The actin binding domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor is required for EGF-stimulated tissue invasion.

NIH-3T3 fibroblasts expressing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) lacking the actin binding domain (ABD) were analyzed for their EGF-induced capacity to invade a bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) monolayer. The fibroblasts display a reduction in the percentage of cytoskeleton-associated EGFRs. Furthermore, EGF-induced tyrosine kinase activity is unaffected by the mutation. Cells expressing the mutant EGFRs hardly invade a BMSC monolayer upon EGF stimulation in contrast to cells expressing wild-type EGFRs. Using the same cells no difference was observed in PDGF-induced invasion, which ligand was as potent in both cell types as EGF was in wild-type cells. Inhibition of both the phosphatidyl inositol-3-kinase (PI-3-K) and lipoxygenase pathways in wild-type cells mimicked the effect of the ABD deletion. Our results point to an important role for the ABD of the EGFR in EGF-induced tissue invasion.