Colony-stimulating factor 1-mediated regulation of a chimeric c-fms/v-fms receptor containing the v-fms-encoded tyrosine kinase domain.

A chimeric gene specifying the 308 N-terminal amino acids of the extracellular ligand binding domain of the human c-fms protooncogene joined to the remainder of the feline v-fms oncogene product encodes a functional colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) receptor. When expressed in mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, the chimeric gene product was rapidly transported to the cell surface, was autophosphorylated on tyrosine only in response to human recombinant CSF-1, underwent ligand-induced but not phorbol ester-induced down-modulation, and stimulated CSF-1-dependent cell proliferation. By contrast, the C-terminally truncated glycoprotein encoded by the v-fms oncogene is partially inhibited in its transport to the plasma membrane, is constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine, and is relatively refractory to both ligand-induced and phorbol ester-induced down-modulation. Although the v-fms oncogene can transform cells in the absence of CSF-1, its tyrosine kinase activity and turnover can be appropriately regulated by the human c-fms-encoded ligand binding domain. The results confirm that C-terminal truncation of the c-fms gene is insufficient to activate its transforming potential and suggest that an additional mutation in its distal extracellular domain is required for oncogenic activation.