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Autoregulation of Cell-specific MAP Kinase Control of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase Promoter
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Autoregulation of Cell-specific MAP Kinase Control of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase Promoter

Jessica L Wood and Andrew F Russo
The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol.276(24), pp.21262-21271
06/15/2001
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M007520200
PMID: 11283010
url
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M007520200View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The neurotransmitter serotonin controls a wide range of biological systems, including its own synthesis and release. As the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is a potential target for this autoregulation. Using the serotonergic neuron-like CA77 cell line, we have demonstrated that treatment with a 5-hydroxytryptamine autoreceptor agonist, CGS 12066A, can lower TPH mRNA levels and promoter activity. We reasoned that this repression might involve inhibition of MAP kinases, since 5-HT1 receptors can increase mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase levels. To test this hypothesis, we first showed that the TPH promoter can be activated 20-fold by mitogen-activated extracellular-signal regulated kinase kinase kinase (MEKK), an activator of MAP kinases. This activation was then blocked by CGS 12066A. The maximal MAP kinase and CGS repression regulatory region was mapped to between -149 and -45 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site. The activation by MEKK appears to be cell-specific, because MEKK did not activate the TPH promoter in nonneuronal cell lines. At least part, but not all, of the MAP kinase responsiveness was mapped to an inverted CCAAT box that binds the transcription factor NF-Y. These data suggest a model for the autoregulation of serotonin biosynthesis by repression of MAP kinase stimulation of the TPH promoter.

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