Inhibition of glutaminase expression increases Sp1 phosphorylation and Sp1/Sp3 transcriptional activity in Ehrlich tumor cells

Tumor cells expressing antisense glutaminase RNA show a drastic inhibition of glutaminase activity and they acquire a more differentiated phenotype. We have studied the expression of Sp1 and Sp3 transcription factors in both Ehrlich tumor cells and their derivative 0.28AS-2 antisense glutaminase expressing cells. The expression of phosphorylated Sp1 in 0.28AS-2 cells was 3-fold the expression in EATC. Full length Sp3 was also incremented in 0.28AS-2 cells. Sp1 and Sp3 binding to a consensus Sp1 probe was higher in 0.28AS-2 nuclear extracts, as determined by supershift assays. Sp1-DNA binding was inhibited by phosphatase treatment, demonstrating that phosphorylation of Sp1 is critical for its DNA binding capacity. The Sp1 and Sp3 DNA binding found in 0.28AS-2 cells was also correlated with an increased Sp1 activity, as shown in transient transfections assays carried out with a luciferase reporter plasmid. Incubation of Ehrlich tumor cells with the differentiation agent PMA could not totally reproduce the Sp1/Sp3 changes observed in 0.28AS-2 cells. However, it was demonstrated that the intracellular concentration of glutamine, but not glutamate or aspartate, is increased in 0.28AS-2 cells. In conclusion, the antisense inhibition of glutaminase leads to an increased expression of phosphorylated Sp1 and that correlates with an increase in Sp1 activity.