Regulation of the p85/p110 phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase: stabilization and inhibition of the p110alpha catalytic subunit by the p85 regulatory subunit

We propose a novel model for the regulation of the p85/pl10alpha phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase. In insect cells, the p110alpha catalytic subunit is active as a monomer but its activity is decreased by coexpression with the p85 regulatory subunit. Similarly, the lipid kinase activity of recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-p110alpha is reduced by 65 to 85% upon in vitro reconstitution with p85. Incubation of p110alpha/p85 dimers with phosphotyrosyl peptides restored activity, but only to the level of monomeric p110alpha. These data show that the binding of phosphoproteins to the SH2 domains of p85 activates the p85/p110alpha dimers by inducing a transition from an inhibited to a disinhibited state. In contrast, monomeric p110 had little activity in HEK 293T cells, and its activity was increased 15- to 20-fold by coexpression with p85. However, this apparent requirement for p85 was eliminated by the addition of a bulky tag to the N terminus of p110alpha or by the growth of the HEK 293T cells at 30 degrees C. These nonspecific interventions mimicked the effects of p85 on p110alpha, suggesting that the regulatory subunit acts by stabilizing the overall conformation of the catalytic subunit rather than by inducing a specific activated conformation. This stabilization was directly demonstrated in metabolically labeled HEK 293T cells, in which p85 increased the half-life of p110. Furthermore, p85 protected p110 from thermal inactivation in vitro. Importantly, when we examined the effect of p85 on GST-p110alpha in mammalian cells at 30 degrees C, culture conditions that stabilize the catalytic subunit and that are similar to the conditions used for insect cells, we found that p85 inhibited p110alpha. Thus, we have experimentally distinguished two effects of p85 on p110alpha: conformational stabilization of the catalytic subunit and inhibition of its lipid kinase activity. Our data reconcile the apparent conflict between previous studies of insect versus mammalian cells and show that p110alpha is both stabilized and inhibited by dimerization with p85.     

Solution structure of the C-terminal SH2 domain of the p85 alpha regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase

Heterodimeric class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) plays a crucial role in a variety of cellular signalling events downstream of a number of cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinases. Activation of the enzyme is effected in part by the binding of two Src homology-2 domains (SH2) of the 85 kDa regulatory subunit to specific phosphotyrosine-containing peptide motifs within activated cytoplasmic receptor domains. The solution structure of the uncomplexed C-terminal SH2 (C-SH2) domain of the p85 alpha subunit of PI 3-kinase has been determined by means of multinuclear, double and triple-resonance NMR experiments and restrained molecular-dynamics simulated-annealing calculations. The solution structure clearly indicates that the uncomplexed C-SH2 domain conforms to the consensus polypeptide fold exhibited by other SH2 domains, with an additional short helical element at the N terminus. In particular, the C-SH2 structure is very similar to both the p85 alpha N-terminal SH2 domain (N-SH2) and the Src SH2 domain with a root mean square difference (rmsd) for 44 C alpha atoms of 1.09 and 0.89 A, respectively. The canonical BC, EF and BG loops are less well-defined by the experimental restraints and show greater variability in the ensemble of C-SH2 conformers. The lower level of definition in these regions may reflect the presence of conformational disorder, an interpretation supported by the absence or broadening of backbone and side-chain NMR resonances for some of these residues. NMR experiments were performed, where C-SH2 was titrated with phosphotyrosine-containing peptides corresponding to p85 alpha recognition sites in the cytoplasmic domain of the platelet-derived growth-factor receptor. The ligand-induced chemical-shift perturbations indicate the amino-acid residues in C-SH2 involved in peptide recognition follow the pattern predicted from homologous complexes. A series of C-SH2 mutants was generated and tested for phosphotyrosine peptide binding by surface plasmon resonance. Mutation of the invariant Arg36 (beta B5) to Met completely abolishes phosphopeptide binding. Mutation of each of Ser38, Ser39 or Lys40 in the BC loop to Ala reduces the affinity of C-SH2 for a cognate phosphopeptide, as does mutation of His93 (BG5) to Asn. These effects are consistent with the involvement of the BC loop and BG loops regions in ligation of phosphopeptide ligands. Mutation of Cys57 (beta D5) in C-SH2 to Ile, the corresponding residue type in the p85 alpha N-SH2 domain, results in a change in peptide binding selectivity of C-SH2 towards that demonstrated by p85 alpha N-SH2. This pattern of p85 alpha phosphopeptide binding specificity is interpreted in terms of a model of the p85 alpha/PDGF-receptor interaction.     

