Tyrosine kinase-activating growth factors potentiate thrombin- and AIF4- -induced phosphoinositide breakdown in hamster fibroblasts. Evidence for positive cross-talk between the two mitogenic signaling pathways.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and alpha-thrombin can stimulate DNA synthesis in Chinese hamster fibroblasts (CCL39) by two separate signaling pathways (Chambard, J.C., Paris, S., L'Allemain, G., and Pouysségur, J. (1987) Nature 326, 800-803) but can also act synergistically. We have examined whether this synergism might depend upon changes in inositol lipid metabolism. Indeed, FGF, which has no effect on its own on phosphoinositide hydrolysis, potentiates (by up to 2-fold) thrombin-induced formation of inositol phosphates. This enhancing effect is also observed upon direct activation by AIF4- of the GTP-binding protein coupled to phospholipase C, and is best revealed when phospholipase C is weakly stimulated. With low thrombin concentrations or with AIF4-, the formation of inositol phosphates is immediately increased with a marked reduction of the initial lag, whereas at high thrombin concentrations, the stimulation by FGF becomes pronounced only after desensitization of phospholipase C to thrombin. FGF-induced potentiation is not mimicked by calcium ionophores, but is likewise elicited by epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and to a lesser extent by insulin, other growth factors known to activate receptor tyrosine kinases. We therefore propose that the tyrosine kinase-activating growth factors enhance the coupling between GTP-binding protein and phospholipase C, presumably through the phosphorylation of one of these two proteins. Treatment of cells with pertussis toxin attenuates thrombin-induced phospholipase C activity but does not impede the potentiation by FGF. Comparison of the potentiating effects of FGF on inositol phosphate formation and on DNA synthesis suggests than an increased production of second messengers by the inositol lipid pathway in the first hours of stimulation might be, at least in part, responsible for the synergistic actions of FGF and thrombin on DNA synthesis.