Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04626 (erbB-2)
5,251 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The physiological role of any of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor tyrosine kinases has yet to be determined in zebrafish. We isolated a zebrafish homologue of EGFR (egfr) that shows a 63% amino acid overall identity to human EGFR but with 90% amino acid identity in the kinase domain. Whole mount in situ hybridization showed ubiquitous distribution of egfr transcripts during gastrulation, somitogenesis and later stages. When expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, zebrafish Egfr was a functional receptor that responded to EGF by receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of MAP kinase. The function of zebrafish Egfr in vivo was determined by inhibiting its activity using EGFR kinase inhibitors and antisense morpholinos (MO), which inhibited Egfr kinase activity and translation of egfr messenger RNA into protein, respectively. The zebrafish is a particularly excellent model for studying cardiovascular development because zebrafish are transparent allowing direct visualization of the heart and circulation in the blood vessels. Inhibition of zebrafish Egfr activity in vivo impeded blood flow via the outflow tract into the aorta and impeded circulation in the axial and intersegmental vessels by 80 h post-fertilization. Analysis of the heart showed that the heart chambers and pericardial sacs were dilated and the outflow tracts were narrowed. Together these results suggested that zebrafish Egfr has a cardiovascular function in the developing zebrafish that is required for normal circulation.
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PMID:Inhibition of zebrafish epidermal growth factor receptor activity results in cardiovascular defects. 1291 31

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that a close association exists between the elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water and the incidence of certain cancers, including transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder. We have employed in vitro and in vivo models to examine the effects of sodium arsenite on the urinary bladder epithelium. Mice exposed to 0.01% sodium arsenite in drinking water demonstrated hyperproliferation of the bladder uroepithelium within 4 weeks after initiating treatment. This occurred in the absence of amorphous precipitates and was accompanied by the accumulation of trivalent arsenite (iAs(3+)), and to a lesser extent dimethylarsenic (DMA), arsenate (iAs(5+)), and monomethylarsenic (MMA) in bladder tissue. In contrast to the bladder, urinary secretion was primarily in the form of DMA and MMA. Arsenic-induced cell proliferation in the bladder epithelium was correlated with activation of the MAP kinase pathway, leading to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase activity, AP-1 activation, and expression of AP-1-associated genes involved in cell proliferation. Activation of the MAP kinase pathway involved both epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-dependent and -independent events, the latter involving Src activation. Studies summarized in this review suggest that arsenic accumulates in urinary bladder epithelium causing activation of specific signaling pathways that lead to chronic increased cell proliferation. This may play a non-epigenetic role in carcinogenesis by increasing the proliferation of initiated cells or increasing the mutational rate.
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PMID:Arsenic and urinary bladder cell proliferation. 1527 22

The dermatotoxicity of arsenic is well established and epidemiological studies identify an increased incidence of keratinocytic tumors (basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma) associated with arsenic exposure. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms of arsenic-mediated skin carcinogenesis, but activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and subsequent regulation of downstream target genes may contribute to tumor promotion and progression. In this study, we investigated activation of the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and the stress-associated kinase p38 by arsenite in HaCat cells, a spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte cell line. Arsenite concentrations > or =100 microM stimulate rapid activation of p38 and ERK MAP kinases. However, upon extended exposure (24 h), persistent stimulation of p38 and ERK MAP kinases was detected at low micromolar concentrations of arsenite. Although ERK and p38 were activated with similar time and concentration dependence, the mechanism of activation differed for these two MAP kinases. ERK activation by arsenite was fully dependent on the catalytic activity of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and partially dependent on Src-family kinase activity. In contrast, p38 activation was independent of EGF receptor or Src-family kinase activity. Arsenite-stimulated MAP kinase signal transduction resulted in increased production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, an AP-1 regulated gene product. MMP-9 induction by arsenite was prevented when EGF receptor or MAP kinase signaling was inhibited. These studies indicate that EGF receptor activation is a component of arsenite-mediated signal transduction and gene expression in keratinocytes and that low micromolar concentrations of arsenite stimulate key signaling pathways upon extended exposure. Stimulation of MAP kinase cascades by arsenic and subsequent regulation of genes including c-fos, c-jun, and the matrix degrading proteases may play an important role in arsenic-induced skin carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Roles of mitogen activated protein kinases and EGF receptor in arsenite-stimulated matrix metalloproteinase-9 production. 1550 54

