Insulin-sensitive myelin basic protein phosphorylation on tyrosine residues.

Rat brain plasma membranes were solubilized in detergent and a glycoprotein-enriched fraction was obtained by lectin affinity chromatography. This glycoprotein fraction contained insulin receptors, as well as protein kinases capable of phosphorylating some exogenously added substrates such as MAP2 (microtubule associated protein 2) and MBP (myelin basic protein), but not ribosomal protein S6. Phosphoamino acid analysis of MAP2 and MBP showed that phosphotyrosine residues, as well as phosphoserine/phosphotheronine residues, were present in both proteins under basal conditions. Whereas the addition of insulin to the rat brain membrane glycoprotein fraction in vitro had no effect on MAP2 phosphorylation, MBP phosphorylation was stimulated 2.7-fold in response to insulin. This phenomenon was dose-dependent, with half-maximal stimulation of MBP phosphorylation observed with 2 nM insulin. Phosphoamino acid analysis of MBP indicated that insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues nearly three-fold, whereas the phosphorylation of serine or threonine residues was not increased. These results identify MBP as a substrate for the rat brain insulin receptor tyrosine-specific protein kinase in vitro.     

Characterization of an endogenous substrate related to insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors in lizard brain

Lizard insulin receptors are evolutionarily highly conserved. Wheat germ agglutinin-purified brain membranes demonstrate the presence of an endogenous substrate (pp 105) for both the insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors. Both insulin and I-insulin-like growth factor-I stimulate the phosphorylation of this endogenous substrate in a dose-dependent manner. Following insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation of the beta subunit, there is a lag period of about 5 min prior to observable phosphorylation of the endogenous substrate. Phosphoamino acid analysis of both the beta subunit as well as pp 105 reveal primarily phosphotyrosine in both the basal as well as the stimulated state.     

Insulin receptor serine kinase activation by casein kinase 2 and a membrane tyrosine kinase

The insulin receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase can apparently directly phosphorylate and activate one or more serine kinases. The identities of such serine kinases and their modes of activation are still unclear. We have described a serine kinase (here designated insulin receptor serine (IRS) kinase) from rat liver membranes that co-purifies with IR on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose. The kinase was activated after phosphorylation of the membrane glycoproteins by casein kinase-1, casein kinase-2, or casein kinase-3 (Biochem Biophys Res Commun 171:75–83, 1990). In this study, IRS kinase was further characterized. The presence of vanadate or phosphotyrosine in reaction mixtures was required for activation to be observed. Phosphoserine and phosphothreonine are only about 25% as effective as phosphotyrosine, whereas sodium fluoride and molybdate were ineffective in supporting activation. Vanadate and phosphotyrosine support IRS kinase activation by apparently inhibiting phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases present among the membrane glycoproteins. IR -subunit, myelin basic protein, and microtubule-associated protein-2 are good substrates for IRS kinase. The kinase prefers Mn²⁺ (K_a=1.3 mM) as a metal cofactor. Mg²⁺ (K_a=3.3 mM) is only 30% as effective as Mn²⁺. The kinase activity is stimulated by basic polypeptides, with greater than 30-fold activation achieved with polylysine and protamine. Our results suggest that both serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation are required for activation of IRS kinase. Serine phosphorylation is catalyzed by one of the casein kinases, whereas tyrosine phosphorylation is catalyzed by a membrane tyrosine kinase, possibly IR tyrosine kinase. (Mol Cell Biochem121: 167–174, 1993)     

Tubulin is phosphorylated at tyrosine by pp60c-src in nerve growth cone membranes

