Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and EGF receptor degradation in cells expressing EGF receptors truncated at residue 973.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins was examined in cells expressing wild-type (WT-EGFR) EGF receptors or EGF receptors truncated at residue 973 (973-EGFR). A much broader spectrum of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins was found following EGF treatment of 973-EGFR expressing cells compared with cells expressing wild-type receptors. Several additional ras GTPase activating protein-associated tyrosine phosphorylated proteins were found in EGF-treated 973-EGFR cells relative to WT-EGFR cells. Additional tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were also found to co-immunoprecipitate with phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) following EGF treatment of cells expressing 973-EGFR relative to cells expressing WT-EGFR. EGF-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 was found in cells expressing WT-EGFR, but not in cells expressing 973-EGFR. WT-EGF receptor from EGF-treated cells bound well to bacterially expressed src homology (SH) regions of PLC gamma 1 and to a lesser extent to bacterially expressed GTPase activating protein SH regions. No binding of 973-EGF receptor to SH regions of either protein could be detected. EGF treatment greatly reduced the half-life of WT-EGFR, but had relatively little effect on the half-life of 973-EGFR. EGF induced internalization of 973-EGFR at a slower rate than WT-EGFR and caused the appearance of discrete receptor degradation products for both cell types. The data indicate that truncation of the EGF receptor at residue 973 alters receptor substrate specificity, decreases the rate of receptor internalization, and has an inhibitory effect on receptor degradation.