Suzuki, Kaori

Abstract Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling via Smad proteins occurs in various cell types. However, whereas the biological response to TGF-β can be as distinct as growth promoting (i.e., mesenchymal cells) versus growth inhibiting (i.e., epithelial cells), few discernible differences in TGF-β signaling have been reported. In the current study, we examined the role of Ras in the proliferative response to TGF-β and how it might interface with Smad-dependent and Smad-independent TGF-β signaling targets. TGF-β stimulated Ras activity in a subset of mesenchymal, but not epithelial, cultures and was required for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)–dependent transcriptional responses. Although dominant negative Ras had no effect on TGF-β internalization or Smad-dependent signaling (i.e., phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, or SBE-luciferase activity), it did prevent the hyperphosphorylation of the Smad transcriptional corepressor TG-interacting factor (TGIF). This was not sufficient, however, to overcome the mitogenic response stimulated by TGF-β, which was dependent on signals downstream of p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2). Moreover, although the initial activation of Ras and PAK2 are distinctly regulated, TGF-β–stimulated PAK2 activity is required for Ras-dependent ERK phosphorylation and Elk-1 transcription. These findings show the requirement for crosstalk between two Smad-independent pathways in regulating TGF-β proliferation and indicate that the mechanism(s) by which TGF-β stimulates growth is not simply the opposite of its growth inhibitory actions. [Cancer Res 2007;67(8):3673–82]

Abstract Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) stimulates cellular proliferation and transformation to a myofibroblast phenotype in vivo and in a subset of fibroblast cell lines. As the Smad pathway is activated by TGF-β in essentially all cell types, it is unlikely to be the sole mediator of cell type–specific outcomes to TGF-β stimulation. In the current study, we determined that TGF-β receptor signaling activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in several fibroblast but not epithelial cultures independently of Smad2 and Smad3. PI3K activation occurs in the presence of dominant-negative dynamin and is required for p21-activated kinase-2 kinase activity and the increased proliferation and morphologic change induced by TGF-β in vitro.