In vitro association of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit (p85) with the human insulin receptor

The insulin receptor, as a consequence of ligand binding, undergoes autophosphorylation of critical tyrosyl residues within the cytoplasmic portion of its beta-subunit. The 85 kDa regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase (p85), an SH2 domain protein, has been implicated as a regulatory molecule in the insulin signal transduction pathway. For the present study, glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins of p85 SH2 domains were used to determine if such motifs associate directly with the autophosphorylated human insulin receptor. The p85 N + C (amino plus carboxyl) SH2 domains were demonstrated to associate with the autophosphorylated beta-subunit, while neither the GTPase activator protein (GAP) N SH2 domain nor the phospholipase C-gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) N + C SH2 domains exhibited measurable affinity for the activated receptor. The p85 N SH2 domain demonstrated weak association with the insulin receptor, while the p85 C SH2 domain alone formed no detectable complexes with the insulin receptor. The association of p85 N + C SH2 domains with the autophosphorylated receptor was competed efficiently by a 15-residue tyrosine-phosphorylated peptide corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal region of the insulin receptor, but not by phosphopeptides of similar length derived from the juxtamembrane or regulatory regions. The insulin receptor C domain phosphopeptide inhibited the p85 N + C SH2 domain-insulin receptor complex with an IC0.5 of 2.3 +/- 0.35 microM, whereas a 10-residue phosphopeptide derived from the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) competed with an IC0.5 of 0.54 +/- 0.10 microM. These results demonstrate that, in vitro, there is an association between the p85 regulatory protein and the carboxyl-terminal region of the activated insulin receptor that requires the presence of both the N and C SH2 domains. Furthermore, formation of the p85/insulin receptor complex may lead to signaling pathways independent of IRS-1.     

Heterodimeric phosphoinositide 3-kinase consisting of p85 and p110beta is synergistically activated by the betagamma subunits of G proteins and phosphotyrosyl peptide

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is a key signaling enzyme implicated in variety of receptor-stimulated cell responses. Receptors with intrinsic or associated tyrosine kinase activity recruit heterodimeric PI 3-kinases consisting of a 110-kDa catalytic subunit (p110) and an 85-kDa regulatory subunit (p85). We separated a PI 3-kinase that could be stimulated by the betagamma subunits of G protein (Gbetagamma) from rat liver. The Gbetagamma-sensitive PI 3-kinase appeared to be a heterodimer consisting of p110beta and p85 (or their related subunits). The stimulation by Gbetagamma was inhibited by the GDP-bound alpha subunit of the inhibitory GTP-binding protein. Moreover, the stimulatory action of Gbetagamma was markedly enhanced by the simultaneous addition of a phosphotyrosyl peptide synthesized according to the amino acid sequence of the insulin receptor substrate-1. Such enzymic properties could be observed with a recombinant p110beta/p85alpha expressed in COS-7 cells with their cDNAs. In contrast, another heterodimeric PI 3-kinase consisting of p110alpha and p85 in the same rat liver, together with a recombinant p110alpha/p85alpha, was not activated by Gbetagamma, although their activities were stimulated by the phosphotyrosyl peptide. These results indicate that p110beta/p85 PI 3-kinase may be regulated in a cooperative manner by two different types of membrane receptors, one possessing tyrosine kinase activity and the other activating GTP-binding proteins.     

Homozygous deletions of the CDKN2 gene and loss of heterozygosity of 9p in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

