybridization. The results reveal that the downstream targets of AIbZIP include genes that are implicated in protein processing (e.g., BAG3, DNAJC12, KDELR3). Strikingly, a large number of AIbZIP-regulated transcripts encode proteins that are involved in transcriptional regulation, small molecule transport, signal transduction, and metabolism. These results suggest that AIbZIP plays a novel role in cell homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / physiology*
  • Brefeldin A / pharmacology
  • Caffeine / pharmacology
  • Calcimycin / pharmacology
  • Calcium Signaling / drug effects
  • Calcium Signaling / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / drug effects
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic* / drug effects
  • Golgi Apparatus / enzymology
  • Homeostasis / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational / drug effects
  • RNA, Small Interfering / pharmacology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / physiology
  • Thapsigargin / pharmacology
  • Transcription, Genetic* / drug effects
  • Transcription, Genetic* / genetics
  • Tunicamycin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • CREB3L4 protein, human
  • Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Tunicamycin
  • Brefeldin A
  • Calcimycin
  • Caffeine
  • Thapsigargin