Ultraviolet irradiation can induce evasion of colon cancer cells from stimulation of epidermal growth factor

Receptor down-regulation is the most prominent regulatory system of EGF receptor (EGFR) signal attenuation and a critical target for therapy against colon cancer, which is highly dependent on the function of the EGFR. In this study, we investigated the effect of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) on down-regulation of EGFR in human colon cancer cells (SW480, HT29, and DLD-1). UV-C caused inhibition of cell survival and proliferation, concurrently inducing the decrease in cell surface EGFR and subsequently its degradation. UV-C, as well as EGFR kinase inhibitors, decreased the expression level of cyclin D1 and the phosphorylated level of retinoblastoma, indicating that EGFR down-regulation is correlated to cell cycle arrest. Although UV-C caused a marked phosphorylation of EGFR at Ser-1046/1047, UV-C also induced activation of p38 MAPK, a stress-inducible kinase believed to negatively regulate tumorigenesis, and the inhibition of p38 MAPK canceled EGFR phosphorylation at Ser-1046/1047, as well as subsequent internalization and degradation, suggesting that p38 MAPK mediates EGFR down-regulation by UV-C. In addition, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK induced by UV-C was mediated through transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase-1. Moreover, pretreatment of the cells with UV-C suppressed EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR at tyrosine residues in addition to cell survival signal, Akt. Together, these results suggest that UV-C irradiation induces the removal of EGFRs from the cell surface that can protect colon cancer cells from oncogenic stimulation of EGF, resulting in cell cycle arrest. Hence, UV-C might be applied for clinical strategy against human colon cancers.     

Sustained mitogen-activated protein kinase activation is induced by transforming erbB receptor complexes.

We used a genetic approach to characterize features of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation occurring as a consequence of expression of distinct erbB receptor combinations in transformed human cells. Kinase-deficient erbB proteins reduced epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous Shc proteins and also reduced immediate and sustained EGF-induced ERK MAPK activities in human glioblastoma cells, although basal ERK MAPK activities were unaffected. Basal and EGF-induced JNK and p38 MAPK kinase activities were equivalent in parental cancer cells and EGFR-inhibited subclones. When ectopically overexpressed in murine fibroblasts and human glioblastoma cells, a constitutively activated human EGF receptor oncoprotein (deltaEGFR) induced EGF-independent elevation of basal ERK MAPK activity. Basal JNK MAPK kinase activity was also specifically induced by deltaEGFR, which correlated with increased phosphorylation of a 54-kDa JNK2 protein observed in deltaEGFR-containing cells. The JNK activities in response to DNA damage were comparably increased in cells containing wildtype EGFR or deltaEGFR. Consistent with the notion that transforming erbB complexes induce sustained and unregulated MAPK activities, coexpression of p185(neu) and EGFR proteins to levels sufficient to transform murine fibroblasts also resulted in prolonged EGF-induced ERK in vitro kinase activation. Transforming erbB complexes, including EGFR homodimers, deltaEGFR homodimers, and p185(neu)/EGFR heterodimers, appear to induce sustained, unattenuated activation of MAPK activities that may contribute to increased transformation and resistance to apoptosis in primary human glioblastoma cells.     

Aplidin induces apoptosis in human cancer cells via glutathione depletion and sustained activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor,Src, JNK,and p38 MAPK

