Expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in the cloned rat hepatoma cells (H4-II-E) is stimulated through Ca2+ signaling factors: involvement of protein kinase C.

The expression of hepatic Ca2+-binding protein regucalcin in the cloned rat hepatoma cells (H4-II-E) was investigated. The change in regucalcin mRNA levels was analyzed by Northern blotting using rat liver regucalcin complementary DNA (0.9 kb of open reading frame). Regucalcin mRNA was expressed in H4-II-E hepatoma cells. This expression was clearly stimulated in the presence of serum (10% fetal bovine serum). Bay K 8644 (2. 5 x 10(-6) M), a Ca2+ channel agonist, significantly stimulated regucalcin mRNA expression in the absence or presence of 10% serum. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-3) M) did not have a stimulatory effect on the regucalcin mRNA expression. The presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 10(-6) M) or estrogen (10(-8) M) caused a significant increase in regucalcin mRNA levels in the hepatoma cells cultured in serum-free medium, while insulin (5 x 10(-9) M) or dexamethasone (10(-6) M) had no effect. Bay K 8644-stimulated regucalcin mRNA expression in the hepatoma cells was completely blocked in the presence of trifluoperazine (10(-5) M), an antagonist of calmodulin, or staurosporine (10(-7) M), an inhibitor of protein kinase C. The stimulatory effect of PMA was clearly inhibited in the presence of stauroporine. The present study demonstrates that regucalcin mRNA is expressed in the transformed H4-II-E hepatoma cells, and that the expression is stimulated through Ca2+-dependent signaling factors.