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Hepassocin activates the EGFR/ERK cascade and induces proliferation of L02 cells through the Src-dependent pathway

Hepassocin (HPS) is a secreted protein with mitogenic activity on primary hepatocytes and protects hepatocytes from chemically-induced injury. Our previous studies showed that HPS stimulates proliferation of hepatocytes in an ERK pathway-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanism of HPS-indu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cellular signalling 2014-10, Vol.26 (10), p.2161-2166
Main Authors: Gao, Ming, Zhan, Yi-Qun, Yu, Miao, Ge, Chang-Hui, Li, Chang-Yan, Zhang, Jian-Hong, Wang, Xiao-Hui, Ge, Zhi-Qiang, Yang, Xiao-Ming
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Language:English
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Summary:Hepassocin (HPS) is a secreted protein with mitogenic activity on primary hepatocytes and protects hepatocytes from chemically-induced injury. Our previous studies showed that HPS stimulates proliferation of hepatocytes in an ERK pathway-dependent manner. However, the molecular mechanism of HPS-induced activation of the ERK pathway remains unclear. In this study, we found that HPS induced the phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the human L02 hepatocyte cell line, and this event was concomitant with the activation of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase Src. Specific inhibition of EGFR kinase activity by gefitinib or down-regulation of EGFR by specific EGFR siRNAs prevented HPS-induced activation of the ERK pathway and proliferation of L02 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of Src activity significantly blocked HPS-induced activation of the EGFR, which was suggestive of a ligand-independent transactivation mechanism of EGFR itself as well as ERK phosphorylation and proliferation of L02 cells. These results indicate that EGFR plays an important role in the mitogenic signaling induced by HPS in L02 cell lines and may further stimulate research on the role of HPS in hepatocytes within biological processes in human health and disease. •Hepassocin stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR in a ligand independent way in L02 cells.•EGFR/ERK pathway mediates hepassocin-induced L02 cells proliferation.•Src phosphorylation is required for the transactivation of EGFR.•Src phosphorylation is necessary for hepassocin-induced L02 cells proliferation.
ISSN:0898-6568
1873-3913
DOI:10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.04.013