Peripheral cord insertion is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome only when accompanied by clinically significant placental pathology

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between umbilical cord insertion site, placental pathology and adverse pregnancy outcome in a cohort of normal and complicated pregnancies.

METHODS

Sonographic measurement of the cord insertion and detailed placental pathology were performed in 309 participants. Associations between cord insertion site, placental pathology and adverse pregnancy outcome (pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age) were examined.

RESULTS

A total of 93 (30%) participants were identified by pathological examination to have a peripheral cord insertion site. Only 41 of the 93 (44%) peripheral cords were detected by prenatal ultrasound. Peripherally inserted cords were associated significantly (P < 0.0001) with diagnostic placental pathology (most commonly with maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM)); of which 85% had an adverse pregnancy outcome. In cases of isolated peripheral cords, without placental pathology, the incidence of adverse outcome was not statistically different when compared to those with central cord insertion and no placental pathology (31% vs 18%; P = 0.3). A peripheral cord with an abnormal umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility index (PI) corresponded to an adverse outcome in 96% of cases compared to 29% when the UA-PI was normal.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that peripheral cord insertion is often part of the spectrum of findings of MVM disease and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. However, adverse outcome was uncommon when there was an isolated peripheral cord insertion and no placental pathology. Therefore, additional sonographic and biochemical features of MVM should be sought when a peripheral cord is observed. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Maternal Vascular Lesions in the Placenta Predict Vascular Impairments a Decade After Delivery

Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes later experience excess hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but how the events are linked is unknown. Examination of the placenta may provide clues to vascular impairments after delivery. Maternal vascular malperfusion lesions (MVMs) were abstracted from clinical reports, validated and characterized using clinical guidelines and severity score. A total of 492 women (170 with MVMs and 322 without MVMs) participated in a study visit 8 to 10 years after delivery to assess blood pressure, cardiometabolic factors, and sublingual microvascular features using sidestream dark field imaging. Covariates included age, race, adverse pregnancy outcomes (preeclampsia, small for gestational age, and preterm birth), and health behaviors. Women with versus without MVM had a distinct sublingual microvascular profile comprised of (1) lower microvascular density (-410 μm/mm², P=0.015), (2) higher red blood cell filling as a marker of perfusion (2%, P=0.004), and (3) smaller perfused boundary region (-0.07 µm, P=0.025) as a measure of glycocalyx integrity, adjusted for covariates including adverse pregnancy outcomes. Women with MVM also had higher adjusted diastolic blood pressure (+2.6 mm Hg, P=0.021), total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein)-cholesterol (+11.2 mg/dL, P=0.016; +8.7 mg/dL, P=0.031). MVM associations with subsequent cardiovascular measures did not vary by type of adverse pregnancy outcome, except among women with preterm births where blood pressure was higher only among those with MVM. Results were similar when evaluated as MVM severity. A decade after delivery, women with placental vascular lesions had an adverse cardiovascular profile comprised of microvascular rarefaction, higher blood pressure and more atherogenic lipids. Placental histopathology may reveal a woman's early trajectory toward subsequent vascular disease.

Preterm birth with placental evidence of malperfusion is associated with cardiovascular risk factors after pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Preterm birth (PTB) is associated with excess maternal cardiovascular disease risk. We considered that women with PTB and placental evidence of maternal malperfusion would be particularly affected.

DESIGN

Pregnancy cohort study.

SETTING

Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

POPULATION

Women with PTB (n = 115) and term births (n = 210) evaluated 4-12 years after pregnancy.

METHODS

Cardiometabolic risk markers were compared in women with prior PTB versus term births; pre-eclampsia and growth restriction cases were excluded. Placental evidence of maternal vascular malperfusion (vasculopathy, infarct, advanced villous maturation, perivillous fibrin, intervillous fibrin deposition), acute infection/inflammation (chorioamnionitis, funisitis, deciduitus) and villitis of unknown aetiology (chronic inflammation) was used to classify PTBs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), fasting lipids, blood pressure (BP) and inflammatory markers measured after delivery.