We report that Aplidin, a novel antitumor agent of marine origin presently undergoing Phase II clinical trials, induced growth arrest and apoptosis in human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells at nanomolar concentrations. Aplidin induced a specific cellular stress response program, including sustained activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinase Src, and the serine/threonine kinases JNK and p38 MAPK. Aplidin-induced apoptosis was only partially blocked by the general caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-VAD-fluoromethyl ketone and was also sensitive to AG1478 (an EGFR inhibitor), PP2 (an Src inhibitor), and SB203580 (an inhibitor of JNK and p38 MAPK) in MDA-MB-231 cells. Supporting a role for EGFR in Aplidin action, EGFR-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts underwent apoptosis upon treatment more slowly than wild-type EGFR fibroblasts and also showed delayed JNK and reduced p38 MAPK activation. N-Acetylcysteine and ebselen (but not other antioxidants such as diphenyleneiodonium, Tiron, catalase, ascorbic acid, and vitamin E) reduced EGFR activation by Aplidin. N-Acetylcysteine and PP2 also partially inhibited JNK and p38 MAPK activation. The intracellular level of GSH affected Aplidin action; pretreatment of cells with GSH or N-acetylcysteine inhibited, whereas GSH depletion caused, hyperinduction of EGFR, Src, JNK, and p38 MAPK. Remarkably, Aplidin also induced apoptosis and activated EGFR, JNK, and p38 MAPK in two cell lines (A-498 and ACHN) derived from human renal cancer, a neoplasia that is highly refractory to chemotherapy. These data provide a molecular basis for the anticancer activity of Aplidin.     

LTB4 stimulates growth of human pancreatic cancer cells via MAPK and PI-3 kinase pathways

We have previously shown the importance of LTB4 in human pancreatic cancer. LTB4 receptor antagonists block growth and induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we investigated the effect of LTB4 on proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells and the mechanisms involved. LTB4 stimulated DNA synthesis and proliferation of both PANC-1 and AsPC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells, as measured by thymidine incorporation and cell number. LTB4 stimulated rapid and transient activation of MEK and ERK1/2 kinases. The MEK inhibitors, PD98059 and U0126, blocked LTB4-stimulated ERK1/2 activation and cell proliferation. LTB4 also stimulated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK; however, the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, failed to block LTB4-stimulated growth. The activity of JNK/SAPK was not affected by LTB4 treatment. Phosphorylation of Akt was also induced by LTB4 and this effect was blocked by the PI-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin, which also partially blocked LTB4-stimulated cell proliferation. In conclusion, LTB4 stimulates proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells through MEK/ERK and PI-3 kinase/Akt pathways, while p38 MPAK and JNK/SAPK are not involved.     

Differential Roles of Grb2 and AP‐2 in p38 MAPK‐ and EGF‐Induced EGFR Internalization

The epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) is an important regulator of normal growth and differentiation, and it is involved in the pathogenesis of many cancers. Endocytic downregulation is central in terminating EGFR signaling after ligand stimulation. It has been shown that p38 MAPK activation also can induce EGFR endocytosis. This endocytosis lacks many of the characteristics of ligand‐induced EGFR endocytosis. We compared the two types of endocytosis with regard to the requirements for proteins in the internalization machinery. Both types of endocytosis require clathrin, but while epidermal growth factor (EGF) ‐induced EGFR internalization also required Grb 2 , p38 MAPK ‐induced internalization did not. Interestingly , AP ‐2 knock down blocked p38 MAPK ‐induced EGFR internalization, but only mildly affected EGF ‐induced internalization. In line with this, simultaneously mutating two AP ‐2 interaction sites in EGFR affected p38 MAPK ‐induced internalization much more than EGF ‐induced EGFR internalization. Thus, it seems that EGFR in the two situations uses different sets of internalization mechanisms.     

EGFR Tyrosine 845 Phosphorylation-Dependent Proliferation and Transformation of Breast Cancer Cells Require Activation of p38 MAPK

Phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tyrosine 845 by c-Src has been shown to be important for cell proliferation and migration in several model systems. This cross talk between EGFR and Src family kinases (SFKs) is one mechanism for resistance to EGFR inhibitors both in cell models and in the clinic. Here, we show that phosphorylation of tyrosine 845 on EGFR is required for proliferation and transformation using several cell models of breast cancer. Overexpression of EGFR-Y845F or treating cells with the SFK inhibitor dasatinib abrogated tyrosine 845 phosphorylation, yet had little to no effect on other EGFR phosphorylation sites or EGFR kinase activity. Abrogation of Y845 phosphorylation inhibited cell proliferation and transformation, even though extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt remained active under these conditions. Importantly, cotransfection of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase 3 and p38 MAPK restored cell proliferation in the absence of EGFR tyrosine 845 phosphorylation. Taken together, these data demonstrate a novel role for p38 MAPK signaling downstream of EGFR tyrosine 845 phosphorylation in the regulation of breast cancer cell proliferation and transformation and implicate SFK inhibitors as a potential therapeutic mechanism for overcoming EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in breast cancer.     

Involvement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells

In this study, we investigated the involvement of Akt and members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) superfamily, including ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK, in gemcitabine-induced cytotoxicity in human pancreatic cancer cells. We found that gemcitabine induces apoptosis in PK-1 and PCI-43 human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Gemcitabine specifically activated p38 MAPK in a dose- and time-dependent manner. A selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, significantly inhibited gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in both cell lines, suggesting that phosphorylation of p38 MAPK may play a key role in gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. A selective JNK inhibitor, SP600125, failed to inhibit gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in both cell lines. MKK3/6, an upstream activator of p38 MAPK, was phosphorylated by gemcitabine, indicating that the MKK3/6-p38 MAPK signaling pathway is indeed involved in gemcitabine-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, gemcitabine-induced cleavage of the caspase substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase was inhibited by pretreatment with SB203580, suggesting that activation of p38 MAPK by gemcitabine induces apoptosis through caspase signaling. These results together suggest that gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells is mediated by the MKK3/6-p38 MAPK-caspase signaling pathway. Further, these results lead us to suggest that p38 MAPK should be investigated as a novel molecular target for human pancreatic cancer therapies.     

Chk1 inhibition activates p53 through p38 MAPK in tetraploid cancer cells

We have previously shown that tetraploid cancer cells succumb through a p53-dependent apoptotic pathway when checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is depleted by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or inhibited with 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01). Here, we demonstrate that the Chk1 inhibition results in the activating phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Depletion of p38 MAPK by transfection with a siRNA targeting the α isoform of p38 MAPK (p38α MAPK) abolishes the phosphorylation of p53 on serines 15 and 46 that is induced by Chk1 knockdown. The siRNA-mediated downregulation and pharmacological inhibition of p38α MAPK (with SB 203580) also reduces cell death induced by Chk1 knockdown or UCN-01. These results underscore the role of p38 MAPK as a pro-apoptotic kinase in the p53-dependant pathway for the therapeutic elimination of polyploidy cells.     

Tumor necrosis factor inhibits ligand-stimulated EGF receptor activation through a TNF receptor 1-dependent mechanism

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are key regulators in the intricate balance maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Previous work from our laboratory shows that TNF attenuates ligand-driven EGF receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation in intestinal epithelial cells. To identify the mechanisms underlying this effect, we examined EGFR phosphorylation in cells lacking individual TNF receptors. TNF attenuated EGF-stimulated EGFR phosphorylation in wild-type and TNFR2(-/-), but not TNFR1(-/-), mouse colon epithelial (MCE) cells. Reexpression of wild-type TNFR1 in TNFR1(-/-) MCE cells rescued TNF-induced EGFR inhibition, but expression of TNFR1 deletion mutant constructs lacking the death domain (DD) of TNFR1 did not, implicating this domain in EGFR downregulation. Blockade of p38 MAPK, but not MEK, activation of ERK rescued EGF-stimulated phosphorylation in the presence of TNF, consistent with the ability of TNFR1 to stimulate p38 phosphorylation. TNF promoted p38-dependent EGFR internalization in MCE cells, suggesting that desensitization is achieved by reducing receptor accessible to ligand. Taken together, these data indicate that TNF activates TNFR1 by DD- and p38-dependent mechanisms to promote EGFR internalization, with potential impact on EGF-induced proliferation and migration key processes that promote healing in inflammatory intestinal diseases.     

