Polymorphism in the 3′-untranslated region of TNFα mRNA impairs binding of the post-transcriptional regulatory protein HuR to TNFα mRNA

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) acts as a beneficial mediator in the process of host defence, In recent years major interest has focused on the AU-rich elements (AREs) present in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TNF alpha mRNA as this region plays a pivotal role in post-transcriptional control of TNF alpha production, Certain stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharides, a component of the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall, have the ability to relinquish the translational suppression of TNF alpha mRNA imposed by these AREs in macrophages, thereby enabling the efficient production of the TNF alpha, In this study we show that the polymorphism (GAU trinucleotide insertional mutation) present in the regulatory 3'-UTR of TNF alpha mRNA of NZW mice results in the hindered binding of RNA-binding proteins, thereby leading to a significantly reduced production of TNF alpha protein, We also show that the binding of macrophage proteins to the main ARE is also decreased by another trinucleotide (CAU) insertion in the TNF alpha 3'-UTR, One of the proteins affected by the GAU trinucleotide insertional mutation was identified as HuR, a nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling protein previously shown to play a prominent role in the stability and translatability of mRNA containing AREs, Since binding of this protein most likely modulates the stability, translational efficiency and transport of TNF alpha mRNA, these results suggest that mutations in the ARE of TNF alpha mRNA decrease the production of TNF alpha protein in macrophages by hindering the binding of HuR to the ARE.