Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a critical survival factor for mammary epithelial cells. Upon EGF withdrawal mammary epithelial cells undergo apoptosis, a process widely assumed to be a passive cellular response to a lack of growth factor induced survival signalling. Evidence presented in this thesis indicates that growth factor deprivation induced apoptosis is very much an active mechanism regulated by the ErbB receptor binding protein Mitogen inducible gene 6 (Mig6). The results show that Mig6 acts as an intracellular sensor of Epidermal Growth Factor receptor (EGFR) inactivation that in conditions of EGF deprivation induces mammary epithelial cell apoptosis by directly interacting with and activating cellular Abelson (c-Abl) tyrosine kinase. These findings implicate a role for Mig6 in the regulation of growth factor independent cell survival, a characteristic of many cancers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:625759 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Hopkins, S. J. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1338494/ |
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