Blockade of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase suppresses tumorigenesis in MMTVyNeu 1 MMTVyTGF-a bigenic mice

Overexpression of ErbB-2yNeu has been causally associated with mammary epithelial transformation. Here we report that blockade of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase with AG-1478 markedly delays breast tumor formation in mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)yNeu 1 MMTVytransforming growth factor a bigenic mice. This delay was associated with inhibition of EGFR and Neu signaling, reduction of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) and mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) activities and cyclin D1, and an increase in the levels of the Cdk inhibitor p27Kip1. In addition, BrdUrd incorporation into tumor cell nuclei was prevented with no signs of tumor cell apoptosis. These observations prompted us to investigate the stability of p27. Recombinant p27 was degraded rapidly in vitro by untreated but not by AG-1478-treated tumor lysates. Proteasome depletion of the tumor lysates, addition of the specific MEK1y2 inhibitor U-0126, or a T187A mutation in recombinant p27 all prevented p27 degradation. Cdk2 and MAPK precipitates from untreated tumor lysates phosphorylated recombinant wild-type p27 but not the T187A mutant in vitro. Cdk2 and MAPK precipitates from AG-1478treated tumors were unable to phosphorylate p27 in vitro. These data suggest that increased signaling by ErbB receptors up-regulates MAPK activity, which, in turn, phosphorylates and destabilizes p27, thus contributing to dysregulated cell cycle progression.