Chemotherapeutic targeting of microtubules causes epidermal growth factor receptor dephosphorylation

• Microtubules are important structures for a range of cellular functions including cell division. Drugs that interfere with microtubule function can prevent cells from mitosis and various microtubule targeting drugs are used in a clinical setting. In the current study we investigated the sensitivity of oesophageal cancer cells to different microtubule targeting agents. As expected, experiments demonstrated that these agents in a dose-dependent manner inhibited survival and proliferation of oesophageal cancer cells and disrupted the microtubule network. Unexpectedly, experiments showed that microtubule destabilising agents inhibited phosphorylation and activation of the EGF-receptor, and that a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate, could reverse the EGFR dephosphorylation. We propose a model in which disruption of the microtubule network leads to activation of a protein tyrosine phosphatase that can regulate EGFR phosphorylation and activation, indicating an additional mechanism of action of microtubule targeting agents.

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