John G. Koland

HER3 Is Required for HER2-Induced Preneoplastic Changes to the Breast Epithelium and Tumor Formation

Increasing evidence suggests that HER2-amplified breast cancer cells use HER3/ErbB3 to drive therapeutic resistance to HER2 inhibitors. However, the role of ErbB3 in the earliest events of breast epithelial transformation remains unknown. Using mouse mammary specific models of Cre-mediated ErbB3 ablation, we show that ErbB3 loss prevents the progressive transformation of HER2-overexpressing mammary epithelium. Decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis were seen in MMTV-HER2 and MMTV-Neu mammary glands lacking ErbB3, thus inhibiting premalignant HER2-induced hyperplasia. Using a transgenic model in which HER2 and Cre are expressed from a single polycistronic transcript, we showed that palpable tumor penetrance decreased from 93.3% to 6.7% upon ErbB3 ablation. Penetrance of ductal carcinomas in situ was also decreased. In addition, loss of ErbB3 impaired Akt and p44/42 phosphorylation in preneoplastic HER2-overexpressing mammary glands and in tumors, decreased growth of preexisting HER2-overexpressing tumors, and improved tumor response to the HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib. These events were rescued by reexpression of ErbB3, but were only partially rescued by ErbB36F, an ErbB3 mutant harboring six tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutations that block its interaction with phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase. Taken together, our findings suggest that ErbB3 promotes HER2-induced changes in the breast epithelium before, during, and after tumor formation. These results may have important translational implications for the treatment and prevention of HER2-amplified breast tumors through ErbB3 inhibition.

Roles of mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3'-kinase in ErbB2/ErbB3 coreceptor-mediated heregulin signaling.

ErbB2/HER2 and ErbB3/HER3, two members of the ErbB/HER family, together constitute a heregulin coreceptor complex that elicits a potent mitogenic and transforming signal. Among known intracellular effectors of the ErbB2/ErbB3 heregulin coreceptor are mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase. Activation of the distinct MAPK and PI 3-kinase signaling pathways by the ErbB2/ErbB3 coreceptor in response to heregulin and their relative contributions to the mitogenic and transformation potentials of the activated coreceptor were investigated here. To this end, cDNAs encoding the wild-type ErbB3 protein (ErbB3-WT) and ErbB3 proteins with amino acid substitutions in either the Shc-binding site (ErbB3-Y1325F), the six putative PI 3-kinase-binding sites (ErbB3-6F), or both (ErbB3-7F) were generated and expressed in NIH-3T3 cells to form functional ErbB2/ErbB3 heregulin coreceptors. While the coreceptor incorporating ErbB3-WT activated both the MAPK and the PI 3-kinase signaling pathways, those incorporating ErbB3-Y1325F or ErbB3-6F activated either PI 3-kinase or MAPK, respectively. The ErbB2/ErbB3-7F coreceptor activated neither. Elimination of either signaling pathway lowered basal and eliminated heregulin-dependent expression of cyclin D1, which was in each case accompanied by an attenuated mitogenic response. Selective elimination of the PI 3-kinase pathway severely impaired the ability of heregulin to transform cells expressing the coreceptor, whereas attenuation of the MAPK pathway had a lesser effect. Thus, while both pathways contributed in a roughly additive manner to the mitogenic response elicited by the activated ErbB2/ErbB3 coreceptor, the PI 3-kinase pathway predominated in the induction of cellular transformation.

Mutation of a Shc Binding Site Tyrosine Residue in ErbB3/HER3 Blocks Heregulin-dependent Activation of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

