Meta-Biol

• Pathways

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one member of the ERBB family of transmembrane glycoprotein tyrosine receptor kinases (RTK). Binding of EGFR to its ligands induces conformational change that unmasks the dimerization interface in the extracellular domain of EGFR, leading to receptor homo- or heterodimerization at the cell surface. Dimerization of the extracellular regions of EGFR triggers additional conformational change of the cytoplasmic EGFR regions, enabling the kinase domains of two EGFR molecules to achieve the catalytically active conformation. Ligand activated EGFR dimers trans-autophosphorylate on tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tail of the receptor. Phosphorylated tyrosines serve as binding sites for the recruitment of signal transducers and activators of intracellular substrates, which then stimulate intracellular signal transduction cascades that are involved in regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Recruitment of complexes containing GRB2 and SOS1 to phosphorylated EGFR dimers either directly, through phosphotyrosine residues that serve as GRB2 docking sites, or indirectly, through SHC1 recruitment, promotes GDP to GTP exchange on RAS, resulting in the activation of RAF/MAP kinase cascade. Binding of complexes of GRB2 and GAB1 to phosphorylated EGFR dimers leads to formation of the active PI3K complex, conversion of PIP2 into PIP3, and activation of AKT signaling. Phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLCG1) can also be recruited directly, through EGFR phosphotyrosine residues that serve as PLCG1 docking sites, which leads to PLCG1 phosphorylation by EGFR and activation of DAG and IP3 signaling. EGFR signaling is downregulated by the action of ubiquitin ligase CBL. CBL binds directly to the phosphorylated EGFR dimer through the phosphotyrosine Y1069 (i.e. Y1045 in the mature protein) in the C-tail of EGFR, and after CBL is phosphorylated by EGFR, it becomes active and ubiquitinates phosphorylated EGFR dimers, targeting them for degradation. For a recent review of EGFR signaling, please refer to Avraham and Yarden, 2011.

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a major class of cell surface proteins involved in Signal Transduction. Human cells contain ~60 RTKs, grouped into 20 subfamilies based on their domain architecture. All RTK subfamilies are characterized by an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a single transmembrane region and an intracellular region consisting of the tyrosine kinase domain and additional regulatory and protein interaction domains. In general, RTKs associate into dimers upon ligand binding and are activated by autophosphorylation on conserved intracellular tyrosine residues. Autophosphorylation increases the catalytic efficiency of the receptor and provides binding sites for the assembly of downstream signaling complexes (reveiwed in Lemmon and Schlessinger, 2010). Common signaling pathways activated downstream of RTK activation include RAF/MAP kinase cascades (reviewed in McKay and Morrison, 2007 and Wellbrock et al 2004), AKT signaling (reviewed in Manning and Cantley, 2007) and PLC-gamma mediated signaling (reviewed in Patterson et al). Activation of these pathways ultimately results in changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism.

Signal transduction is a process in which extracellular signals elicit changes in cell state and activity. Transmembrane receptors sense changes in the cellular environment by binding ligands, such as hormones and growth factors, or reacting to other types of stimuli, such as light. Stimulation of transmembrane receptors leads to their conformational change which propagates the signal to the intracellular environment by activating downstream signaling cascades. Depending on the cellular context, this may impact cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. On the organism level, signal transduction regulates overall growth and behavior.
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) transmit extracellular signals by phosphorylating their protein partners on conserved tyrosine residues. Some of the best studied RTKs are EGFR (reviewed in Avraham and Yarden, 2011), FGFR (reviewed in Eswarakumar et al, 2005), insulin receptor (reviewed in Saltiel and Kahn, 2001), NGF (reviewed in Reichardt, 2006), PDGF (reviewed in Andrae et al, 2008) and VEGF (reviewed in Xie et al, 2004). RTKs frequently activate downstream signaling through RAF/MAP kinases (reviewed in McKay and Morrison, 2007 and Wellbrock et al 2004), AKT (reviewed in Manning and Cantley, 2007) and PLC- gamma (reviewed in Patterson et al, 2005), which ultimately results in changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism.
Receptor serine/threonine kinases of the TGF-beta family, such as TGF-beta receptors (reviewed in Kang et al. 2009) and BMP receptors (reviewed in Miyazono et al. 2009), transmit extracellular signals by phosphorylating regulatory SMAD proteins on conserved serine and threonine residues. This leads to formation of complexes of regulatory SMADs and SMAD4, which translocate to the nucleus where they act as transcription factors.
WNT receptors transmit their signal through beta-catenin. In the absence of ligand, beta-catenin is constitutively degraded in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. WNT receptor stimulation releases beta-catenin from the destruction complex, allowing it to translocate to the nucleus where it acts as a transcriptional regulator (reviewed in MacDonald et al, 2009 and Angers and Moon, 2009). WNT receptors were originally classified as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although they are structurally related, GPCRs primarily transmit their signals through G-proteins, which are trimers of alpha, beta and gamma subunits. When a GPCR is activated, it acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, catalyzing GDP to GTP exchange on the G-alpha subunit of the G protein and its dissociation from the gamma-beta heterodimer. The G-alpha subunit regulates the activity of adenylate cyclase, while the gamma-beta heterodimer can activate AKT and PLC signaling (reviewed in Rosenbaum et al. 2009, Oldham and Hamm 2008, Ritter and Hall 2009).
NOTCH receptors are activated by transmembrane ligands expressed on neighboring cells, which results in cleavage of NOTCH receptor and release of its intracellular domain. NOTCH intracellular domain translocates to the nucleus where it acts as a transcription factor (reviewed in Kopan and Ilagan, 2009).
Integrins are activated by extracellular matrix components, such as fibronectin and collagen, leading to conformational change and clustering of integrins on the cell surface. This results in activation of integrin-linked kinase and other cytosolic kinases and, in co-operation with RTK signaling, regulates survival, proliferation and cell shape and adhesion (reviewed in Hehlgans et al, 2007) .
Besides inducing changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism, extracellular signals that trigger the activation of Rho GTP-ases can trigger changes in the organization of cytoskeleton, thereby regulating cell polarity and cell-cell junctions (reviewed in Citi et al, 2011).