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Mediates ICAM-1-Dependent Monocyte Adhesion through p38 MAPK and p42/p44 MAPK-Dependent Akt Activation

Up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is frequently implicated in lung inflammation. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has been shown to play a key role in inflammation via adhesion molecules induction, and then causes lung injury. However, the mechanisms underlying S1P-induced ICAM-1 expression in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs) remain unclear. The effect of S1P on ICAM-1 expression was determined by Western blot and real-time PCR. The involvement of signaling pathways in these responses was investigated by using the selective pharmacological inhibitors and transfection with siRNAs. S1P markedly induced ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion which were attenuated by pretreatment with the inhibitor of S1PR1 (W123), S1PR3 (CAY10444), c-Src (PP1), EGFR (AG1478), PDGFR (AG1296), MEK1/2 (U0126), p38 MAPK (SB202190), JNK1/2 (SP600125), PI3K (LY294002), or AP-1 (Tanshinone IIA) and transfection with siRNA of S1PR1, S1PR3, c-Src, EGFR, PDGFR, p38, p42, JNK1, c-Jun, or c-Fos. We observed that S1P-stimulated p42/p44 MAPK and p38 MAPK activation was mediated via a c-Src/EGFR and PDGFR-dependent pathway. S1P caused the c-Src/EGFR/PDGFR complex formation. On the other hand, we demonstrated that S1P induced p42/p44 MAPK and p38 MAPK-dependent Akt activation. In addition, S1P-stimulated JNK1/2 phosphorylation was attenuated by SP600125 or PP1. Finally, S1P enhanced c-Fos mRNA levels and c-Jun phosphorylation. S1P-induced c-Jun activation was reduced by PP1, AG1478, AG1296, U0126, SP600125, SB202190, or LY294002. These results demonstrated that S1P-induced ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion were mediated through S1PR1/3/c-Src/EGFR, PDGFR/p38 MAPK, p42/p44 MAPK/Akt-dependent AP-1 activation.     

UV-radiation-induced internalization of the epidermal growth factor receptor requires distinct serine and tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic carboxy-terminal domain

The mechanism of UV-radiation-induced EGF receptor (EGFR) internalization remains to be established. In the present study, we found UV-radiation-mediated internalization of the EGFR to be dependent on the cytoplasmic carboxy-terminal region. UV radiation was unable to induce internalization of EGFR carboxy-terminal truncation mutants where all or four of the five major autophosphorylation sites were missing (963- and 1028-EGFR, respectively). Mutational removal of serine residues 1046, 1047, 1057 and 1142 within the carboxy-terminal receptor region was also sufficient to abolish UV-radiation-induced internalization of the EGFR. Furthermore, the UV-radiation-induced internalization was abrogated for an EGFR mutated in tyrosine 1045 (Y1045F), the major c-Cbl binding site. However, UV radiation did not induce phosphorylation at tyrosine 1045, in contrast to the prominent phosphorylation induced by EGF. Our results suggest a mechanism for UV-radiation-induced internalization of EGFR involving a conformational change that is dependent on structural elements formed by specific serine and tyrosine residues in the carboxy-terminal domain.     

Up-regulation of Rac1 by epidermal growth factor mediates COX-2 expression in recurrent respiratory papillomas

Recurrent respiratory papillomas are epithelial tumors of the airway caused by human papillomaviruses. We previously reported that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in papilloma cells, that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced, and that COX-2 expression in primary papilloma cells requires activation of the EGFR but not Erk. Rac1, a member of the Rho family of GTPases, is a key signaling element that is known to control multiple pathways downstream of the EGFR. Here we report that Rac1 is overexpressed in papilloma cells compared with normal laryngeal epithelial cells and that the increased levels of Rac1 are mediated by EGFR activation. Transfecting cells with Rac1-specific siRNA suppressed COX-2 expression. Surprisingly, Rac1 mediated phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated kinase in papilloma cells but not normal cells, and inhibition of p38 with the specific inhibitor SB202190 suppressed COX-2 expression in papilloma cells but had no effect on low-level COX-2 expression in normal cells. Thus, the signaling cascades that regulate COX-2 expression are different in HPV-infected papilloma cells, with a significant contribution by the EGFR-- Rac1-->p38 pathway.     

