gw-7647 and fenofibric-acid

Increasing apolipoproteinA-I (apoA-I) production may be anti-atherogenic. Thus, there is a need to identify regulatory factors involved. Transcription of apoA-I involves peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor-alpha (PPARα) activation, but endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -stress and inflammation also influence apoA-I production. To unravel why PPARα agonist GW7647 increased apoA-I production compared to PPARα agonist fenofibric acid (FeAc) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (CaCo-2) cells, gene expression profiles were compared. Microarray analyses suggested CCAAT/enhancer-binding-protein-beta (C/EBP-β) involvement in the FeAc condition. Therefore, C/EBP-β silencing and isoform-specific overexpression experiments were performed under ER-stressed, inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions. mRNA expression of C/EBP-β, ATF3, NF-IL3 and GDF15 were upregulated by FeAc compared to GW7647 in both cell lines, while DDIT3 and DDIT4 mRNA were only upregulated in HepG2 cells. This ER-stress related signature was associated with decreased apoA-I secretion. After ER-stress induction by thapsigargin or FeAc addition, intracellular apoA-I concentrations decreased, while ER-stress marker expression (CHOP, XBP1s, C/EBP-β) increased. Cytokine addition increased intracellular C/EBP-β levels and lowered apoA-I concentrations. Although a C/EBP binding place is present in the apoA-I promoter, C/EBP-β silencing or isoform-specific overexpression did not affect apoA-I production in inflammatory, non-inflammatory and ER-stressed conditions. Therefore, C/EBP-β is not a target to influence hepatic apoA-I production. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 754-763, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics: Apolipoprotein A-I; Atherosclerosis; Butyrates; Caco-2 Cells; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Fenofibrate; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Silencing; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inflammation; Phenylurea Compounds; PPAR alpha; RNA, Messenger; Thapsigargin

A human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha ligand binding domain (PPAR alpha LBD)-maltose binding protein fusion construct was expressed in Escherichia coli. A codon optimized DNA sequence encoding human PPAR alpha LBD (aa196-468) was synthesized and ligated into the pDEST17 E. coli expression vector downstream of a MBP solubility fusion tag and an intermittent TEV protease cleavage site. Following auto-induction at 28 degrees C, PPAR alpha LBD protein was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a nickel affinity chromatographic step, on-column TEV protease cleavage followed by Sephacryl S200 size exclusion chromatography. The recombinant protein displayed cross-reactivity with goat anti-(human PPAR alpha) polyclonal antibody and was identified as human PPAR alpha by trypic peptide mass finger-printing. The addition of a PPAR alpha specific ligand (fenofibric acid, GW7647 or GW590735) to the growth media significantly stabilized the PPAR alpha LBD structure and enhanced the expression of soluble protein. In-cell ligand binding was examined by monitoring the enhancement of PPAR alpha LBD expression as a function of the concentration of ligand in the growth media. The efficient expression and in-cell assay of the reported PPAR alpha LBD construct make it amenable to high through-put screening assays in drug discovery programs.

Topics: Butyrates; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Fenofibrate; Humans; Ligands; Maltose-Binding Proteins; Mediator Complex Subunit 1; Models, Molecular; Periplasmic Binding Proteins; Phenylurea Compounds; PPAR alpha; Propionates; Protein Binding; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Thiazoles