RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator-1α Enhances Antiproliferative Activity of 5′-Deoxy-5-Fluorouridine in Cancer Cells through Induction of Uridine Phosphorylase JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 854 OP 860 DO 10.1124/mol.109.056424 VO 76 IS 4 A1 Xingxing Kong A1 Heng Fan A1 Xiaojun Liu A1 Rui Wang A1 Jichao Liang A1 Nishith Gupta A1 Yong Chen A1 Fude Fang A1 Yongsheng Chang YR 2009 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/76/4/854.abstract AB Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is capable of coactivating several nuclear receptors and transcription factors that participate in the regulation of multiple metabolic processes, including gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and adaptive thermogenesis. Uridine phosphorylase (UPase) catalyzes the reversible conversion of uridine into uracil and contributes to the antineoplastic activity of 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5′-DFUR) and homeostasis of uridine levels in plasma and tissues. This study demonstrates uridine phosphorylase as a novel target gene of PGC-1α, which induces the transcription and enzymatic activity of UPase in various cancer cells and thus augments their susceptibility to 5′-DFUR. PGC-1α-induced activation of UPase expression occurs at its transcription level that is mediated by an estrogen-related receptor (ERR) binding site (−1078 to −1070 base pairs) mapped in the promoter region of UPase gene. Our mutational studies using luciferase reporter construct together with electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirm the binding of ERR to PGC-1α-responsive element. Moreover, the inhibition of PGC-1α/ERRα-dependent signaling by 3-[4-(2,4-bis-trifluoromethylbenzyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl]-2-cyano-N-(5-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)acrylamide (XCT790) compromises the ability of PGC-1α to induce the transcript of UPase, indicating PGC-1α-dependent and ERRα-mediated up-regulation of UPase. Finally, the overexpression of PGC-1α sensitizes breast and colon cancer cells to growth inhibition by 5′-DFUR presumably by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells and XCT790 can inhibit the process. Taken together, our results corroborate the regulatory function of PGC-1α in uridine homeostasis and imply its links with the energy metabolism. The mechanistic elucidation of this association between both cellular pathways should advance the clinical use of 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. © 2009 The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics