Transforming growth factor beta 1 regulation of c-myc expression, pRB phosphorylation, and cell cycle progression in...

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is a potent inhibitor of cellular proliferation in a variety of cell types, including skin keratinocytes. TGF-beta 1 suppression of c-myc transcription has been implicated in the mechanism of TGF-beta 1 inhibition of keratinocytes, and evidence suggests that the protein product of the retinoblastoma gene (pRB) is a necessary component in this pathway. Following growth factor stimulation of quiescent keratinocytes, TGF-beta 1 can inhibit cell cycle progression into S phase at any point prior to the G1-S transition but does not inhibit progression through the S phase of the cell cycle. Since pRB is hypophosphorylated during G1 and hyperphosphorylated during S and G2, the G1-S-specific phosphorylation of pRB becomes an attractive target for the growth-inhibitory activities of TGF-beta 1. However, in TGF-beta 1-treated primary human keratinocytes and in a series of human papilloma virus and SV40 immortalized human keratinocyte cell lines, the phosphorylation status of pRB strictly correlated with cell growth. No evidence was found for a direct effect of TGF-beta 1 on the phosphorylation state of pRB in these cells. It was further demonstrated that synthesis of c-myc protein can be rapidly inhibited by TGF-beta 1 addition throughout G1 and S phases, indicating that the phosphorylation state of pRB, at least as it varies during the cell cycle, does not alter the ability of TGF-beta 1 to suppress c-myc expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)