Thyroid hormone regulates expression of the thyrotropin β-subunit gene from both transcription start sites in the mouse and rat

Expression of the single mouse TSH beta gene gives rise to multiple mRNAs, and we have previously shown that in vitro, one of these mRNAs gives rise to a novel TSH beta-presubunit due to initiation of translation at an in-frame start site unique to this mRNA which is up-stream of the normal start site. The novel presubunit contains a 17-amino acid NH2-terminal extension sequence compared to the normal presubunit. Although this extension sequence does not have the characteristics of a normal signal sequence, the novel TSH beta-presubunit was processed in vitro by microsomal membranes. In this study we have examined the translation product of this mRNA in intact cells and whether in vivo it gives rise to a processed secreted TSH beta-subunit that has an NH2-terminal sequence different from that of the established TSH beta-subunit. Firstly, mRNAs encoding alpha-presubunit and either the normal or novel TSH beta-presubunit were microinjected into Xenopus oocytes, and it was found that immunoprecipitable TSH dimer was secreted into the medium regardless of the mRNA used for TSH beta-subunit synthesis. However, less TSH was obtained when the TSH beta-subunit was derived from the extended TSH beta-presubunit. Secondly, when COS cells were transiently transfected with plasmids expressing alpha-presubunit and either the normal or novel TSH beta-presubunit, secreted TSH was obtained when the TSH beta-subunit was derived from either presubunit. TSH dimer was also obtained when the TSH beta-presubunit was derived from a mRNA encoding the extended presubunit in which the down-stream AUG had been eliminated by site-specific mutagenesis. This demonstrated that the up-stream translation start site was used in the intact cell and that secreted TSH beta-subunit was derived from the extended presubunit and not from normal presubunit resulting from translational readthrough to the down-stream AUG. When secreted TSH beta-subunits derived from the normal and extended TSH beta-presubunits were digested with endoproteinase LysC, the NH2-terminal fragments were similar in size, suggesting that the NH2-terminal extension had little if any effect on the site of cleavage by signal peptidase. Our data, therefore, demonstrate that the longer TSH beta-presubunit is synthesized in vivo and strongly suggest that it is processed in the intact cell to give a mature secreted TSH beta-subunit indistinguishable from that derived from the normal TSH beta-presubunit.

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Synthesis and processing in vivo of the novel mouse thyrotropin beta-presubunit that contains an NH2-terminal extension sequence.

Januszeski

Gabriel

Shennan

et al. 1994

Endocrinology

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Regulation of thyroid-stimulating hormone beta-subunit and growth hormone messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the rat: effect of vitamin A status.

et al. 1995

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T3 inhibits transcription of the rat TSH beta gene, and two T3 response elements have been identified that bind T3 receptors and that share sequence homology with the consensus sequence that is also recognized by retinoic acid receptors (RARs). We, therefore, asked whether RA was a regulator of TSH beta gene expression in vivo. Using RNase protection analysis, we found that vitamin A deficiency led to a 2-fold increase in rat pituitary TSH beta messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, which returned to normal 18 h after treatment with RA (20 micrograms/rat). Vitamin A deficiency had no effect on TSH beta mRNA levels in hypothyroid rats. Coadministration of RA and T3 (10 micrograms/100g body wt) to either vitamin A-deficient or vitamin A-deficient, hypothyroid animals caused decreases in TSH beta mRNA content that were indistinguishable from those seen with T3 alone. Surprisingly, vitamin A deficiency had no significant effect on GH mRNA levels in euthyroid or hypothyroid rats. Furthermore, treatment of vitamin A-deficient, hypothyroid animals with RA for either 18 or 72 h had no effect on GH mRNA levels, whereas T3 caused 11-fold and 18-fold increases in GH mRNA, respectively, at these times. We also used transient transfection to test for direct, retinoid receptor-mediated regulation of TSH beta gene transcription by RA. A plasmid TSH beta luciferase, containing 0.8 kilobases of rat TSH beta gene 5'-flanking sequences, exon 1, and 150 base pairs of intron 1, was transfected into CV-1 cells. Cotransfection with RAR alpha and retinoid X receptor-beta induced TSH beta expression by 3.5-fold, and treatment with RA suppressed this induction by 46%. These results show that vitamin A levels play a significant role in regulating the expression of the TSH beta gene, but not the GH gene, in vivo and suggest that RA may suppress TSH beta gene transcription directly by an RAR-retinoid X receptor heterodimer-mediated mechanism.

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Differential Translatability in Vitro of Multiple Messenger RNAs Encoding the β-Subunit of Mouse Thyrotropin

Januszeski

Gurr

1991

Molecular Endocrinology

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The mouse TSH beta gene contains two start sites of transcription and exhibits alternative splicing among its first three exons, which encode 5'-untranslated mRNA sequences. Expression of the mouse TSH beta gene, therefore, gives rise to multiple mRNAs, each with a unique 5'-untranslated region. We have determined the relative translational efficiencies of these mRNAs in vitro, and we demonstrate that one of them directs the synthesis of a novel TSH beta presubunit. The four TSH beta mRNAs that are expressed from the down-stream transcription start site (TSS2) and the major mRNA derived from the up-stream start site (TSS1) were transcribed in vitro and translated in reticulocyte lysates and wheat germ extracts. The mRNA from TSS1 gave a novel TSH beta presubunit due to initiation of translation at an up-stream AUG unique to this mRNA. The novel presubunit contained a 17-amino acid NH2-terminal extension sequence, compared to the normal TSH beta presubunit, which is encoded by each of the mRNAs from TSS2. Despite the fact that the NH2-terminal extension sequence appeared to lack the characteristics of a signal peptide, the novel TSH beta presubunit was processed about 50% as efficiently by microsomal membranes as the normal presubunit, with glycosylation and cleavage by signal peptidase. There was an approximately 2-fold range in relative translatability among the different TSH beta mRNAs, and the mRNA encoding the novel TSH beta presubunit had the highest translational efficiency. Our data, therefore, suggest that the longer presubunit may be synthesized in vivo in significant amounts and give rise to a novel mature TSH beta subunit.

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Thyroid hormone regulates expression of the thyrotropin β-subunit gene from both transcription start sites in the mouse and rat

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Synthesis and processing in vivo of the novel mouse thyrotropin beta-presubunit that contains an NH2-terminal extension sequence.

Synthesis and processing in vivo of the novel mouse thyrotropin beta-presubunit that contains an NH2-terminal extension sequence.

Regulation of thyroid-stimulating hormone beta-subunit and growth hormone messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the rat: effect of vitamin A status.

Differential Translatability in Vitro of Multiple Messenger RNAs Encoding the β-Subunit of Mouse Thyrotropin

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