Induction of fos RNA by DNA-damaging agents

We have found that a wide variety of DNA-damaging agents and heat shock increase fos RNA to different extents in Chinese hamster ovary cells. These include the monofunctional alkylating agents methylmethane sulfonate and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, the cross-linking agents cis-Pt(II) diamminedichloride and mechlorethamine HCl, the DNA base-damaging agents 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide and N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet radiation, hydrogen peroxide, and Adriamycin. Prolonged increases in fos RNA were observed, with persistence to 16 h following treatment. Variation in the amount of fos RNA induction by these agents and the diverse types and frequencies of cellular damage produced by them suggested that there might be several different mechanisms responsible for increased fos RNA.