Although the effects of the various secretagogues on corticotropin (ACTH) secretion have been well studied, their effects on the POMC gene expression have not been thoroughly characterized. In this study, we established a new model system using the AtT20 mouse corticotroph tumor cell line transfected stably with a plasmid containing 0.7 kb of the rat POMC 5' promoter-luciferase fusion gene. The responsiveness to exogenous CRH improved markedly when the cells were cultured with low serum medium (1% FBS) compared with serum rich medium (10%). Using this culture condition, we examined the effects of not only CRH but also other secretagogues such as catecholamines, vasopressin, and angiotensin II, upon the transcriptional activity of the POMC gene. CRH stimulated POMC promoter activity (3.5-fold increase) as well as cAMP generation and ACTH secretion in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with the maximal effect being observed 3-5 h after the start of incubation. Catecholamines, especially epinephrine (10 nM and above), also stimulated all parameters, although less potently than CRH, and the effect was mimicked by the beta-, but not alpha-adrenergic, agonist, suggesting the involvement of the beta-adrenergic receptor. The combined effects of epinephrine and CRH were greater in all parameters than those of CRH alone, and the effects of both hormones were completely blocked by H89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A. Vasopressin and angiotensin II showed minimal effects on POMC expression. Our results suggest that 1) catecholamines, as well as CRH, positively regulate the POMC gene at physiological concentrations; 2) the cAMP-PKA system is the common intracellular signaling pathway for CRH and catecholamines; and 3) vasopressin and angiotensin II also have weak but significant stimulatory effects on POMC promoter activity.