Cyclic AMP Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Transcription by Two Discrete Molecular Mechanisms

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 229; no. 4710; pp. 267 - 269
• Main Authors: Waterman, Marian, Murdoch, Geoffrey H., Evans, Ronald M., Rosenfeld, Michael G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC The American Association for the Advancement of Science 19-07-1985; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; B lymphocytes; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell physiology; Cells; Cells (Biology); Cobalt; Cobalt - pharmacology; Colforsin; Cyclic adenosine monophosphate; Cyclic adenylic acid; cyclic AMP; Cyclic AMP - physiology; Cyclic AMP receptor protein; Diterpenes - pharmacology; Eukaryotes; Eukaryotic cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes; Genetic transcription; growth hormone; Growth Hormone - biosynthesis; Growth Hormone - genetics; Growth hormones; Histones; Hormonal regulation; hormones; Molecular and cellular biology; Peptide hormones; Phosphorylation; pituitary; Pituitary Gland - cytology; Prolactin; Prolactin - biosynthesis; Prolactin - genetics; Protein Kinases - physiology; Rats; Somatotropin; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone - pharmacology; Transcription (Genetics); Transcription, Genetic - drug effects; Transcriptional regulatory elements; Protein hormone; Eucaryote; Regulation(control); Cell line; Calcium; Gene; Transcription; Prolactin; Protein kinase; STH; Cyclic AMP; Pituitary gland
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.2990047

In experiments designed to study the mechanism by which peptide hormones binding to their plasma membrane receptors stimulate the expression of specific genes, the transcription of two neuroendocrine genes, prolactin and growth hormone, was analyzed in a rat pituitary cell line. The results showed that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) stimulates the transcription of discrete subsets of eukaryotic genes by at least two independent molecular mechanisms. Cyclic AMP stimulated growth hormone gene transcription and phosphorylation of a 19,000-dalton nuclear protein; this appears to reflect direct nuclear actions of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. In contrast, the stimulation by cyclic AMP of prolactin gene transcription appears to reflect activation of a discrete calcium-dependent event.