Project description:Two long and one truncated isoforms (termed LAP*, LAP, and LIP, respectively) of the transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) are expressed from a single intronless Cebpb gene by alternative translation initiation. Isoform expression is sensitive to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated activation of the translation initiation machinery and relayed through an upstream open reading frame (uORF) on the C/EBPβ mRNA. The truncated C/EBPβ LIP, initiated by high mTOR activity, has been implied in neoplasia, but it was never shown whether endogenous C/EBPβ LIP may function as an oncogene. In this study, we examined spontaneous tumor formation in C/EBPβ knockin mice that constitutively express only the C/EBPβ LIP isoform from its own locus. Our data show that deregulated C/EBPβ LIP predisposes to oncogenesis in many tissues. Gene expression profiling suggests that C/EBPβ LIP supports a protumorigenic microenvironment, resistance to apoptosis, and alteration of cytokine/chemokine expression. The results imply that enhanced translation reinitiation of C/ EBPβ LIP promotes tumorigenesis. Accordingly, pharmacological restriction of mTOR function might be a therapeutic option in tumorigenesis that involves enhanced expression of the truncated C/EBPβ LIP isoform.
Project description:Two long and one truncated isoforms (termed LAP*, LAP, and LIP, respectively) of the transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPM-NM-2) are expressed from a single intronless Cebpb gene by alternative translation initiation. Isoform expression is sensitive to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated activation of the translation initiation machinery and relayed through an upstream open reading frame (uORF) on the C/EBPM-NM-2 mRNA. The truncated C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP, initiated by high mTOR activity, has been implied in neoplasia, but it was never shown whether endogenous C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP may function as an oncogene. In this study, we examined spontaneous tumor formation in C/EBPM-NM-2 knockin mice that constitutively express only the C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP isoform from its own locus. Our data show that deregulated C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP predisposes to oncogenesis in many tissues. Gene expression profiling suggests that C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP supports a protumorigenic microenvironment, resistance to apoptosis, and alteration of cytokine/chemokine expression. The results imply that enhanced translation reinitiation of C/ EBPM-NM-2 LIP promotes tumorigenesis. Accordingly, pharmacological restriction of mTOR function might be a therapeutic option in tumorigenesis that involves enhanced expression of the truncated C/EBPM-NM-2 LIP isoform. A cohort of C/EBPb LIP heterozygous (+/L) and wild type (+/+) mice were kept over 25 months and animals showing palpable lymphoma were sacrificed. The lymphoma developed spontaneously. For each genotype, 5 lymphoma were used for RNA preparation and gene expression profiling analysis.
Project description:C/EBPβ plays a major role in numerous biological processes but unfortunately its precise role is not still clear and conflicting studies showed that this transcription factor could have contradictory functions. These latter arise from the complexity of mechanisms regulating C/EBPβ activity. Indeed, C/EBPβ encodes an intronless gene that generates a single mRNA that is alternatively translated into two major isoforms of 35kDa (liver-enriched activator protein: LAP) and 20kDa (liver-enriched inhibitory protein: LIP). LAP is the active isoform of this transcription factor whereas LIP, a truncated isoform negatively regulate C/EBPβ-LAP-mediated gene expression. The main goal of our research was to understand how LAP and LIP isoforms governe C/EBPβ cellular functions with the identification of new genes and pathways regulated by these isoforms in the human Hep3B hepatoma cell line. For this purpose an original in vitro system characterized by a target genes induction with the activatory C/EBPß isoform LAP and a target genes repression with the inhibitory C/EBPß isoform (LIP) was used to identify the genuine C/EBPβ molecular signature. Using a cDNA microarray which provides a complete coverage of the liver transcriptome, we identified 676 genes inversely regulated by LAP and LIP. These selected genes are involved in many biological processes as the hepatic metabolism (cholesterol), detoxification, induction of apoptosis and negative regulation of the cell proliferation. According to the involvement of C/EBPβ in hepatic carcinogenesis we focused on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Through functional studies, we proved for the first time that LIP plays in favor of the survival of the Hep3B cells whereas LAP makes the cells more sensitive to staurosporine-induced cell death. Moreover, a lot of studies demonstrated that the anti-proliferative action of C/EBPβ mainly depends on RB protein. By studying the rate of Hep3B cells proliferation which overexpress LAP, we brought to the fore that this isoform would be able to induce a repression of the Hep3B cells line proliferation - a RB- and p53- negative cell line. Thus, LAP seems able to induce the repression of proliferation by a different metabolic way from the RB one. Keywords: comparison of cells expressing LAP or LIP RNA were extracted from 5 Hep3BLAPexpressing LAP, 5 Hep3BLAP control without expression of LAP, 5 Hep3BLIP expressing LIP and 5 Hep3BLIP control without epression of LIP. Each sample was hybridized once in 5 different nylon membranes.
Project description:C/EBPβ plays a major role in numerous biological processes but unfortunately its precise role is not still clear and conflicting studies showed that this transcription factor could have contradictory functions. These latter arise from the complexity of mechanisms regulating C/EBPβ activity. Indeed, C/EBPβ encodes an intronless gene that generates a single mRNA that is alternatively translated into two major isoforms of 35kDa (liver-enriched activator protein: LAP) and 20kDa (liver-enriched inhibitory protein: LIP). LAP is the active isoform of this transcription factor whereas LIP, a truncated isoform negatively regulate C/EBPβ-LAP-mediated gene expression. The main goal of our research was to understand how LAP and LIP isoforms governe C/EBPβ cellular functions with the identification of new genes and pathways regulated by these isoforms in the human Hep3B hepatoma cell line. For this purpose an original in vitro system characterized by a target genes induction with the activatory C/EBPß isoform LAP and a target genes repression with the inhibitory C/EBPß isoform (LIP) was used to identify the genuine C/EBPβ molecular signature. Using a cDNA microarray which provides a complete coverage of the liver transcriptome, we identified 676 genes inversely regulated by LAP and LIP. These selected genes are involved in many biological processes as the hepatic metabolism (cholesterol), detoxification, induction of apoptosis and negative regulation of the cell proliferation. According to the involvement of C/EBPβ in hepatic carcinogenesis we focused on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Through functional studies, we proved for the first time that LIP plays in favor of the survival of the Hep3B cells whereas LAP makes the cells more sensitive to staurosporine-induced cell death. Moreover, a lot of studies demonstrated that the anti-proliferative action of C/EBPβ mainly depends on RB protein. By studying the rate of Hep3B cells proliferation which overexpress LAP, we brought to the fore that this isoform would be able to induce a repression of the Hep3B cells line proliferation - a RB- and p53- negative cell line. Thus, LAP seems able to induce the repression of proliferation by a different metabolic way from the RB one. Keywords: comparison of cells expressing LAP or LIP
Project description:Synthesis of the metabolic transcription factor C/EBPβ-LIP is stimulated by mTORC1, which critically depends on a short upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the C/EBPβ-mRNA. We tested if that reduced C/EBPβ-LIP expression due to genetic ablation of the uORF delays the development of age-associated phenotypes in mice.