Substance P induced biosynthesis of the zinc finger transcription factor Egr-1 in human glioma cells requires activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase.

Substance P is a member of the tachykinin family of neuropeptides that plays an important role in pain transmission, neurogenic inflammatory diseases and the adaptive response to stress. Substance P exerts its biological activities via binding to a G-protein coupled receptor of the neurokinin (NK) receptor family. Here, we show by Western blot experiments that substance P induced a transient synthesis of the zinc finger transcriptional regulator Egr-1 in human glioma cells. Substance P-induced stimulation of Egr-1 biosynthesis was completely inhibited by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059 and by AG1487, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These results indicate that transactivation of the EGF receptor as well as stimulation of the mitogen activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) are essential for substance P/NK-1 receptor-induced activation of Egr-1 biosynthesis. Moreover, we show that the signaling cascade initiated by substance P or EGF are indistinguishable, including the activation of the EGF receptor, the activation of ERK, and the final stimulation of Egr-1 biosynthesis. The synthesis of Egr-1 in glioma cells as a result of substance P stimulation suggests that substance P exerts long-term effects in glioma cells via Egr-1-mediated gene transcription.