Protein tyrosine kinase activity is required for oxidant-induced extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase activation and c-fos and c-jun expression.

Hydrogen peroxide stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in growth-arrested vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). One of these proteins was identified as fibroblast growth factor receptor type I (FGFR1). In addition, induced tyrosine phosphorylation of FGFR1 by hydrogen peroxide resulted in complex formation with Grb2. Hydrogen peroxide also caused a time-dependent activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERKs; p42&p44) group of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in VSMC. The time courses of the hydrogen peroxide-stimulated FGFR1 tyrosine phosphorylation and ERKs activation were followed by induced expression of c-fos and c-jun. Genistein, a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, significantly blunted the hydrogen peroxide-induced FGFR1 tyrosine phosphorylation, ERKs activation and c-fos and c-jun expression. PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK1, attenuated the hydrogen peroxide-induced ERKs activation and c-fos and c-jun expression. Together, these results suggest that oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinases and these, in turn, mediate the down-stream signalling events including the recruitment of Grb2 by the receptor, activation of ERKs and induction of c-fos and c-jun expression.