D2 dopamine receptor stimulation of mitogenesis in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells: Relationship to dopamine stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation

Several neurotransmitters that act through G protein-linked receptors have been shown to affect the growth rate of dividing cells. An analysis of the early signaling events that mediate this response revealed some novel activities for G protein-linked receptors. Activation of 02 receptors heterologously expressed in CHO cells also stimulates the synthesis of DNA, which results in increased proliferation. Pertussis toxin pretreatment abolishes D2 agonist-stimulated mitogenesis, which indicates the need for a G protein. D2 receptor-stimulated mitogenesis occurs in the presence of a membrane-soluble cyclic AMP analog and, in Chinese hamster ovary cells with a mutated protein kinase A, which is resistant to the growth effects of cyclic AMP. Therefore, the proliferative response is independent of changes in cyclic AMP. It was determined that a number of other signaling path