ErbB4 expression in neural progenitor cells (ST14A) is necessary to mediate neuregulin-1beta1-induced migration.

Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB4 leads to various cellular responses such as proliferation, survival, differentiation, and chemotaxis. Two pairs of naturally occurring ErbB4 isoforms differing in their juxtamembrane (JMa/JMb) and C termini (cyt1/cyt2) have been described. To examine the role of ErbB4 in neuron migration, we cloned and stably transfected each of the four ErbB4 isoforms in ST14A cells (a neural progenitor cell line derived from the striatum of embryonic day 14 rats) endogenously expressing the other members of the ErbB family: ErbB1, ErbB2, and ErbB3.

Bioactive recombinant neuregulin-1, -2, and -3 expressed in Escherichia coli.

The neuregulins (NRGs) are a family of signaling proteins that are ligands for receptor tyrosine kinase of the ErbB family (namely ErbB3 and ErbB4). To date, four different neuregulin genes have been identified (neuregulin1-4). While NRG1 isoforms have been extensively studied, little is yet known about the other genes of the family.