Inhibition of c-fos transcription and phosphorylation of the serum response factor by an inhibitor of phospholipase C-type reactions.

Phospholipase C activity is necessary for transcriptional c-fos activation by providing diacylglycerol as an activator of protein kinase C. We found that transcriptional activation of c-fos and the phosphorylation of its major transcription factor were inhibited by tricyclodecan-9-yl xanthogenate, which blocks phospholipase C-type reactions. Transcription of the c-ras and beta-actin genes in the same cells remained unaffected.