Specific inhibition of transcriptional activity of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) by the splicing factor SF3a3

Biol Chem. 2008 Oct;389(10):1313-8. doi: 10.1515/BC.2008.149.

Abstract

The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and plays an important role in the degradation of xenobiotics in the liver. Using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified SF3a3, a 60-kDa subunit of the splicing factor 3a complex, as a specific CAR-interacting protein. We further confirmed their interaction by both co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assay. Functional studies showed that overexpression of SF3a3 inhibited the reporter activity driven by a promoter containing CAR binding sequences by up to 50%, whereas reduced expression of SF3a3 activated the same reporter activity by approximately three-fold. The inhibitory function of SF3a3 is independent of the presence of TCPOBOP, a CAR ligand. These data suggest that SF3a3 functions as a co-repressor of CAR transcriptional activity, in addition to its canonical function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Constitutive Androstane Receptor
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / genetics
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / metabolism*
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U2 Small Nuclear / genetics
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U2 Small Nuclear / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Constitutive Androstane Receptor
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U2 Small Nuclear
  • Transcription Factors
  • splicing factor 3a