The P2X(7) receptor is an ATP-gated ionotropic receptor that is permeable for small cations including Ca(2+) ions. Using 293 cells expressing P2X(7) receptors, we show that the P2X(7) receptor-specific ligand 2',3'-O-(4-benzoyl-benzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) induces a signaling cascade leading to the biosynthesis of biologically active Egr-1, a zinc finger transcription factor. BzATP-triggered Egr-1 biosynthesis was attenuated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059, by BAPTA-AM, the acetoxymethylester of the cytosolic Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA, and by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AG1478). These results indicate that phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase ERK, elevated levels of intracellular Ca(2+) and the transactivation of the EGF receptor are essential for BzATP-induced upregulation of Egr-1. The requirement of Ca(2+) within the signaling cascade was upstream of Raf kinase activation. Lentiviral-mediated expression of MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), a dual-specific phosphatase that dephosphorylates and inactivates ERK in the nucleus, inhibited Egr-1 biosynthesis following BzATP stimulation, indicating that MKP-1 functions as a nuclear shut-off device. Furthermore, the ternary complex factor Elk-1 was phosphorylated and the transcriptional activation potential of Elk-1 was enhanced following P2X(7) receptor stimulation. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of Elk-1 impaired BzATP-induced upregulation of Egr-1 biosynthesis. Thus, Elk-1 connects the intracellular signaling cascade elicited by activation of P2X(7) receptors with the transcription of the Egr-1 gene.
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PMID:P2X(7) receptor stimulation upregulates Egr-1 biosynthesis involving a cytosolic Ca(2+) rise, transactivation of the EGF receptor and phosphorylation of ERK and Elk-1. 1747 86

Whey acidic protein (WAP) is a major whey protein in milk that has structural similarity to the family of serine protease inhibitors with WAP motif domains characterized by a four-disulfide core. We previously reported that enforced expression of the mouse WAP transgene in mammary epithelial cells inhibits their proliferation in vitro and in vivo by means of suppressing cyclin D1 expression (Nukumi et al., 2004, Dev Biol 274: 31-44). This study was conducted in order to clarify the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory function of WAP in HC11 cells, a mammary epithelial cell line. The assembly of laminin, a component in the extracellular matrix, was much more prominent around WAP-clonal HC11 cells that stably expressed the WAP transgene than around mock-clonal HC11 cells, and the proliferation of WAP-clonal HC11 cells was particularly inhibited in the presence of laminin. A laminin degradation assay demonstrated that WAP inhibited the activity of the pancreatic elastase-mediated cleavage of laminin B1 and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. ERK1/2 phosphorylation was blocked by an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor AG1478. Treatment with pancreatic elastase was found to enhance the proliferation of mock-clonal HC11 cells, but had no effect on that of WAP-clonal HC11 cells. The proliferation of WAP-clonal HC11 cells was recovered by the addition of exogenous EGF. We concluded that WAP plays some role in regulating the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells by preventing elastase-type serine protease from carrying out laminin degradation and thereby suppressing the MAP kinase signal pathway.
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PMID:Whey acidic protein (WAP) regulates the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells by preventing serine protease from degrading laminin. 1754 52

