Two-Dimensional Gel Autoradiographic Analyses of the Effects of 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol on Protein Synthesis in Clonal Rat Osteosarcoma Cells*

The steady state synthesis of L-[35S]methionine-radiolabeled cellular proteins by two rat osteogenic sarcoma cell lines (G2 and C12) was examined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under basal conditions and after 72-h treatments with 10 nM 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol or triamcinolone acetonide. Computer analysis resolved 681 spots, with mol wt ranging from 10-105K and isoelectric points ranging from 4.0-8.0. Fourteen spots were abundant (greater than or equal to 2000 parts/million), with the remainder occurring in limited abundance (150-2000 parts/million) in both clones. Only 28 proteins were radiolabeled at significantly different rates by G2 and C12 cells under basal conditions. The high degree of similarity in the identity and relative abundance of proteins synthesized by these distinct subclones suggests that minor changes in the levels of specific intracellular proteins may have major effects on the osteoblastic phenotype. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] or triamcinolone acetonide treatment induced qualitative and quantitative changes in the synthesis of specific subsets of proteins, including induction of novel proteins, complete repression of proteins synthesized under basal conditions, and significant increases or decreases in the levels of others. 1,25-(OH)2D3 significantly altered the levels of 13 proteins in G2 cells and 28 proteins in C12 cells. 1,25-(OH)2D3 enhanced the synthesis of two proteins (no. 304 and 2506) in both subclones. The remainder of the proteins affected by 1,25-(OH)2D3 were unique to the subclone. With the exception of protein 304, the changes induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 differed from those induced by triamcinolone acetonide, suggesting that unique proteins modulate the osteoblastic phenotype in response to these steroids.