Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) induction of C-FOS and C-MYC expression in C3H 10T1/2 cells.

We have investigated the effects of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) in C3H10T1/2 cells, on S phase entry and early gene activation events associated with cell cycle progression. We find that EGF and TGF alpha, which both utilize the EGF receptor for signal generation, are able to stimulate DNA synthesis in these cells with nearly superimposable kinetics; however, the stimulation by TGF alpha was slightly greater at nearly all time points assayed. This report is the first showing that TGF alpha, like EGF, vigorously induces c-myc and c-fos gene expression in these cells. A significant stimulation of c-myc and c-fos mRNA levels is observed with both TGF alpha and EGF; c-myc mRNA levels show an 8-fold induction with both mitogens, while c-fos inductions were on the order of 12 to 14-fold at maximum. However, the induction of c-myc mRNA by TGF alpha has slower kinetics than by EGF.