PKA, Rap1, ERK1/2, and p90RSK mediate PGE2 and EP4 signaling in neonatal ventricular myocytes

We have previously reported that 1) inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and PGE2 production reduces hypertrophy after myocardial infarction in mice and 2) PGE2 acting through its EP4 receptor causes hypertrophy of neonatal ventricular myocytes (NVMs) via ERK1/2. It is known that EP4 couples to adenylate cyclase, cAMP, and PKA. The present study was designed to determine interactions between the cAMP-PKA pathway and ERK1/2 and to further characterize events downstream of ERK1/2. We hypothesized that PKA and the small GTPase Rap are upstream of ERK1/2 and that 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) is activated downstream. Treatment of NVMs with PGE2 activated Rap, and this activation was inhibited in part by an EP4 antagonist and PKA inhibition. Transfection of a dominant negative mutant of Rap reduced PGE2 activation of ERK1/2. PGE2 activation of p90RSK was also dependent on EP4, PKA, and Rap. We also tested the involvement of Rap, ERK1/2, and p90RSK in PGE2 regulation of gene expression. PGE2 stimulation of brain natriuretic peptide promoter activity was blocked by either ERK1/2 inhibition or a dominant negative mutation of p90RSK. PGE2 stimulation of c-Fos was dependent on EP4, PKA, ERK1/2, and p90RSK, whereas only the latter two kinases were involved in PGE2 regulation of early growth response-1. Finally, we tested the involvement of EP4-dependent signaling in the NVM growth response and found that the overexpression of EP4 increased NVM cell size. We conclude that EP4-dependent signaling in NVMs in part involves PKA, Rap, ERK1/2, and p90RSK and results in the increased expression of brain natriuretic peptide and c-Fos.