title: A novel calcium signalling response in the breast cancer cell line MDA-468.
abstract: In the human breast carcinoma cell line MDA-468 addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) is growth inhibitory. Calcium signalling was investigated in this cell line using the calcium sensitive fluorescent probe Indo-1. Addition of EGF to MDA-468 cells resulted in a novel biphasic calcium response. In the first phase of the response EGF raised calcium to levels significantly above basal. This was followed by a prolonged fall in calcium to levels significantly lower than original basal levels. The G-protein activator aluminum fluoride (AlF), stimulated a rise in calcium which was not proceeded by a fall below basal levels. Conversely addition of PMA, an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), induced a fall in calcium from basal without a prior increase. Down regulation of PKC eliminated the response to PMA, however the biphasic nature of the EGF response was maintained. Pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin did not alter the response to EGF nor to AlF. We conclude that in the MDA-468 cell in which EGF is growth inhibitory: 1) EGF results in a biphasic calcium response which ultimately leads to reduction below baseline levels, 2) a rise in calcium itself is not sufficient to account for the subsequent fall below basal levels, 3) G-proteins may be involved in the initial phase of the EGF response, 4) activation of PKC can also reduce intracellular calcium, however the response to EGF is not dependent on this pathway.
authors: Membrane Biology Group, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kremer
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Margolis
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Skorecki
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D002712:Chlorides; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D000077410:Aluminum Chloride; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D012969:Sodium Fluoride; D000535:Aluminum; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D005459:Fluorides; D002118:Calcium; C032311:aluminum fluoride