There is evidence, that the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is able to induce tolerance after repeated stimulation of cells. To investigate the molecular mechanisms mediating this phenomenon, TNF-tolerance was induced in monocytic THP-1- and HeLa-cells by pretreatment for 72 h with a low TNF dose. When restimulated with a higher TNF dose, the interleukin-8 (IL-8) promoter-dependent transcription, which is regulated by transcription factors NF-kappaB and C/EBPbeta, as well as the transcriptional activity of a 3kappaB-dependent promoter construct was significantly reduced compared to not pretreated cells. In tolerant cells neither activation of NF-kappaB nor I-kappaB proteolysis was affected after TNF restimulation. Remarkably, under these conditions an increased binding of C/EBPbeta to its IL-8-promoter-specific DNA motif as well as an eleveated association of C/EBPbeta protein with p65 containing NF-kappaB complexes was observed. Finally, overexpression of C/EBPbeta, but not of Oct-1, markedly prevented not only TNF-induced IL-8-promoter- but also 3kappaB-dependent transcription. Taken together, these results indicate, that C/EBPbeta plays a negative-regulatory role in downregulating NF-kappaB-dependent gene transcription in TNF tolerant cells. As there is no C/EBPbeta motif in the 3kappaB-dependent promoter, the effect of C/EBPbeta seems to be independent of direct DNA-binding, but could be mediated through NF-kappaB binding sites by the association of C/EBPbeta with p65. This mechanism may be of relevance in inflammatory processes such as sepsis, in ischemic and malignant diseases.
«There is evidence, that the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is able to induce tolerance after repeated stimulation of cells. To investigate the molecular mechanisms mediating this phenomenon, TNF-tolerance was induced in monocytic THP-1- and HeLa-cells by pretreatment for 72 h with a low TNF dose. When restimulated with a higher TNF dose, the interleukin-8 (IL-8) promoter-dependent transcription, which is regulated by transcription factors NF-kappaB and C/EBPbeta, as well as the transcripti...
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