title: Pathways and roadblocks in muscarinic receptor-mediated growth regulation.
abstract: In some cell systems muscarinic receptor stimulation can induce proliferation or transformation. This phenomenon is subtype-specific (only m1 and m3 receptors are effective) and cell type dependent. In 1321N1 astrocytoma cells activation of m3 receptors stimulates phospholipase C, but does not induce DNA synthesis. In contrast the thrombin receptor, which also couples to phospholipase C, is strongly mitogenic and induces AP-1-dependent gene expression. Various experimental findings indicate that this discrepancy is not due to muscarinic receptor desensitization or blockade of growth stimulatory pathways. Muscarinic receptor number may be limiting, in particular for receptor coupling to the pertussis toxin-insensitive G-protein G12. This G-protein is required for thrombin-induced mitogenesis in 1321N1 cells and may couple selectively to the thrombin versus muscarinic receptor. In cardiomyocytes hypertrophic cell growth is induced by heterologously expressed m1 or m3 receptors but not by the endogenous m2 receptors. Studies using chimeric receptors confirm that induction of hypertrophy requires signalling through phospholipase C, but indicate that additional signals are needed to induce the morphological features of this response. We suggest that small G-proteins of the Rho subfamily, in addition to G12, mediate growth responses to G-protein-coupled receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sah
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D002455:Cell Division; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000502:physiology*; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000502:physiology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D004247:DNA; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins