title: ErbB-4 activation inhibits apoptosis in PC12 cells.
abstract: Neuregulins, a large family of polypeptide growth factors, exert various distinctive effects in the nervous system. neuregulins and their receptors are widely expressed in neurons implying important roles in neuronal cell functions. Recently, we have shown that ErbB-4 receptors expressed in PC12 cells mediate neuregulin-induced differentiation. In the present study we demonstrate that in the PC12-ErbB-4 cells, neuregulin rescues cells from apoptosis induced by serum deprivation or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha treatment. The neuregulin-induced survival is comparable to the effect mediated by the neurotrophic factor nerve growth factor (NGF). Both neuregulin and NGF protect cells from apoptosis induced by serum deprivation and TNF alpha treatment. Moreover, neuregulin like NGF induces the survival of neuronal differentiated PC12-ErbB-4 cells. The survival effect of neuregulin is probably mediated by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B/Akt signaling pathways. Neuregulin induces the activation of PI3K and prolonged activation of protein kinase B/Akt. In addition, inhibition of the PI3K activity prevented the neuregulin-induced survival effect. Taken together, these results indicate that survival induced by neuregulin in PC12-ErbB-4 cells requires PI3K signaling networks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiochemistry, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erlich
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goldshmit
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lupowitz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinkas-Kramarski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000819:agonists*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D020880:Neuregulins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D016716:PC12 Cells; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020880:Neuregulins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C587691:Erbb4 protein, rat; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat