TITLE:
Effect of cytokines and ultraviolet B radiation on the promoter activity of the metallothionein gene in keratinocytes
AUTHORS:
Hiromi Narumi, Hajime Nakano, Takahide Kaneko, Koji Nakajima, Yasushi Matsuzaki, Takayuki Aizu, Daisuke Sawamura, Katsumi Hanada
KEYWORDS:
Sunburn; Cytokine; Epidermis; Ultraviolet Light; Promoter
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.4 No.9,
September
3,
2013
ABSTRACT: Metallothionein (MT) has many functions that are modulated
by several factors, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation and cytokines. We
thought that these diverse functions of MT might reflect the specific
regulatory mechanisms of its expression. To understand some of the molecular
mechanisms underlying MT expression, we examined the effects of several
cytokines and UVB on the promoter activity of the MT gene. First, we introduced
the MT promoter construct into the HaCaT keratinocytes and treated them with
various concentrations of interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-6. The addition of IL-1α and IL-6 led to an increase in the
promoter activity of the MT gene. UVB is known to induce MT expression in
epidermal keratinocytes, and IL-6 is a possible mediator of MT induction by UV
radiation. Therefore, we investigated whether UVB could induce MT promoter activity.
Our results showed, interestingly, that UVB radiation has no or little effect
on the promoter activity. This suggested a complex molecular regulation of the
MT gene.