Transmembrane signaling by the interleukin-2 receptor: progress and conundrums

Activation of the multicomponent interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) complex leads to a rapid increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of cellular proteins including the IL-2R beta and IL-2R gamma chains of the IL-2R and the RAF-1 serine threonine kinase. In addition, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) protein and activity can be immunoprecipitated with anti-phosphotyrosine and anti-IL-2R beta antibodies from IL-2-activated but not resting T lymphocytes. We have demonstrated that the SH2 (SRC homology 2) domains of the 85 kDa subunit of PI-3K are sufficient to mediate binding of the PI-3K complex to tyrosine phosphorylated, but not non-phosphorylated IL-2R beta, suggesting that tyrosine phosphorylation is an integral component of the activation of PI-3K by the IL-2R. Since none of the members of the IL-2R complex contains an intrinsic tyrosine kinase domain, IL-2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation must be the consequence of activation of intracellular tyrosine kinases. SRC family members including lck, lyn and fyn have been demonstrated to associate with IL-2R beta through binding of the kinase domain to the acidic domain of IL-2R beta. However, we have demonstrated that the serine rich (SD) region of the cytosolic domain of IL-2R beta is also required for association of a tyrosine kinase with the IL-2R complex and that IL-2 can induce proliferation and tyrosine phosphorylation in cell lines which lack the known SRC family kinases expressed by T lymphocytes. Thus members of other kinase families besides SRC may also be involved in mediating IL-2 signal transduction. Biochemical studies and studies of cells expressing mutant IL-2 receptors indicate that IL-2-induced tyrosine kinase activation initiates a complex signaling cascade. The cascade includes SRC family kinase members such as lck, fyn, and lyn, activation of Raf-1 and PI-3K, and ras, and increased expression of the fos, fra-1, and jun protooncogenes. In addition, ligation of the IL-2R leads to rapid increases in myc expression and more delayed increases in the expression of the cdc2 and cdk2 kinases and the cyclins through a tyrosine phosphorylation independent pathway. Whether other biochemical processes initiated by IL-2R ligation, including activation of the MAP2, p70S6 and p90RSK serine threonine kinases, activation of NF-kappa B, and increased expression of Raf-1, Pim-1, bcl-2, IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta, are consequences of the IL-2-induced tyrosine kinase cascade remains to be determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The treatment of disseminated malignant melanoma with special reference to the role of interferons, vinca alkaloids and tamoxifen

Treatment of quiescent NIH3T3 cells with PDGF BB results in the transient activation and hyperphosphorylation of the protein-tyrosine kinase, c-Src. These effects correlate with novel serine and tyrosine phosphorylations in the N-terminal non-catalytic region of the molecule, which contains an SH3 and SH2 domain. In this study, a site of PDGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was mapped to Tyr 138 in the SH3 domain; Tyr 138 is exposed on the SH3 peptide binding surface. This same site is phosphorylated in vitro by the PDGF receptor when purified baculovirus-expressed c-Src is complexed with the activated receptor. Phosphorylation of Tyr 138 required association of c-Src with the PDGF receptor via its SH2 domain. When a c-Src Phe 138 mutant was stably expressed in Src- mouse fibroblasts, it was activated to the same extent as wild type c-Src following PDGF stimulation, indicating that phosphorylation of this site is not required for PDGF-mediated activation. However, Tyr 138 phosphorylation was found to diminish SH3 domain peptide ligand binding ability in vitro.     

