dc.description | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2010.; Includes bibliographical
references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. Translocator Protein (18-kDa) TSPO is a
high-affinity drug- and cholesterol-binding protein. TSPO regulates the transport of the
steroid hormone precursor, cholesterol, to the inner mitochondrial membrane, the
rate-determining step in steroidogenesis. The ubiquitous expression of TSPO, taken with its
ability to bind cholesterol with high affinity suggests that, in non-steroidogenic cells, TSPO
may regulate mitochondrial cholesterol compartmentalization and membrane biogenesis, events
critical for mitochondrial function and multiple cellular processes. In search of the factors
regulating Tspo expression and to understand the differential expression of TSPO in
steroidogenic and non-steroidogenic cells, I analyzed Tspo transcriptional responses to the
protein kinase C (PKC) activator and tumor promoter, phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), in
cells with varying TSPO levels. PMA induced Tspo promoter activity and Tspo mRNA levels in
poor-in-TSPO non-steroidogenic cells (NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and COS-7 kidney), but not in
rich-in-TSPO steroidogenic cells (MA-10 Leydig) with high basal Tspo transcriptional activity.
We localized the stimulatory effect of PMA to the 805-515-bp region upstream of the
transcription start site. PMA exerted its effect on Tspo gene promoter through the PKC epsilon
isoform. PKC epsilon activation by PMA drives inducible TSPO expression in non-steroidogenic
cells, likely through activator protein 1 (AP1) and v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene
homolog (Ets) sites in this promoter region, while high levels of TSPO in steroidogenic cells
are likely due to high constitutive expression of PKC epsilon. In addition to AP1 and Ets
binding sites in the Tspo promoter, there are binding sites for signal transducer and
activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcription factor, reported downstream targets of PKC
epsilon. PKC epsilon overexpression induced STAT3 phosphorylation and c-Jun synthesis in
NIH-3T3 cells while PKC epsilon knockdown reduced c-Jun new synthesis in NIH-3T3 and STAT3
phosphorylation in Leydig cells. Furthermore, we identified a MAPK (Raf-1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2) to be
the signaling transduction pathway through which PKC epsilon mediates its effect to regulate
Tspo gene expression in steroidogenic and non-steroidogenic cells acting at least in part
through c-Jun and STAT3 transcription factors. | en |