The ErbB2 and ErbB3 proteins together constitute a functional coreceptor for heregulin (neuregulin). Heregulin stimulates the phosphorylation of both coreceptor constituents and initiates a variety of other signaling events, which include phosphorylation of the Shc protein. The role of Shc in heregulin-stimulated signal transduction through the ErbB2·ErbB3 coreceptor was investigated here. Heregulin was found to promote ErbB3/Shc association in NIH-3T3 cells expressing endogenous ErbB2 and recombinant ErbB3. A mutant ErbB3 protein was generated in which Tyr-1325 in a consensus Shc phosphotyrosine-binding domain recognition site was mutated to Phe (ErbB3-Y/F). This mutation abolished the association of Shc with ErbB3 and blocked the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase by heregulin. Whereas heregulin induced mitogenesis in NIH-3T3 cells transfected with wild-type ErbB3 cDNA, this mitogenic response was markedly attenuated in NIH-3T3 cells transfected with the ErbB3-Y/F cDNA. These results showed a specific interaction of Shc with the ErbB3 receptor protein and demonstrated the importance of this interaction in the activation of mitogenic responses by the ErbB2·ErbB3 heregulin coreceptor complex.

Cbl Controls EGFR Fate by Regulating Early Endosome Fusion

The E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl mediates the fusion of early endosomes necessary to target EGFR for lysosomal degradation. Cbl and Endosomes The E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl causes the mono- and polyubiquitination of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), thereby targeting these proteins for degradation in lysosomes. RTK trafficking also depends on the modification of other Cbl-associated proteins at the plasma membrane and in endosomes, but how these work together to control RTK trafficking is not well understood. Critical to the ubiquitination function of Cbl is the really interesting new gene (RING) finger (RF) tail region, which prompted Visser Smit et al. to investigate the effects of single substitution mutants in this region of Cbl on the ubiquitination, down-regulation, and degradation of EGFR. They found that individual amino acid residues in the RF tail contributed differently to these processes and that Cbl played a role in EGFR internalization independently of its ability to ubiquitinate the receptor. In particular, Cbl was required for the fusion of early endosomes that trafficked EGFR to lysosomes, which depended, in part, on Hrs, a regulator of EGFR trafficking. Given the role of Cbl in mediating the down-regulation of multiple RTKs, its ability to control endosomal maturation may have general implications for controlling RTK activity. Amino acid residues 1 to 434 of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl control signaling of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by enhancing its ubiquitination, down-regulation, and lysosomal degradation. This region of Cbl comprises a tyrosine kinase–binding domain, a linker region, a really interesting new gene finger (RF), and a subset of the residues of the RF tail. In experiments with full-length alanine substitution mutants, we demonstrated that the RF tail of Cbl regulated biochemically distinct checkpoints in the endocytosis of EGFR. The Cbl- and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of the regulator of internalization hSprouty2 was compromised by the Val431→ Ala mutation, whereas the Cbl- and EGFR-dependent dephosphorylation or degradation of the endosomal trafficking regulator Hrs was compromised by the Phe434→ Ala mutation. Deregulated phosphorylation of Hrs correlated with inhibition of the fusion of early endosomes and of the degradation of EGFR. This study provides the first evidence that Cbl regulates receptor fate by controlling the fusion of sorting endosomes. We postulate that it does so by modulating the abundance of tyrosine-phosphorylated Hrs.

Activation of the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase by divalent metal ions: Comparison of holoreceptor and isolated kinase domain properties

The activation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor tyrosine kinase activity is thought to represent a key initial step in EGF-mediated mitogenesis. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase activity were examined through comparisons of the holoreceptor, purified from human placenta, and a soluble 42 kDa tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), generated by the limited trypsin proteolysis of the holoreceptor. The results of these studies highlight the importance of divalent metal ions (Me2+), i.e., Mn2+ and Mg2+, as activators of the tyrosine kinase activity. Manganese is an extremely effective activator of the holoreceptor tyrosine kinase, and under some conditions (low ionic strength) it completely alleviates the need for EGF to stimulate activity. In contrast, Mg2+ only weakly stimulates the holoreceptor tyrosine kinase activity in the absence of EGF, but promotes essentially full activity in the presence of the growth factor. Like the holoreceptor, the soluble TKD is highly active in the presence of Mn2+. However, the isolated TKD is completely inactive in the presence of Mg2+, and, in fact, Mg2+ inhibits the Mn2(+)-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity. The differences in the effects of Mn2+ and Mg2+ on the isolated TKD were further demonstrated by monitoring the effects of Me2+ on the modification of a reactive cysteine residue(s) on the TKD. While Mn2+ potentiates the inhibition by cysteine-directed reagents of the tyrosine kinase activity, Mg2+ has no effect on either the rate or the extent of the inhibition. Both the regulation by Mn2+ of the kinase activity of the TKD and the potentiation by Mn2+ of the cysteine reactivity of the TKD occur over a millimolar concentration range, which implicates a direct binding interaction by the metal ion. Overall, these results demonstrate that there are two key activator sites on the EGF receptor, i.e., the EGF binding site on the extracellular domain and a Me2+ binding site on the cytoplasmic TKD. Me2+ interactions with the cytoplasmic kinase domain apparently result in conformational changes which regulate the levels of tyrosine kinase activity, influence the degree to which this activity is responsive to EGF, and probably account for the effects of Me2+ on the aggregation state of the receptor (Carraway, K.L., III, Koland, J.G. and Cerione, R.A. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 8699-8707). In general, Mg2(+)-induced conformation changes prime the receptor for activation by EGF, while Mn2+ can fully activate the receptor tyrosine kinase and thereby short-circuit growth factor control.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of maspin in normal mammary epithelia and breast cancer cells

