EGF receptor-ligand interaction generates extracellular hydrogen peroxide that inhibits EGFR-associated protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) has been shown to be an important modulator of intracellular phosphatase activity involved in cell signaling pathways, including signaling by members of the receptor tyrosine kinase family of receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Intracellular H(2)O(2) can be generated by mitochondria-dependent pathways, whereas we recently showed that H(2)O(2) could be generated extracellularly by receptor-ligand interaction. Here, we show that H(2)O(2) produced by EGF-EGFR interaction can modulate the activity of intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs).

Hydrogen peroxide generated extracellularly by receptor-ligand interaction facilitates cell signaling.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key components of postreceptor intracellular signaling pathways; however, the role of ROS in signal initiation is uncertain. We discovered that receptor-ligand interaction caused the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Using members of the hematopoietin receptor superfamily, as well as EGF receptor, we show that H2O2 is generated by specific receptor-ligand interaction in cells and in cell-free systems.