title: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor-alpha activates c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-1 and antagonizes PDGF receptor-beta -induced phenotypic transformation.
abstract: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for mesenchymal cells. The PDGF B-chain (c-sis proto-oncogene) homodimer (PDGF BB) and v-sis, its viral counterpart, activate both alpha- and beta-receptor subunits (alpha-PDGFR and beta-PDGFR) and mediate anchorage-independent growth in NIH3T3 cells. In contrast, the PDGF A chain homodimer (PDGF AA) activates alpha-PDGFR only and fails to induce phenotypic transformation. In the present study, we investigated alpha- and beta-PDGFR specific signaling pathways that are responsible for the differences between the transforming ability of PDGF AA and BB. To study PDGF BB activation of beta-PDGFR, we established NIH3T3 clones in which alpha-PDGFR signaling is inhibited by a dominant-negative alpha-PDGFR, or an antisense construct of alpha-PDGFR. Here, we demonstrate that beta-PDGFR activation alone is sufficient for PDGF BB-mediated anchorage-independent cell growth. More importantly, inhibition of alpha-PDGFR signaling enhanced PDGF BB-mediated phenotypic transformation, suggesting that alpha-PDGFR antagonizes beta-PDGFR-induced transformation. While both alpha- and beta-receptors effectively activate ERKs, alpha-PDGFR, but not beta-PDGFR, activates stress-activated protein kinase-1/c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase-1 (JNK-1). Inhibition of JNK-1 activity using a dominant-negative JNK-1 mutant markedly enhanced PDGF BB-mediated anchorage-independent cell growth, demonstrating an antagonistic role for JNK-1 in PDGF-induced transformation. Consistently, overexpression of wild-type JNK-1 reduced PDGF BB-mediated transformation. Taken together, the present study showed that alpha- and beta-PDGFRs differentially regulate Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways critical for regulation of cell transformation, and transformation suppressing activity of alpha-PDGFR involves JNK-1 activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Deuel
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases