1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 stimulates synthesis and secretion of nonphosphorylated osteopontin (secreted phosphoprotein 1) in mouse JB6 epidermal cells.

Murine JB6 epidermal cells can be irreversibly transformed into tumorigenic cells by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. One feature of this transformation is induction of the synthesis and secretion of the phosphoprotein osteopontin (also called secreted phosphoprotein 1 and previously referred to as transformation-related phosphoprotein, 2ar, bone sialoprotein 1, or Mr 44,000 bone phosphoprotein), an arginylglycylaspartic acid-containing cell adhesion glycoprotein the expression of which has been implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Since 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, calcitriol, also transforms JB6 cells and, in other cell types, regulates osteopontin synthesis, we hypothesized that calcitriol-mediated transformation of JB6 cells would also cause induction of osteopontin synthesis and secretion. Metabolic labeling with 32PO4 of near confluent JB6 cells (clone 41.5a) treated with calcitriol (0.1-100 ng/ml) for up to 48 h revealed only a minimal production of osteopontin, which is the major phosphoprotein secreted by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-treated cells. Similar treatment followed by labeling with [35S]methionine showed a substantial dose-dependent increase in the synthesis and secretion of osteopontin. This induction was not associated with increased cell proliferation or with cell transformation, as assayed by anchorage-independent growth. Calcitriol-treated cells were morphologically indistinguishable from control cells, while 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-treated cells acquired a distinctive morphology. No induction of osteopontin was found with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 or 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. These results show that calcitriol induces the synthesis and secretion of a nonphosphorylated form of osteopontin, in a cell type which normally makes little or none of this protein, and that the induction is not correlated with the tumorigenic transformation of these cells.