title: Truncated, desensitization-defective neurokinin receptors mediate sustained MAP kinase activation, cell growth and transformation by a Ras-independent mechanism.
abstract: We have used the neurokinin NK-2 receptor as a model to examine how receptor desensitization affects cellular responses. The liganded receptor transiently activates phospholipase C (PLC) and is rapidly phosphorylated on Ser/Thr residues in its C-terminal domain. Mutant receptors lacking this domain mediate persistent activation of PLC. We now show that, in transfected Rat-1 cells, mutant receptor mediates ligand-induced DNA synthesis, morphological transformation and growth in soft agar, whereas wild-type (wt) receptor does not. Wt receptor causes only transient MAP kinase activation. In contrast, MAP kinase activation by mutant receptor is sustained for >4 h. Neither wt nor mutant receptor couples to Ras activation. Downregulation of protein kinase C (PKC) has little effect on MAP kinase activation, DNA synthesis and transformation. Mutant receptors also promote stronger protein tyrosine phosphorylation and stress fibre formation than does wt receptor. Thus, C-terminal truncation allows the NK-2 receptor to signal sustained MAP kinase activation, cell growth and transformation by a Ras- and PKC-independent mechanism. Our results reveal the importance of the C-terminal 'desensitization domain' in suppressing the oncogenic potential of a prototypic PLC-coupled receptor.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular Biochemistry, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alblas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Etten
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Moolenaar
mesh_terms: D036002:ADP Ribose Transferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010641:Phenotype; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D051381:Rats; D018041:Receptors, Neurokinin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018041:Receptors, Neurokinin-2; D014443:Tyrosine; D036002:ADP Ribose Transferases; C063007:exoenzyme C3, Clostridium botulinum; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D018631:ras Proteins