title: Bombesin regulates cyclin D1 expression through the early growth response protein Egr-1 in prostate cancer cells.
abstract: Our previous studies indicate that the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in bombesin-induced cell proliferation in prostate cancer cells. Cyclin D1 is a critical regulator involved in cell cycle progression through the G1 phase into the S phase, thereby contributing to cell proliferation. Mostly, mitogen-stimulated expression of cyclin D1 is attributed to the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. Here, we found that bombesin induced human cyclin D1 expression on both mRNA and protein levels in DU-145 prostate cancer cells. Mutational analyses showed that bombesin-enhanced cyclin D1 transcription required the binding of nuclear proteins to the -143 to -105 region of the human cyclin D1 promoter, which contains binding sites for transcription factors Sp-1 and early growth response protein (Egr-1). Do novo protein synthesis was requisite for bombesin-induced cyclin D1 expression. Further studies showed Egr-1 was induced upon bombesin stimulation. The induction of Egr-1 expression and its binding to the cyclin D1 promoter were essential for bombesin-enhanced cyclin D1 transcription. Inhibition of MAPK pathway with either the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 or a dominant-negative Ras mutant, RasN17, abolished bombesin-induced cyclin D1 activation. Taken together, bombesin-induced cyclin D1 expression in prostate cancer cells is mediated by Egr-1 activation and the interaction of Egr-1 with the Egr-1/Sp1 motif of the cyclin D1 promoter through the activation of MAPK pathway. These findings represent a novel mechanism of bombesin-dependent stimulation of mitogenesis by regulating directly the cell cycle in prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2518, USA.
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Dharmaraj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chinnappan
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pestell
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: Horst Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D001839:Bombesin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C497325:EGR1 protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019938:Cyclin D1; D001839:Bombesin