Two cis-regulatory elements that mediate different signaling pathways for serum-dependent activation of the junB gene

Abstract

Transcription of the junB gene is rapidly and transiently induced by a variety of extracellular signals. We report here that expression directed by a junB promoter/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct (junB/CAT) is induced by fetal bovine serum, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor in mouse fibroblast 3T6 cells. Deletion analysis of the promoter region of the junB gene indicates that there are at least two cis-regulatory elements that confer the capacity for serum-dependent induction. These two serum response elements (SRE1 and SRE2) are mapped between nucleotides -1451 and -1425 and between nucleotides -3100 and -2500, respectively, relative to the site of initiation of transcription. SRE1, the nucleotide sequence of which resembles that of the serum response element of the c-fos gene, is activated by TPA, platelet-derived growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor, but these growth-stimulating factors do not induce SRE2-mediated transcription. Pretreatment of the cells with phorbol dibutyrate, which reduces the level of protein kinase C activity in cells, almost completely abolishes the activation of SRE1 by TPA. Pretreatment with phorbol dibutyrate also reduces (but does not eliminate) the serum-dependent activation of SRE1. By contrast, the induction of SRE2 by serum is not affected by this pretreatment. Herbimycin A, an inhibitor of protein kinases, inhibits the activity of SRE2, but not that of SRE1. These results suggest that transcription of the junB gene can be induced by at least two distinct signaling pathways, which are mediated by SRE1 and SRE2, respectively. In addition, EGF induces expression of junB/CAT as strongly as does serum, but neither SRE1 nor SRE2 is sufficient for responsiveness to EGF.