Negative regulation of Raf-1 by phosphorylation of serine 621

The elevation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in the cell downregulates the activity of the Raf-1 kinase. It has been suggested that this effect is due to the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), which can directly phosphorylate Raf-1 in vitro. In this study, we confirmed this hypothesis by coexpressing Raf-1 with the constitutively active catalytic subunit of PKA, which could fully reproduce the inhibition previously achieved by cAMP. PKA-phosphorylated Raf-1 exhibits a reduced affinity for GTP-loaded Ras as well as impaired catalytic activity. As the binding to GTP-loaded Ras induces Raf-1 activation in the cell, we examined which mechanism is required for PKA-mediated Raf-1 inhibition in vivo. A Raf-1 point mutant (RafR89L), which is unable to bind Ras, as well as the isolated Raf-1 kinase domain were still fully susceptible to inhibition by PKA, demonstrating that the phosphorylation of the Raf-1 kinase suffices for inhibition. By the use of mass spectroscopy and point mutants, PKA phosphorylation site was mapped to a single site in the Raf-1 kinase domain, serine 621. Replacement of serine 621 by alanine or cysteine or destruction of the PKA consensus motif by changing arginine 618 resulted in the loss of catalytic activity. Notably, a mutation of serine 619 to alanine did not significantly affect kinase activity or regulation by activators or PKA. Changing serine 621 to aspartic acid yielded a Raf-1 protein which, when expressed to high levels in Sf-9 insect cells, retained a very low inducible kinase activity that was resistant to PKA downregulation. The purified Raf-1 kinase domain displayed slow autophosphorylation of serine 621, which correlated with a decrease in catalytic function. The Raf-1 kinase domain activated by tyrosine phosphorylation could be downregulated by PKA. Specific removal of the phosphate residue at serine 621 reactivated the catalytic activity. These results are most consistent with a dual role of serine 621. On the one hand, serine 621 appears essential for catalytic activity; on the other hand, it serves as a phosphorylation site which confers negative regulation.     

Lysophosphatidic acid-induced association of SHP-2 with SHPS-1: roles of RHO, FAK, and a SRC family kinase

SHPS-1 is an approximately 120 kDa glycosylated receptor like protein that contains three immunoglobulin-like domains in its extracellular region as well as four potential tyrosine phosphorylation and SRC homology 2 (SH2) domain binding sites in its cytoplasmic region. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulated the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1 and its subsequent association with SHP-2, a protein tyrosine phosphatase containing SH2 domains in Rat-1 fibroblasts. LAP-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1 was inhibited by Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme (which inactivates RHO) but not by pertussis toxin. The protein kinase C activator phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) also stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1; however, down-regulation of protein kinase C by prolonged exposure of cells to TPA did not affect LAP-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1. LPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1 was markedly reduced in either focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-deficient mouse cells or CHO cells overexpressing the tyrosine kinase CSK. Overexpression of a catalytically inactivate SHP-2 markedly inhibited MAP kinase activation in response to low concentrations of LPA in CHO cells, whereas overexpression of a wild-type SHPS-1 did enhance this effect of LPA. Furthermore, MAP kinase activation in response to a low concentration of LPA was inhibited by botulinum C3 exoenzyme. These results indicate that LPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1 and its association with SHP-2 may be mediated by a RHO-dependent pathway that includes FAK and a SRC family kinase. Thus, in addition to its role in receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated MAP kinase activation, the formation of a complex between SHPS-1 and SHP-2 may, in part, play an important role in the activation of MAP kinase in response to low concentrations of LPA.     

Integrin-mediated activation of MAP kinase is independent of FAK: evidence for dual integrin signaling pathways in fibroblasts

Integrin-mediated cell adhesion causes activation of MAP kinases and increased tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Autophosphorylation of FAK leads to the binding of SH2-domain proteins including Src-family kinases and the Grb2-Sos complex. Since Grb2-Sos is a key regulator of the Ras signal transduction pathway, one plausible hypothesis has been that integrin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK leads to activation of the Ras cascade and ultimately to mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. Thus, in this scenario FAK would serve as an upstream regulator of MAP kinase activity. However, in this report we present several lines of evidence showing that integrin-mediated MAP kinase activity in fibroblasts is independent of FAK. First, a beta1 integrin subunit deletion mutant affecting the putative FAK binding site supports activation of MAP kinase in adhering fibroblasts but not tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK. Second, fibroblast adhesion to bacterially expressed fragments of fibronectin demonstrates that robust activation of MAP kinase can precede tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK. Finally, we have used FRNK, the noncatalytic COOH-terminal domain of FAK, as a dominant negative inhibitor of FAK autophosphorylation and of tyrosine phosphorylation of focal contacts. Using retroviral infection, we demonstrate that levels of FRNK expression sufficient to completely block FAK tyrosine phosphorylation were without effect on integrin-mediated activation of MAP kinase. These results strongly suggest that integrin-mediated activation of MAP kinase is independent of FAK and indicate the probable existence of at least two distinct integrin signaling pathways in fibroblasts.     

