Differential expression of early response genes, c-jun, c-fos, and jun B, in A5 cells

We examined the expression of c-fos, c-jun, and jun B after activation of different signal transduction pathways in the A5 rat salivary epithelial cell line. Stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors by isoproterenol, or addition of 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, induces the expression of c-fos and jun B by a protein kinase A-mediated pathway. Phorbol 12-myristate 13- acetate (PMA) induces the expression of all three genes, but with different kinetics. While c-fos and jun B mRNA levels increase early (1 h) after stimulation and transiently, those of c-jun remain higher than control even after stimulation for 8 h and return to basal levels by 24 h. Inhibitors of protein kinase C block the effect of PMA on c-fos, c-jun, and jun B expression, indicating that these genes are also regulated by a protein kinase C-mediated mechanism in A5 cells. Increases in cytosolic Ca²⁺ by A23187 or ionomycin induce only the expression of c-fos gene. This induction is abolished when A5 cells are loaded with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid before treatment with the ionophores, or when serum is excluded from the incubation medium. Exclusion of serum from the medium does not change the effects of isoproterenol or PMA on c-fos, c-jun, or jun B. These results strongly suggest that serum factors act synergistically with Ca²⁺ to induce c-fos expression in A5 cells. The studies presented here indicate that different signal transduction pathways operate in A5 cells for the induction of c-fos, c-jun, and jun B genes.