Regulated Expression of Human Angiotensinogen Gene by Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 and Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter-Transcription Factor

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 274; no. 49; pp. 34605 - 34612
• Main Authors: Yanai, K, Hirota, K, Taniguchi-Yanai, K, Shigematsu, Y, Shimamoto, Y, Saito, T, Chowdhury, S, Takiguchi, M, Arakawa, M, Nibu, Y, Sugiyama, F, Yagami, K, Fukamizu, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 03.12.1999
• Subjects: ANG gene; angiotensin II; angiotensinogen; Angiotensins - biosynthesis; Angiotensins - genetics; Animals; Base Sequence; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; Binding Sites; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase - metabolism; COUP Transcription Factor I; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation; Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; Humans; Liver - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred ICR; Mice, Transgenic; Molecular Sequence Data; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Protein Binding; Response Elements; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.49.34605

We previously identified various upstream and downstream regulatory elements and factors important for hepatic expression of the human angiotensinogen (ANG) gene, the precursor of vasoactive octapeptide angiotensin II. In the present study, to further investigate the molecular mechanism of human ANG transcriptional regulation, we generated transgenic mice carrying the fusion gene composed of the 1.3-kilobase promoter of the human ANG gene, its downstream enhancer, and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. Because expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene was observed strongly in the liver and weakly in the kidney, we suspected that hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 4 with a tissue expression pattern similar to that of the reporter gene would regulate ANG transcription. In vitro assays indicated that HNF4 bound to the promoter elements and strongly activated the ANG transcription, but that chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF), a transcriptional repressor, dramatically repressed human ANG transcription through the promoter elements and the downstream enhancer core elements. Furthermore, COUP-TF dramatically decreased the human ANG transcription in the mouse liver by the Helios Gene Gun system in vivo . These results suggest that an interplay between HNF4 and COUP-TF could be important in hepatic human ANG transcription.