RESULTS

Women with PTB and malperfusion lesions had higher total cholesterol (+13.5 mg/dl) and systolic BP (+4.0 mmHg) at follow up compared with women with term births, accounting for age, race, pre-pregnancy BMI, and smoking (P < 0.05). Women with PTB and malperfusion accompanied by inflammatory lesions had the most atherogenic profile after pregnancy (cholesterol +18.7, apolipoprotein B + 12.7 mg/dl; all P < 0.05), adjusted for pre-pregnancy features. Carotid IMT was higher in this group (+0.037 cm, P = 0.031) accounting for pre-pregnancy factors; differences were attenuated after adjusting for BP and atherogenic lipids at follow up (+0.027, P = 0.095).

CONCLUSION

PTBs with placental malperfusion were associated with an excess maternal cardiometabolic risk burden in the decade after pregnancy. The placenta may offer insight into subtypes of PTB related to maternal cardiovascular disease.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Preterm births with placental malperfusion may mark women at higher cardiovascular disease risk.

The ontogeny of human pulmonary angiotensin-converting enzyme and its aberrant expression may contribute to the pathobiology of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)

INTRODUCTION

The mammalian lung possesses the highest level of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) amongst all the organs. ACE is known to generate angiotensin (AT)-II from AT-I and to regulate serum bradykinin level, thereby controlling blood pressure. Recent data, however, indicate a role for ACE derived AT-II in angiogenesis, pulmonary hypertension, and neonatal lung disease. The ontogeny of ACE in humans has not been investigated. We studied pulmonary ACE expression during human lung development and in human bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Human fetal autopsy lung tissue representing all three trimesters (12, 13, 16, 18, 24, 34, 39, and 40 weeks of gestational age (WGA)), as well as from 1 to 10 years of age with no significant lung pathology were used. In addition lung sections of patients with BPD (n = 5) were selected. The slides were immunostained using an anti-ACE monoclonal antibody. The temporal and spatial pattern of ACE expression was contrasted to that of the pan-endothelial marker CD31. Staining intensity was graded.

RESULTS

Mildly diffuse and strong microvascular endothelial immunreactivity for ACE was seen in the human fetus as early as 12 WGA. ACE expression peaked at mid gestation and remained high throughout gestation and postnatally. In BPD lungs ACE endothelial staining was largely absent, and when focal staining was observed the intensity was weak.

CONCLUSION

We established that ACE expression is present in the human fetal lung as early as 12 WGA, remains active pre- and postnatally, and ACE expression was downregulated in BPD lungs. We speculate that ACE may be involved in the process of lung development.

Evaluation of human polyomavirus BK as a potential cause of villitis of unknown etiology and spontaneous abortion

Polyomavirus BK (BKV) is a widely latent pathogen in man. Although viral reactivation during pregnancy has been demonstrated, and polyomaviruses have been linked to chromosomal abnormalities, a pathogenic role for BKV in fetoplacental disease has not been explored. We performed in situ hybridization studies with BKV probes on cases of villitis of unknown etiology (102), diffuse villitis (25), and spontaneous abortion (22). We found no evidence that BKV plays a role in the pathogenesis of these common fetoplacental disorders.

LAIR2 localizes specifically to sites of extravillous trophoblast invasion

PURPOSE

A global gene expression microarray analysis of surplus chorionic villus sampling (CVS) tissues identified leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 2 (LAIR2) as down-regulated in the first trimester of pregnancies destined for preeclampsia. Neither the localization nor the function of LAIR2 has been examined in the placenta. Localization studies were conducted in placental tissues to determine the precise sites of LAIR2 mRNA production and protein binding.

RESULTS

Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) indicated LAIR2 expression in CVS, but none in breast, lymph node, kidney, skin, uterus, or third trimester placentas. In situ hybridization (ISH) revealed a highly restricted LAIR2 localization. LAIR2 mRNA was found only in the more distal portions of trophoblast anchoring cell columns, adjacent to the invading extravillous trophoblast (EVT). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected intracellular LAIR2 staining in these same cells. Extracellular staining of this soluble receptor was found in the acellular material between invasive EVT cells distal to the anchoring cell columns.

