C3 toxin activates the stress signaling pathways, JNK and p38, but antagonizes the activation of AP-1 in rat-1 cells.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulates the c-Fos serum response element (SRE) by activating two distinct signal pathways regulated by the small GTPases, Ras and RhoA. Ras activates the ERK cascade leading to phosphorylation of the transcription factors Elk-1 and Sap1a at the Ets/TCF site. RhoA regulates an undefined pathway required for the activation of the SRF/CArG site. Here we have examined the role of the Ras and RhoA pathways in activation of the SRE and c-Fos expression in Rat-1 cells. Pertussis toxin and PD98059 strongly inhibited LPA-stimulated c-Fos expression and activation of a SRE:Luc reporter. C3 toxin completely inhibited RhoA function, partially inhibited SRE:Luc activity, but had no effect on LPA-stimulated c-Fos expression. Thus, in a physiological context the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK pathway, but not RhoA, is required for LPA-stimulated c-Fos expression in Rat-1 cells. C3 toxin stimulated the stress-activated protein kinases JNK and p38 and potentiated c-Jun expression and phosphorylation; these properties were shared by another cellular stress agonist the protein kinase C inhibitor Ro-31-8220. However, C3 toxin alone or in combination with growth factors did not stimulate AP-1:Luc activity and actually antagonized the synergistic activation of AP-1:Luc observed in response to co-stimulation with growth factors and Ro-31-8220. These data indicate that C3 toxin is a cellular stress which antagonizes activation of AP-1 at a point downstream of stress-activated kinase activation or immediate-early gene induction.