Expression of HER/erbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases and induction of differentiation by glial growth factor 2 in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells.
Five human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines were used to investigate the surface expression of HER/erbB receptors, particularly of HER-2, HER-3 and HER-4, by flow cytometry. HER-2 was expressed in 3/5 rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. HER-3 was expressed in all rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. None of the rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines investigated showed HER-4 surface expression. To study the biological activity of HER/erbB receptors in rhabdomyosarcomas, cells were cultured in the presence of glial growth factor 2 (GGF-2), a specific ligand of HER-3 that is able to stimulate myogenesis in normal myoblasts. In 3 of 3 human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines positive for both HER-2 and HER-3 receptors, the treatment with GGF-2 induced a significant increase in myogenic differentiation.
Ricci
C
C
Institute for Cancer Research, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Landuzzi
L
L
Rossi
I
I
De Giovanni
C
C
Nicoletti
G
G
Astolfi
A
A
Pupa
S
S
Menard
S
S
Scotlandi
K
K
Nanni
P
P
Lollini
P L
PL
D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D020890:Neuregulin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D008024:Ligands; D020890:Neuregulin-1; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; C587689:ERBB4 protein, human