To examine the role of phosphorylation of the elongation factor eEF-1 in regulation of translation, 32P-labeled 3T3-L1 cells were deprived of serum, then incubated in the presence or absence of 10 nM insulin for 15 min. eEF-1 was purified by affinity chromatography on tRNA-Sepharose and shown to be phosphorylated on the alpha, beta and delta subunits. Phosphorylation of eEF-1alpha was stimulated sixfold in response to insulin, beta was stimulated fourfold and delta was threefold. The rate of elongation assayed with eEF-1 from insulin-stimulated cells was over twofold greater than with eEF-1 from serum-deprived cells. When eEF-1 from insulin-treated cells was subjected to two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide mapping, nine phosphopeptides were obtained with the alpha subunit, one with the beta subunit and three with the delta subunit. When compared with phosphopeptide maps of alpha, beta and delta subunits of eEF-1 phosphorylated in vitro by the insulin-stimulated multipotential protein kinase, the maps of the beta and delta subunits were identical. Five phosphopeptides obtained with the alpha subunit in vivo were identical to those obtained with S6 kinase in vitro; the remainder were unique. To examine whether protein kinase C had a role in phosphorylation of eEF-1 in response to insulin, protein kinase C was down-regulated by prolonged exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Phosphorylation of the alpha, beta and delta subunits was stimulated 2.5-fold in response to insulin, with elongation activity stimulated to a similar extent, suggesting that protein kinase C had no effect on stimulation of elongation in response to insulin. Thus, stimulation of eEF-1 activity in response to insulin appears to be mediated primarily by multipotential S6 kinase. This data is consistent with previous studies on stimulation of initiation via phosphorylation of initiation factors by multipotential S6 kinase [Morley, S. J. & Traugh, J. A. (1993) Biochemie (Paris) 95, 985-989].     

Bacterial community dynamics during start-up of a trickle-bed bioreactor degrading aromatic compounds

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a heterodimer lipid kinase consisting of an 85-kD subunit bound to a 110-kD catalytic subunit that also possesses intrinsic, Mn(2+)-dependent protein serine kinase activity capable of phosphorylating the 85-kD subunit. Here, we examine the Mn(2+)-dependent protein kinase activity of PI3K alpha immunoprecipitated from normal resting or thrombin-stimulated platelets, and characterize p85/p110 phosphorylation, in vitro. Phosphoamino acid analysis of phosphorylated PI3K alpha showed p85 and p110 were phosphorylated on serine, but in contrast to previous results, were also phosphorylated on threonine and tyrosine. Wortmannin and LY294002 inhibited p85 phosphorylation; however, p110 phosphorylation was also inhibited suggesting p110 autophosphorylation on serine/threonine. The protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erbstatin analog, partially inhibited p85 and p110 phosphorylation but did not appear to affect PI3K lipid kinase activity. The in vitro phosphorylation of p85 alpha or p110 alpha derived from thrombin-stimulated platelets was no different than that of resting platelets, but we confirm that in thrombin receptor-stimulated platelets enhanced levels of p85 alpha and PI3K lipid kinase activity were recovered in antiphosphotyrosine antibody immunoprecipitates. These results suggest PI3K alpha can autophosphorylate on serine and threonine, and both p85 alpha and p110 alpha are substrates for a constitutively-associated protein tyrosine kinase in platelets.     

The CC chemokine monocyte chemotactic peptide-1 activates both the class I p85/p110 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the class II PI3K-C2alpha

The cellular effects of MCP-1 are mediated primarily by binding to CC chemokine receptor-2. We report here that MCP-1 stimulates the formation of the lipid products of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, namely phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI 3,4,5-P3) in THP-1 cells that can be inhibited by pertussis toxin but not wortmannin. MCP-1 also stimulates an increase in the in vitro lipid kinase activity present in immunoprecipitates of the class 1A p85/p110 heterodimeric PI 3-kinase, although the kinetics of activation were much slower than observed for the accumulation of PI 3,4,5-P3. In addition, this in vitro lipid kinase activity was inhibited by wortmannin (IC50 = 4.47 +/- 1.88 nM, n = 4), and comparable concentrations of wortmannin also inhibited MCP-stimulated chemotaxis of THP-1 cells (IC50 = 11.8 +/- 4.2 nM, n = 4), indicating that p85/p110 PI 3-kinase activity is functionally relevant. MCP-1 also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of three proteins in these cells, and a fourth tyrosine-phosphorylated protein co-precipitates with the p85 subunit upon MCP-1 stimulation. In addition, MCP-1 stimulated lipid kinase activity present in immunoprecipitates of a class II PI 3-kinase (PI3K-C2alpha) with kinetics that closely resembled the accumulation of PI 3,4,5-P3. Moreover, this MCP-1-induced increase in PI3K-C2alpha activity was insensitive to wortmannin but was inhibited by pertussis toxin pretreatment. Since this mirrored the effects of these inhibitors on MCP-1-stimulated increases in D-3 phosphatidylinositol lipid accumulation in vivo, these results suggest that activation of PI3K-C2alpha rather than the p85/p110 heterodimer is responsible for mediating the in vivo formation of D-3 phosphatidylinositol lipids. These data demonstrate that MCP-1 stimulates protein tyrosine kinases as well as at least two separate PI 3-kinase isoforms, namely the p85/p110 PI 3-kinase and PI3K-C2alpha. This is the first demonstration that MCP-1 can stimulate PI 3-kinase activation and is also the first indication of an agonist-induced activation of the PI3K-C2alpha enzyme. These two events may play important roles in MCP-1-stimulated signal transduction and biological consequences.     