Activation and interaction with protein kinase C of a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, Itk/Tsk/Emt, on Fc epsilon RI cross-linking on mast cells

Cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor (Fc epsilon RI) on mast cells induces rapid phosphorylation on serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues and increases the enzymatic activity, of a Tec subfamily tyrosine kinase, Itk/Tsk/Emt (Emt). The pleckstrin homology domain of Emt at its amino-terminal interacts directly with multiple isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro. In addition, a portion of Emt is physically associated with multiple isoforms of PKC in intact mast cells. PKC phosphorylates a bacterial fusion protein containing the pleckstrin homology domain of Emt in vitro. Coexpression of Emt in COS-7 cells with Ca(2+)-dependent PKC isoforms (alpha, beta I, or beta II) induces an enhancement in tyrosine phosphorylation of Emt. In vivo inhibition of PKC expression or activity attenuates tyrosine phosphorylation and enzymatic activity of Emt induced upon Fc epsilon RI cross-linking. These data collectively suggest that PKC phosphorylates Emt and activates its autophosphorylating activity. Alternatively, PKC could activate another tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates Emt, or PKC-mediated phosphorylation of Emt may render it a target for another tyrosine kinase. In any case, PKC appears to play a major role in the activation of Emt induced upon Fc epsilon RI cross-linking.     

Phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 by glycogen synthase kinase 3 impairs insulin action

The phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) on tyrosine residues by the insulin receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase is involved in most of the biological responses of insulin. IRS-1 mediates insulin signaling by recruiting SH2 proteins through its multiple tyrosine phosphorylation sites. The phosphorylation of IRS-1 on serine/threonine residues also occurs in cells; however, the particular protein kinase(s) promoting this type of phosphorylation are unknown. Here we report that glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is capable of phosphorylating IRS-1 and that this modification converts IRS-1 into an inhibitor of IR tyrosine kinase activity in vitro. Expression of wild-type GSK-3 or an "unregulated" mutant of the kinase (S9A) in CHO cells overexpressing IRS-1 and IR, resulted in increased serine phosphorylation levels of IRS-1, suggesting that IRS-1 is a cellular target of GSK-3. Furthermore, insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IR was markedly suppressed in cells expressing wild-type or the S9A mutant, indicating that expression of GSK-3 impairs IR tyrosine kinase activity. Taken together, our studies suggest a new role for GSK-3 in attenuating insulin signaling via its phosphorylation of IRS-1 and may provide new insight into mechanisms important in insulin resistance.     

Effector pathways regulating T cell activation

We have uniformly examined the regulatory steps required by oncogenic Ras, Src, EGF and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to activate Raf-1. Specifically, we determined the role of Ras binding and the phosphorylation of serines 338/339, tyrosines 340/341 and the activation loop (491-508) in response to these stimuli in COS-7 cells. An intact Ras binding domain was found to be essential for Raf-1 kinase activation by each stimulus, including PMA. Brief treatment of COS-7 cells with PMA was found to rapidly promote accumulation of the active, GTP-bound form of Ras. Furthermore, loss of the serine 338/339 and tyrosine 340/341 phosphorylation sites also blocked Raf-1 activation by all stimuli tested. Loss of the serine 497 and serine 499 PKCalpha phosphorylation sites failed to significantly reduce Raf-1 activation by any stimulus including PMA. Alanine substitution of all other potential phosphorylation sites within the Raf-1 activation loop had little or no effect on kinase regulation by Ras[V12] or vSrc although some mutants were less responsive to PMA. These results suggest that in mammalian cells, Raf-1 can be regulated by a variety of different stimuli through a common mechanism involving association with Ras-GTP and multiple phosphorylations of the amino-terminal region of the catalytic domain. Phosphorylation of the activation loop does not appear to be a significant mechanism of Raf-1 kinase regulation in COS-7 cells.     

A role for Pyk2 and Src in linking G-protein-coupled receptors with MAP kinase activation

The mechanisms by which mitogenic G-protein-coupled receptors activate the MAP kinase signalling pathway are poorly understood. Candidate protein tyrosine kinases that link G-protein-coupled receptors with MAP kinase include Src family kinases, the epidermal growth factor receptor, Lyn and Syk. Here we show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and bradykinin induce tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 and complex formation between Pyk2 and activated Src. Moreover, tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2 leads to binding of the SH2 domain of Src to tyrosine 402 of Pyk2 and activation of Src. Transient overexpression of a dominant interfering mutant of Pyk2 or the protein tyrosine kinase Csk reduces LPA- or bradykinin-induced activation of MAP kinase. LPA- or bradykinin-induced MAP kinase activation was also inhibited by overexpression of dominant interfering mutants of Grb2 and Sos. We propose that Pyk2 acts with Src to link Gi- and Gq-coupled receptors with Grb2 and Sos to activate the MAP kinase signalling pathway in PC12 cells.     

MEK1 mediates a positive feedback on Raf-1 activity independently of Ras and Src

Growth factor stimulated receptor tyrosine kinases activate a protein kinase cascade via the serine/threonine protein kinase Raf-1. Direct upstream activators of Raf-1 are Ras and Src. This study shows that MEK1, the direct downstream effector of Raf-1, can also stimulate Raf-1 kinase activity by a positive feedback loop. Activated MEK1 mediates hyperphosphorylation of the amino terminal regulatory as well as of the carboxy terminal catalytic domain of Raf-1. The hyperphosphorylation of Raf-1 correlates with a change in the tryptic phosphopeptide pattern only at the carboxy terminus of Raf-1 and an increase in Raf-1 kinase activity. MEK1-mediated Raf-1 activation is inhibited by co-expression of the MAPK specific phosphatase MKP-1 indicating that the MEK1 effect is exerted through a MAPK dependent pathway. Stimulation of Raf-1 activity by MEK1 is independent of Ras, Src and tyrosine phosphorylation of Raf-1. MEK1 can however synergize with Ras and leads to further increase of the Raf-1 kinase activity. Thus, MEK1 can mediate activation of Raf-1 by a novel positive feedback mechanism which allows fast signal amplification and could prolong activation of Raf-1.     

Structural basis for activation of human lymphocyte kinase Lck upon tyrosine phosphorylation

Regulation through phosphorylation is a characteristic of signalling pathways and the lymphocyte kinase Lck (p56lck) both performs phosphorylation and is affected by it. Lck is a Src-family tyrosine kinase expressed in T lymphocytes, where it participates in the cellular immune response. Like all Src homologues, it comprises SH3, SH2 and kinase domains. Lck associates through its distinctive amino-terminal segment with the cytoplasmic tails of either T-cell co-receptor, CD4 or CD8-alpha. Activated Lck phosphorylates T-cell receptor zeta-chains, which then recruit the ZAP70 kinase to promote T-cell activation. Lck is activated by autophosphorylation at Tyr 394 in the activation loop and it is inactive when Tyr 505 near the carboxy terminus is phosphorylated and interacts with its own SH2 domain. Here we report the crystal structure of the Lck tyrosine kinase domain (LCKK) in its activated state at 1.7 A resolution. The structure reveals how a phosphoryl group at Tyr 394 generates a competent active site. Comparisons with other kinase structures indicate that tyrosine phophophorylation and ligand binding may in general elicit two distinct hinge-like movements between the kinase subdomains. From modelling studies, we suggest a basis for inhibition by phosphorylation at Tyr 505.     