We show here that tubulin is the major in vivo substrate of the tyrosine-specific protein kinase pp60c-src in nerve growth cone membranes. Phosphotyrosine antibodies were used to demonstrate phosphotyrosyl residues in a subpopulation of alpha- and beta-tubulin that was highly enriched in a subcellular fraction of growth cone membranes from fetal rat brain. The presence of phosphotyrosine- modified isoforms of alpha- and beta-tubulin in vivo was confirmed by 32p labeling of rat cortical neurons in culture. Tubulin in growth cone membranes was phosphorylated at tyrosine in endogenous membrane phosphorylation reactions (0.068 mol phosphotyrosine/mol alpha-tubulin and 0.045 mol phosphotyrosine/mol beta-tubulin), and phosphorylation was specifically inhibited by antibodies directed against pp60c-src, which is localized in the growth cone membranes. pp60c-src was capable of directly phosphorylating tubulin as shown in immune complex kinase assays with purified brain tubulin. Phosphopeptide mapping revealed a limited number of sites of tyrosine phosphorylation in alpha- and beta- tubulin, with similar phosphopeptides observed in vivo and in vitro. These results reveal a novel posttranslational modification of tubulin that could regulate microtubule dynamics at the growth cone.     

Dimethyl sulfoxide decreases specific EGF binding

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the hepatic EGF receptor in isolated membrane preparations. To determine whether DMSO affects EGF binding, primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated with 1-10% DMSO for 30 min prior to the addition of 125I-EGF. DMSO (1-2%) reduced specific 125I-EGF binding; the effect was maximal (a 40-60% reduction) at 5-7.5% DMSO and was reversed by removing the DMSO. Scatchard analysis showed that the reduction in binding was due to a change in receptor affinity. The decrease in binding was not seen when other, slightly less polar, solvents (eg, acetone and ethanol) were tested. DMSO also reduced 125I-EGF binding to purified rat liver plasma membranes. This reduction was seen in the absence of added ATP and in membranes that had been pretreated with TLCK, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Thus, completion of the receptor autophosphorylation reaction was not necessary to effect the change. The data are consistent with a DMSO-induced alteration of receptor conformation that reversibly reduces receptor affinity.     

Stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of rat brain membrane proteins by calmodulin

Calmodulin stimulates the alkali-resistant phosphorylation of peptides of 50 and 58-60 kDa in rat brain membrane. Phosphoamino acid analysis indicated a calmodulin stimulated increase of phosphotyrosine in these peptides. Calmodulin also stimulated the phosphorylation of these peptides at serine and threonine residues. This suggests the involvement of the calmodulin regulatory system in the effects of tyrosine protein kinases.     

Effects of epidermal growth factor and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on metabolism of the epidermal growth factor receptor in normal human fibroblasts.

The biosynthesis, phosphorylation, and degradation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor were examined in normal human fibroblasts. The receptor was initially synthesized as an Mr = 160,000 immature form which matured to an Mr = 170,000 form in a monensin-sensitive manner. Tunicamycin treatment led to the accumulation of an Mr = 130,000 protein. The receptor was phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues in normally growing and quiescent cells, and treatment with EGF or the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) resulted in a two- to threefold increase in receptor-bound phosphate. EGF increased the amount of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine and caused the appearance of a minor amount of phosphotyrosine. TPA increased the levels of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine exclusively. Prior treatment with TPA inhibited the EGF-dependent appearance of phosphotyrosine in the receptor. Analysis of tryptic phosphopeptides revealed that six of the seven major peptides were common to the receptor from cells treated with EGF or TPA. EGF strongly stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation in confluent cells, increased final saturation density three to fourfold, and increased whole-cell levels of phosphotyrosine about threefold. Treatment of cells with TPA before addition of EGF inhibited all three of these EGF-dependent responses. EGF also decreased the receptor half-life from 15 h to 1 h, but this was not inhibited by TPA. TPA alone had no detectable effect on the receptor half-life.     

Stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation in lectin treated human lymphocytes

Large increases in tyrosine phosphorylation have been detected in subcellular matrixes isolated from lectin treated human lymphocytes. In lectin stimulated cells proteins of molecular weight 105, 75, 58 and 35 kDa contained phosphotyrosine (P-tyr) whereas non-stimulated cells had no 105 and low levels of P-tyr in proteins of 75, 58 and 35 kDa. In stimulated cells increased tyrosine kinase activity was also shown using gastrin as substrate. In both stimulated and non-stimulated cells the 58 kDa phosphoprotein was the most heavily labelled, after partial proteolysis of the 58 kDa different phosphopeptides were generated. A peptide with a sequence analogous to the autophosphorylated tyrosine site of pp60src inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation in stimulated cells. The lymphocyte system provides a useful tool to study normal tyrosine protein kinases and their role in cellular proliferation.     

Inhibition of phosphotyrosine phosphatases reveals candidate substrates of the PDGF receptor kinase

In normal fibroblasts stimulated by platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), PDGF receptors are transiently phosphorylated on tyrosine and represent the major phosphotyrosine containing protein. The phosphate of the phosphotyrosine groups turns over rapidly, and extensive evidence indicates a dynamic balance between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions. Thus, the effect of an inhibitor of phosphatases, orthovanadate, on the pattern of the tyrosine phosphorylations induced by PDGF in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts was investigated. Western blot analysis with antibodies against phosphotyrosine indicated that whereas in unstimulated cells no phosphotyrosine containing proteins were detected, treatment of cells with orthovanadate alone elicited the slow phosphorylation of several proteins including a 170 kDa component that was recognized to be the phosphorylated PDGF receptor. Addition of PDGF to cells shortly pretreated with vanadate highly increased the intensity of the 170 kDa band corresponding to the phosphorylated receptor and caused its stabilization during time. In addition, the phosphorylation on tyrosine of other proteins (molecular mass 116, 80, 73, 60, 50 and 39 kDa) was also induced. Both the receptor and the other tyrosine phosphorylated proteins appeared to be associated with the detergent insoluble matrix.     

Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase of adrenal secretory granules. Rapid partial purification and reconstitution into proteoliposomes.

The possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the activation of granulocytic HL60 cells was examined using vanadate, a phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. Treatment of permeabilized cells with micromolar concentrations of vanadate resulted in a substantial accumulation of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, detected by immunoblotting. At comparable concentrations, vanadate was also found to elicit an NADPH-dependent burst of oxygen utilization. Actin assembly, studied using 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-phallacidin, was similarly stimulated by vanadate, though considerably higher concentrations were required to observe this effect. In contrast with these responses, the secretion of lysozyme was not stimulated by vanadate, nor did vanadate affect calcium-induced secretion. Therefore, accumulation of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins is associated with stimulation of some, but not all, of the responses characteristic of granulocytic cell activation. This indicates that the effects of vanadate are selective and suggests divergence of the signalling pathways leading to the individual effectors.     

Dimethylsulfoxide, retinoic acid and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate induce a selective decrease in the phosphorylation of P150, a surface membrane phosphoprotein of HL60 cells resistant to adriamycin

Studies have been carried out to analyze protein phosphorylation in membranes isolated from adriamycin resistant HL60 cells which have been grown for various time periods in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), retinoic acid (RA) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The results show that membranes isolated from cells treated with these agents are defective in the phosphorylation of P150, a membrane phosphoprotein associated with drug resistance in HL60 cells. This response is highly selective since only a few membrane proteins show decreased phosphorylation levels under these conditions. Magnesium dependent protein kinase activity in membranes from cells treated with DMSO, RA or TPA is not altered relative to untreated membranes under conditions where there is a major decrease in P150 phosphorylation. Additional studies also show that treatment of resistant cells with TPA results in a major decrease in the in vivo phosphorylation of P150. These results thus demonstrate that agents capable of inducing differentiation in HL60 cells can selectively modulate the phosphorylation of P150. This system should be of value in clarifying mechanisms involved in the phosphorylation of this protein.     

