Progesterone Receptor Transactivation of the Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor Gene in Ishikawa Endometrial Epithelial Cells Involves Recruitment of Krüppel-Like Factor 9/Basic Transcription Element Binding Protein-1

Progesterone receptor (PR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, mediates the physiological actions of progesterone (P) through two distinct isoforms, PR-A and PR-B, and numerous nuclear coregulators. We previously demonstrated that basic transcription element binding protein-1 (BTEB1), a transcription factor of the Kruppel-like family, is a functional PR-interacting protein, based on the subfertility phenotype and reduced P sensitivity of uterine PR target genes, on BTEB1 null mutation. Here we examined the role of BTEB1 in PR-mediated signaling in endometrial epithelial cells using Ishikawa human endocarcinoma cells and the P-responsive secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) gene. Treatment of Ishikawa cells with P for 24 h increased SLPI and BTEB1 transcript levels without similar effects on PR expression. P induction was abolished by the PR antagonist RU486, whereas knockdown of BTEB1 with short interfering RNA reduced P-responsive BTEB1 but not SLPI expression to basal levels. Forced expre...