Protein kinase C α is involved in the regulation of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Alterations that affect the ectodomain of receptor tyrosine kinases are often associated with constitutive activation of the enzymic activity of the mutant cell-associated receptor. Since the ectodomain of the ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase has been detected as a soluble fragment in the culture supernatant of cells and serum from patients with advanced breast cancer, the possible presence of cell-associated truncated forms of ErbB2 in cancer cells was investigated. Several cell-bound N-terminal truncated forms of ErbB2 were identified in breast cancer cells overexpressing this receptor. The presence of the truncated fragments was independent of lysosomal/proteasomal activity, indicating that classical receptor tyrosine kinase degradation systems were not involved in the N-terminal cleavages. The presence of these truncated forms of ErbB2 was up-regulated by protein kinase C and neuregulin; and down-regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and monoclonal antibodies that target the ectodomain of ErbB2, indicating that N-terminal cleavages of ErbB2 were regulated by multiple mechanisms. The truncated fragments were tyrosine-phosphorylated under resting conditions, and associated with the signalling intermediates Shc and Grb2. It is therefore likely that these truncated forms may be endowed with constitutive activity that allows them to permanently signal.

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Inhibition of growth-factor-induced phosphorylation and activation of protein kinase B/Akt by atypical protein kinase C in breast cancer cells

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj3520475 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 352 (2) ◽

pp. 475-482 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Muling MAO ◽

Xianjun FANG ◽

Yiling LU ◽

Ruth LAPUSHIN ◽

Robert C. BAST ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Protein Kinase C ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Protein Kinase B ◽

Akt Phosphorylation ◽

Kinase C ◽

Pkc Inhibitors

The protein kinase B/Akt serine/threonine kinase, located downstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI-3K), is a major regulator of cellular survival and proliferation. Atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) family members are activated by PI-3K and also contribute to cell proliferation, suggesting that Akt and aPKC might interact to activate signalling through the PI-3K cascade. Here we demonstrate that blocking PKC activity in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells increased the phosphorylation and activity of Akt. Functional PI-3K was required for the PKC inhibitors to increase Akt phosphorylation and activation, potentially owing to the activation of specific PKC isoforms by PI-3K. The concentration dependence of the action of the PKC inhibitors implicates aPKC in the inhibition of Akt phosphorylation and activity. In support of a role for aPKC in the regulation of Akt, Akt and PKCζ or PKCλ/ℓ were readily co-precipitated from the BT-549 breast cancer cell line. Furthermore, the overexpression of PKCζ inhibited growth-factor-induced increases in Akt phosphorylation and activity. Thus PKCζ associates physically with Akt and decreases Akt phosphorylation and enzyme activity. The effects of PKC on Akt were transmitted through the PI-3K cascade as indicated by changes in p70 s6 kinase (p70s6k) phosphorylation. Thus PKCζ, and potentially other PKC isoenzymes, regulate growth-factor-mediated Akt phosphorylation and activation, which is consistent with a generalized role for PKCζ in limiting growth factor signalling through the PI-3K/Akt pathway.

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