Maspin is a 42kDa tumor suppressor protein that belongs to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family. It inhibits cell motility and invasion in vitro, and tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice; however, maspins molecular mechanism of action has remained elusive. Maspin contains several tyrosine residues and we hypothesized that phosphorylation of maspin could play a role in its biological function. Our study reveals that maspin is phosphorylated on tyrosine moiety(ies) in normal mammary epithelial cells endogenously expressing maspin. In addition, transfection of the maspin gene, using either a stable or inducible system into maspin-deficient breast cancer cell lines, yields a protein product that is phosphorylated on tyrosine residue(s). Furthermore, recombinant maspin protein can be tyrosine-phosphorylated by the kinase domain from the epidermal growth factor receptor in vitro. These novel observations suggest that maspin, which deviates from the classical serpin, may be an important signal transduction molecule in its phosphorylated form.

Conformational changes accompany phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor C-terminal domain.

The precise regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is crucial to its function in cellular growth control. Various studies have suggested that the C‐terminal phosphorylation domain, itself a substrate for the EGFR kinase activity, exerts a regulatory influence upon it, although the molecular mechanism for this regulation is unknown. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique was employed to examine how C‐terminal domain conformational changes in the context of receptor activation and autophosphorylation might regulate EGFR enzymatic activity. A novel FRET reporter system was devised in which recombinant purified EGFR intracellular domain (ICD) proteins of varying C‐terminal lengths were site‐specifically labeled at their extreme C termini with blue fluorescent protein (BFP) and a fluorescent nucleotide analog, 2′(3′)‐O‐(2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl)‐adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (TNP‐ATP), binding at their active sites. This novel BFP/TNP‐ATP FRET pair demonstrated efficient energy transfer as evidenced by appreciable BFP‐donor quenching by bound TNP‐ATP. In particular, a marked reduction in energy transfer was observed for the full‐length BFP‐labeled EGFR‐ICD protein upon phosphorylation, likely reflecting its movement away from the active site. The estimated distances from the BFP module to the TNP‐ATP‐occupied active site for the full‐length and C‐terminally truncated proteins also reveal the possible folding geometry of this domain with respect to the kinase core. The present studies demonstrate the first use of BFP/TNP‐ATP as a FRET reporter system. Furthermore, the results described here provide biophysical evidence for phosphorylation‐dependent conformational changes in the C‐terminal phosphorylation domain and its likely interaction with the kinase core.

