Investigating the Interactions between VEGFR2 and EGFR

Abstract

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) are two receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that play critical roles in the process of angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels can form from pre-existing vasculature. Angiogenesis is a process that tumors can take advantage of in order to obtain needed nutrients. Currently, little is known regarding the interactions between these two receptors. Insight into these interactions will broaden our knowledge of RTK interactions, and may possibly provide us with a better understanding of drug resistance in cancer treatments. Here, we describe the interactions between VEGFR2 and EGFR using FRET. Fully Quantified Spectral Imaging Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FSI FRET) was used to study the interactions between VEGFR2 and EGFR. In brief, HEK 293T cells were transiently transfected with VEGFR2 tagged with MTurquoise and EGFR tagged with YFP. Cells were then imaged using a two-photon microscope, and analyzed with custom written MATLAB software to determine FRET and the two-dimensional concentration of the receptors in the membrane. Our work indicates that VEGFR2 and EGFR interact with one another. We believe these results provide insight into how RTKs function, and further work is needed to understand the implications for both normal biological processes and cancer.