Mw. Mayo et al., PHORBOL ESTERS SUPPORT THE PROLIFERATION OF A HEMATOPOIETIC-CELL LINEBY UP-REGULATING C-JUN EXPRESSION, Oncogene, 9(7), 1994, pp. 1999-2008
FD/PMA, a derivative of the interleukin-3 (IL-3) dependent FDC-P1 cell
line, proliferates in response to either phorbol esters (phorbol 12-m
yristate 13-acetate, PMA) or IL-3. Analysis of immediate-early gene ex
pression revealed that FD/PMA cells contained elevated levels of c-jun
transcripts when grown in the presence of phorbol esters. Upregulatio
n of c-jun mRNA was specific since other jun family members (namely ju
n-B and jun-D) displayed similar patterns of gene expression as observ
ed in the parental cell line. The accumulation of c-jun RNA was due to
increased c-jun transcription and not the result of altered message s
tability, Furthermore, elevated c-jun expression resulted in increased
AP-1 binding activity in FD/PMA cells, Antisense c-jun oligonucleotid
es suppressed proliferation of FD/PMA cells by 80% and resulted in a s
ignificant reduction in both AP-1 binding activity and c-jun message l
evels. Collectively, these results demonstrate that FD/PMA cells requi
re elevated levels of c-jun expression for PMA-responsive proliferatio
n and indicate that tumor promoters have the ability to abrogate IL-3
dependency by elevating AP-1 activity.