Automation system of X-ray filter in digital subtraction angiography

The giant muscle protein titin/connectin plays a crucial role in myofibrillogenesis as a molecular ruler for sarcomeric protein sorting. We describe here that the N-terminal titin immunoglobulin domains Z1 and Z2 interact specifically with telethonin in yeast two-hybrid analysis and protein binding assays. Immunofluorescence with antibodies against the N-terminal region of titin and telethonin detects both proteins at the Z-disc of human myotubes. Longer titin fragments, comprising a serine-proline-rich phosphorylation site and the next domain, do not interact. The interaction of telethonin with titin is therefore conformation-dependent, reflecting a possible phosphorylation regulation during myofibrillogenesis.     

Protein kinase C modulation of insulin receptor substrate-1 tyrosine phosphorylation requires serine 612

Activation of the endogenous protein kinase Cs in human kidney fibroblast (293) cells was found in the present study to inhibit the subsequent ability of insulin to stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of an expressed insulin receptor substrate-1. This inhibition was also observed in an in vitro phosphorylation reaction if the insulin receptor and its substrate were both isolated from cells in which the protein kinase C had been activated. To test whether serine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 was contributing to this process, serine 612 of this molecule was changed to an alanine. The insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and the associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity of the expressed mutant were found to be comparable to those of the expressed wild-type substrate. However, unlike the wild-type protein, activation of protein kinase C did not inhibit the insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the S612A mutant nor its subsequent association with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Tryptic peptide mapping of in vivo labeled IRS-1 and the S612A mutant revealed that PMA stimulates the phosphorylation of a peptide from wild-type IRS-1 that is absent from the tryptic peptide maps of the S612A mutant. Moreover, a synthetic peptide containing this phosphoserine and its nearby tyrosine was found to be phosphorylated by the insulin receptor to a much lower extent than the same peptide without the phosphoserine. Activation of protein kinase C was found to stimulate by 10-fold the ability of a cytosolic kinase to phosphorylate this synthetic peptide as well as the intact insulin receptor substrate-1. Finally, cytosolic extracts from the livers of ob/ob mice showed an 8-fold increase in a kinase activity capable of phosphorylating this synthetic peptide, compared to extracts of livers from lean litter mates. These results indicate that activation of protein kinase C stimulates a kinase which can phosphorylate insulin receptor substrate-1 at serine 612, resulting in an inhibition of insulin signaling in the cell, posing a potential mechanism for insulin resistance in some models of obesity.     

Mapping a telomere using the translocation eT1(III;V) in Caenorhabditis elegans

TCR engagement activates phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) via a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent mechanism. PLC gamma 1 contains a pair of Src homology 2 (SH2) domains whose function is that of promoting protein interactions by binding phosphorylated tyrosine and adjacent amino acids. The role of the PLC gamma 1 SH2 domains in PLC gamma 1 phosphorylation was explored by mutational analysis of an epitope-tagged protein transiently expressed in Jurkat T cells. Mutation of the amino-terminal SH2 domain (SH2(N) domain) resulted in defective tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 in response to TCR/CD3 perturbation. In addition, the PLC gamma 1 SH2(N) domain mutant failed to associate with Grb2 and a 36- to 38-kDa phosphoprotein (p36-38), which has previously been recognized to interact with PLC gamma 1, Grb2, and other molecules involved in TCR signal transduction. Conversely, mutation of the carboxyl-terminal SH2 domain (SH2(C) domain) did not affect TCR-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1. Furthermore, binding of p36-38 to PLC gamma 1 was not abrogated by mutations of the SH2(C) domain. In contrast to TCR/CD3 ligation, treatment of cells with pervanadate induced tyrosine phosphorylation of either PLC gamma 1 SH2(N) or SH2(C) domain mutants to a level comparable with that of the wild-type protein, indicating that pervanadate treatment induces an alternate mechanism of PLC gamma 1 phosphorylation. These data indicate that the SH2(N) domain is required for TCR-induced PLC gamma 1 phosphorylation, presumably by participating in the formation of a complex that promotes the association of PLC gamma 1 with a tyrosine kinase.     

