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Aims: To explore the transcription factors and related signal transduction pathways activated in the alkylating agents N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanindine (MNNG) exposed cells which may involved in the mechanism of MNNG induced changes of gene expression, especially the elevation of DNA polymerase β expression and also the consequence of JNK kinase activation which were reported previously in this lab. Methods: Clontech Mercury pathway profiling system containing 8 different vectors in which a specific response element is located upstream from the SEAP-reporter gene were employed to detect the transcription factor activation in Vero cells treated with 0.2 μmol/L MNNG for 2 hours. Thoroughly, CREB phosphorylation, protein kinase A (PKA) and the cellular cAMP content were also assayed with PhosphoPlus CREB (ser-133) antibody kit, protein kinase assay kit and cAMP RIA kit respectively. Results: Among 8 different response elements, the expression of the reporter gene governed by the transcription factors CREB (cAMP response element binding protein), AP1 (activator protein 1), NF-κB (nuclear factor κ B) were elevated by 1.3, 1.4 and 1.3 times higber than control respectively. The level of activated CREB by Ser-133 phosphorylation was 2.08 times higher than control in cells treated with MNNG for 60 min, as measured by immunoblotting. The activity of CREB upstream kinase protein kinase A (PKA), which can phosphorylate CREB on ser-133 was also activated, and the activation peaked at 60 min (11.03±2.80 arbitrary units vs 0.86±0.43 of control). Also, cAMP levels were significantly raised after 60-minute-treatment, 1.52 times higher vs those in solvent control. Conclusion: In addition of previously reported JNK activation, we show here that low concentration alkylating agent MNNG can also activate the cAMP-PKA and NF-κB pathway. These in consequence induce the activation of transcription factors APl, CREB and NF-κB, which may related to the MNNG induced changes in gene expression pattern.