title: Growth hormone-releasing hormone stimulates mitogen-activated protein kinase.
abstract: GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) can induce proliferation of somatotroph cells. The pathway involving adenylyl cyclase/cAMP/protein kinase A pathway in its target cells seems to be important for this action, or at least it is deregulated in some somatotroph pituitary adenomas. We studied in this work whether GHRH can also stimulate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. GHRH can activate MAP kinase both in pituitary cells and in a cell line overexpressing the GHRH receptor. Although both protein kinase A and protein kinase C could activate MAP kinase in the CHO cell line studied, neither protein kinase A nor protein kinase C appears to be required for GHRH activation of MAP kinase in this system. However, sequestration of the betagamma-subunits of the G protein coupled to the receptor inhibits MAP kinase activation mediated by GHRH. This pathway also involves p21ras and a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, probably phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-gamma. Despite the involvement of p21ras, the protein kinase Raf-1 is not hyperphosphorylated in response to GHRH, contrary to what usually occurs when the Ras-Raf-MAP kinase pathway is activated. In summary, this work describes for the first time the activation of MAP kinase by GHRH and outlines a path for this activation that is different from the cAMP-dependent mechanism that has been traditionally described as mediating the mitogenic actions of GHRH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela School of Medicine, Spain. fscadigo@usc.es
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pombo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zalvide
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gaylinn
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diéguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000201:enzymology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000494:pharmacology; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins; C048250:somatotropin releasing hormone receptor