Transcriptional regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 by transforming growth factor-β, activin A and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a key molecule that regulates turnover of the extracellular matrix. In the present study, we characterized PAI-1 gene expression in mast cells and melanocytes. In bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells, up-regulation of the PAI-1 gene was observed upon treatment with TGF-β1, and was regulated at the transcriptional level. Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a member of the basic helix–loop–helix leucine zipper family of tissue-specific transcription factors predominantly expressed in mast cells, melanocytes and osteoclasts, also stimulated PAI-1 gene transcription, and TGF-β1 did not increase PAI-1 mRNA levels in mast cells from mi/mi mice expressing dominant-negative MITF. MITF isoforms regulated TGF-β1-induced transcription of PAI-1 differently; MITF-E-mediated transcription was further increased by TGF-β1, whereas transcriptional activation by TGF-β1 was blocked by MITF-M or MITF-mc expression. In contrast, activin A, another member of the TGF-β family, enhanced transcription induced by MITF-M, as well as by MITF-E, although MITF-mc blocked activin A-induced transcription of PAI-1. Different regulation of PAI-1 gene expression upon TGF-β1 and activin A treatment was also detected in B16 melanocytes; TGF-β1 transiently increased the PAI-1 mRNA level, whereas activin A had prolonged effects on up-regulation of PAI-1. Our results on the control of PAI-1 gene expression by MITF isoforms, TGF-β1 and activin A suggest that discrete regulation of the plasminogen activator system occurs in a cell type-specific manner.