The rat osteocalcin fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-responsive element: An okadaic acid-sensitive, FGF-selective transcriptional response motif

We recently identified a bipartite element in the rat osteocalcin (OC) promoter that confers synergistic induction by fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGF2) and cAMP. A GCAGTCA motif (OCFRE) at -146 to -138 in the OC promoter is necessary for synergy and participates in a FGF2-regulated DNA- protein interaction. We have isolated the FGF-regulated component of this transcriptional response for detailed study. Two or three copies of the OC promoter fragment -154 to -113 with the intact OCFRE confer 10- or 30-fold FGF2-inductive responses, respectively, on the unresponsive basal promoter 92 OCLUC (luciferase reporter) in MC3T3-E1 cells; a single copy is insufficient. As in the native context, induction depends upon an intact OCFRE motif (mutant GCATTTA motifs unresponsive). FGF receptor 1 can mediate activation; expression of this receptor in L6 cells (no endogenous FGF receptors) permits FGF2 induction of (OCFRE)₂ 92 OCLUC. FGF2 induction of (OCFRE)₂ 92 OCLUC in MC3T3-E1 cells is not recapitulated by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, or transforming growth factor-β (<10% the activity of FGF2). OCFRE activation is not inhibited by kinase inhibitors H-89, wortmannin, staurosporine, KN-62, or H-7. However, the phosphoprotein phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid (OKA), calyculin A, and vanadate decrease FGF induction of (OCFRE)₂ 92 OCLUC or (OCFRE)₃ 92 OCLUC, without inhibiting induction of the interstitial collagenase promoter. OKA and calyculin A do not decrease OCFRE DNA-protein interactions, suggesting that important protein-protein interactions are phosphatase regulated. These data provide evidence that: 1) FGF receptors elaborate transcriptional activation signals that functionally differ from those of other receptor tyrosine kinases; 2) an OKA-sensitive phosphatase participates in FGF receptor-dependent activation of the OCFRE; and 3) two transcriptional activation signals are initiated by FGF receptor activation in MC3T3-E1 cells, reflected in the divergent sensitivities of OCFRE and interstitial collagenase promoter induction to OKA and vanadate.