Raf-1 interacts with Fyn and Src in a non-phosphotyrosine-dependent manner

To identify novel proteins capable of associating with the Raf-1 serine/threonine kinase, we investigated whether Raf-1 could interact with the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of various signal-transducing molecules. In this report, we demonstrate that Raf-1 associated with the SH2 domain of Fyn (a member of the Src tyrosine kinase family) but not with the SH2 domains of phospholipase C-gamma 1, the p85 alpha subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2. Unlike most SH2 domain interactions that require tyrosine-phosphorylated residues, the Raf-1/Fyn SH2 domain association was dependent on the serine phosphorylation of Raf-1. Our results also demonstrate that Raf-1 interacted with the SH2 domain of Src and that this interaction was destabilized by mutation of Arg175 found within the conserved SH2 domain FLVRES sequence. In addition, we show that inclusion of additional Src sequences containing the SH3 domain increased the association of Raf-1 with the Src SH2 domain. Finally, using the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system, we show that coexpression of Raf-1 with full-length Fyn/Src resulted in the coimmunoprecipitation of Raf-1 with Fyn/Src, the tyrosine phosphorylation of Raf-1, and the stimulation of Raf-1 kinase activity. These results suggest that Raf-1 may form a functional complex with Fyn/Src mediated in part by SH2 domains and the serine phosphorylation of Raf-1.     

Autoregulation of the Raf-1 serine/threonine kinase

The Raf-1 serine/threonine kinase is a key protein involved in the transmission of many growth and developmental signals. In this report, we show that autoinhibition mediated by the noncatalytic, N-terminal regulatory region of Raf-1 is an important mechanism regulating Raf-1 function. The inhibition of the regulatory region occurs, at least in part, through binding interactions involving the cysteine-rich domain. Events that disrupt this autoinhibition, such as mutation of the cysteine-rich domain or a mutation mimicking an activating phosphorylation event (Y340D), alleviate the repression of the regulatory region and increase Raf-1 activity. Based on the striking similarites between the autoregulation of the serine/threonine kinases protein kinase C, Byr2, and Raf-1, we propose that relief of autorepression and activation at the plasma membrane is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of kinase regulation.     

A rho-associated protein kinase, ROKalpha, binds insulin receptor substrate-1 and modulates insulin signaling

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is phosphorylated on multiple tyrosine residues by ligand-activated insulin receptors. These tyrosine phosphorylation sites serve to dock several Src homology 2-containing signaling proteins. In addition, IRS-1 contains a pleckstrin homology domain and a phosphotyrosine binding domain (PTB) implicated in protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions. In a yeast two-hybrid screening using Xenopus IRS-1 (xIRS-1) pleckstrin homology-PTB domains as bait, we identified a Xenopus homolog of Rho-associated kinase alpha (xROKalpha) as a potential xIRS-1-binding protein. The original clone contained the carboxyl terminus of xROKalpha (xROK-C) including the putative Rho binding domain but lacking the amino-terminal kinase domain. Further analyses in yeast indicated that xROK-C bound to the putative PTB domain of xIRS-1. Binding of xROK-C to xIRS-1 was confirmed in Xenopus oocytes after microinjection of mRNA corresponding to xROK-C. Furthermore, microinjection of xROK-C mRNA inhibited insulin-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation with a concomitant inhibition of oocyte maturation. In contrast, microinjection of xROK-C mRNA did not inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase activation or oocyte maturation induced by progesterone or by microinjection of viral Ras (v-Ras) mRNA. These results suggest that xROKalpha may play a role in insulin signaling via a direct interaction with xIRS-1.