Tyrosine phosphorylation of the juxtamembrane domain of the v-Fms oncogene product is required for its association with a 55-kDa protein

Tyrosine autophosphorylation of the v-Fms oncogene product results in the formation of high affinity binding sites for cellular proteins with Src homology 2 (SH2) domains that are involved in various signal cascades. Tryptic digestion of the autophosphorylated v-Fms and of its cellular counterpart, the feline c-Fms polypeptide, gave rise to at least six common major phosphopeptides, four of which have been characterized previously. Employing site-directed mutagenesis and phosphopeptide mapping of in vitro phosphorylated glutathione S-transferase v-Fms fusion proteins as well as full-length v-Fms molecules expressed in various cells, we show here that Tyr543 of the juxtamembrane domain and Tyr696 of the kinase insert domain constitute major autophosphorylation sites. Recombinant fusion proteins containing the tyrosine-phosphorylated kinase insert domain bind the growth factor receptor bound protein 2 and the p85 and p110 subunits of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase. In contrast, fusion proteins containing the juxtamembrane domain phosphorylated on Tyr543 fail to bind any of the known SH2 domain-containing cellular proteins but associate specifically with an as yet undefined 55-kDa cellular protein that by itself is phosphorylated on tyrosine.     

Sites of selective cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of the L-type calcium channel alpha 1 subunit from intact rabbit skeletal muscle myotubes

The principal (alpha 1) subunit of purified skeletal muscle dihydropyridine-sensitive (L-type) calcium channels is present in full-length (212 kDa) and COOH-terminal truncated (190 kDa) forms, which are both phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cA-PK) in vitro. Immunoprecipitation of the calcium channel from rabbit muscle myotubes in primary cell culture followed by phosphorylation with cA-PK, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping revealed comparable phosphorylation of three COOH-terminal phosphopeptides found in the purified full-length alpha 1 subunit. Stimulation of muscle myotubes with a permeant cAMP analogue, 8-(4-chlorophenylthio) adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, prior to immunoprecipitation of alpha 1 results in a 60-80% reduction of cA-PK catalyzed "back" phosphorylation of each of these sites in vitro in calcium channels purified from the cells, indicating that these sites are phosphorylated in vivo in response to increased intracellular cAMP. Serine 687, the most rapidly phosphorylated site in the truncated 190-kDa alpha 1 subunit, was observed as a minor phosphopeptide whose level of phosphorylation was not significantly affected by stimulation of endogenous cA-PK in the myotubes. The COOH-terminal sites, designated tryptic phosphopeptides 4, 5, and 6, were identified as serine 1757 (phosphopeptides 4 and 6) and 1854 (phosphopeptide 5) by a combination of protease cleavage, phosphorylation of synthetic peptides and fusion proteins, specific immunoprecipitation, and phosphopeptide mapping. Phosphorylation of serines 1757 and 1854 in the COOH-terminal region of the 212-kDa alpha 1 subunit in intact skeletal muscle cells may play a pivotal role in the regulation of calcium channel function by cA-PK.     

p85alpha gene generates three isoforms of regulatory subunit for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-Kinase), p50alpha, p55alpha, and p85alpha, with different PI 3-kinase activity elevating responses to insulin

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is stimulated by association with a variety of tyrosine kinase receptors and intracellular tyrosine-phosphorylated substrates. We isolated a cDNA that encodes a 50-kDa regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase with an expression cloning method using 32P-labeled insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). This 50-kDa protein contains two SH2 domains and an inter-SH2 domain of p85alpha, but the SH3 and bcr homology domains of p85alpha were replaced by a unique 6-amino acid sequence. Thus, this protein appears to be generated by alternative splicing of the p85alpha gene product. We suggest that this protein be called p50alpha. Northern blotting using a specific DNA probe corresponding to p50alpha revealed 6.0- and 2.8-kb bands in hepatic, brain, and renal tissues. The expression of p50alpha protein and its associated PI 3-kinase were detected in lysates prepared from the liver, brain, and muscle using a specific antibody against p50alpha. Taken together, these observations indicate that the p85alpha gene actually generates three protein products of 85, 55, and 50 kDa. The distributions of the three proteins (p85alpha, p55alpha, and p50alpha), in various rat tissues and also in various brain compartments, were found to be different. Interestingly, p50alpha forms a heterodimer with p110 that can as well as cannot be labeled with wortmannin, whereas p85alpha and p55alpha associate only with p110 that can be wortmannin-labeled. Furthermore, p50alpha exhibits a markedly higher capacity for activation of associated PI 3-kinase via insulin stimulation and has a higher affinity for tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 than the other isoforms. Considering the high level of p50alpha expression in the liver and its marked responsiveness to insulin, p50alpha appears to play an important role in the activation of hepatic PI 3-kinase. Each of the three alpha isoforms has a different function and may have specific roles in various tissues.     

Binding of CD4 ligands induces tyrosine phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase p110 subunit

We have previously reported that different putative CD4 ligands (anti-CD4 antibody, gp160 from HIV, synthetic peptides analogous to the residues 35-46 of HLA class II beta1 chain and residues 134-148 of HLA class II beta2 chain) down-regulate LFA-1-dependent adhesion between CD4+ T cells and HLA class II+ B cells, and also activate p56lck and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3-kinase) associated with the CD4-p56lck complex. It was demonstrated that the latter activation was dependent on the CD4-p56lck association. Since these results suggest a relationship between p56lck and PI3-kinase, we investigated whether PI3-kinase was tyrosine phosphorylated after CD4 binding and whether this phosphorylation was also dependent on the CD4-p56lck association. We show herein that CD4 binding increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit p110 of PI3-kinase but not of the p85 subunit. Association between p56lck and PI3-kinase was constitutive, and was not modified after CD4 binding. In contrast, p110 tyrosine phosphorylation was inducible, transient and dependent on the CD4-p56lck association. The role of the tyrosine phosphorylation of p110-PI3-kinase following ligand binding to CD4 is unknown. We speculate that this event could link the activation of p56lck and of PI3-kinase after CD4 binding.     

T cell activation-dependent association between the p85 subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Grb2/phospholipase C-gamma 1-binding phosphotyrosyl protein pp36/38

Tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins is an early and an essential step in T cell receptor-mediated lymphocyte activation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of transmembrane receptor chains (such as zeta and CD3 chains) and membrane-associated proteins provides docking sites for SH2 domains of adaptor proteins and signaling enzymes, resulting in their recruitment in the vicinity of activated receptors. pp36/38 is a prominent substrate of early tyrosine phosphorylation upon stimulation through the T cell receptor. The tyrosine-phosphorylated form of pp36/38 is membrane-associated and directly interacts with phospholipase C-gamma 1 and Grb2, providing one mechanism to recruit downstream effectors to the cell membrane. Here, we demonstrate that in Jurkat T cells, pp36/38 associates with the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3-K p85) in an activation-dependent manner. Association of pp36/38 with PI-3-K p85 was confirmed by transfection of a hemagglutinin-tagged p85 alpha cDNA into Jurkat cells followed by anti-hemagglutinin immunoprecipitation. In vitro binding experiments with glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of PI-3-K p85 demonstrated that the SH2 domains, but not the SH3 domain, mediated binding to pp36/38. This binding was selectively abrogated by phosphopeptides that bind to p85 SH2 domains with high affinity. Filter binding assays demonstrated that association between pp36/38 and PI-3-K p85 SH2 domains was due to direct binding. These results strongly suggest the role of pp36/38 in recruiting PI-3-K to the cell membrane and further support the idea that pp36/38 is a multifunctional docking protein for SH2 domain-containing signaling proteins in T cells.     

