EGFR and its mutant EGFRvIII as modulators of tumor cell radiosensitivity

Abstract Purpose: Exposure of human carcinoma and malignant glioma cells to ionizing radiation (IR)activates EGFR,which as a consequence mediates a cytoprotective response. We have demonstrated that expression of a dominant negative mutant, EGFR-CD533 disrupts this cytoprotective response, resulting in significant radiosensitization. During studies of in vivo radiosensitization with intratumoral delivery of the Adenovirus (Ad) vector, Ad-EGFR-CD533, it became apparent that xenografts from human carcinoma and malignant glioma cells invariably expressed the constitutively active EGFR mutant, EGFRvIII. This mutant EGFRvIII is frequently found in vivo in glioblastoma, breast, prostate, lung and ovarian carcinoma, but does not appear to be expressed in tumor cells under in vitro conditions. The functional consequences of EGFRvIII expression on tumor cell radiation responses are currently unknown. We have therefore investigated in a transient transfection cell system the responses of EGFRvIII and downstream signal transduction pathways to IR. In addition, the capacity of EGFR-CD533 to disrupt the function of EGFRvIII was tested. Materials and Methods: The MDA-MB-231, U-87 MG and U-373 MG cell lines were established as tumors and then intratumorally transduced with Ad-EGFR-CD533 or Ad-LacZ (control vector). The transduction efficiency was > 40% in MDA-MB-231 tumors and reached > 70% in the glioma xenografts. Radiosensitivity was measured by ex vivo colony formation and growth delay assays. The functional consequences of EGFRvIII expression on cellular IR responses were studied in transiently transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells because tumor cells do not express EGFRvIII in vitro . Transfection with null vectors and vectors encoding either EGFRvIII or EGFR were performed and similar protein expression levels were verified by Western blot analyses. Results: The radiosensitivity of Ad-EGFR-CD533 transduced tumors was significantly increased compared with Ad-LacZ transduced tumors for MDA-MB-231 and U-87 MG tumors, with dose enhancement ratios of 1.9. U-373 MG tumors expressing EGFR-CD533 demonstrated a 4-fold increase in the tumor doubling time after IR (3 x 3 Gy) compared with LacZ transduced tumors. EGF treatment activated EGFR, as quantified by tyrosine phosphorylation (Tyr-P) and mediated activation of its downstream target mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), but had no effect on EGFRvIII. In contrast, IR stimulated a 4-fold increase in Tyr-P of EGFRvIII, resulting in a maximum 9-fold activation of MAPK and a 3-fold activation of the PI3K signal transduction pathway. A specific tyrphostin inhibitor of EGFR and EGFRvIII, AG1478, reduced the radiation-induced activation of MAPK and PI3K to a maximum of 2-fold, similar to the activation profile observed in CHO cells transfected with null vectors. Colony formation and cell growth assays verified that cells expressing EGFRvIII are markedly protected against the cytotoxic effects of IR. Finally, Ad-EGFR-CD533 transduction of U-373 MG cells expressing EGFRvIII significantly reduced basal Tyr-P and IR-induced activation of EGFRvIII. Conclusion: The effects of in vivo expression of constitutively active EGFRvIII on cellular radiosensitivity have not previously been considered. We demonstrate here that expression of EGFRvIII enhances the relative radioresistance of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo . This resistance is mediated by the significantly greater radiation-induced activation of EGFRvIII relative to EGFR and as a consequence a greater stimulation of both the MAPK and PI3K cytoprotective pathways. Importantly, the genetic disruption of EGFR function by expression of EGFR-CD533 is equally effective with either EGFR or EGFRvIII.