title: A constitutively active ERBB4/HER4 allele with enhanced transcriptional coactivation and cell-killing activities.
abstract: In the normal breast, ERBB4 regulates epithelial differentiation and functions as a nuclear chaperone for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5A, thereby stimulating milk-gene expression. In addition, ERBB4 functions as a proapoptotic protein, suppressing the growth of malignant cells. We hypothesize that these ERBB4 activities can be marshaled to suppress the growth of breast tumors. To this end, we have created an ERBB4 allele harboring an activating transmembrane mutation (ERBB4-CA) by substituting isoleucine 658 for glutamic acid. This base substitution forms a valine-glutamic acid-glycine activation domain first identified in oncogenic ERBB2/HER2/Neu. Ectopic expression of ERBB4-CA in HEK293T cells resulted in a fivefold increase in receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. Functionally, ERBB4-CA exhibited higher levels of nuclear translocation than wild-type ERBB4, leading to significantly enhanced ERBB4-induced STAT5A simulation of the beta-casein promoter. Activated ERBB4 has been demonstrated to induce cell killing of breast tumor cells. Significantly, ERBB4-CA potentiated the proapoptotic function of ERBB4 in each breast, prostate and ovarian cancer cell line tested. Untransformed cell lines were resistant to both ERBB4 and ERBB4-CA-mediated apoptosis underscoring the potential utility of active ERBB4 signaling for the therapeutic intervention of human cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marrero
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002364:Caseins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; C494092:STAT5A protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; C587689:ERBB4 protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4