Activation of the c-fos serum response element by phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase and rho pathways in HeLa cells

Many growth factors rapidly induce transcription of the c-fos proto-oncogene. We have investigated the pathways for induction of the c-fos promoter by serum and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in HeLa cells. Induction of the serum response element (SRE)of the c-fos promoter could be split into two parts, one involving the serum response factor-associated ternary complex factor (lCF) factors and the second mediated by core SRE sequences. Serum induction was mediated primarily by the core SRE, whereas EGF used both the TCF and core SRE pathways. Using activated and inhibitory signaling proteins, we found that