TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF CARBOHYDRATE RESPONSIVE GENES

该项目的总体目标是增加我们对调节碳水化合物反应基因的转录机制的理解。葡萄糖稳态依赖于许多酶和吸收途径的严格控制。作为模型，我们一直在研究小肠高亲和力Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1)，其活性表现出日周期性和受碳水化合物诱导。我们已经证明SGLT1的表达在mRNA丰度和转录方面都表现出日周期性。大鼠SGLT1启动子含有HNF-1（肝细胞核因子1）元素，该元素与肠上皮细胞核提取物形成复合物，HNF-1 β异构体的存在取决于一天中细胞核分离的时间。同源的HNF-1位点存在于另外两个糖反应基因（肝丙酮酸激酶和蔗糖酶异麦芽糖酶）启动子的糖反应元件中，我们也显示出昼夜周期性，这表明HNF-1可能介导了昼夜转录程序以及饮食碳水化合物的诱导。恒河猴肠道SGLT1 mRNA水平的周期性表明，人类也存在类似的机制。有人提出，SGLT1的节律性转录是由与SGLT1启动子相互作用的转录因子的昼夜激活（或合成）控制的。确定相关因素并确定其功能是描述这些体内平衡机制的重要步骤。为此，我们将测试两种假设：(1)SGLT1启动子中的“昼夜节律”元件驱动其昼夜转录；(2)碳水化合物通过调节SGLT1和其他糖应答基因的日表达程序诱导其表达。由于参与碳水化合物代谢的多种蛋白质——消化酶、转运蛋白、糖酵解酶和糖异生酶——都对碳水化合物有反应，因此了解这类蛋白质表达的共同和独特途径将有助于更好地理解碳水化合物耐受性的变化。最近在hnf -1 α和β二聚化伙伴中发现了突变，这些突变是人类一种或多种糖尿病的病因，强调了阐明这种调节的重要性。最后，研究人员预计，阐明SGLT1的调节机制可能会揭示肥胖和糖尿病等疾病中碳水化合物吸收的药物控制靶点。

The general goal of this project is to increase our understanding of the transcriptional mechanisms regulating carbohydrate- responsive genes. Glucose homeostasis depends on the strict control of numerous enzymatic and absorptive pathways. As a model, we have been studying the small intestinal high-affinity Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1), the activity of which shows diurnal periodicity and induction by carbohydrate. We have shown that SGLT1 expression exhibits diurnal periodicity in both mRNA abundance and transcription. The rat SGLT1 promoter contains an HNF-1 (hepatocyte nuclear factor 1) element that forms complexes with intestinal epithelial cell nuclear extracts differing in the presence of the HNF-1beta isoform depending on the time of day nuclei were isolated. The presence of homologous HNF-1 sites in the carbohydrate-response elements in the promoters of two other carbohydrate-responsive genes--liver pyruvate kinase and sucrase- isomaltase, which we have also shown to exhibit diurnal periodicity--indicates that HNF-1 may mediate both the diurnal transcription program as well as induction by dietary carbohydrate. Periodicity in the intestinal SGLT1 mRNA levels in rhesus monkeys suggests that a similar mechanism is also present in humans. It is proposed that rhythmic SGLT1 transcription is controlled by the diurnal activation (or synthesis) of transcription factors interacting with the SGLT1 promoter. Identifying the factors responsible and defining their functions are important steps toward delineating these homeostatic mechanisms. To these ends, two hypotheses will be tested: (1) "Circadian" elements in the SGLT1 promoter drive its diurnal transcription; and (2) Carbohydrate induces SGLT1 and other carbohydrate-responsive genes by modulating their diurnal expression program. Because a wide range of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism--digestive enzymes, transporters, glycolytic enzymes, and gluconeogenic enzymes--are carbohydrate- responsive, knowledge of the shared and distinctive pathways regulating the expression of members of this class will lead to a better understanding of changes in carbohydrate tolerance. Underscoring the importance of elucidating this regulation, mutations have recently been identified in both HNF-1alpha and beta dimerization partners that are etiologic in one or more forms of diabetes in humans. Finally, it is anticipated that elucidation of the mechanisms regulating SGLT1 may reveal targets amenable to pharmaceutical control of carbohydrate absorption in conditions such as obesity and diabetes mellitus.