Growth hormone-releasing hormone stimulates mitogen-activated protein kinase

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 dere gulated in some somatotroph pituitary adenomas. We studied in this work whe ther GHRH can also stimulate mitogen-activatcd protein (MAP) kinase. GHRH c an activate MAP kinase both in pituitary cells and in a cell line overexpre ssing 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 beta gamma-subuni ts of the G protein coupled to the receptor inhibits MAP kinase activation mediated by GHRH. This pathway also involves p21(ras) and a phosphatidylino sitol 3-kinase, probably phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-gamma. Despite the i nvolvement of p21(ras), 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 acti vation that is different from the cAMP-dependent mechanism that has been tr aditionally described as mediating the mitogenic actions of GHRH.