Comparative functional study of the lysyl oxidase promoter in fibroblasts, Ras-transformed fibroblasts, myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells.

The promoter activity of lysyl oxidase (LOX), the enzyme involved in collagen and elastin cross-linking and in tumor suppression, was compared in extracellular matrix producing cells and in tumorigenic c-Ha-ras-NIH-3T3 fibroblasts (RS485). The full 2 kb murine LOX promoter was very active in 3T6-5 myofibroblast-like cells (MFLC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and was inhibited in ras-transformed fibroblasts. Positive cis-acting elements were located around sites of transcription initiation in MFLC and SMC, but neither in RS485 fibroblasts nor in their non-transformed counterparts. The main positive cis-acting segment, at positions -808 to -585, was active in all cells, with the strongest activity in MFLC and SMC, and one segment, at positions -758 to -726, allowed the formation of one master DNA-protein complex with nuclear factors from all cells. The main inhibiting region, at positions -1,362 to -1,176, was active in all fibroblasts, but not in SMC, in an upstream position or in an enhancer/silencer position. This region carries two segments, called LOcoll and LOcol2 for their similarity to COL1A1 and COL1A2 promoter sequences, that were involved in the formation of a large multifactorial DNA complex with nuclear factors from all cells, though slightly for SMC. Another region, carrying a putative interferon response element (IRF) at positions -898 to -886, acted negatively on each type of cells. In conclusion, the LOX promoter is controlled by cross-talk between positive and negative cis-acting regions that are differentially active in various cells. The -758 to -726 region, with its putative C/EBP site, and the transcription initiation region are likely to play a master role in activating the LOX promoter in fibrocompetent MFLC and SMC. While the LOcol1/2 segment, with putative B-Myb binding sites, and the IRF carrying region, work negatively on the LOX promoter in transformed cells.