Epidermal growth factor induces biphasic activation of ornithine decarboxylase in human stomach-derived KATO-III cells.

Effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was examined in human gastric cancer-derived KATO-III cells, because 125I-EGF binding studies indicated a presence of specific binding sites for EGF on these cells. Upon stimulation with EGF, both ODC mRNA expression and ODC enzyme activity were significantly increased in KATO-III cells. However, unlike in other cellular systems, both EGF-induced ODC mRNA expression and ODC enzyme activation were biphasic with the peaks at 15 +/- 10 min and 2.1 +/- 1.5 hrs (mean +/- SE) for mRNA, and 3.1 +/- 1.5 and 7.7 +/- 1.8 hrs (mean +/- SE) for enzyme activity, respectively. Therefore, KATO-III cell line may provide a unique model for the biochemical analysis of EGF action on ODC activation.