CONCLUSIONS

ISH and IHC staining for LAIR2 detected specific, highly localized expression at the leading edge of EVT anchoring cell columns in first trimester placentas. This staining likely identifies the site of production for this soluble receptor. Following secretion, the receptor appears to bind extracellular material among the invasive EVT. The precise restriction of this protein only to the sites of EVT invasion strongly suggests that it functions to regulate this invasion. The decreased LAIR2 expression noted in first trimester placentas that ultimately developed preeclampsia further suggests that alterations in LAIR2 may play an etiologic role in preeclampsia.

The levels of hypoxia-regulated microRNAs in plasma of pregnant women with fetal growth restriction

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. While mostly intracellular, a portion of cellular miRNAs is released to the circulation and their level in the plasma is altered in certain pathological conditions such as cancer, and also during pregnancy. We examined the circulating levels of a set of trophoblastic miRNAs, which we recently found to be regulated by hypoxia, in the plasma of pregnant women with fetal growth restriction (FGR). Pregnancy was associated with increased plasma levels of several placenta-specific miRNAs, compared to non-pregnant controls. Among pregnant women, the overall levels of miRNA species that we analyzed were increased by 1.84-fold (p < or = 0.01) in plasma of women with pregnancies complicated by FGR, but decreased in FGR placentas by 24% (p < or = 0.01) compared to values from uncomplicated pregnancies. Together, our results show that plasma concentration of miRNAs is regulated in pregnancy, and that FGR is associated with increased circulating miRNA levels, highlighting the need to explore plasma miRNAs as potential biomarkers for placental diseases.

Stable Transformation of CHO Cells and Human NARP Cybrids Confers Oligomycin Resistance (olir) Following Transfer of a Mitochondrial DNA–Encoded olirATPase6 Gene to the Nuclear Genome: A Model System for mtDNA Gene Therapy

Point and deletion mutations and a general depletion of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) give rise to a wide variety of medical syndromes that are refractory to treatment, possibly including aging itself. While gene therapy directed at correcting such deficits in the mitochondrial genome may offer some therapeutic benefits, there are inherent problems associated with a direct approach. These problems are primarily due to the high mitochondrial genome copy number in each cell and the mitochondrial genome being "protected" inside the double-membrane mitochondrial organelle. In an alternative approach there is evidence that genes normally present in the mitochondrial genome can be incorporated into the nuclear genome. To extend such studies, we modified the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) mtDNA-located ATPase6 gene (possessing a mutation which confers oligomycin resistance- oli(r)) by altering the mtDNA code to the universal code (U-code) to permit the correct translation of its mRNA in the cytoplasm. The U-code construct was inserted into the nuclear genome (nucDNA) of a wild type CHO cell. The expressed transgene products enabled the transformed CHO cell lines to grow in up to 1000 ng mL(-1) oligomycin, while untransformed sensitive CHO cells were eliminated in 1 ng mL(-1) oligomycin. This approach, termed allotopic expression, provides a model that may make possible the transfer of all 13 mtDNA mammalian protein-encoding genes to the nucDNA, for treatments of mtDNA disorders. The CHO mtATPase6 protein is 85% identical to both the mouse and human mtATPase6 protein; these proteins are highly conserved in the region of the oligomycin resistance mutation. They are also well conserved in the regions of the oligomycin resistance mutation of the mouse, and in the region of a mutation found in Leigh's syndrome (T8993G), also called NARP (neurogenic weakness, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosum). It is likely that the CHO oli(r) mtATPase6 Ucode construct could impart oligomycin-resistance in human and mouse cells, as well as function in place of the mutant ATPase subunit in a NARP cell line. Preliminary experiments on human cybrids homoplasmic for the NARP mutation (kindly supplied by D.C. Wallace), transformed with our construct, display an increased oligomycin resistance that supports these suppositions.

