Work

Post-transcriptional Regulation of Urokinase mRNA

Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: We sought to determine if urokinase expression is regulated at the post-transcriptional level in cultured lung epithelial cells. We also sought to determine if differences in urokinase expression by cultured human lung carcinoma and non-malignant lung epithelial subtypes were attributable to post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Urokinase was expressed by phenotypically diverse lung carcinoma cell lines as well as non-malignant small airway epithelial cells and bronchial epithelial cells. Using gel mobility shift and UV cross-linking assays, we identified a 30-kDa urokinase mRNA-binding protein that selectively bound to a 66-nucleotide protein-binding fragment of urokinase mRNA. The urokinase mRNA-binding protein is found in the cytosolic but not nuclear extracts of non-malignant lung epithelial cells; whereas, it is found in the nuclear but not cytosolic extracts of selected malignant carcinoma-derived cells that express relatively large amounts of urokinase. Chimeric beta-globin/urokinase cDNA containing the urokinase mRNA-binding protein binding sequence destabilized otherwise stable beta-globin mRNA. Our results demonstrate that urokinase gene expression in lung epithelial and lung carcinoma-derived cells is regulated at the post-transcriptional level. The mechanism involves an interaction between a 66-nucleotide sequence of the urokinase mRNA 3'-untranslated region with a newly recognized urokinase mRNA-binding protein to regulate urokinase mRNA stability.
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,430
OpenAlex ID: W2092440892
FWCI: 1.325
Cites: 34
Cited by: 37
Related to: 10