Cross-linking of cell surface receptors as a trigger or cell apoptosis and proliferation.

A hypothesis of the mechanisms by which the protein cross-linking agents trigger apoptosis of lymphoid cells and proliferation of other cell types is proposed. It is assumed that both effects are triggered by aggregation of receptors on cell surface, which results from their cross-linking. This idea is substantiated by the example of one of these agents, ionizing radiation. As in the case of physiological agents, such as, antigens and growth factors, the aggregation of receptors induced by radiation activates receptor protein tyrosine kinases from which the signal is transduced to genes through protein kinase C. The hypothesis is consistent with the relationship between these effects and the PTK-PKC-dependent signal transduction pathway and its activation after irradiation.