SDF-1α upregulation of MMP-2 is mediated by p38 MAPK signaling in pancreatic cancer cell lines

Pancreatic cancer is highly invasive and is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) is a G protein-coupled receptor for CXC chemokine ligand 12/stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), a member of a large family of small, structurally related, heparin-binding chemokine proteins. SDF-1α/CXCR4 plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. SDF-1α and CXCR4 are upregulated in many tumors, including pancreatic cancer tissues, and preliminary data indicate that the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in tumor invasion. However, their precise role and the mechanism through which they function remain largely unknown. In this study, analysis of SDF-1α, CXCR4 and MMP-2 expression in pancreatic cancer and adjacent tissue samples from ten patients revealed that all three proteins are overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer. SDF-1α induced MMP-2 and MMP-9 upregulation in PANC-1 and SW-1990 cells, which was associated with increased pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, SDF-1α induced p38 phosphorylation and p38 inhibition reduced both the level of SDF-1α-stimulated MMP-2 expression and PANC-1 cell invasion. Overall, our results demonstrate that SDF-1α/CXCR4 upregulates MMP-2 expression and induces pancreatic cancer cell invasion in PANC-1 and SW-1990 cell lines by activating p38 MAPK.     

Induction of autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by SB203580 requires activation of AMPK and DAPK but not p38 MAPK

SB203580 is a well-known inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, it can suppress cell proliferation in a p38 MAPK independent manner. The inhibitory mechanism remains unknown. Here, we showed that SB203580 induced autophagy in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. SB203580 increased GFP-LC3-positive cells with GFP-LC3 dots, induced accumulation of autophagosomes, and elevated the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 and Beclin 1. It stimulated the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and p53, but inhibited the phosphorylation of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK). Inhibition of AMPK, p53, or DAPK attenuated SB203580-induced autophagy. AMPK activation appeared to predate the DAPK signal. The activation of both AMPK and DAPK prompted the phosphorylation of p53 and enhanced Beclin 1 expression. Neither the downregulation of p38 MAPK by its siRNA or chemical inhibitor nor the upregulation of p38 MAPK by p38 MAPK DNA transfection affected B203580-induced autophagy. Collectively, the findings demonstrate a novel function of SB203580 to induce autophagy via activating AMPK and DAPK but independent of p38 MAPK. The induction of autophagy can thus account for the antiproliferative effect of SB203580 in HCC cells.     

The greater lethality of UVB radiation to cultured human cells is associated with the specific activation of a DNA damage-independent signaling pathway

UV radiation causes cell death through the activation of various intracellular signaling molecules in both DNA damage-dependent and -independent manners. The ability of middle-wavelength UV (UVB) radiation to form DNA photoproducts is less than that of short-wavelength UV (UVC) radiation; however, the differences between UVB and UVC radiation in the extent of DNA damage-independent signaling and its contribution to cell death have not been well characterized. When cells were irradiated with UVB or UVC radiation at doses that generated equivalent amounts of DNA photoproducts, UVB radiation induced more clonogenic cell death, apoptotic cells, mitochondrial cytochrome C release, and intracellular oxidative stress. Among the signaling molecules examined, levels of p53 phosphorylated at Ser-392 and p38 were higher in UVB-irradiated cells than in UVC-irradiated cells. Both phosphorylations were reduced by treating cells with an antioxidant. Furthermore, an inhibitor of p38 also blocked the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser-392. These results suggest that UVB radiation activates the p38 pathway through the generation of oxidative stress, which merges with the DNA p53 pathway by phosphorylation of p53 at ser392. This greater contribution of the DNA damage-independent pathway in UVB-irradiated cells may explain the greater lethality of UVB radiation.     