Structure and dynamics of the epidermal growth factor receptor C-terminal phosphorylation domain

The C‐terminal phosphorylation domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor is believed to regulate protein kinase activity as well as mediate the assembly of signal transduction complexes. The structure and dynamics of this proposed autoregulatory domain were examined by labeling the extreme C terminus of the EGFR intracellular domain (ICD) with an extrinsic fluorophore. Fluorescence anisotropy decay analysis of the nonphosphorylated EGFR‐ICD yielded two rotational correlation times: a longer time, consistent with the global rotational motion of a 60‐ to 70‐kDa protein with an elongated globular conformation, and a shorter time, presumably contributed by segmental motion near the fluorophore. A C‐terminally truncated form of EGFR‐ICD yielded a slow component consistent with the rotational motion of the 38‐kDa kinase core. These findings suggested a structural arrangement of the EGFR‐ICD in which the C‐terminal phosphorylation domain interacts with the kinase core to move as an extended structure. A marked reduction in the larger correlation time of EGFR‐ICD was observed upon its autophosphorylation. This dynamic component was faster than predicted for the globular motion of the 62‐kDa EGFR‐ICD, suggesting an increase in the mobility of the C‐terminal domain and a likely displacement of this domain from the kinase core. The interaction between the SH2 domain of c‐Src and the phosphorylated EGFR C‐terminal domain was shown to impede its mobility. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the EGFR C‐terminal domain possessed a significant level of secondary structure in the form of α‐helices and β‐sheets, with a marginal change in β‐sheet content occurring upon phosphorylation.

Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Protein Tyrosine Kinase Multi-Site Self-Phosphorylation

Upon the ligand-dependent dimerization of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity of one receptor monomer is activated, and the dimeric receptor undergoes self-phosphorylation at any of eight candidate phosphorylation sites (P-sites) in either of the two C-terminal (CT) domains. While the structures of the extracellular ligand binding and intracellular PTK domains are known, that of the ∼225-amino acid CT domain is not, presumably because it is disordered. Receptor phosphorylation on CT domain P-sites is critical in signaling because of the binding of specific signaling effector molecules to individual phosphorylated P-sites. To investigate how the combination of conventional substrate recognition and the unique topological factors involved in the CT domain self-phosphorylation reaction lead to selectivity in P-site phosphorylation, we performed coarse-grained molecular simulations of the P-site/catalytic site binding reactions that precede EGFR self-phosphorylation events. Our results indicate that self-phosphorylation of the dimeric EGFR, although generally believed to occur in trans, may well occur with a similar efficiency in cis, with the P-sites of both receptor monomers being phosphorylated to a similar extent. An exception was the case of the most kinase-proximal P-site-992, the catalytic site binding of which occurred exclusively in cis via an intramolecular reaction. We discovered that the in cis interaction of P-site-992 with the catalytic site was facilitated by a cleft between the N-terminal and C-terminal lobes of the PTK domain that allows the short CT domain sequence tethering P-site-992 to the PTK core to reach the catalytic site. Our work provides several new mechanistic insights into the EGFR self-phosphorylation reaction, and demonstrates the potential of coarse-grained molecular simulation approaches for investigating the complexities of self-phosphorylation in molecules such as EGFR (HER/ErbB) family receptors and growth factor receptor PTKs in general.

A novel biotinylated lipid raft reporter for electron microscopic imaging of plasma membrane microdomains

The submicroscopic spatial organization of cell surface receptors and plasma membrane signaling molecules is readily characterized by electron microscopy (EM) via immunogold labeling of plasma membrane sheets. Although various signaling molecules have been seen to segregate within plasma membrane microdomains, the biochemical identity of these microdomains and the factors affecting their formation are largely unknown. Lipid rafts are envisioned as submicron membrane subdomains of liquid ordered structure with differing lipid and protein constituents that define their specific varieties. To facilitate EM investigation of inner leaflet lipid rafts and the localization of membrane proteins therein, a unique genetically encoded reporter with the dually acylated raft-targeting motif of the Lck kinase was developed. This reporter, designated Lck-BAP-GFP, incorporates green fluorescent protein (GFP) and biotin acceptor peptide (BAP) modules, with the latter allowing its single-step labeling with streptavidin-gold. Lck-BAP-GFP was metabolically biotinylated in mammalian cells, distributed into low-density detergent-resistant membrane fractions, and was readily detected with avidin-based reagents. In EM images of plasma membrane sheets, the streptavidin-gold-labeled reporter was clustered in 20–50 nm microdomains, presumably representative of inner leaflet lipid rafts. The utility of the reporter was demonstrated in an investigation of the potential lipid raft localization of the epidermal growth factor receptor.