ΔRaf-1:ER* Bypasses the Cyclic AMP Block of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1 and 2 Activation but Not CDK2 Activation or Cell Cycle Reentry

Abstract

ABSTRACT Elevation of cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels inhibits cell cycle reentry in a variety of cell types. While cAMP can prevent the activation of Raf-1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) by growth factors, we now show that activation of ERK1/2 by ΔRaf-1:ER is insensitive to cAMP. Despite this, ΔRaf-1:ER-stimulated DNA synthesis is still inhibited by cAMP, indicating a cAMP-sensitive step downstream of ERK1/2. Although cyclin D1 expression has been proposed as an alternative target for cAMP, we found that cAMP could inhibit ΔRaf-1:ER-induced cyclin D1 expression only in Rat-1 cells, not in CCl39 or NIH 3T3 cells. ΔRaf-1:ER-stimulated activation of CDK2 was strongly inhibited by cAMP in all three cell lines, but cAMP had no effect on the induction of p21 CIP1 . cAMP blocked the fetal bovine serum (FBS)-induced degradation of p27 KIP1 ; however, loss of p27 KIP1 in response to ΔRaf-1:ER was less sensitive in CCl39 and Rat-1 cells and was completely independent of cAMP in NIH 3T3 cells. The most consistent effect of cAMP was to block both FBS- and ΔRaf-1:ER-induced expression of Cdc25A and cyclin A, two important activators of CDK2. When CDK2 activity was bypassed by activation of the ER-E2F1 fusion protein, cAMP no longer inhibited expression of Cdc25A or cyclin A but still inhibited DNA synthesis. These studies reveal multiple points of cAMP sensitivity during cell cycle reentry. Inhibition of Raf-1 and ERK1/2 activation may operate early in G 1 , but when this early block is bypassed by ΔRaf-1:ER, cells still fail to enter S phase due to inhibition of CDK2 or targets downstream of E2F1.