Bcl-2 positively regulates Sox9-dependent chondrocyte gene expression by suppressing the MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Bcl-2 positively regulates Sox9-dependent chondrocyte gene expression by suppressing the MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Yagi Rieko; McBurney Denise; Horton Walter E Jr

The Journal of biological chemistry

2005

2005-08

Bcl-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein that has recently been shown to regulate other cellular functions. We previously reported that Bcl-2 regulates chondrocyte matrix gene expression, independent of its anti-apoptotic function. Here, we further investigate this novel function of Bcl-2 and examine three intracellular signaling pathways likely to be associated with this function. The present study demonstrates that the activity of Sox9, a master transcription factor that regulates the gene expression of chondrocyte matrix proteins, is suppressed by Bcl-2 small interference RNA in the presence of caspase inhibitors. This effect was attenuated by prior exposure of chondrocytes to an adenoviral vector expressing sense Bcl-2. In addition, the down-regulation of Bcl-2, Sox9, and chondrocyte-specific gene expression by serum withdrawal in primary chondrocytes was reversed by expressing Bcl-2. Inhibition of the protein kinase C alpha and NFkappaB pathways had no effect on the maintenance of Sox9-dependent gene expression by Bcl-2. In contrast, whereas the MEK-ERK1/2 pathway negatively regulated the differentiated phenotype in wild type chondrocytes, inhibition of this pathway reversed the loss of differentiation markers and fibroblastic phenotype in Bcl-2-deficient chondrocytes. In conclusion, the present study identifies a specific signaling pathway, namely, MEK-ERK1/2, that is downstream of Bcl-2 in the regulation of Sox9-dependent chondrocyte gene expression and phenotype.

*Gene Expression Regulation; Adenoviridae/genetics; Animals; Apoptosis; beta-Galactosidase/metabolism; Blotting; Butadienes/pharmacology; Caspase Inhibitors; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Chondrocytes/*metabolism; Collagen Type II/metabolism; Down-Regulation; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology; Fibroblasts/metabolism; Fluorescence; Genetic; High Mobility Group Proteins/*metabolism; Lac Operon; Luciferases/metabolism; MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/*metabolism; Messenger/metabolism; Microscopy; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/*metabolism; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/*metabolism; NF-kappa B/metabolism; Nitriles/pharmacology; Phenotype; Phosphorylation; Promoter Regions; Protein Kinase C-alpha; Protein Kinase C/antagonists & inhibitors; Proteoglycans/metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/*metabolism; Rats; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA; Signal Transduction; Small Interfering/metabolism; SOX9 Transcription Factor; Sprague-Dawley; Time Factors; Transcription; Transcription Factors/*metabolism; Transfection; Western

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