Fli-1 transcription factor affects glomerulonephritis development by regulating expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in endothelial cells in the kidney

Expression of transcription factor Fli-1 is implicated in the development of glomerulonephritis. Fli-1 heterozygous knockout (Fli1(+/-)) NZM2410 mice, a murine model of lupus, had significantly improved survival and reduced glomerulonephritis. In this study, we found that infiltrated inflammatory cells were significantly decreased in the kidneys from NZM2410 mice. The expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was significantly decreased in kidneys from Fli-1(+/-) NZM2410 mice. The primary endothelial cells isolated from the kidneys of Fli-1(+/-)NZM2410 mice produced significantly less MCP-1. In endothelial cells transfected with specific Fli-1 siRNA the production of MCP-1 was significantly reduced compared to cells transfected with negative control siRNA. By Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we further demonstrated that Fli-1 directly binds to the promoter of the MCP-1 gene. Our data indicate that Fli-1 impacts glomerulonephritis development by regulating expression of inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 and inflammatory cell infiltration in the kidneys in the NZM2410 mice. Published by Elsevier Inc.