Stimulated PI3K-AKT signaling mediated through ligand or radiation-induced EGFR depends indirectly, but not directly, on constitutive K-Ras activity

Abstract

Previous results showed an inducible radiation sensitivityselectivelyobservable for K-RAS-mutated cell lines as a function of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor blockade of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling. Therefore, the role of K-Ras activityfor a direct (i.e., through activation of PI3K by K-Ras) or an indirect stimulation of PI3K-AKT signaling (through K-Ras activity-dependent EGFR ligand production) was investigated bymeans of small interfering RNA and inhibitor approaches as well as ELISA measurements of EGFR ligand production. K-RAS mt tumor cells presented a constitutivelyactivated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 signaling, resulting in enhanced production and secretion of the EGFR ligand amphiregulin (AREG). Medium supernatants conditioned byK-RAS mt tumor cells equallyefficiently stimulated EGFR signaling into the PI3K-AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Knocking down K-Ras expression byspecific small interfering RNA markedlyaffected autocrine production of AREG, but not PI3K-AKT signaling, after treatment of K-RAS-mutated or wild-type cells with EGFR ligands or exposure to ionizing radiation. These results indicate that PI3K-mediated activation of AKT in K-RASmt human tumor cells as a function of EGFR ligand or radiation stimulus is independent of a direct function of K-Ras enzyme activity but depends on a K-Ras-mediated enhanced production of EGFR ligands (i.e., most likely AREG) through up-regulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 signaling. The data provide new differential insight into the importance of K-RAS mutation in the context of PI3K-AKT-mediated radioresistance of EGFR-overexpressing or EGFR-mutated tumors. Copyright © 2007 American Association for Cancer Research.