Induction of protein kinase C activation and Ca2+ mobilization by fibroblast growth factor in Swiss 3T3 cells

Abstract

Addition of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) to quiescent cultures of Swiss 3T3 cells rapidly induced diacylglycerol formation, protein kinase C activation and Ca²⁺ mobilization. Protein kinase C‐activating agents such as 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) and 1‐oleoyl‐2‐acetylglycerol (OAG) mimicked the action of FGF and stimulated DNA synthesis in the presence of insulin. Prolonged treatment of the cells with phorbol‐12,13‐dibutyrate (PDBu) led to the down‐regulation and complete disappearance of protein kinase C. In these cells, TPA and OAG did not induce DNA synthesis any more. FGF still elicited Ca²⁺ mobilization and DNA synthesis, but the magnitude of DNA synthesis was reduced to almost half as compared with that in the control cells. These results clearly indicate that both diacylglycerol and Ca²⁺ may serve as second messengers for FGF and suggest that these messengers may be involved in the mitogenic action of this growth factor.