SFPQ, a multifunctional nuclear protein, regulates the transcription of PDE3A

Phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A), a member of the cGMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) family, plays important roles in oocyte maturation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate PDE3A gene expression remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of PDE3A , and found that the splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ) protein modulated PDE3A mRNA levels. Multiple transcription start sites (TSS1, 2, and 3) were identified within the first exon of PDE3A using 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Variable expression levels of three PDE3A variants were also observed in human tissues and HeLa cells. Several putative SFPQ-binding sites were identified upstream of the regulatory region of PDE3A -TSSs using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Serum-induced PDE3A expression was affected by increasing the amount of SFPQ binding to the upstream regulatory region of PDE3A In addition, transcription of PDE3A was lower in human cervical adenocarcinoma cells compared to normal cervical tissue. Furthermore, over-expression of PDE3A induced sensitivity to anti-cancer therapeutic agent, 6-(4-(diethylamino)-3-nitrophenyl)-5-methyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one (DNMDP), in HeLa cells. Taken together, these results suggest that SFPQ functions as a transcriptional activator of PDE3A, which is involved in the regulation of DNMDP sensitivity , offering a novel molecular target for the development of anticancer therapies.