ErbB Receptor Cross-talk and Co-localization in Mouse Lung Epithelial Cells

Background: ErbB receptors, critically important for embryonic neuronal, cardiac, and lung development, are expressed in late gestation lung where they play a major role regulating the onset of surfactant synthesis (AJRCCM 167:1711 – 16, 2003). ErbB receptor ligands neuregulin (NRG) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) initiate this process. We previously showed that all four erbB receptors are expressed in both fetal lung type II cells and fibroblasts, and differ in phosphorylation and cellular response after ligand stimulation. Different erbB receptor ligands can cause diverse biologic results by stimulating spec…