Transcriptional stimulation by thyroid hormone of a cytosolic thyroid hormone binding protein which is homologous to a subunit of pyruvate kinase M1.

We have recently shown that the monomer of rat pituitary pyruvate kinase subtype M1 (p58-M1) is a cytosolic binding protein for 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3). To understand the role p58-M1 plays in thyroid hormone action, we examined the regulation of p58-M1 by T3 in GH3 cells. Expression of p58-M1 was evaluated by metabolically labeling GH3 cells cultured in regular medium, thyroid hormone depleted medium (Td medium), or Td medium supplemented with T3 (Td + T3 medium) followed by immunoprecipitation. T3 stimulates the expression of p58-M1 by 2-fold. Analysis by pulse-chase experiments indicates that the increased expression is not due to the increase of stability of p58-M1. Northern analysis of mRNA prepared from cells cultured in regular, Td, or Td + T3 medium demonstrates that T3 increases the accumulation of cytoplasmic mRNA by 2-fold. Nuclei from cells cultured in the three conditions were prepared, and the rates of synthesis of nascent nuclear RNA were compared by an in vitro transcription assay. Addition of T3 stimulates the rate of transcription by 2-fold. The parallel and identical magnitude in the increase of transcription rate and the accumulation of mRNA indicates that T3 stimulates the synthesis of p58-M1 by increasing the transcriptional activity of its gene.