Activated mutant of G alpha 13 induces Egr-1, c-fos, and transformation in NIH 3T3 cells.

Expression of the constitutively activated mutant alpha-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein G alpha 13 (alpha 13Q226L) leads to the transformation of NIH-3T3 cells. An analysis of the mitogenic pathway mediated by alpha 13Q226L indicated that the expression of the primary response genes, early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1, a nuclear transcription factor with zinc-finger motif) and c-fos (a leucine zipper transcription factor as well as a protooncogene) are constitutively activated in alpha 13Q226L-transformants. While ras-transformed cells did not express Egr-1, cells transformed by the GTPase deficient mutant alpha-subunit of G alpha 12 (alpha 12Q229L) exhibited a "weak" expression, suggesting that the induction of Egr-1 and c-fos is intrinsic to G alpha 13 signaling pathway and not a consequence of the transformed phenotype. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that the G alpha 13 signaling pathway involves the activation of specific transcription factors and defines the expression of these nuclear transcription factors as a possible molecular mechanism in alpha 13Q226L-mediated cell proliferation and transformation.