PPM1D exerts its oncogenic properties in human pancreatic cancer through multiple mechanisms

Protein phosphatase, Mg²⁺/Mn²⁺ dependent, 1D (PPM1D) is emerging as an oncogene by virtue of its negative control on several tumor suppressor pathways. However, the clinical significance of PPM1D in pancreatic cancer (PC) has not been defined. In this study, we determined PPM1D expression in human PC tissues and cell lines and their irrespective noncancerous controls. We subsequently investigated the functional role of PPM1D in the migration, invasion, and apoptosis of MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 PC cells in vitro and explored the signaling pathways involved. Furthermore, we examined the role of PPM1D in PC tumorigenesis in vivo. Our results showed that PPM1D is overexpressed in human PC tissues and cell lines and significantly correlated with tumor growth and metastasis. PPM1D promotes PC cell migration and invasion via potentiation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway through downregulation of apoptosis-stimulating of p53 protein 2 (ASPP2). In contrast to PPM1D, our results showed that ASPP2 is downregulated in PC tissues. Additionally, PPM1D suppresses PC cell apoptosis via inhibition of the p38 MAPK/p53 pathway through both dephosphorylation of p38 MAPK and downregulation of ASPP2. Furthermore, PPM1D promotes PC tumor growth in vivo. Our results demonstrated that PPM1D is an oncogene in PC.     

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition through MSX2 induction on pancreatic cancer cell line

In our study, we found that bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) has a novel effect as an inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) on Panc-1 cells, a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line. BMP4-treated Panc-1 cells showed loose cell contacts and a scattered, fibroblast-like appearance along with E-cadherin downregulation, Vimentin upregulation and enhanced cell migration, which are characteristic of EMT. BMP4 treatment also induced homeobox gene MSX2 expression, which we previously showed to be associated with EMT in pancreatic carcinoma cells. BMP4 treatment activated the Smad signaling pathway, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathways in these cells. MSX2 was markedly induced by BMP4 through the ERK and p38 MAPK pathways in collaboration with the Smad signaling pathway. The repression of E-cadherin, induction of Vimentin and enhanced cell migration disappeared when siRNA-based MSX2 downregulated pancreatic cancer cells were treated with BMP4. These findings indicate that BMP4 may be involved in pancreatic carcinoma development through the promotion of EMT and that MSX2 is indispensable to this process.     

Nitric oxide-induced epidermal growth factor-dependent phosphorylations in A431 tumour cells.

Nitric oxide (NO*) strongly inhibits the proliferation of human A431 tumour cells. It also inhibits tyrosine phosphorylation of a 170-kDa band corresponding to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and induces the phosphorylation at tyrosine residue(s) of a 58-kDa protein which we have denoted NOIPP-58 (nitric oxide-induced 58-kDa phosphoprotein). The NO*-induced phosphorylation of NOIPP-58 is strictly dependent on the presence of EGF. Phosphorylation of NOIPP-58 and inhibition of the phosphorylation of the band corresponding to EGFR are both cGMP-independent processes. We also demonstrate that the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway is activated by NO* in the absence and presence of EGF, whereas the activity of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) pathways are not significantly affected or are slightly decreased, respectively, on addition of this agent. Moreover, we show that the p38MAPK inhibitor, SB202190, induces rapid vanadate/peroxovanadate-sensitive dephosphorylation of prephosphorylated EGFR and NOIPP-58. We propose that the dephosphorylation of both NOIPP-58 and EGFR are mediated by a p38MAPK-controlled phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase (PYPP). Activation of the p38MAPK pathway during nitrosative stress probably prevents the operation of this PYPP, allowing NOIPP-58, and in part EGFR, to remain phosphorylated and therefore capable of generating signalling events.