Steroid receptor regulation of epidermal growth factor signaling through Src in breast and prostate cancer cells: steroid antagonist action

Under conditions of short-term hormone deprivation, epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces DNA synthesis, cytoskeletal changes, and Src activation in MCF-7 and LNCaP cells. These effects are drastically inhibited by pure estradiol or androgen antagonists, implicating a role of the steroid receptors in these findings. Interestingly, EGF triggers rapid association of Src with androgen receptor (AR) and estradiol receptor alpha (ERalpha) in MCF-7 cells or ERbeta in LNCaP cells. Here, we show that, through EGF receptor (EGFR) and erb-B2, EGF induces tyrosine phosphorylation of ER preassociated with AR, thereby triggering the assembly of ER/AR with Src and EGFR. Remarkably, experiments in Cos cells show that this complex stimulates EGF-triggered EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation. In turn, estradiol and androgen antagonists, through the Src-associated receptors, prevent Src activation by EGF and heavily reduce EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation and the subsequent multiple effects, including DNA synthesis and cytoskeletal changes in MCF-7 cells. In addition, knockdown of ERalpha or AR gene by small interfering RNA (siRNA) almost abolishes EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA synthesis in EGF-treated MCF-7 cells. The present findings reveal that steroid receptors have a key role in EGF signaling. EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation, depending on Src, is a part of this mechanism. Understanding of EGF-triggered growth and invasiveness of mammary and prostate cancer cells expressing steroid receptors is enhanced by this report, which reveals novel aspects of steroid receptor action.