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(American Journal of Pathology. 2006;169:268-278.)
© 2006 American Society for Investigative Pathology
DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2006.050841

Protease-Activated Receptor-2 Activation in Gastric Cancer Cells Promotes Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Trans-Activation and Proliferation

Roberta Caruso^*, Francesco Pallone^*, Daniele Fina^*, Valentina Gioia^*, Ilaria Peluso^*, Flavio Caprioli^*, Carmine Stolfi^*, Alessandra Perfetti, Luigi Giusto Spagnoli, Giampiero Palmieri, Thomas T. MacDonald and Giovanni Monteleone^*

From the Department of Internal Medicine and the Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases^* and the Pathological Anatomy Unit, University "Tor Vergata" of Rome, Rome, Italy; and the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom

Dysregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is involved in gastric cancer (GC) cell growth. However, the mechanism that sustains EGFR signaling in GC remains unknown. Since protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), a G protein-coupled receptor, has been shown to trans-activate EGFR in several cell types, we examined the role of PAR-2 in GC. We show here that in vitro activation of PAR-2 enhances the growth of two GC cell lines, AGS and MKN28. In both these cell lines, PAR-2 trans-activated EGFR and inhibition of EGFR tyrosine kinase activity by AG1478 or specific EGFR siRNA completely prevented PAR-2-driven proliferation. Antibody blockade of EGF-like ligands to EGFR did not modify EGFR signaling or cell growth induced by PAR-2 activation. In contrast, PAR-2 promoted Src activation and interaction of this kinase with EGFR. In support of this, inhibition of Src kinase activity by PP1 or siRNA blocked PAR-2-induced EGFR signaling cascade and cell growth. Finally, PAR-2 was detectable in both normal and GC specimens, but its expression was more pronounced in GC than controls and correlated with activated EGFR. These data show that PAR-2 is overexpressed in GC and suggest a role of PAR-2 in EGFR trans-activation and cell growth.

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