Characterization of cDNAs encoding the p44 and p35 subunits of human translation initiation factor eIF3

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) is a large multisubunit complex that plays a central role in the initiation of translation. It binds to 40 S ribosomal subunits resulting in dissociation of 80 S ribosomes, stabilizes initiator methionyl-tRNA binding to 40 S subunits, and is required for mRNA binding. eIF3 has an aggregate molecular mass of approximately 600 kDa and comprises at least 10 subunits. The cDNAs encoding eight of the subunits have been cloned previously (p170, p116, p110, p66, p48, p47, p40, and p36). Here we report the cloning and characterization of human cDNAs encoding two more subunits of human eIF3, namely eIF3-p44 and eIF3-p35. These proteins are immunoprecipitated by affinity-purified anti-eIF3-p170 antibodies, indicating they are components of the eIF3 complex. Far Western analysis shows that eIF3-p44 interacts strongly and specifically with the eIF3-p170 subunit, and weakly with p116/p110, p66, p40, and itself. eIF3-p44 contains an RNA recognition motif near its C terminus. Northwestern blotting shows that eIF3-p44 binds 18 S rRNA and beta-globin mRNA. Possession of cloned cDNAs encoding all 10 subunits of eIF3 provides the tools necessary to elucidate the functions of the individual subunits and the structure of the eIF3 complex.     

Thermodynamic studies of tyrosyl-phosphopeptide binding to the SH2 domain of p56lck

The interaction between SH2 domains and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins is essential in several cytosolic signal transduction pathways. Here we report thermodynamic studies of the interaction of the p56lck (lck) SH2 domain with several phosphopeptides, using the technique of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). This is the first report of the use of ITC to study SH2 domain binding reactions. The free energy of binding of the SH2 domain of lck to a phosphopeptide corresponding to the autoregulatory C-terminus of the protein (pY505) was found to be similar to that measured for a phosphopeptide modeled on the C-terminus of the epidermal growth-factor receptor (delta G degrees approximately -7.0 kcal mol-1 at pH 6.8), although significant differences in the enthalpy and entropy were observed. Binding of a phosphopeptide modeled on the C-terminus of p185neu was weaker (delta G degrees approximately -5.4 kcal mol-1 at pH 6.8). Lowering the pH to 5.5 reduced the binding affinity of pY505 by approximately 1 order of magnitude. We ascribe this to the protonation of a histidine side chain in the SH2 domain (H180), which is involved in a hydrogen-bonding network that optimizes the binding site geometry. No difference in affinity was observed between portions of lck corresponding to the SH3-SH2 (residues 63-228) and SH2 (residues 123-228) domains for the pY505 peptide. We also studied the effect upon pY505 peptide binding of mutations at two highly conserved arginine residues in the lck SH2 domain (R134 and R154).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Activation of PI 3-kinase by G protein betagamma subunits

We have reported that fMLP-induced activation of pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding proteins in THP-1 cells potentiates the insulin-induced accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, a product of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (T. Okada et al., Biochem. J. 317, 475-480, 1996). The synergism in PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 accumulation was observed in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing both insulin and fMLP receptors. In rat adipocytes, which represent the physiological target cells of insulin, receptor-mediated activation of GTP-binding protein by adenosine and prostaglandin E2 potentiated the insulin-induced PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 accumulation. In cell-free systems, the activity of the p85/p110beta subtype of phosphoinositide 3-kinase was, while that of p85/p110alpha was not, stimulated by the betagamma subunits of the GTP-binding proteins. We propose here a hypothesis that the p85/p110beta subtype is under the control of both the insulin receptors and the GTP-binding protein-coupled receptors in intact cell systems.     

Correlation between loss of middle ear bones and altered goosecoid gene expression in the branchial region following retinoic acid treatment of mouse embryos in vivo

Various methods are now available to identify the molecular partners of the component of a signal transduction pathway. Some interactions, however, can be technically difficult to detect because they depend upon transient tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, we present a simple affinity chromatography approach based on synthetic phosphopeptides to purify potential partners of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins. With this approach, we confirm the previously characterized interaction between Grb2 and the EGF receptor, and we identify novel partners of the IGF-1 receptor and of the JAK proteins. Methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (MTHFS) was identified as a potential mediator of IGF-1R dependent transformation. P85alpha, the regulatory subunit of PI3 kinase, was identified as one of four proteins recruited by a phosphopeptide mimicking a motif conserved in all JAK family members.     

