Abstract
Signaling through ErbB family growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases is necessary for the development and homeostasis of a wide variety of tissue types. However, the intensity of receptor-mediated cellular signaling must fall within a precise range; insufficient signaling can lead to developmental abnormalities or tissue atrophy, while over-signaling can lead to hyperplastic and ultimately neoplastic events. While a plethora of mechanisms have been described that regulate downstream signaling events, it appears that cells also utilize various mechanisms to regulate their ErbB receptor levels. Such mechanisms are collectively termed " ErbB receptor quantity control." Notably, studies over the past few years have highlighted roles for post-transcriptional processes, particularly protein degradation, in ErbB quantity control. Here the involvement of ErbB-directed E3 ubiquitin ligases is discussed, including Nrdp1-mediated ErbB3 degradation, ErbB4 degradation mediated by Nedd4 family E3 ligases, and CHIP-mediated ErbB2 degradation. The hypothesis is forwarded that protein degradation-based ErbB quantity control mechanisms play central roles in suppressing receptor overexpression in normal cells, and that the loss of such mechanisms could facilitate the onset or progression of ErbB-dependent tumors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 936-943 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2010 |
Keywords
- Cancer
- Degradation
- E3 ubiqutin ligase
- ErbB receptor
- Ubiquitination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology