U. Palmer et al., Epidermal growth factor receptor ligands are chemoattractants for normal human mesothelial cells, EUR RESP J, 14(2), 1999, pp. 405-411
Signalling through epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor leads to several
cellular responses including cell division and cell migration. Since EGF re
ceptors are expressed on normal mesothelial cells, this study investigated
whether EGF receptor ligands act as chemoattractants on these cells.
The study used Boyden chambers fitted with filters coated with the adhesive
matrix proteins fibronectin, laminin, collagen type IV and the nonmatrix a
dhesive molecule poly-L-lysine, for the migration studies.
Normal mesothelial cells migrated to EGF receptor ligands such as EGF, tran
sforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha and heparin-binding epidermal growth fac
tor (HB-EGF) at concentrations ranging,0.024-100 ng.mL(-1) (with a peak sti
mulation at 6.25 ng.mL(-1)), if matrix proteins were present as adhesive su
bstrates. This migration was integrin-dependent since the same cells failed
to migrate in the absence of extracellular matrix molecules or when the Bo
yden chamber assay was performed in the presence of anti-beta(1) integrin m
onoclonal antibodies.
These findings describe for the first time epidermal growth factor receptor
ligands acting as chemoattractants on normal mesothelial cells, and that s
ignalling through epidermal growth factor receptors leading to mesothelial
cell migration also requires the activation of integrins.