Transcription of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene is regulated by intracellular cholesterol concentration, hormones, and growth factors. We studied the mechanisms by which insulin and estradiol stimulate promoter activity of the LDL receptor gene. Hormonal effects were analyzed in HepG2 cells after transient transfection with promotor reporter gene constructs. Successive 5' deletions of the LDL receptor promoter fragment from -537 to +88 revealed the sterol regulatory element 1 (SRE-1) between -65 and -56 as an insulin- and estradiol-sensitive cis-element. If the SRE-1 is point mutated at position -59 (C to G), which abolishes the binding of the SRE binding proteins (SREBP-1 and SREBP-2), no insulin or estradiol stimulatory effect on reporter gene expression was observed, indicating a role of SRE binding proteins in this regulatory mechanism. The concentration of the 125-kDa membrane-integrated SREBP-1 precursor protein in LDL repressed HepG2 cells is not altered by hormone treatment. Concentrations of SREBP-1 mRNA and precursor protein are reduced significantly by high and stable expression of an SREBP-1 antisense cDNA fragment in HepG2 cells (SREBP1(-) cells). Transfection of SREBP1(-) cells with promoter construct phLDL4 (-105 to +88) reduces induction of reporter gene activity by insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I to 35 and 17%, respectively, compared with HepG2 cells. The stimulatory effect of estradiol remains unchanged, and the inductions by pravastatin are enlarged. We conclude that different regulatory effects converge at SRE-1, but that SREBP-1 is selectively involved in the signal transduction pathway of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I leading to LDL receptor gene activation.

The transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-2 plays a pivotal role in lipid metabolism. Previously, we have shown that the mature form of SREBP-2 is a substrate of Erk-mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). The aim of the present study was to identify Erk-specific phosphorylation sites. Using a protein chemistry approach, we could identify Ser-432 and Ser-455 as major phosphorylation sites. Further characterization by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and promoter reporter gene analyses revealed that phosphorylation does not influence protein/DNA interaction, but enhances trans-activity. In intact cells, SREBP-2 is phosphorylated by insulin, which seems to be related to their bio-responses on low density lipoprotein receptor activity. These results suggest that activation of Erk-MAPK pathways by hormones such as insulin might be related to a novel regulatory principle of SREBP-2.Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) 1 are a family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that are embedded as precursor proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. To date, three SREBP isoforms have been detected: SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c (shorter splicing variant of SREBP-1a), as well as SREBP-2 (1-5). SREBP-2 is a major regulator of cholesterol homeostasis, whereas SREBP-1c regulates predominantly de novo synthesis of fatty acids. In contrast, SREBP-1a seems to influence both lipogenic and cholesterogenic enzymes (6).Activation of SREBPs initiated by cellular cholesterol depletion is mediated by sequential cleavage (7). As a result, the amino-terminal domain of the protein translocates into the nucleus and activates transcription of target genes. Beside this mechanism, which controls the abundance of activated SREBPs in the cell, we have demonstrated that trans-activity of the N-terminal domain of SREBPs is regulated directly by extra cellular stimuli, e.g. by hormones such as insulin (8, 9). Moreover, in these studies, we have shown that the N-terminal domains of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 are substrates of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). In this study, we have identified Ser-432 and Ser-455 as the major phosphorylation sites of Erk-MAPK in SREBP-2 using protein chemistry methodology. This phosphorylation has no influence on DNA interaction but affects trans-activity of SREBP-2. Accordingly, in cells, activation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene by insulin is coupled to the identified Erk-specific phosphorylation sites in SREBP-2.

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