Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β (δ)-dependent regulation of ubiquitin C expression contributes to attenuation of skin carcinogenesis

The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-beta( PPARbeta) in the molecular regulation of skin carcinogenesis was examined. Increased caspase-3 activity associated with apoptosis was found in the skin of wildtype mice after tumor promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13- acetate, and this effect was diminished in PPARbeta-null mice. The onset of tumor formation, tumor size, and tumor multiplicity induced from a two-stage carcinogen bioassay ( 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene/ 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13- acetate) were significantly enhanced in PPARbeta-null mice compared with wild-type mice. To begin to characterize the molecular changes underlying this PPARbeta-dependent phenotype, microarray analysis was performed and a number of differentially regulated gene products were identified including ubiquitin C. Subsequent promoter analysis, reporter gene assays, site-directed mutagenesis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays provide evidence that PPARbeta regulates ubiquitin C expression, and that ubiquitination of proteins is influenced by PPARbeta. These results strongly suggest that activation of PPARbeta-dependent target genes provides a novel strategy to inhibit tumor promotion and carcinogenesis.