Endocrinology, Vol 135, 692-701, Copyright © 1994 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Coordinate actions of calcium and protein kinase-C in the expression of primary response genes in pituitary gonadotrophs

M Cesnjaj, KJ Catt and SS Stojilkovic
Endocrinology and Reproduction Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

Activation of GnRH receptors in cultured pituitary cells and alpha T3-1 gonadotrophs caused prominent, but transient, increases in messenger RNAs for primary response genes (PRGs) including c-fos, c-jun, and junB. GnRH-induced stimulation peaked at 30 min and was dose related, with similar EC50 values (approximately 1 nM) for all three PRGs and higher maximum responses for junB than for c-jun and c-fos. The agonist- induced expression of PRGs was mimicked by activation of protein kinase- C with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), which acted additively with GnRH at low concentrations of both stimuli. Depletion of cellular protein kinase-C by prior treatment with PMA reduced GnRH- and PMA-induced expression of PRGs. The protein kinase-C inhibitor staurosporine also attenuated agonist- and phorbol ester- induced PRG expression. Activation of Ca2+ entry by the calcium channel agonist BayK 8644 or high K(+)-induced depolarization caused a concentration-dependent rise in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and a concentration-dependent and transient expression of PRGs, albeit of smaller amplitudes than those elicited by GnRH and PMA. Ca(2+)- dependent PRG expression was abolished by the calmodulin inhibitor W-7. Parallel measurements of [Ca2+]i and steady-state levels of PRG messenger RNAs indicated that intracellular Ca2+ exerted both additive and suppressive actions over its physiological concentration range on GnRH- and PMA-induced PRG expression. At lower intracellular calcium concentrations, calcium acted additively with low concentrations of GnRH and PMA. However, high calcium concentrations suppressed high agonist- and phorbol ester-induced PRG expression. In contrast, omission of Ca2+ from the extracellular medium significantly enhanced induction of PRGs. These findings indicate that GnRH-induced PRG expression in gonadotrophs is mediated by protein kinase-C and calcium, and that protein kinase-C-dependent induction of PRGs is modulated both positively and negatively by physiological changes in [Ca2+]i. Such coordinate actions of the two signaling molecules provide a mechanism for the control of PRG expression by preferential integration of low strength, and attenuation of high strength, extracellular signals.

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