title: Calcium-regulated expression of activin A in RBL-2H3 mast cells.
abstract: The present study examined the regulatory expression of activin A, a potent growth and differentiation factor, in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) mast cells. Treatment of RBL-2H3 cells sensitized with anti-dinitrophenyl IgE with multivalent dinitrophenyl led to a clear increase in RT-PCR products of inhibin/activin beta(A). The steady-state mRNA of inhibin/activin beta(A) was also induced by increasing cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration with ionomycin, which required de novo protein synthesis, and was regulated at the transcriptional level. Pretreatment of RBL-2H3 cells with antagonists or inhibitors for the calmodulin pathway blocked ionomycin-dependent inhibin/activin beta(A) transcription and mRNA induction, suggesting the involvement of calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK) and calcineurin. The ionomycin-dependent inhibin/activin beta(A) induction was also partially blocked by preincubation with c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 kinase inhibitors, but not with MEK1 inhibitor. These results suggest that inhibin/activin beta(A) gene activation is achieved by the JNK and p38 kinase activation through the calmodulin pathway in mast cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara 229-8501, Japan. funaba@azabu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funaba
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Matanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium