Genes: Structure and Regulation
Glucocorticoid and Androgen Activation of Monoamine Oxidase A Is Regulated Differently by R1 and Sp1*

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Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A is a key enzyme for the degradation of neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. There are three consensus glucocorticoid/androgen response elements and four Sp1-binding sites in the human monoamine oxidase A 2-kb promoter. A novel transcription factor R1 (RAM2/CDCA7L) interacts with Sp1-binding sites and represses MAO A gene expression. Luciferase assays show that glucocorticoid (dexamethasone) and androgen (R1881) increase MAO A promoter and catalytic activities in human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cells. Gel-shift analysis demonstrates that glucocorticoid/androgen receptors interact directly with the third glucocorticoid/androgen response element. Glucocorticoid/androgen receptors also interact with Sp1-binding sites indirectly via transcription factor Sp1. In addition, dexamethasone induces R1 translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus in a time-dependent manner in both the neuroblastoma and wild-type UW228 cell lines but not in R1 knock-down UW228 cells. In summary, this study shows that glucocorticoid enhances monoamine oxidase A gene expression by 1) regulation of R1 translocation; 2) direct interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor with the third glucocorticoid/androgen response element; and 3) indirect interaction of glucocorticoid receptor with the Sp1 or R1 transcription factor on Sp1-binding sites of the MAO A promoter. Androgen also up-regulates MAO A gene expression by direct interaction of androgen receptor with the third glucocorticoid/androgen response element. Androgen receptor indirectly interacts with the Sp1, but not R1 transcription factor, on Sp1-binding sites. This study provides new insights on the differential regulation of MAO A by glucocorticoid and androgen.

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This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grants R37 MH39085 (MERIT Award) and R01 MH67968 and by a Boyd and Elsie Welin Professorship. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.