2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and epidermal growth factor cooperatively suppress peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma1 stimulation and restore focal adhesion complexes during adipogenesis: selective contributions of Src, Rho, and Erk distinguish these overlapping processes in C3H10T1/2 cells.

Stimulation of PPARgamma1 and adipogenesis in multipotential C3H10T1/2 cells by the combination of dexamethasone and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (DM) is suppressed by 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) (10 nM). This suppression requires sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2. We show that it arises from an effect of TCDD on epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling. DM initiates an early loss of cell adhesion that is reversed by this TCDD/EGF synergy. Src kinase activity was completely essential for adhesion restoration, sustained Erk activation, and suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma1. MEK/Erk activity did not contribute, however, to TCDD-induced adhesion. Stimulation of adhesion may therefore precede elevation of Erk. Adhesion is produced by interaction of alphabeta integrins with extracellular matrix proteins and subsequent Src-mediated phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK, Tyr576/577) and paxillin (Tyr118). TCDD enhanced the steady state Src-mediated phosphorylation of FAK but not of paxillin. Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) inhibition by orthovanadate (OVA) showed that this Src activity is highly restricted by PTPases. Partial inhibition of PTPases by OVA mimicked TCDD in producing EGF- and Src-dependent effects on cell adhesion and PPARgamma1 suppression. TCDD may therefore induce a protein that enhances Src effectiveness at adhesion sites. Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibition blocked TCDD/EGF stimulation of clustered focal adhesion complexes without affecting either sustained Erk activation or suppression of PPARgamma1. Thus, this ROCK-mediated clustering of integrin complexes is not needed for the effects of TCDD on Erk and PPARgamma1. A minimal cholesterol depletion with beta-methylcyclodextrin attenuated TCDD effects on PPARgamma1 and Erk activation. TCDD intervention is therefore linked to extracellular proteins. It indicates that TCDD-enhanced stimulation of EGF signaling to Erk may derive from the initial alphabeta integrin complexes.