title: Neu differentiation factor (Heregulin) activates a p53-dependent pathway in cancer cells.
abstract: Previously we reported that neu differentiation factor (NDF)/heregulin (HRG) elevates tyrosine phosphorylation of its receptors erbB-3, erbB-4, and erbB-2 (through heterodimer formation). We also showed that both NDF/HRG and antibodies to erbB-2 can arrest growth and induce differentiation in breast cancer cells. In this study, we report on the mechanism of NDF/HRG-induced cellular effects. We show that NDF/HRG and antibodies to erbB-2 receptors up-regulate expression of p53 by stabilizing the protein. This is accompanied by up-regulation of the p53 inducible gene, p21CIP1/WAF1, in a variety of cell lines: MCF7 and their derivatives (MCF7/HER2, MN1 and MCF-7-puro), ZR75T and LnCap cells. The induction of p21 is further enhanced when cells are treated with both NDF/HRG and DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents (i.e. doxorubicin). The NDF/HRG mediated induction of p21 is dependent on wildtype p53, as it fails to occur in cells expressing dominant negative p53 (MDD2). Furthermore, p21 induction is capable of inactivating cdk2 complexes as measured by Histone H1 phosphorylation assays. Finally, we show that in primary cultures of breast and other cancers, p21 is significantly induced in response to NDF/HRG treatment. Collectively, these observations suggest that the mechanism of breast cancer cell growth inhibition and differentiation via erbB receptors activation is through a p53-mediated pathway.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Cellular Diagnostics, Inc., Elmhurst, IL 60126, USA.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bacus
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yarden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oren
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lyass
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Zelnick
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kazarov
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Toyofuku
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gray-Bablin
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Beerli
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Hynes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikiforov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haffner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gudkov
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keyomarsi
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016213:Cyclins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016158:Genes, p53; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020880:Neuregulins; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D016213:Cyclins; D004317:Doxorubicin; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D006023:Glycoproteins; D020880:Neuregulins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; C587689:ERBB4 protein, human; C495894:CDK2 protein, human