ERBB2, also designated HER2 or NEU, encodes the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a critical transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase that serves as a central coordinator of the ERBB signaling family, which includes ERBB1 (EGFR/HER1), ERBB3 (HER3), and ERBB4 (HER4). While ERBB2 lacks a known direct ligand-binding capability, it functions as a potent co-receptor that preferentially forms heterodimers with other ERBB family members, thereby triggering robust activation of downstream intracellular cascades such as the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways to drive essential cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Although expressed in various tissues, ERBB2 is frequently amplified or overexpressed in several malignancies, notably breast, gastric, and ovarian cancers, where it acts as a dominant oncogene; in approximately 20% of breast cancer cases, this overexpression correlates with aggressive tumor phenotypes, enhanced invasiveness, and poor clinical prognosis. The constitutive activation resulting from ERBB2 mutations or amplification leads to the upregulation of cell cycle regulators like Cyclin D1 and anti-apoptotic factors such as BCL-2, while also fostering resistance to chemotherapy and endocrine therapies through complex crosstalk with other signaling networks, including the estrogen receptor pathway. Consequently, while dysregulated ERBB2 expression is a major driver of tumorigenesis and metastasis, its physiological role in tissue homeostasis is equally vital, as evidenced by the cardiac toxicity observed when therapeutic agents such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab inhibit its activity, underscoring the delicate balance between its oncogenic potential and its necessity for normal physiological functions, particularly in maintaining cardiac integrity.
Subcellular localization of ERBB2 (and its protein):
Gene Ontology (GO) terms for ERBB2:
| Interacting Gene | Interaction | Source/Score |
| Name |
|---|
| 4012 ErbB signaling pathway [PATH:hsa04012] |
| 4066 HIF-1 signaling pathway [PATH:hsa04066] |
| 4020 Calcium signaling pathway [PATH:hsa04020] |
| 4510 Focal adhesion [PATH:hsa04510] |
| 4520 Adherens junction [PATH:hsa04520] |
| 5200 Pathways in cancer [PATH:hsa05200] |
| 5230 Central carbon metabolism in cancer [PATH:hsa05230] |
| 5206 MicroRNAs in cancer [PATH:hsa05206] |
| 5205 Proteoglycans in cancer [PATH:hsa05205] |
| 5212 Pancreatic cancer [PATH:hsa05212] |
| 5219 Bladder cancer [PATH:hsa05219] |
| 5215 Prostate cancer [PATH:hsa05215] |
| 5213 Endometrial cancer [PATH:hsa05213] |
| 5223 Non-small cell lung cancer [PATH:hsa05223] |
| Name |
|---|
| Adaptive Immune System |
| Axon guidance |
| Constitutive Signaling by Aberrant PI3K in Cancer |
| DAP12 interactions |
| DAP12 signaling |
| Developmental Biology |
| Disease |
| Diseases of signal transduction |
| Downregulation of ERBB2:ERBB3 signaling |
| Downstream signal transduction |
| Downstream signaling events of B Cell Receptor (BCR) |
| Downstream signaling of activated FGFR1 |
| Downstream signaling of activated FGFR2 |
| Downstream signaling of activated FGFR3 |
| Downstream signaling of activated FGFR4 |
| Fc epsilon receptor (FCERI) signaling |
| GAB1 signalosome |
| GRB2 events in ERBB2 signaling |
| GRB7 events in ERBB2 signaling |
| Immune System |
| Innate Immune System |
| NGF signalling via TRKA from the plasma membrane |
| PI-3K cascade:FGFR1 |
| PI-3K cascade:FGFR2 |
| PI-3K cascade:FGFR3 |
| PI-3K cascade:FGFR4 |
| PI3K events in ERBB2 signaling |
| PI3K events in ERBB4 signaling |
| PI3K/AKT activation |
| PI3K/AKT Signaling in Cancer |
| PIP3 activates AKT signaling |
| PLCG1 events in ERBB2 signaling |
| Role of LAT2/NTAL/LAB on calcium mobilization |
| Sema4D in semaphorin signaling |
| Sema4D induced cell migration and growth-cone collapse |
| Semaphorin interactions |
| SHC1 events in ERBB2 signaling |
| Signal Transduction |
| Signaling by EGFR |
| Signaling by ERBB2 |
| Signaling by ERBB4 |
| Signaling by FGFR |
| Signaling by FGFR1 |
| Signaling by FGFR2 |
| Signaling by FGFR3 |
| Signaling by FGFR4 |
| Signaling by PDGF |
| Signaling by SCF-KIT |
| Signaling by the B Cell Receptor (BCR) |
| Signalling by NGF |
| Disease | Score | NofPmids | NofSnps | Source |
| Neoplasm Metastasis | 0.331048018 | 371 | 0 | BeFree_CTD_human_GAD_LHGDN_RGD |
| Mammary Neoplasms | 0.289468128 | 538 | 0 | BeFree_CTD_human_GAD_LHGDN |
| ovarian neoplasm | 0.279458387 | 56 | 1 | BeFree_CLINVAR_CTD_human_LHGDN |
| Stomach Neoplasms | 0.263152011 | 16 | 1 | BeFree_CLINVAR_CTD_human_LHGDN |
| Malignant neoplasm of breast | 0.24 | 2853 | 22 | BeFree_GAD_MGD |
| Adenocarcinoma | 0.213796419 | 211 | 0 | BeFree_CTD_human_LHGDN |
| Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental | 0.2 | 3 | 0 | CTD_human_RGD |
| Carcinogenesis | 0.168859537 | 181 | 2 | BeFree_CTD_human |
| Prostatic Neoplasms | 0.153496597 | 25 | 0 | BeFree_CTD_human_LHGDN |
| Lung Neoplasms | 0.153496597 | 24 | 0 | BeFree_CTD_human_LHGDN |
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