Activation of HER-2/neu leads to multiple signalling cascades and plays a vital role in cell survival and growth. We used a signal transduction antibody array to characterize the tyrosine phosphorylation profiles in heregulin (HRG α1)-treated BT474 breast cancer cells, and identified a group of 80 molecules in which tyrosine phosphorylation was highly regulated by HRG-enhanced HER-2/neu signalling. These phosphoproteins included many known HER-2/neu-regulated molecules (e.g., SHC, Akt, Syk and Stat1) and proteins that had not been previously linked to HER-2/neu signalling, such as Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), apoptosis repressor with CARD domain (ARC), and the tumour suppressor, protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A). Pharmacological inhibition with HER-2 inhibitor AG825, PI3K inhibitor LY294002, MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98095, and p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 confirmed that PP2A phosphorylation was modulated by the complicated, HER-2/neu-driven downstream signal network, with the PI3K and MEK1/2 positively, while the p38MAPK negatively regulating its tyrosine phosphorylation. In breast tumour specimens, expression of tyrosine-phosphorylated PP2A (pY307-PP2A) was highly increased in the HER-2/neu positive breast tumours, and significantly correlated to tumour progression, thus enhancing its potential prognostic value. Our data provide meaningful information in the elucidation of the HER-2-driven tyrosine phosphorylation network, and in the development of phosphopeptide-related targets as prognostication indicators.

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