Nerve growth factor stimulates proliferation and survival of human breast cancer cells through two distinct signaling pathways

Abstract We show here that the neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF), which has been shown to be a mitogen for breast cancer cells, also stimulates cell survival through a distinct signaling pathway. Breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47-D, BT-20, and MDA-MB-231) were found to express both types of NGF receptors: p140trkA and p75NTR. The two other tyrosine kinase receptors for neurotrophins, TrkB and TrkC, were not expressed. The mitogenic effect of NGF on breast cancer cells required the tyrosine kinase activity of p140trkA as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, but was independent of p75NTR. In contrast, the anti-apoptotic effect of NGF (studied using the ceramide analogue C2) required p75NTR as well as the activation of the transcription factor NF-kB, but neither p140trkA nor MAPK was necessary. Other neurotrophins (BDNF, NT-3, NT-4/5) also induced cell survival, although not proliferation, emphasizing the importance of p75NTR in NGF-mediated survival. Both the pharmacological NF-κB inhibitor SN50, and cell transfection with IkBm, resulted in a diminution of NGF anti-apoptotic effect. These data show that two distinct signaling pathways are required for NGF activity and confirm the roles played by p75NTR and NF-κB in the activation of the survival pathway in breast cancer cells.