Protein kinase A activation of the surfactant protein B gene is mediated by phosphorylation of thyroid transcription factor 1.

Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) is a homeodomain-containing nuclear transcription factor expressed in epithelial cells of the lung and thyroid. TTF-1 binds to and activates the transcription of genes expressed selectively in the respiratory epithelium including pulmonary surfactant A, B, C and Clara cell secretory protein. Transfection with a plasmid encoding the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A; PKA) catalytic subunit, Cat-beta, stimulated the phosphorylation of a TTF-1-flag fusion protein 6-7-fold in H441 pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells. Recombinant TTF-1 was phosphorylated by purified PKA catalytic subunit in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP. PKA catalytic subunit family members, Cat-alpha and Cat-beta, markedly enhanced the transcriptional activation of surfactant B gene promoters by TTF-1 in vitro. Peptide mapping was used to identify a PKA phosphorylation site at the NH2 terminus of TTF-1. A 17-amino acid synthetic peptide comprising this site completely inhibited the PKA-dependent phosphorylation of TTF-1 in vitro. A substitution mutation of TTF-1 (Thr9 two head right arrow Ala) abolished phosphorylation by PKA and reduced transactivation of the surfactant B gene promoter. Transfection with a plasmid encoding the cAMP regulatory element binding factor inhibited transcriptional activity of the surfactant protein B gene promoter. Phosphorylation of TTF-1 mediates PKA-dependent activation of surfactant protein B gene transcription.