Vasopressin acts on astrocytic Gq protein- and phospholipase C-coupled V1 receptors. In mesangial cells, which also express the V1 receptor, it stimulates cell growth by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) secondary to transactivation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Transactivation is an intracellular/extracellular process, in which activation of a Gq or a Gi/o protein-coupled receptor leads to metalloproteinase-catalyzed shedding of an EGF receptor agonist, which stimulates EGF receptors on the same cell and/or its neighbor(s). The goal of the present study was to investigate if vasopressin signaling is mediated by transactivation also in astrocytes and whether such a transactivation is required for its ability to facilitate vector-driven water fluxes. Vasopressin concentrations between 10(-12) and 10(-6) M were found to lead to phosphorylation (activation) of extracellular regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK 1/2). Phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 could be completely inhibited by either AG1478, an inhibitor of the EGF receptor-activated tyrosine kinase, or GM6001, an inhibitor of Zn2+-activated metalloproteinases, indicating the involvement of transactivation. Exposure to a hypotonic medium caused an immediate (within one min) increase in cell water volume (demonstrated by decrease of fluorescence quenching of calcein), part of which was dependent upon the presence of vasopressin, added at a concentration of 1 x 10(-8) M. This vasopressin-dependent component persisted throughout the duration of the experiment (22 min). The effect of vasopressin was abolished in the presence of AG1478, indicating its dependence upon transactivation, and by U0126 an inhibitor of the MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK), and thus of ERK 1/2 phosphorylation.
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PMID:Stimulation by vasopressin of ERK phosphorylation and vector-driven water flux in astrocytes is transactivation-dependent. 1848 26

Hyperlipidemia and the glomerular accumulation of atherogenic lipoproteins (low density lipoprotein, LDL; and its oxidatively-modified variants, ox-LDL) are commonly associated with the development of glomerular mesangial proliferative diseases. However, cellular signaling mechanisms by which atherogenic lipoproteins stimulate mesangial cell proliferation are poorly defined. In this study, we examined the effect of atherogenic lipoproteins on the activation of mesangial cell epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase), Ras, and mesangial cell proliferation. Stimulation of mesangial cells with LDL, and with greater activity, ox-LDL, markedly induced the transactivation of EGF receptor within 5 min of stimulation; the effect persisted up to at least 60 min LDL, and with a greater degree, ox-LDL, increased the activation of Ras, MAP kinase, and mesangial cell proliferation. Inhibition of EGF receptor kinase activity and/or MAP kinase activation blocked both LDL- and ox-LDL-induced mesangial cell proliferation. We suggest that the accumulation of LDL and more potently its oxidized forms within the glomerulus, through the transactivation of EGF receptor, stimulate down-stream Ras-MAP kinase signaling cascade leading to mesangial cell proliferation. Regulation of glomerular accumulation of atherogenic lipoproteins and/or EGF receptor signaling may provide protective environment against mesangial hypercellularity seen in glomerular diseases.
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PMID:Low density lipoproteins transactivate EGF receptor: role in mesangial cell proliferation. 1880 30

Crystal structures of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor suggest that its activation is associated with extensive conformational changes in both the extracellular and intracellular domains. However, evidence of these structural dynamics in intact cells has been lacking. Here we use luciferase complementation imaging to follow EGF-induced conformational changes in its receptor in real time in live cells. When the luciferase fragments are fused to the C terminus of an EGF receptor lacking the cytoplasmic domain, EGF stimulates a rapid increase in luciferase activity, consistent with ligand-induced receptor dimerization. However, when the luciferase fragments are fused to the C terminus of the full-length receptor, EGF induces a rapid but transient decrease in luciferase activity. The decrease requires tyrosine kinase activity, whereas the subsequent recovery requires MAP kinase activity. Our data demonstrate the utility of the luciferase system for in vivo imaging changes in EGF receptor dimerization and conformation. They also identify two sequential ligand-induced conformational changes in the EGF receptor.
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PMID:Luciferase fragment complementation imaging of conformational changes in the epidermal growth factor receptor. 1917 34

