Differential regulation of rat T-kininogen by tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6

Rat T-kininogen (T-KG), a cysteine protease inhibitor, is an acute phase reactant which is induced to high levels in response to inflammation. Both hormones and cytokines participate in this regulation. To investigate the cis-acting elements responsible for the induction of gene expression, various 5'-fragments of the rat T-KG gene were fused to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase marker gene. These constructs were transfected into a rat hepatoma cell line which was then treated with tumor necrosis factor or interleukin-6 or both cytokines. Expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene was induced with interleukin-6 treatment, but suppressed by tumor necrosis factor. The 5'-region of the T-KG gene responsible for conferring both of these effects was localized between nucleotides -404 to -210 upstream of the transcription start site. Fragments containing this region were found to be effective in either orientation, and could also regulate a heterologous promoter.