Inducible binding of a factor to the c-fos regulatory region.

The c-fos gene is rapidly and transiently activated in quiescent BALB/c-3T3 cells in response to serum, platelet-derived growth factor or conditioned medium from v-sis-transformed cells. This activation occurs at the level of transcription and in the absence of new protein synthesis. Using a gel electrophoresis DNA-binding assay, we have found a DNA-binding activity in BALB/c-3T3 cells that is induced within 20 min of treatment with conditioned medium from v-sis-transformed cells. A DNA methylation interference assay has shown that this factor binds to a sequence approximately 346 base pairs upstream of the transcription initiation site of the human c-fos gene. Insulin, epidermal growth factor, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate fail to induce this DNA-binding factor. Protein synthesis inhibitors do not block the induction of this activity. We propose that this factor preexists in an inactive form in quiescent cells and that its binding activity is activated in response to appropriate extracellular inducers.