Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P05109 (S100A8)
 1,212 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Keratocan, along with lumican and mimecan, represent the keratan sulfate-containing proteoglycans of the vertebrate cornea that play a key role in development and maintenance of corneal transparency. In this study, we cloned 4.1 kb of the human Kera 5'-flanking region and characterized the promoter structure. Using primer extension and ribonuclease protection assay, we identify two major transcriptional start sites in the first exon. Using luciferase reporter gene transfection analysis of 5'-deletion and mutation constructs, we demonstrate positive and negative regulatory elements within a 1.3 kb upstream sequence. Comparison of human and bovine 5'-flanking sequences reveals three highly conserved regions: a 450 bp region in the first exon, a 92 bp promoter proximal conserved regulatory region identified as an enhancer in the natural context, and a 223 bp promoter distal conserved regulatory region identified as a silencer both in the natural context and in a heterologous promoter system. In addition, a conserved CArG-box residing 851 bp upstream of the first transcription start site also can lead to the repression of Kera expression in cultured corneal keratocytes. DNaseI footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrate that cell type-specific factors bind to regulatory elements located in the conserved regions. Competition experiments indicate that the CTC factor and a protein that binds to the CAGA motif are likely to be among the multiple factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of the human Kera gene.
 ...
PMID:Identification and characterization of conserved cis-regulatory elements in the human keratocan gene promoter. 1089 81

Human epidermis and epithelium serve as physiologic barriers to protect against noxious and infectious agents. Contributing to the defense against infection, epithelial cells express antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The expression of AMPs in keratinocytes is generally regulated directly by bacteria and indirectly by proinflammatory cytokines. Bacteria may also regulate AMP expression by inducing keratinocyte expression of the autonomous proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha). To test the hypothesis that AMP expression may be regulated by cell autonomous cytokines, we investigated the effect of IL-1alpha on the expression of AMPs in human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) by microarray, northern blot, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and western blot analyses. IL-1alpha increased expression of mRNA in a dose- and time-dependent manner specific for lipocalin 2, S100A8, S100A9 and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) more than twofold relative to nonstimulated cells (control), and slightly upregulated S100A7 and beta-defensin-2. Furthermore, the expression of lipocalin 2, S100A7, S100A8, S100A9 and SLPI proteins were upregulated by IL-1alpha. On the other hand, HaCaT cells expressed mRNA specific for other AMPs, including cystatin 3, adrenomedullin, RNase-7 and mucin 5, which were unaffected by IL-1alpha treatment. These results suggest that the autonomous keratinocyte cytokine, IL-1alpha, selectively upregulates the expression of AMPs which may modulate innate epithelial cell immunity in skin and mucosa.
 ...
PMID:Interleukin-1alpha regulates antimicrobial peptide expression in human keratinocytes. 1754 71