The induction of Egr-1 expression by v-Fps is via a protein kinase C-independent intracellular signal that is sequentially dependent upon HaRas and Raf-1.

Activating the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of v-Fps leads to the rapid transcriptional activation of the Egr-1 gene, which encodes a mitogen-responsive transcription factor. Activation of Egr-1 by v-Fps was insensitive to protein kinase C depletion, suggesting that a protein kinase C-independent signal activated by v-Fps leads to the induction of Egr-1. Expression of v-Fps in transient expression assays induced Egr-1 promoter activation. v-HaRas and v-Raf also activated the Egr-1 promoter. To characterize HaRas and Raf-1 involvement in v-Fps-induced Egr-1 expression, we used recently characterized dominant negative mutants of HaRas and Raf-1. v-Fps-induced Egr-1 promoter activation was inhibited by the dominant negative mutants of both HaRas and Raf-1. v-HaRas-induced Egr-1 promoter activation was blocked by the negative Raf-1 mutant; however, v-Raf-1-induced Egr-1 promoter activation was unaffected by the inhibitory HaRas mutant. These data suggest that v-Fps activates a protein kinase C-independent intracellular signaling pathway that is dependent on both HaRas and Raf-1, where Raf-1 functions downstream of HaRas.