Sp1 and AP-1 regulate expression of the human gene VIL2 in esophageal carcinoma cells

Ezrin, encoded by VIL2, is a membrane-cytoskeletal linker protein that has been suggested to be involved in tumorigenesis. Ezrin expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was described recently, but its clinical significance and the molecular mechanism underlying its regulated expression remain unclear. Thus, we retrospectively evaluated ezrin expression by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray representing 193 ESCCs. Ezrin overexpression in 90 of 193 tumors (46.6%) was associated with poor survival (p = 0.048). We then explored the mechanism by which ezrin expression is controlled in ESCC by assessing the transcriptional regulatory regions of human VIL2 by fusing deletions or site-directed mutants of the 5'-flanking region of the gene to a luciferase reporter. We found that the region -87/-32 containing consensus Sp1 (-75/-69) and AP-1 (-64/-58) binding sites is crucial for VIL2 promoter activity in esophageal carcinoma cells (EC109) derived from ESCC. AP-1 is comprised of c-Jun and c-Fos. Electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Sp1 and c-Jun bound specifically to their respective binding sites within the VIL2 promoter. In addition, transient expression of Sp1, c-Jun, or c-Fos increased ezrin expression and VIL2 promoter activity. Use of selective inhibitors revealed that VIL2 transactivation required the MEK1/2 signal transduction pathway but not JNK or p38 MAPK. Taken together, we propose a possible signal transduction pathway whereby MEK1/2 phosphorylates ERK1/2, which phosphorylates Sp1 and AP-1 that in turn bind to their respective binding sites to regulate the expression of human VIL2 in ESCC cells.