Changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element binding proteins in rat hepatomas

We applied Southwestern and Western blotting and gel retardation techniques to investigate the changes that occur in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-responsive element (CRE) binding (CREB) proteins in rapidly growing, chemically induced 5123tc and 5123D Morris hepatomas. Using the CRE sequences from the c-fos, E2A, and somatostatin gene promoters, we identified in the nuclear proteins from normal unstimulated or proliferating rat liver cells six different protein factors of Mr 34,000, 36,000, 40,000, 47,000, 56,000, and 72,000 capable of binding to the element. The Mr 47,000 protein had the highest specificity for the core CRE, suggesting its importance in cAMP-mediated gene expression. We could not find the Mr 47,000 CREB protein in the 5123tc and 5123D hepatomas. Our efforts to detect this protein in the tumors by (a) using the CRE sequence from different gene promoters, (b) altering the protocol for extracting nuclear proteins, or (c) attempting to restore its DNA-binding property by phosphorylation [with endogenous protein kinase(s), a catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and protein kinase C/dephosphorylation (with alkaline phosphatase)] were unsuccessful. The loss of tje Mr 47,000 CREB protein from solid tumors of the Morris hepatoma is likely to be related to the neoplastic properties of the tumor cell rather than to cell growth because the level of this protein remained unchanged during a 6-day period of liver regeneration. The nuclear extract from the Morris hepatoma that did not have the Mr 47,000 CRE-binding factor contained proteins immunologically related to the CREB, c-Jun, and c-Fos proteins. We conclude that the Mr 47,000 factor represents a distinct member of the CRE-binding protein family and that its absence from the hepatomas may lead to aberrant expression of cAMP-inducible genes.