Discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) is an unusual receptor tyrosine kinase in that its ligand is fibrillar collagen rather than a growth factor-like peptide. We examined signal transduction pathways of DDR2. Here we show that DDR2 is also unusual in that it requires Src activity to be maximally tyrosine-phosphorylated, and that Src activity also promotes association of DDR2 with Shc. The interaction with Shc involves a portion of Shc not previously implicated in interaction with receptor tyrosine kinases. These results identify Src kinase and the adaptor protein Shc as key signaling intermediates in DDR2 signal transduction. Furthermore, Src is required for DDR2-mediated transactivation of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 promoter. The data support a model in which Src and the DDR2 receptor cooperate in a regulated fashion to direct the phosphorylation of both the receptor and its targets.
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)1 of the discoidin domain receptor (DDR) family are unlike most RTKs, in that they do not use typical peptide growth factors as ligands; instead, they signal in response to fibrillar collagens (1, 2), establishing the DDR family as receptors for extracellular matrix molecules. Thus far, two DDR receptors have been identified, DDR1 and DDR2. DDR1 is primarily expressed in epithelial cells in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, lung, and kidney, whereas DDR2 is expressed in interstitial cells in the heart, skeletal muscle, lung, brain, and kidney (3). DDR1 and DDR2 are differentially activated by collagens. DDR1 is activated primarily by collagen types I, II, III, V, and XI, whereas DDR2 is activated mainly by collagen types I and III (1, 2, 4).In addition to their unique ligand specification, several other features distinguish DDR receptors from other RTKs. The kinetics of DDR receptor activation by collagens differs significantly from other RTKs in response to their cognate ligands. For example, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or epidermal growth factor stimulate receptor activation within seconds (4). In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of DDR receptors can be detected only after prolonged exposure to collagen (approximately 30 min), and then phosphorylation is sustained for an extended period (more than 16 h) (2, 5). This unique slow-on, slow-off phenomenon and receptor specificity raise important questions about the nature of downstream intracellular signals mediating the effects of DDR2.Receptor tyrosine kinases contain a catalytic domain that can autophosphorylate one or more tyrosine residues typically located in the noncatalytic region of the receptor. These phosphorylations lead to generation of docking sites for SH2 and PTB domains of signaling molecules that associate with the receptors (6). For example, PDGF receptor and fibroblast growth factor receptor associate with signaling molecules such as phospholipase C-␥, Src, Shc, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. However, it is still unknown which molecules interact with DDR2.In this study, we have explored intracellular pathways medi...