Agonists of G protein-coupled receptors, such as thrombin, act in part by t
ransactivating the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR). Although
at first a ligand-independent mechanism for EGFR transactivation was postul
ated, it has recently been shown that this transactivation by various G pro
tein-coupled receptor agonists can involve heparin-binding EGF-like growth
factor (HB-EGF). Because thrombin stimulation of vascular smooth muscle cel
l migration is blocked by heparin and because heparin can displace HB-EGF,
we investigated the possibility that thrombin stimulation of smooth muscle
cells (SMCs) depends on EGFR activation by HB-EGF. In rat SMCs, EGFR phosph
orylation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in res
ponse to thrombin are inhibited not only by the EGFR inhibitor AG1478 and b
y EGFR blocking antibody but also by heparin and by neutralizing HB-EGF ant
ibody. HB-EGF-dependent signaling induced by thrombin is inhibited by batim
astat, which suggests a requirement for pro-HB-EGF shedding by a metallopro
teinase. We further demonstrate that this novel pathway is required for the
migration of rat and baboon SMCs in response to thrombin. We conclude from
these data that the inhibitory effect of heparin on SMC migration induced
by thrombin relies, at least in part, on a blockade of HB-EGF-mediated EGFR
transactivation.