Kr-pok increases FASN expression by modulating the DNA binding of SREBP-1c and Sp1 at the proximal promoter

J Lipid Res. 2012 Apr;53(4):755-66. doi: 10.1194/jlr.M022178. Epub 2012 Feb 13.

Abstract

Kr-pok (kidney cancer-related POZ domain and Krüppel-like protein) is a new proto-oncogenic POZ-domain transcription factor. Fatty acid synthase gene (FASN) encodes one of the key enzymes in fatty acids synthesis and is the only enzyme that synthesizes fatty acids in cancer cells. Sp1 and SREBP-1c are the two major transcription activators of FASN. We investigated whether Kr-pok modulates transcription of the FASN. FASN expression is significantly decreased in Kr-pok knockout murine embryonic fibroblasts. Coimmunoprecipitation, GST fusion protein pull-down, and immunocytochemistry assays show that the zinc-finger domain of Kr-pok interacts directly with the bZIP DNA binding domain of SREBP-1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, oligonucleotide pull-down, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that Kr-pok changes the transcription factor binding dynamics of Sp1 and SREBP-1c to the SRE/E-box elements of the proximal promoter. We found that Kr-pok expression increased during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation and that FASN expression is decreased by the knockdown of Kr-pok. Kr-pok facilitates the SREBP-1c-mediated preadipocyte differentiation and/or fatty acid synthesis. Kr-pok may act as an important regulator of fatty acid synthesis and may induce rapid cancer cell proliferation by increasing palmitate synthesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3T3-L1 Cells
  • Animals
  • Cell Dedifferentiation
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Doxycycline / pharmacology
  • Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I / genetics
  • Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Pregnancy
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / genetics
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Srebf1 protein, mouse
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1
  • ZBTB7C protein, human
  • Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I
  • Doxycycline