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Published on: March 16, 2017
Contribution of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 to down-regulation of CYP2D6 gene expression by nitric oxide
1Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan. harah@gifu-pu.ac.jp
Abstract:
Nitric oxide (NO) released under inflammatory and infectious conditions has been implicated in the down-regulation of many cytochrome P450 genes, but its mechanism of action remains unknown. We showed that the expression of the CYP2D6 gene is down-regulated at the transcriptional level by NO in HepG2 cells. The NO donor (+/-)-N-[(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(Z)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexene-1-yl]-3-pyridine carboxamide (NOR4) decreased the expression of CYP2D6 mRNA in a concentration-dependent manner. Using a CYP2D6 promoter-luciferase construct, we found that NOR4 and another NO donor, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), reduced the luciferase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. A guanylate-cyclase inhibitor failed to prevent suppression of CYP2D6 promoter activity by GSNO, indicating that the activity of the CYP2D6 promoter is suppressed via an NO-guanylate cyclase-independent pathway. Deletion analysis of the CYP2D6 promoter revealed that the -80 to +65 region, which contains the nuclear receptor hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 (HNF4) binding site, was responsible for the suppression of CYP2D6 promoter activity by NO. Therefore, we examined NO responsiveness of the HNF4 binding site by electrophoretic mobility-shift assays and site-direct mutagenesis. The DNA-binding activity of HNF4 was directly inhibited by NO donors, GSNO, and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine in a concentration-dependent manner. Mutation of the HNF4 binding site in the CYP2D6 promoter partially restored the suppression of the promoter activity by NO donors. These results demonstrated that NO down-regulates CYP2D6 gene expression, at least in part, by directly inhibiting HNF4 binding to the CYP2D6 promoter.
Insights
Nitric oxide (NO) suppresses CYP2D6 gene expression transcriptionally. This occurs by NO directly inhibiting hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 (HNF4) binding to the CYP2D6 promoter, independent of guanylate cyclase.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in inflammatory and infectious conditions.
- NO is known to down-regulate cytochrome P450 genes, but the mechanism is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism by which NO down-regulates CYP2D6 gene expression.
- To investigate the role of NO in the transcriptional regulation of CYP2D6.
Main Methods:
- Used HepG2 cells and NO donors (NOR4, GSNO) to study CYP2D6 expression.
- Utilized CYP2D6 promoter-luciferase constructs and deletion analysis.
- Performed electrophoretic mobility-shift assays and site-directed mutagenesis to assess HNF4 binding.
Main Results:
- NO donors decreased CYP2D6 mRNA and promoter activity in a concentration-dependent manner.
- Suppression of CYP2D6 promoter activity by NO was independent of guanylate cyclase.
- The -80 to +65 region of the CYP2D6 promoter, containing the HNF4 binding site, was crucial for NO-mediated suppression.
- NO directly inhibited HNF4 DNA-binding activity.
Conclusions:
- NO down-regulates CYP2D6 gene expression at the transcriptional level.
- This regulation is mediated, in part, by the direct inhibition of HNF4 binding to the CYP2D6 promoter via an NO-guanylate cyclase-independent pathway.
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