Sorting nexin 6, a novel SNX, interacts with the transforming growth factor-beta family of receptor serine-threonine kinases

Sorting nexins (SNX) comprise a family of proteins with homology to several yeast proteins, including Vps5p and Mvp1p, that are required for the sorting of proteins to the yeast vacuole. Human SNX1, -2, and -4 have been proposed to play a role in receptor trafficking and have been shown to bind to several receptor tyrosine kinases, including receptors for epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and insulin as well as the long form of the leptin receptor, a glycoprotein 130-associated receptor. We now describe a novel member of this family, SNX6, which interacts with members of the transforming growth factor-beta family of receptor serine-threonine kinases. These receptors belong to two classes: type II receptors that bind ligand, and type I receptors that are subsequently recruited to transduce the signal. Of the type II receptors, SNX6 was found to interact strongly with ActRIIB and more moderately with wild type and kinase-defective mutants of TbetaRII. Of the type I receptors, SNX6 was found to interact only with inactivated TbetaRI. SNXs 1-4 also interacted with the transforming growth factor-beta receptor family, showing different receptor preferences. Conversely, SNX6 behaved similarly to the other SNX proteins in its interactions with receptor tyrosine kinases. Strong heteromeric interactions were also seen among SNX1, -2, -4, and -6, suggesting the formation in vivo of oligomeric complexes. These findings are the first evidence for the association of the SNX family of molecules with receptor serine-threonine kinases.

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein functions as a cofactor in transforming growth factor-beta signaling

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a potent suppressor of apoptotic cell death, which functions by directly inhibiting caspases, the principal effectors of apoptosis. Here we report that XIAP can also function as a cofactor in the regulation of gene expression by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). XIAP, but not the related proteins c-IAP1 or c-IAP2, associated with several members of the type I class of the TGF-beta receptor superfamily and potentiated TGF-beta-induced signaling. Although XIAP-mediated activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor kappa B was found to require the TGF-beta signaling intermediate Smad4, the ability of XIAP to suppress apoptosis was found to be Smad4-independent. These data implicate a role for XIAP in TGF-beta-mediated signaling that is distinct from its anti-apoptotic functions.

The hepatitis B virus encoded oncoprotein pX amplifies TGF-beta family signaling through direct interaction with Smad4: potential mechanism of hepatitis B virus-induced liver fibrosis

Hepatitis B, one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, is closely associated with acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Many clinical investigations have revealed that hepatic fibrosis is an important component of these liver diseases caused by chronic hepatitis B. TGF-beta signaling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. As these diseases are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we examined the possibility that the HBV-encoded pX oncoprotein regulates TGF-beta signaling. We show that pX enhances transcriptional activity in response to TGF-beta, BMP-2, and activin by stabilizing the complex of Smad4 with components of the basic transcriptional machinery. Additionally, confocal microscopic studies suggest that pX facilitates and potentiates the nuclear translocation of Smads, further enhancing TGF-beta signaling. Our studies suggest a new paradigm for amplification of Smad-mediated signaling by an oncoprotein and suggest that enhanced Smad-mediated signaling may contribute to HBV-associated liver fibrosis.

A novel smad nuclear interacting protein, SNIP1, suppresses p300-dependent TGF-beta signal transduction

Members of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily play critical roles in controlling cell growth and differentiation. Effects of TGF-beta family ligands are mediated by Smad proteins. To understand the mechanism of Smad function, we sought to identify novel interactors of Smads by use of a yeast two-hybrid system. A 396-amino acid nuclear protein termed SNIP1 was cloned and shown to harbor a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and a Forkhead-associated (FHA) domain. The carboxyl terminus of SNIP1 interacts with Smad1 and Smad2 in yeast two-hybrid as well as in mammalian overexpression systems. However, the amino terminus of SNIP1 harbors binding sites for both Smad4 and the coactivator CBP/p300. Interaction between endogenous levels of SNIP1 and Smad4 or CBP/p300 is detected in NMuMg cells as well as in vitro. Overexpression of full-length SNIP1 or its amino terminus is sufficient to inhibit multiple gene responses to TGF-beta and CBP/p300, as well as the formation of a Smad4/p300 complex. Studies in Xenopus laevis further suggest that SNIP1 plays a role in regulating dorsomedial mesoderm formation by the TGF-beta family member nodal. Thus, SNIP1 is a nuclear inhibitor of CBP/p300 and its level of expression in specific cell types has important physiological consequences by setting a threshold for TGF-beta-induced transcriptional activation involving CBP/p300.

