Objective  To study the regulation role and mechanism of protein acetylation on the expression of glioblastoma-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in human glioma.

  Methods  Six normal brain tissue samples, six low-grade glioma brain tissue (LG-glioma), and six high-grade glioma brain tissue (HG-glioma) were collected for study. Human glioma U251 cells were treated with histone acetylase inhibitor and histone deacetylase inhibition. The mRNA level of GDNF in glioma and normal controls was detected by Real-time PCR. H3K9 acetylation level of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) binding region on GDNF promoter and the ability of CREB combining to GDNF promoter were detected by ChIP-PCR. The effects of histone acetylase and deacetylase inhibitors on transcription factor binding ability and GDNF expression were detected.

  Results  The mRNA level of GDNF in HG-glioma was significantly higher than those in normal brain tissue and LG-glioma (P < 0.01). The H3K9 acetylation level of GDNF promoter region in the glioma was increased compared to that in the normal brain tissue (P < 0.01), and the acetylation level in CREB-binding region on the GDNF promoter was higher than that in the non-CREB-binding region (P < 0.01). The binding activity of CREB and GDNF promoter in HG-glioma was higher than those in normal brain tissue and LG-glioma (P < 0.05). After treatment of U251 cells with histone acetyltransferase inhibition, the level of acetylation in CREB-binding region on GDNF promoter, the binding activity of CREB and GDNF promoter was decreased, and GDNF transcription and expression were down-regulated, while histone deacetylase inhibitors had the opposite effect (P < 0.01).

  Conclusion  Histone acetylation promotes the transcription expression of GDNF in glioma by promoting the binding of transcription factor CREB to the promoter region of GDNF gene.