The CrebA/Creb3-like transcription factors are major and direct regulators of secretory capacity

Abstract: Secretion occurs in all cells, with relatively low levels in most cells and extremely high levels in specialized secretory cells, such as those of the pancreas, salivary and mammary glands. Here, we report that the CrebA/Creb3-like family of bZip transcription factors functions to upregulate expression of both the general protein machinery required in all cells for secretion and of cell-type specific secreted proteins. Drosophila CrebA directly binds the enhancers of secretory pathway genes and is both necessary and sufficient to activate expression of every secretory pathway component gene examined thus far. Microarray profiling reveals that CrebA also upregulates expression of genes encoding cell type specific secreted components. Finally, we find that the human CrebA orthologues, Creb3L1 and Creb3L2, have the ability to upregulate the secretory pathway in non-secretory cell types.

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Fox RM, Hanlon CD, Andrew DJ