Biglycan gene promoter activity in osteosarcoma cells is regulated by cyclic AMP

The pericellular proteoglycan biglycan is among the major secretory products of osteoblasts and articular chondrocytes but the regulatory agents and signal transduction pathways that ultimately lead to alterations in biglycan gene expression are poorly defined. We report here on the transcriptional up-regulation of biglycan in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells by agents that increase intracellular cAMP levels. Transfection of these cells with biglycan promoter luciferase reporter fusion genes and subsequent treatment with forskolin or the cAMP analog 8-Bromo-cAMP resulted in an up to 3.8-fold stimulation of biglycan promoter activity. This effect could be prevented with the compound KT5720, a specific inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Up-regulation of transcription is also reflected at the level of mRNA expression, since biglycan mRNA steady state levels in MG-63 cells increased approximately 2-fold after 24 hours of forskolin treatment. These data suggest that elevated levels of intracellular cAMP increase transcription from the biglycan promoter in bone cells and implicate for the first time the cAMP/protein kinase A signal transduction pathway in the regulation of biglycan gene expression.