ascorbate-2-phosphate and Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome

L-Ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (Asc 2-P), a long-acting vitamin C derivative, stimulated transcription of genes for pro alpha 1(I) and pro alpha 2(I) collagen in normal human skin fibroblasts after 8 h of treatment in the absence or in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating Asc 2-P stimulates transcription of type I collagen genes in the absence of protein synthesis. The transcriptional rate in these cells reached the maximum value after 40 h of treatment, and at that time it was three to four times higher than that of the control cells cultured in the absence of Asc 2-P. Steady-state levels of mRNAs for pro alpha 1(I) and pro alpha 2(I) chains were also increased to be three to four times higher than the control levels by treatment of the cells with Asc 2-P for 72 h. When the fibroblasts obtained from a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were treated with Asc 2-P, the derivative also stimulated transcription of the gene for pro alpha 1(I) chain and accumulation of mRNA for pro alpha 1(I) chain. On the other hand, Asc 2-P failed to stimulate transcription of the pro alpha 2(I) gene or an increase in mRNA for pro alpha 2(I) chain. Sodium ascorbate showed effects quite similar to those of Asc 2-P, when fibroblasts obtained from a normal control or the patient were cultured for 16 h with it. These results indicate the existence of cis-regulatory elements responsible for transcriptional activation by Asc 2-P or ascorbic acid in pro alpha 1(I) and pro alpha 2(I) genes of normal fibroblasts. These data also suggest some defect(s) of these elements in the pro alpha 2(I) gene of the patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Blotting, Southern; Cell Division; Cells, Cultured; Collagen; Cycloheximide; DNA; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome; Fibroblasts; Humans; RNA, Messenger; Skin; Time Factors; Transcription, Genetic