Prostaglandin F2 alpha enhances tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA synthesis through phospholipase C-coupled receptor via Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular pathway in NIH-3T3 cells.

Previously, we characterized the prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha receptor linked to phospholipase C activation and DNA synthesis in NIH-3T3 cells (Nakao, A., Watanabe, T., Taniguchi, S., Nakamura, M., Honda, Z-I., Shimizu, T., and Kurokawa, K. (1993) J. Cell. Physiol. 155, 257-264). To elucidate intracellular events evoked via this receptor, we examined changes caused by PGF2 alpha stimulation in the phosphotyrosine composition of cellular proteins. The addition of PGF2 alpha to cells in quiescent culture rapidly increased the levels of phosphotyrosine in cellular proteins with Mr values of 70,000 (pp70), 85,000 (pp85), 92,000 (pp92), 100,000 (pp100), and 125,000 (pp125); the latter was immunologically identified as p125 focal adhesion kinase. The PGF2 alpha-induced changes in the level of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) elevation, formation of inositol phosphates, and [3H]thymidine incorporation followed a similar dose dependence as PGF2 alpha-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. This tyrosine phosphorylation was independent of extracellular Ca2+, while a [Ca2+]i chelator, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (50 microM), completely inhibited the PGF2 alpha-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i, tyrosine phosphorylation, and [3H]thymidine incorporation. Ionomycin (0.1 microM), which induced [Ca2+]i elevation without formation of inositol phosphates, mimicked the PGF2 alpha-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) also induced [3H]thymidine incorporation in a dose-dependent manner but had no significant effect on tyrosine phosphorylation. The PGF2 alpha-induced tyrosine phosphorylation could be observed even in the cells pretreated with TPA (5 microM, 24 h). PGF2 alpha exhibited an additive effect on TPA-induced [3H]thymidine incorporation but had no effect on the 32P-phosphorylation of a known 80-kDa protein kinase (PK) C substrate. Both staurosporine and H-7 inhibited the PGF2 alpha-induced increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation and tyrosine phosphorylation in a similar dose-dependent manner whether or not cells were pretreated with TPA (5 microM, 24 h). However, W-7 and KN-62 had no effect on these cellular responses even at the concentration for the almost complete inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent PKs (20 microM). These results, taken together, indicate that PGF2 alpha receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation is evoked by a [Ca2+]i-dependent mechanism that is sensitive to staurosporine and H-7 but which is independent of PKC or Ca2+/calmodulin PKs. Finally, the data suggest that this PGF2 alpha-induced signaling pathway is linked to the proliferation of cells.