Signaling the ErbB Receptors in Breast Cancer: Regulation by Compartmentalization of Heterodimetric Receptor Complexes

Abstract

MEKK1 and MEKK4 play a role in the signal transduction pathways of breast cancer cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. Treatment with cancer chemotherapeutics, cell stresses, or anoikis activates MEKK1, which stimulates caspase activity. Caspases cleave MEKK1, and this cleavage product of MEKK1 causes apoptosis. I show that expression of the oncogene Akt blocks MEKK1-induced death by 90%. MEKK1-induced caspase activity is strongly inhibited by the expression of Akt to levels below basal. Caspases inhibition by Akt protects cells from cleavage of endogenous MEKK1 to its active form.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA384607

Entities

People

  • Andrea H. Bild
  • Gary L. Johnson

Organizations

  • University of Colorado Boulder

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomedical Research
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Physiological Processes
  • Cells
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Inhibition
  • Materials
  • Neoplasms
  • Proteins
  • Stem Cells
  • Suppressors

Readers

  • Breast cancer cell signaling and growth regulation.
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).