Downregulation of c-fms gene expression in human monocytes treated with phorbol esters and colony-stimulating factor 1.

The colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) regulates survival, growth, and differentiation of monocytes by binding to a single class of high-affinity receptors. The CSF-1 receptor is identical to the product of the c-fms protooncogene. The present studies monitored the effects of TPA and CSF-1 on c-fms gene expression in human monocytes. The results demonstrate that TPA downmodulates the constitutive expression of c-fms mRNA to low but detectable levels. Treatment of human monocytes with TPA was similarly associated with decreases in levels of the 138- and 125-Kd c-fms-encoded proteins. However, the kinetics of c-fms protein downmodulation indicated independent effects of TPA on c-fms expression at the RNA and protein levels. Furthermore, c-fms protein levels subsequently recovered despite persistently low levels of c-fms mRNA. Although previous studies demonstrated that c-fms protein is down-regulated in the presence of CSF-1, the present results indicate that CSF-1 also downregulates levels of c-fms mRNA. Moreover, the results indicate that CSF-1 increases protein kinase C activity in the membrane fraction. Together, these findings suggest that c-fms gene expression is differentially regulated at both the RNA and protein levels after activation of protein kinase C in human monocytes treated with TPA and CSF-1.