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.
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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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