title: Signalling pathways leading to neuroblastoma differentiation after serum withdrawal: HDL blocks neuroblastoma differentiation by inhibition of EGFR.
abstract: Neuroblastoma is the second most common pediatric malignancy, characterized by a high rate of unexplained spontaneous remissions. Much progress has been made in understanding neuroblastoma differentiation triggered by certain agents such as retinoic acid. However, little is known about the signalling pathways that lead to differentiation of neuroblastoma cells due to serum withdrawal. We found that in Neuro2a neuroblastoma cells, EGFR, ERK1/2 and Akt showed increased phosphorylation after serum withdrawal, and that the activation of EGFR was necessary for the activation of Akt and ERK1/2. Inhibition of EGFR, ERK1/2 and PI3K blocked neuroblastoma differentiation after serum withdrawal. Interestingly, addition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) abrogated serum-withdrawal induced neuroblastoma differentiation, as well as the activation of EGFR. Our results demonstrate a novel role for serum-derived lipoproteins in the control of receptor tyrosine kinase activity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstr. 31, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maria Elephteria
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Evangelopoulos
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krüttgen
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D014212:Tretinoin; D002784:Cholesterol; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one