open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/989

Activation of connective tissue growth factor gene by the c-Maf and Lc-Maf transcription factors

英語

Transcription control

2005-12-05

Elsevier Inc.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

339(4)

1089-1097

The Maf family of transcription factors is expressed during development of various organs and tissues, and is involved in a variety of developmental and cellular differentiation processes. We previously found that c-maf and mafB are strongly expressed in hypertrophic chondrocytes during cartilage development. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is also expressed in hypertrophic chondrocytes. Adenovirus mediated introduction of c-maf gene into the mouse fibroblast cell line C3H10T1/2 strongly induced CTGF expression. CTGF can be induced by TGF-β via the SMAD pathway; however, the c-Maf could not induce TGF-β, nor could TGF-β induce the c-Maf, suggesting that activation of CTGF by Maf is TGF-β independent. Reporter transfection analysis using C3H10T1/2 cells shows that c-Maf stimulates a CTGF reporter gene. Lc-Maf, a splice variant of c-Maf containing an extra 10 amino acids in the carboxyl terminus, was a stronger inducer of the CTGF reporter gene than c-Maf. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that c-Maf binds to the promoter region of the CTGF gene, indicating that Maf directly activates the CTGF gene. Gel mobility shift assays indicated that c-Maf binds to the region near the transcription initiation site of CTGF gene. Taken together, these data indicate that the CTGF gene is a target of c-Maf and Lc-Maf in cartilage development.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

0006-291X