Astrocytes in the CNS respond to tissue damage by becoming reactive. They migrate, undergo hypertrophy, and form a glial scar that inhibits axon regeneration. Therefore, limiting astrocytic responses represents a potential therapeutic strategy to improve functional recovery. It was recently shown that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is upregulated in astrocytes after injury and promotes their transformation into reactive astrocytes. Furthermore, EGF receptor inhibitors were shown to enhance axon regeneration in the injured optic nerve and promote recovery after spinal cord injury. However, the signaling pathways involved were not elucidated. Here we show that in cultures of adult spinal cord astrocytes EGF activates the mTOR pathway, a key regulator of astrocyte physiology. This occurs through Akt-mediated phosphorylation of the GTPase-activating protein Tuberin, which inhibits Tuberin's ability to inactivate the small GTPase Rheb. Indeed, we found that Rheb is required for EGF-dependent mTOR activation in spinal cord astrocytes, whereas the Ras-MAP kinase pathway does not appear to be involved. Moreover, astrocyte growth and EGF-dependent chemoattraction were inhibited by the mTOR-selective drug rapamycin. We also detected elevated levels of activated EGF receptor and mTOR signaling in reactive astrocytes in vivo in an ischemic model of spinal cord injury. Furthermore, increased Rheb expression likely contributes to mTOR activation in the injured spinal cord. Interestingly, injured rats treated with rapamycin showed reduced signs of reactive gliosis, suggesting that rapamycin could be used to harness astrocytic responses in the damaged nervous system to promote an environment more permissive to axon regeneration.
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PMID:The Rheb-mTOR pathway is upregulated in reactive astrocytes of the injured spinal cord. 1917 18

We evaluated the ability of different trypsin-revealed tethered ligand (TL) sequences of rat proteinase-activated receptor 2 (rPAR(2)) and the corresponding soluble TL-derived agonist peptides to trigger agonist-biased signaling. To do so, we mutated the proteolytically revealed TL sequence of rPAR(2) and examined the impact on stimulating intracellular calcium transients and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. The TL receptor mutants, rPAR(2)-Leu(37)Ser(38), rPAR(2)-Ala(37-38), and rPAR(2)-Ala(39-42) were compared with the trypsin-revealed wild-type rPAR(2) TL sequence, S(37)LIGRL(42)-. Upon trypsin activation, all constructs stimulated MAP kinase signaling, but only the wt-rPAR(2) and rPAR(2)-Ala(39-42) triggered calcium signaling. Furthermore, the TL-derived synthetic peptide SLAAAA-NH2 failed to cause PAR(2)-mediated calcium signaling but did activate MAP kinase, whereas SLIGRL-NH2 triggered both calcium and MAP kinase signaling by all receptors. The peptides AAIGRL-NH2 and LSIGRL-NH2 triggered neither calcium nor MAP kinase signals. Neither rPAR(2)-Ala(37-38) nor rPAR(2)-Leu(37)Ser(38) constructs recruited beta-arrestins-1 or -2 in response to trypsin stimulation, whereas both beta-arrestins were recruited to these mutants by SLIGRL-NH2. The lack of trypsin-triggered beta-arrestin interactions correlated with impaired trypsin-activated TL-mutant receptor internalization. Trypsin-stimulated MAP kinase activation by the TL-mutated receptors was not blocked by inhibitors of Galpha(i) (pertussis toxin), Galpha(q) [N-cyclohexyl-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-6-methylindeno[1,2-c]pyrazole-3-carboxamide (GP2A)], Src kinase [4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]-pyrimidine (PP1)], or the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor [4-(3'-chloroanilino)-6,7-dimethoxy-quinazoline (AG1478)], but was inhibited by the Rho-kinase inhibitor (R)-(+)-trans-N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxamide, 2HCl (Y27362). The data indicate that the proteolytically revealed TL sequence(s) and the mode of its presentation to the receptor (tethered versus soluble) can confer biased signaling by PAR(2), its arrestin recruitment, and its internalization. Thus, PAR(2) can signal to multiple pathways that are differentially triggered by distinct proteinase-revealed TLs or by synthetic signal-selective activating peptides.
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PMID:Agonist-biased signaling via proteinase activated receptor-2: differential activation of calcium and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. 1960 24


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