Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), amphiregulin (AR), heregulin (HRG) and cripto-1 (CR-1) are proteins that are structurally and in some cases functionally related to epidermal growth factor (EGF) in that TGF-alpha and AR can bind to the EGF receptor (c-erb B) whereas HRG binds to c-erb B-3 or c-erb B-4. The present studies have demonstrated that MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cells are mitogenically responsive to exogenous EGF, TGF-alpha or AR and that transformation of these cells with a point-mutated c-Ha-ras protooncogene results in an increase in the expression of endogenous TGF-alpha, AR and HRG whereas erb B-2 transformation of these cells results in an upregulation in AR and HRG expression. Furthermore, overexpression of a human TGF-alpha cDNA in these cells leads to their in vitro transformation. Addition of an anti-EGF receptor blocking antibody inhibits the growth of MCF-10A transformed mammary cells suggesting that an external autocrine loop is operative in these cells. Estrogens can increase the expression of TGF-alpha and AR mRNA and protein in estrogen-responsive human breast cancer cell lines. A recombinant CR-1 protein is able to moderately stimulate the proliferation of mouse and human mammary epithelial cells and to inhibit beta-casein and whey acidic protein expression. CR-1 does not directly bind to the EGF receptor nor does it directly activate the c-erb B-2, c-erb B-3 or c-erb B-4 type 1 receptor tyrosine kinases either singularly or in various heterodimeric pairwise combinations. However, CR-1 can rapidly and transiently enhance the tyrosine phosphorylation of p46 Shc and can activate the MAPK isoform, p42erk2. 125I-CR-1 binds to a 135 kDa tyrosine phosphorylated and membrane-associated protein. Protein and mRNA expression for AR and CR-1 have been detected in approximately 50% to 80% of primary and metastatic human colorectal tumors, whereas only 5% of normal adjacent colon or liver tissue express these genes. Likewise,AR and CR-1 were detected in approximately 80% of primary human breast tumors at a level that exceeded the level found in adjacent normal normal mammary epithelium.
| Normanno, Nicola; De Luca, Antonella; Bianco, Caterina et al. (2006) Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in cancer. Gene 366:2-16 |
| Bianco, Caterina; Strizzi, Luigi; Mancino, Mario et al. (2006) Identification of cripto-1 as a novel serologic marker for breast and colon cancer. Clin Cancer Res 12:5158-64 |
| Strizzi, Luigi; Bianco, Caterina; Normanno, Nicola et al. (2005) Cripto-1: a multifunctional modulator during embryogenesis and oncogenesis. Oncogene 24:5731-41 |
| Normanno, N; Bianco, C; Strizzi, L et al. (2005) The ErbB receptors and their ligands in cancer: an overview. Curr Drug Targets 6:243-57 |
| Wechselberger, Christian; Strizzi, Luigi; Kenney, Nicholas et al. (2005) Human Cripto-1 overexpression in the mouse mammary gland results in the development of hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma. Oncogene 24:4094-105 |
| Mechsner, Sylvia; Bartley, Julia; Loddenkemper, Christoph et al. (2005) Oxytocin receptor expression in smooth muscle cells of peritoneal endometriotic lesions and ovarian endometriotic cysts. Fertil Steril 83 Suppl 1:1220-31 |
| Sun, Youping; Lowther, William; Kato, Katsuaki et al. (2005) Notch4 intracellular domain binding to Smad3 and inhibition of the TGF-beta signaling. Oncogene 24:5365-74 |
| Bianco, Caterina; Strizzi, Luigi; Normanno, Nicola et al. (2005) Cripto-1: an oncofetal gene with many faces. Curr Top Dev Biol 67:85-133 |
| Sun, Youping; Strizzi, Luigi; Raafat, Ahmed et al. (2005) Overexpression of human Cripto-1 in transgenic mice delays mammary gland development and differentiation and induces mammary tumorigenesis. Am J Pathol 167:585-97 |
| Bianco, Caterina; Strizzi, Luigi; Ebert, Andreas et al. (2005) Role of human cripto-1 in tumor angiogenesis. J Natl Cancer Inst 97:132-41 |
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