Human antioxidant-response-element-mediated regulation of type 1 NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase gene expression. Effect of sulfhydryl modifying agents.

Human antioxidant-response element (hARE) containing two copies of the AP1/AP1-like elements arranged as inverse repeat is known to mediate basal and beta-naphthoflavone-induced transcription of the type 1 NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) gene. Band-shift assays revealed that beta-naphthoflavone increased binding of nuclear proteins at the hARE. Super shift assays identified Jun-D and c-Fos proteins in the band-shift complexes observed with control and beta-naphthoflavone-treated Hepa-1 nuclear extracts. Hepa-1 cells stably transformed with hARE-tk-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) recombinant plasmid were used to demonstrate that, in addition to beta-naphthoflavone, a variety of antioxidants, tumor promoters and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) also increased expression of hARE-mediated CAT gene. beta-naphthoflavone induction of the CAT gene expression in Hepa-1 cells was found insensitive to inhibitors of protein kinase C and tyrosine kinases. However, binding of regulatory proteins at the hARE and the CAT gene expression in Hepa-1 cells were increased by dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol and diamide. Treatment of the Hepa-1 cells with N-ethylmaleimide reduced binding of proteins at the hARE and interfered with expression and beta-naphthoflavone induction of the CAT gene. These results suggested a role of sulfhydryl modification of hARE binding (Jun and Fos) proteins which mediate basal and induced expression of the NQO1 gene. We also report that in-vitro-translated products of the proto-oncogenes, Jun and Fos, bind to the hARE in band-shift assays. The incubation of Jun and Fos proteins with small amounts of nuclear extract from dimethylsulfoxide-treated (control) or beta-naphthoflavone treated Hepa-1 cells prior to band-shift assays increased the binding of Jun and Fos proteins to the hARE. Interestingly, the increase in binding of Jun and Fos proteins to the hARE was more prominent with beta-naphthoflavone-treated nuclear extract as compared to the control nuclear extract. In addition, incubation of control nuclear extract with beta-naphthoflavone, microsomes and NADPH increased the binding of Jun and Fos proteins to the hARE. Evidence from in vitro studies indicate the presence of unknown nuclear factor(s) that receive signals from metabolites of beta-naphthoflavone and modulate Jun and Fos binding to the AP1 site contained within the hARE.