Activation of MAP kinase by muscarinic cholinergic receptors induces cell proliferation and protein synthesis in human breast cancer cells.

Carbachol (Cch), a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist, increases intracellular-free Ca(2+) mobilization and induces mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) phosphorylation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Pretreatment of cells with the selective phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, or incubation of cells in a Ca(2+)-free medium did not alter Cch-stimulated MAPK/ERK phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of MAPK/ERK was mimicked by phorbol 12-myristate acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), but Cch-evoked MAPK/ERK activation was unaffected by down-regulation of PKC or by pretreatment of cells with GF109203X, a PKC inhibitor. However, Cch-stimulated MAPK/ERK phosphorylation was completely blocked by myristoylated PKC-zeta pseudosubstrate, a specific inhibitor of PKC-zeta, and high doses of staurosporine. Pretreatment of human breast cancer cells with wortmannin or LY294002, selective inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), diminished Cch-mediated MAPK/ERK phosphorylation. Similar results were observed when MCF-7 cells were pretreated with genistein, a non-selective inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, or with the specific Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP2. Moreover, in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells mAChR stimulation induced an increase of protein synthesis and cell proliferation, and these effects were prevented by PD098059, a specific inhibitor of the mitogen activated kinase kinase. In conclusion, analyses of mAChR downstream effectors reveal that PKC-zeta, PI3K, and Src family of tyrosine kinases, but not intracellular-free Ca(2+) mobilization or conventional and novel PKC activation, are key molecules in the signal cascade leading to MAPK/ERK activation. In addition, MAPK/ERK are involved in the regulation of growth and proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Jiménez E ，Montiel M 《JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY》

Activation of calcium-dependent kinases and epidermal growth factor receptor regulate muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated MAPK/ERK activation in thyroid epithelial cells.

Montiel M ，Quesada J ，Jiménez E 《CELLULAR SIGNALLING》

PKC-zeta is required for angiotensin II-induced activation of ERK and synthesis of C-FOS in MCF-7 cells.

We examined the signalling pathways responsible for the Ang II induction of growth in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Ang II in MCF-7 cells induced: (a) the translocation from the cytosol to membrane and nucleus of atypical protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) but not of PKC-alpha, -delta, - epsilon and -eta; (b) the expression of c-fos mRNA and protein; (c) the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). All these effects were due to the activation of the Ang II type I receptor (AT1) since they were blocked by the AT1 antagonist losartan. The Ang II-stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation was blocked by (a) high doses of staurosporine, inhibitor of PKC-zeta, and by a synthetic myristoylated peptide with sequences based on the endogenous PKC-zeta pseudosubstrate region (zeta-PS); (b) PD098059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor (MAPKK/MEK); and, moreover, (c) the inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), LY294002 and wortmannin, thus indicating that PI3K may act upstream of ERK1/2. The Ang II-evoked c-fos induction was blocked only by high doses of staurosporine and by zeta-PS whilst PD098059, LY294002 and wortmannin were ineffective, thus indicating that c-fos induction is not due to ERK1/2 activity. When the epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase activity was inhibited by the use of its inhibitor AG1478, Ang II was still able to induce ERK1/2 phosphorylation and c-fos expression, therefore proving that the transactivation of EGFR was not required for these Ang II effects in MCF-7 cells. The previously reported proliferation of MCF-7 cells induced by Ang II was blocked by PD098059 and by wortmannin in a dose-dependent manner, thereby indicating that in MCF-7 cells the PI3K and ERK pathways mediate the mitogenic signalling of AT1. Our results suggest that in MCF-7 cells Ang II activates multiple signalling pathways involving PKC-zeta, PI3K and MAPK; of these pathways only PKC-zeta appears responsible for the induction of c-fos.

Muscella A ，Greco S ，Elia MG ，Storelli C ，Marsigliante S ... -  《JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY》

Mitogenic signalling by B2 bradykinin receptor in epithelial breast cells.

