Budget Amount *help |
¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
|
Research Abstract |
We have previously reported that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors are polyubiquitinated as a consequence of ligand binding, and have suggested that the ligand-induced receptor ubiquitination plays a negative regulatory role in mitogenic signaling of the receptor, possible by promoting the efficient degradation of the ligand-activated receptor. In the present study, we have showed that, in addition to the PDGF receptors, the receptors for epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and colony-stimulating factor-1, are also ubiquitinated after ligand stimulation, suggesting that the ligand-induced receptor ubiquitination is a general phenomenon observed in most of the monomeric receptor tyrosine kinases. Furthermore, we have proved that the ligand-activated and polyubiquitinated PDGF receptor is quickly degraded by 26S proteasomes inside the cells, thereby intracellular signaling by the receptor is terminated. Our present study establishes the biological significance of a novel mechanism for down-regulation of signal transduction by the receptor, namely, ligand-induced ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of the monomeric receptor tyrosine kinases.
|