Expression of rat BTG3 gene, Rbtg3, is regulated by redox changes

The Rbtg3 gene was isolated by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) cloning from the cDNA library of Rat1 fibroblasts that were stimulated with TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) or various growth factors for 3h and was found to be a rat homologue of mouse BTG3 and human ANA genes. The Rbtg3 gene had unique DNA sequences in the 5'-UTR and 3'-UTR that contained four ATTTA and one TTATTTA(T/A)(T/A) nonamer motif, and also a polyA addition site. Nucleotide homology of Rbtg3 with BTG3 and ANA was 88.5 and 76.6%, respectively. Expression of Rbtg3 was investigated in SD rats as well as cell lines derived from mouse - SW3T3, NIH3T3 fibroblasts - and rat - Rat1, 3Y1 fibroblasts and PC12 - cells. Rbtg3 was highly expressed in brain but barely in lung, kidney, thymus and spleen. The constitutive expression level was high in SW3T3, Rat1 and 3Y1 fibroblasts, but very low in NIH3T3 fibroblast and PC12 cells. However, in all cells tested, Rbtg3 was proved to be one of the primary response genes superinduced by TPA (50 ng/ml) + cycloheximide (CHX, 10 mu g/ml). Expression of Rbtg3 was induced by H2O2 (500 mM) up to fourfold in PC12 cells and was blocked by pretreatment of NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, 10 mM). The induction was ninefold in 3Y1 fibroblasts by menadione (25 mM) treatment for 1 h, whereas it was reduced to a third of the control level in SW3T3 fibroblast by the same treatment. Rbtg3 was not expressed in NIH3T3 cells but minimally regulated by redox changes as compared with rapid and strong induction of TIS21/BTG2 mRNAs after TPA or H2O2 stimulation. The above results indicate that Rbtg3 is one of many redox-regulated genes as well as a primary response gene. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.