title: Neuregulin induces sustained reactive oxygen species generation to mediate neuronal differentiation.
abstract: Neuregulins (NRGs), which are highly expressed in the nervous system, bind and activate two receptor tyrosine kinases, ErbB-3 and ErbB-4. Recently, we have shown that ErbB-4 receptors expressed in PC12 cells mediate NRG-induced differentiation through the MAPK signaling pathway. Here we demonstrate that NRG induces an increase in the intracellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). N-acetylcysteine, a ROS scavenger, inhibited NRG-induced activation of Ras and Erk and PC12-ErbB-4 cell differentiation. These results suggest that ROS production is involved in NRG-mediated neuronal differentiation and that ROS can regulate activation of Ras and Erk. Constitutively active Ras enhanced ROS production and dominant negative Ras inhibited NRG-induced ROS production, suggesting, a positive regulatory loop between Ras and ROS. The mitogen, EGF, induced short-term ROS production whereas NRG and NGF, which induce cell differentiation, induced prolonged ROS production. These results strongly suggest that the kinetics of ROS production may determine whether the cells will differentiate or proliferate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goldsmit
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erlich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinkas-Kramarski
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D020880:Neuregulins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D020880:Neuregulins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C587691:Erbb4 protein, rat; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D018631:ras Proteins; D000111:Acetylcysteine