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Molecular and Cellular Biology, August 2000, p. 5974-5985, Vol. 20, No. 16
Glaxo Institute of Applied Pharmacology,
Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2
1QJ, United Kingdom
Received 19 January 2000/Returned for modification 15 March
2000/Accepted 17 May 2000
The opposing effects on proliferation mediated by G-protein-coupled
receptor isoforms differing in their COOH termini could be correlated
with the abilities of the receptors to differentially activate p38,
implicated in apoptotic events, or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI
3-K), which provides a source of survival signals. These contrasting
growth responses of the somatostatin sst2 receptor isoforms, which couple to identical G
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Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Receptor Isoforms Mediate Opposing Proliferative
Effects through G

-Activated p38 or Akt Pathways
subunit pools
(G
i3 > G
i2 >> G
0),
were both inhibited following 
sequestration. The
sst2(a) receptor-mediated ATF-2 activation and inhibition
of proliferation induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were
dependent on prolonged phosphorylation of p38. In contrast, cell
proliferation and the associated transient phosphorylation of Akt and
p70rsk induced by sst2(b) receptors
were blocked by the PI 3-K inhibitor LY 294002. Stimulation with bFGF
alone had no effect on the activity of either p38 or Akt but markedly
enhanced p38 phosphorylation mediated by sst2(a) receptors,
suggesting that a complex interplay exists between the transduction
cascades activated by these distinct receptor types. In addition,
although all receptors mediated a sustained activation of extracellular
signal-regulated kinases (ERK1 and ERK2), induction of the tumor
suppressor p21cip1 was detected only following
amplification of ERK and p38 phosphorylation by concomitant bFGF and
sst2(a) receptor activation. Expression of constitutively
active Akt in the presence of a p38 inhibitor enabled a proliferative
response to be detected in sst2(a) receptor-expressing cells. These findings demonstrate that the duration of activation and a
critical balance between the mitogen-activated protein kinase and PI
3-K pathways are important for controlling cell proliferation and that
the COOH termini of the sst2 receptor isoforms may
determine the selection of appropriate 
-pairings necessary for
interaction with distinct kinase cascades.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Glaxo Institute
of Applied Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge CB2 1QJ, United Kingdom. Phone:
44 1223 334 177. Fax: 44 1223 334 178. E-mail:
wtem15797{at}glaxowellcome.co.uk.
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