Oxidative and chemical stress mimic insulin by selectively inhibiting the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in hepatoma cells
Abstract
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in hepatic gluconeogenesis. Glucagon (via the second messenger cAMP), retinoic acid, and glucocorticoids stimulate transcription of the PEPCK gene, whereas insulin and phorbol esters have a dominant inhibitory effect. We now show that oxidative and chemical stress (hydrogen peroxide and sodium meta-arsenite, respectively) also produce a dominant inhibitory effect, both on the endogenous PEPCK gene and on a stably transfected PEPCK-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) fusion gene. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), blocks the inhibition of glucocorticoid and cAMP-induced PEPCK gene transcription by insulin; however, it has no effect on the inhibition elicited by oxidative or chemical stress. Thus, the mechanism(s) used by hydrogen peroxide and sodium meta-arsenite to regulate PEPCK gene expression are PI 3-kinase independent. This suggests that these agents operate by a pathway distinct from that used by insulin or that the pathways converge at a point downstream of PI 3-kinase. The reactivating kinase (RK, also known as p38 mitogen activated protein kinase) is induced by insulin, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium me...Continue Reading
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