p185c-neu and epidermal growth factor receptor associate into a structure composed of activated kinases.

The protein product of the neu protooncogene, p185c-neu, is structurally similar to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Overexpression of these two receptor tyrosine kinases, but not either separately, leads to transformation and tumorigenicity. Heterodimerization of p185c-neu and EGFR occurs in M1 cells, which express both receptors. We have individually identified the two components of the heterodimer as EGFR and p185c-neu. Analysis of this association with relatively nondenaturing detergents and in the absence of cross-linkers indicates that noncovalent interactions are primarily responsible for heterodimer formation. The rapid reversible heterodimerization was promoted by EGF binding to its receptor. Functionally, the heterodimer is a highly active protein kinase for receptor autophosphorylation and exogenous substrate phosphorylation in vitro. The isolated heterodimer was highly phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in vivo. These results indicate that the physical association between EGFR and p185c-neu is of functional significance and define enzymatic features of complex receptor formation.