Protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation on tyrosine residues are regulated by tyrosine kinases/phosphatases. The tyrosine phosphatase SH-PTP2 (PTP1D, PTP2C) interacts physically through its SH2 domain with phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In KB cells, an oral epidermoid carcinoma, high epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentrations (10-9, 10-8 and 10-7 M) downregulate its receptor for the duration of the incubation with EGF. Thus, it was hypothesized that in KB cells, SH-PTP2 expression would also be downregulated by high EGF concentrations. This hypothesis was investigated by incubating the KB cells with increasing concentrations of EGF (0, 10-11, 10-10, 10-9, 10-8, 10-7 M) and by evaluating the expression of SH-PTP2 protein under these conditions. This study showed that EGF 10-7 and 10-8 M significantly decreased SH-PTP2 protein expression compared to controls. EGF 10-10 and 10-11 M did not change the expression of SH-PTP2 protein. We conclude that high EGF concentrations downregulate the expression of SH-PTP2 protein.

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