title: Inactivation of neuregulin-1 by nitration.
abstract: Nitration is a posttranslational modification that can compromise protein function. We hypothesized that nitration of growth factors secreted in the lung may alter their interaction with their respective receptors and modulate the normal growth and differentiation program induced by ligand-receptor interaction. We tested this hypothesis in vitro by nitration of neuregulin-1's (NRG-1) EGF-like domain and studying the effect on NRG-1's activity. Nitration of NRG-1's (nNRG-1) EGF-like domain resulted in an inability to activate its receptor, the human epidermal growth factor receptors 2 and 3 (HER2/HER3) heterodimer, as defined by loss of HER2 tyrosine phosphorylation induced by nNRG-1 in MCF-7 cells. Receptor activation was not restored with increasing nNRG-1 concentration or exposure times. nNRG-1 did not compete with NRG-1 for HER2/HER3 binding in competition assays. In addition, nNRG-1 no longer induced proliferation of the MCF-7 cell line, as MCF-7 cells exposed to nNRG-1 and NRG-1 concurrently had the same proliferation rate as that induced by NRG-1 alone. Thus nitration of NRG-1's EGF-like domain caused it to lose its ability to bind and activate its receptor with loss of ligand-induced proliferation. Posttranslational nitration of growth factors in states where reactive nitrogen species are increased may be an important means of regulating growth factor receptor effects in the lung.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Wearn 610, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Nethery
authors.forename: Sudakshina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Serpil C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Erzurum
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kern
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D020890:Neuregulin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020890:Neuregulin-1; D009566:Nitrates; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins