Phorbol-ester-mediated expression of the collagen type I pro-alpha 2 gene in mouse 3T3-L1 cells and its absence in a phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-non-responsive variant.

We have previously isolated a phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-non-responsive variant line (VT-1) from mouse 3T3-L1 cells [Shimizu, Fujiki, Sugimura & Shimizu (1986) Cancer Res. 46, 4027-4031]. Differential hybridization of cDNAs obtained from PMA-treated 3T3-L1 and VT-1 cells resulted in the isolation of a number of unique cDNA clones, including one with a high degree of sequence similarity to the type I pro-alpha 2 collagen gene (COL1A2) [Amagai, Inokuchi, Nishikawa, Shimizu & Shimizu (1989) Somat. Cell Mol. Genet. 15, 153-158]. Here we examined the expression of type I collagen pro-alpha 2 [pro-alpha 2(I)] mRNA and production of type I collagen in these two cell lines. In quiescent cells, the pro-alpha 2(I) steady-state mRNA levels were four times greater in 3T3-L1 cells than in VT-1 cells. PMA addition caused the steady-state levels of pro-alpha 2(I) mRNA to be six times greater in 3T3-L1 cells than in VT-1 cells, with a maximum at 30-60 min. The pro-alpha 2(I) protein levels in the extracellular matrix or culture media of 3T3-L1 cells were substantially elevated by PMA treatment, but no significant increase was detected in VT-1 cells. The correlation of collagen expression with a PMA-mediated mitogenic response suggests a new role for collagen as an early component of mitogenic signal transduction.