Incisional wound healing in transforming growth factor-beta1 null mice

Expression of endogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 is reduced in many animal models of impaired wound healing, and addition of exogenous transforming growth factor-beta has been shown to improve healing. To test the hypothesis that endogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 is essential for normal wound repair, we have studied wound healing in mice in which the transforming growth factor-beta1 gene has been deleted by homologous recombination. No perceptible differences were observed in wounds made in 3-10-day-old neonatal transforming growth factor-beta1 null mice compared to wild-type littermates. To preclude interference from maternally transferred transforming growth factor-beta1, cutaneous wounds were also made on the backs of 30-day-old transforming growth factor-beta1 null and littermate control mice treated with rapamycin, which extends their lifetime and suppresses the inflammatory response characteristic of the transforming growth factor-beta1 null mice. Again, no impairment in healing was seen in transforming growth factor-beta1 null mice. Instead these wounds showed an overall reduction in the amount of granulation tissue and an increased rate of epithelialization compared to littermate controls. Our data suggest that release of transforming growth factor-beta1 from degranulating platelets or secretion by infiltrating macrophages and fibroblasts is not critical to initiation or progression of tissue repair and that endogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 may actually function to increase inflammation and retard wound closure.

Loss of TGF-beta signaling contributes to autoimmune pancreatitis

Recent observations suggest that immune response is involved in the development of pancreatitis. However, the exact pathogenesis underlying this immune-mediated response is still under debate. TGF-beta has been known to be an important regulating factor in maintaining immune homeostasis. To determine the role of TGF-beta in the initiation or progression of pancreatitis, TGF-beta signaling was inactivated in mouse pancreata by overexpressing a dominant-negative mutant form of TGF-beta type II receptor in the pancreas, under control of the pS2 mouse trefoil peptide promoter. Transgenic mice showed marked increases in MHC class II molecules and matrix metalloproteinase expression in pancreatic acinar cells. These mice also showed increased susceptibility to cerulein-induced pancreatitis. This pancreatitis was characterized by severe pancreatic edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, T- and B-cell hyperactivation, IgG-type autoantibodies against pancreatic acinar cells, and IgM-type autoantibodies against pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. Therefore, TGF-beta signaling seems to be essential either in maintaining the normal immune homeostasis and suppressing autoimmunity or in preserving the integrity of pancreatic acinar cells.

Haploid loss of the tumor suppressor Smad4/Dpc4 initiates gastric polyposis and cancer in mice

The tumor suppressor SMAD4, also known as DPC4, deleted in pancreatic cancer, is a central mediator of TGF-beta signaling. It was previously shown that mice homozygous for a null mutation of Smad4 (Smad4-/-) died prior to gastrulation displaying impaired extraembryonic membrane formation and endoderm differentiation. Here we show that Smad4+/- mice began to develop polyposis in the fundus and antrum when they were over 6 - 12 months old, and in the duodenum and cecum in older animals at a lower frequency. With increasing age, polyps in the antrum show sequential changes from hyperplasia, to dysplasia, in-situ carcinoma, and finally invasion. These alterations are initiated by a dramatic expansion of the gastric epithelium where Smad4 is expressed. However, loss of the remaining Smad4 wild-type allele was detected only in later stages of tumor progression, suggesting that haploinsufficiency of Smad4 is sufficient for tumor initiation. Our data also showed that overexpression of TGF-beta1 and Cyclin D1 was associated with increased proliferation of gastric polyps and tumors. These studies demonstrate that Smad4 functions as a tumor suppressor in the gastrointestinal tract and also provide a valuable model for screening factors that promote or prevent gastric tumorigenesis.