Structural and thermodynamic characterization of the interaction of the SH3 domain from Fyn with the proline-rich binding site on the p85 subunit of PI3-kinase

The interaction of the Fyn SH3 domain with the p85 subunit of PI3-kinase is investigated using structural detail and thermodynamic data. The solution structure complex of the SH3 domain with a proline-rich peptide mimic of the binding site on the p85 subunit is described. This indicates that the peptide binds as a poly(L-proline) type II helix. Circular dichroism spectroscopic studies reveal that in the unbound state the peptide exhibits no structure. Thermodynamic data for the binding of this peptide to the SH3 domain suggest that the weak binding (approximately 31 microM) of this interaction is, in part, due to the entropically unfavorable effect of helix formation (delta S0 = -78 J.mol-1.K-1). Binding of the SH3 domain to the intact p85 subunit (minus its own SH3 domain) is tighter, and the entropic and enthalpic contributions are very different from those given by the peptide interaction (delta S0 = +252 J.mol-1.K-1; delta H0 = +44 kJ.mol-1). From these dramatically different thermodynamic measurements we are able to conclude that the interaction of the proline-rich peptide does not effectively mimic the interaction of the intact p85 subunit with the SH3 domain and suggest that other interactions could be important.     

Site-directed mutagenesis of the yeast V-ATPase B subunit (Vma2p)

The B subunit of the vacuolar (H+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) has previously been shown to participate in nucleotide binding and to possess significant sequence homology with the alpha subunit of the mitochondrial F-ATPase, which forms the major portion of the noncatalytic nucleotide binding sites and contributes several residues to the catalytic sites of this complex. Based upon the recent x-ray structure of the mitochondrial F1 ATPase (Abrahams, J.P., Leslie, A.G., Lutter, R., and Walker, J.E. (1994) Nature 370,621-628), site-directed mutagenesis of the yeast VMA2 gene has been carried out in a strain containing a deletion of this gene. VMA2 encodes the yeast V-ATPase B subunit (Vma2p). Mutations at two residues postulated to be contributed by Vma2p to the catalytic site (R381S and Y352S) resulted in a complete loss of ATPase activity and proton transport, with the former having a partial effect on V-ATPase assembly. Interestingly, substitution of Phe for Tyr-352 had only minor effects on activity (15-30% inhibition), suggesting the requirement for an aromatic ring at this position. Alteration of Tyr-370, which is postulated to be near the adenine binding pocket at the noncatalytic sites, to Arg, Phe, or Ser caused a 30-50% inhibition of proton transport and ATPase activity, suggesting that an aromatic ring is not essential at this position. Finally, mutagenesis of residues in the region corresponding to the P-loop of the alpha subunit (H180K, H180G, H180D, N181V) also inhibited proton transport and ATPase activity by approximately 30-50%. None of the mutations in either the putative adenine binding pocket nor the P-loop region had any effect on the ability of Vma2p to correctly fold nor on the V-ATPase to correctly assemble. The significance of these results for the structure and function of the nucleotide binding sites on the B subunit is discussed.     

Functional interactions between isolated SH2 domains and insulin/Ras signaling pathways of Xenopus oocytes: opposite effects of the carboxy- and amino-terminal SH2 domains of p85 PI 3-kinase

Purified amino-terminal Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of GAP, PLCgamma1 and the p85alpha subunit of PI 3-kinase, as well as the carboxy-terminal SH2 domain of the latter protein and the unique SH2 domain of Grb2, were injected into full grown, stage VI Xenopus laevis oocytes. None of the injected domains showed any effect when injected alone, nor did they affect the rate of GVBD induced by progesterone, an adenylate cyclase-dependent process. On the other hand, the unique Grb2 SH2 domain and all N-terminal SH2 domains injected inhibited to various degrees the rate of insulin-induced GVBD, a tyrosine kinase dependent pathway. Interestingly, and in contrast to the behavior shown by the N-terminal domain of the same molecule, the C-terminal SH2 domain of p85 did not inhibit, but slightly accelerated the rate of GVBD induced by insulin. Furthermore, whereas the Grb SH2 domain and all N-terminal SH2 domains tested failed to co-operate with normal Ras protein to induce GVBD, the C-terminal SH2 domain of p85alpha exhibited significant synergy when coinjected with normal Ras protein, indicating that the C- and N-terminal SH2 domains of p85alpha exert opposite (positive and negative, respectively) regulatory roles in the control of oocyte insulin/Ras signaling pathways. Our results demonstrate that the purified, isolated SH2 domains retain structural and functional specificity and that Xenopus oocytes constitute an useful biological system to analyse their functional role in tyrosine kinase signaling pathways.