title: Cholinergic transactivation of the EGFR in HaCaT keratinocytes stimulates a flotillin-1 dependent MAPK-mediated transcriptional response.
abstract: Acetylcholine and its receptors regulate numerous cellular processes in keratinocytes and other non-neuronal cells. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are capable of transactivating the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and, downstream thereof, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, which in turn regulates transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation and migration. We here show that cholinergic stimulation of human HaCaT keratinocytes results in increased transcription of matrix metalloproteinase MMP-3 as well as several ligands of the epidermal growth factor family. Since both metalloproteinases and the said ligands are involved in the transactivation of the EGFR, this transcriptional upregulation may provide a positive feed-forward loop for EGFR/MAPK activation. We here also show that the cholinergic EGFR and MAPK activation and the upregulation of MMP-3 and EGF-like ligands are dependent on the expression of flotillin-1 which we have previously shown to be a regulator of MAPK signaling.
authors: Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Sina.Kuehne@biochemie.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors: Sina
authors: S
authors: Kühne
authors: Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Wymke.Ockenga@biochemie.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors: Wymke
authors: W
authors: Ockenga
authors: Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Antje.Banning@biochemie.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors: Antje
authors: A
authors: Banning
authors: Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Ritva.Tikkanen@biochemie.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors: Ritva
authors: R
authors: Tikkanen
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C106354:flotillins; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases