We review the states of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), primarily the EGF receptor (EGFR, ErbB1, HER1) and the orphan receptor ErbB2 as they exist in living mammalian cells, focusing on four main aspects: (1) aggregation state and distribution in the plasma membrane; (2) conformational features of the receptors situated in the plasma membrane, compared to the crystallographic structures of the isolated extracellular domains; (3) coupling of receptor disposition on filopodia with the transduction of signaling ligand gradients; and (4) ligand-independent receptor activation by application of a magnetic field.T his review deals exclusively with the disposition and function of the human ErbB (HER) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in the plasma membrane of living cells. We have divided the material into four main topics: (1) distribution and aggregation state of ErbB family members; (2) the 3D structure of the ErbB1 and ErbB2 receptors; (3) the role of receptors located on extensions (filopodia) of the cell body; and (4) the phenomenon and implications of nonligand-dependent activation of the receptors.
DISTRIBUTION OF ErbB FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE PLASMA MEMBRANE OF LIVING CELLSThe association state(s) and activities of the ErbB family members in intact living cells differ widely depending on the expression level (number per cell) and the distribution (density, state of homo-and heteroassociation) of each receptor. There are numerous, highly contradictory views about the aggregation state of the receptors in the literature. During the last few years more accurate assessments of receptor distribution have been conducted on living rather than fixed cells. In the latter case, numerous artifacts account for important quantitative discrepancies. One example is the failure of formaldehyde fixation to prevent receptor redistribution (Brock et al. 1999;Tanaka et al. 2010). A more fundamental consideration relates to the hierarchical organization of the plasma membrane, extensively investigated and most recently reviewed by Kusumi et al. (2011). These investigators propose the existence of (1) a mesoscale (40 -300 nm) compartmentalization with actin cytoskeletal "fences" and transmembrane protein "pickets," (2) lipid raft domains (2 -