The kinin peptides are released during inflammation and are amongst the most potent known mediators of vasodilatation, pain, and oedema. A role in the modulation or induction of healthy breast tissue growth has been postulated for tissue kallikrein present in human milk. Moreover, tissue kallikrein was found in malignant human breast tissue and bradykinin (BK) stimulates the proliferation of immortalised breast cancer cells. Aim of the present article was to investigate whether BK also exerts mitogenic activity in normal breast epithelial cells and partially characterise the signalling machinery involved. Results show that BK increased up to 2-fold the 24 h proliferation of breast epithelial cells in primary culture, and that the BK B2 receptor (not B1) inhibitor alone fully blocked the BK response. Intracellular effects of B2 stimulation were the following: (a) the increase of free intracellular Ca(2+) concentration by a mechanism dependent upon the phospholipase C (PLC) activity; (b) the cytosol-to-membrane translocation of conventional (PKC)-alpha and -beta isozymes, novel PKC-delta, -epsilon, and -eta isozymes; (c) the phosphorylation of the extracellular-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2); and (d) the stimulation of the expression of c-Fos protein. EGF, a well known stimulator of cell proliferation, regulated the proliferative response in human epithelial breast cells to the same extent of BK. The effects of BK on proliferation, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and c-Fos expression were abolished by GF109203X, which inhibits PKC-delta isozyme. Conversely, Gö6976, an inhibitor of PKC-alpha and -beta isozymes, and the 18-h treatment of cells with PMA, that led to the complete down-regulation of PKC-alpha, -beta, -epsilon, and -eta, but not of PKC-delta, did not have any effect, thereby indicating that the PKC-delta mediates the mitogenic signalling of BK. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), tyrosine kinase of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and mitogen activated protein kinase kinases (MEK) inhibitors were also tested. The results suggest that EGFR, PI3K, and ERK are required for the proliferative effects of BK. In addition, the BK induced cytosol-to-membrane translocation of PKC-delta was blocked by PI3K inhibition, suggesting that PI3K is upstream to PKC-delta. In conclusion, BK has mitogenic actions in cultured human epithelial breast cells; the activation of PKC-delta through B2 receptor acts in concert with ERK and PI3K pathways to induce cell proliferation.

Greco S ，Muscella A ，Elia MG ，Romano S ，Storelli C ，Marsigliante S ... -  《JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY》

Parallel signaling pathways in endothelin-1-induced proliferation of U373MG astrocytoma cells.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent mitogen for many cells, especially when its levels are elevated under pathological conditions, as seen in tumor cell progression and astroglial activation in neuropathies. While ET-1 is known to cause astroglial proliferation, in the present study, multiple signaling pathways involved in ET-1-mediated astrocyte proliferation were characterized. Treatment with PD98059 and U0126 (MEK inhibitors) inhibited not only ET-1-induced cell proliferation but also ET-1-activated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in U373MG astrocytoma cells. Whereas the nonselective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine attenuated ET-1-induced cell proliferation, it was unable to block ET-1-induced ERK phosphorylation. However, ET-1 did not activate conventional or novel PKCs and did not elevate intracellular calcium. In addition, U73122 (a selective phospholipase C inhibitor), FTI-277 (an H-Ras inhibitor), as well as protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors also did not abolish ET-1-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. ET-1 treatment increased the activity of total Ras but not H-Ras. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway appeared to be involved in signal transduction induced by ET-1, but it did not appear to participate in cross talk with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Activated ET receptors did not propagate signals either through protein tyrosine kinases or transactivation of EGF receptor tyrosine kinases, which typically trigger Ras-Raf-MAPK pathways. The results indicate that ET-1 stimulates cell proliferation by the activation of MAPK-, PKC-, and PI3K-dependent pathways that appear to function in a parallel manner. There is no apparent, direct "cross talk" between these pathways in U373MG cells, but rather, they might act on the independent but necessary components of the mitogenic effects of ET-1.

He S ，Dibas A ，Yorio T ，Prasanna G ... -  《-》