The Smad4 activation domain (SAD) is a proline-rich, p300-dependent transcriptional activation domain

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family members signal through a unique set of intracellular proteins called Smads. Smad4, previously identified as the tumor suppressor DPC4, is functionally distinct among the Smad family, and is required for the assembly and transcriptional activation of diverse, Smad-DNA complexes. We previously identified a 48-amino acid proline-rich regulatory element within the middle linker domain of this molecule, the Smad4 activation domain (SAD), which is essential for mediating these signaling activities. We now characterize the functional activity of the SAD. Mutants lacking the SAD are still able to form complexes with other Smad family members and associated transcription factors, but cannot activate transcription in these complexes. Furthermore, the SAD itself is able to activate transcription in heterologous reporter assays, identifying it as a proline-rich transcriptional activation domain, and indicating that the SAD is both necessary and sufficient to activate Smad-dependent transcriptional responses. We show that transcriptional activation by the SAD is p300-dependent, and demonstrate that this activity is associated with a physical interaction of the SAD with the amino terminus of p300. These data identify a novel function of the middle linker region of Smad4, and define the role of the SAD as an important locus determining the transcriptional activation of the Smad complex.

Extraintestinal dissemination of Salmonella by CD18-expressing phagocytes

Specialized epithelia known as M cells overlying the lymphoid follicles of Peyer's patches are important in the mucosal immune system, but also provide a portal of entry for pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium, Mycobacterium bovis, Shigella flexneri, Yersinia enterocolitica and reoviruses. Penetration of intestinal M cells and epithelial cells by Salmonella typhimurium requires the invasion genes of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 (SPI1). SPI1-deficient S. typhimurium strains gain access to the spleen following oral administration and cause lethal infection in mice without invading M cells or localizing in Peyer's patches, which indicates that Salmonella uses an alternative strategy to disseminate from the gastrointestinal tract. Here we report that Salmonella is transported from the gastrointestinal tract to the bloodstream by CD18-expressing phagocytes, and that CD18-deficient mice are resistant to dissemination of Salmonella to the liver and spleen after oral administration. This CD18-dependent pathway of extraintestinal dissemination may be important for the development of systemic immunity to gastrointestinal pathogens, because oral challenge with SPI1-deficient S. typhimurium elicits a specific systemic IgG humoral immune response, despite an inability to stimulate production of specific mucosal IgA.

Loss of responsiveness to transforming growth factor beta induces malignant transformation of nontumorigenic rat prostate epithelial cells

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-betas are multifunctional growth factors, the properties of which include the potent inhibition of epithelial cell growth. Expression patterns of TGF-betas and TGF-beta receptors in the normal prostate indicate that these growth regulators play key roles in prostatic development and proliferative homeostasis. Importantly, TGF-beta receptor levels are frequently diminished in malignant human prostate tissue. To test the hypothesis that loss of TGF-beta responsiveness is causally involved in the tumorigenic process, we have used retroviral transduction to introduce a dominant-negative mutant type II TGF-beta receptor (DNR) into the premalignant rat prostatic epithelial cell line, NRP-152. High-level expression of the DNR abolished the ability of TGF-beta to inhibit cell growth, to promote cell differentiation, and to induce apoptosis, and it partially blocked the induction of extracellular matrix gene expression. When injected into nude mice, NRP-152-DNR cells formed carcinomas at 13 of 34 sites, compared with 0 of 30 sites for parental and control cells (P = 0.0001). We conclude that the type II TGF-beta receptor is an important tumor suppressor in the prostate, and furthermore, that loss of TGF-beta responsiveness can contribute early in the tumorigenic process by causing the malignant transformation of preneoplastic cells.

Smad2 transduces common signals from receptor serine-threonine and tyrosine kinases

SMAD proteins mediate signals from receptor serine-threonine kinases (RSKs) of the TGF-beta superfamily. We demonstrate here that HGF and EGF, which signal through RTKs, can also mediate SMAD-dependent reporter gene activation and induce rapid phosphorylation of endogenous SMAD proteins by kinase(s) downstream of MEK1. HGF induces phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of epitope-tagged Smad2 and a mutation that blocks TGF-beta signaling also blocks HGF signal transduction. Smad2 may thus act as a common positive effector of TGF-beta- and HGF-induced signals and serve to modulate cross talk between RTK and RSK signaling pathways.