Epidermal growth factor stimulates serine and tyrosine phosphorylation in a 59-kD protein in purified plasma membranes from rat liver

Preincubation of purified plasma membranes from rat liver with EGF stimulates the level of phosphorylation on serine and tyrosine residues in a 59-kD protein. Such an increased phosphoserine and phosphotyrosine content of the 59-kD protein occurs at the expense of the phosphorylation on threonine residues. The effect is observed under conditions where the plasma membranes have been extracted at pH 10. It is not observed when the membranes are simply washed at pH 7.5 before further purification. A number of experiments, including TBR-IgG phosphorylation in immunoprecipitates and partial hydrolysis with varying concentrations of the V8 protease, suggest that the 59-kD protein modified upon EGF treatment could be a representative of the c-src gene product from hepatocytes.     

Interleukin 1 and tumour necrosis factor increase phosphorylation of the small heat shock protein. Effects in fibroblasts, Hep G2 and U937 cells

Interleukin 1 alpha and tumour necrosis factor-alpha stimulated phosphorylation of three 27 kDa phosphoproteins in MRC-5 fibroblasts which was sustained for up to 2 h after adding the cytokines. All three phosphoproteins were immunoprecipitated by a specific antiserum to the small mammalian heat shock protein, hsp 27. The three phosphoproteins from stimulated or control cells contained phosphoserine but not phosphothreonine or phosphotyrosine. Similar increases in phosphorylation of immunoprecipitable 27 kDa proteins were seen in U937 cells stimulated by TNF alpha and Hep G2 cells stimulated by IL1 alpha.     

The effect of phorbol esters and Ca2+ ions on the process of autophosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor in vivo

Monoclonal antibodies against phosphotyrosine were used to study tyrosine phosphorylation in human epidermal carcinoma A431 cells in vivo. Incubation of A431 cells with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) leads to tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor; the phosphotyrosine content in cellular EGF receptors increases 50-100-fold in the presence of the growth factor. The maximum level of the receptor autophosphorylation is reached on the 5th min and is then held constant during 90-min incubation with EGF. After preincubation of A431 cells with phorbol-12-myristoyl-13-acetate (PMA) or calcium ionophore A23187 the receptor autophosphorylation decreases significantly. After addition of A23187 and EGTA to the preincubation medium the phosphotyrosine content in cellular EGF receptors stimulated by the growth factor reaches the control level i.e., that observed in the absence of the ionophore. After preincubation of cells in the presence of phorbol ester and H-7 (protein kinase C inhibitor) the level of EGF receptor autophosphorylation does not practically differ from that of control.     

Acid phosphatase and phosphoamino acid phosphatases in murine erythroleukaemic cells

The activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases and phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phosphatases were measured in Friend murine erythroleukaemic (MEL) cells. The effects of treating the cells with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), an inducer of differentiation, were examined. In untreated cells alkaline phosphatase activity was undetectable, though there were significant amounts of acid phosphatase (76 +/- 15 mU/mg protein) and phosphotyrosine phosphatase (16 +/- 0.9mU/mg protein); phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phosphatase activities (9 +/- 0.4 and 7 +/- 0.6mU/mg protein, respectively) were lower than for phosphotyrosine phosphatase. Addition of 1 or 2% DMSO to the culture medium resulted in the expected cell death within 2 weeks. With 0.5% DMSO, cells remained viable for at least 8 weeks, but while some appeared to have smaller nuclei and retained their rounded appearance, others became fibroblastic within several days and adhered to the culture vessel. The treated cells which had kept their morphology showed no difference in acid phosphatase activities as compared with untreated controls; phosphotyrosine phosphatase was lower (9 +/- 0.8mU/mg protein) and phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phophatases higher (11 +/- 0.5 and 10 +/- 0.4mU/mg protein, respectively) than in the controls. The Km values for p-nitrophenyl phosphate were similar in untreated and treated cells (0.069 and 0.068mM, respectively); for phosphotyrosine the Km value was lower in the treated cells (0.97mM) than in the controls (1.9mM).     

Evidence that the tyrosine kinase domain of a small fraction of epidermal growth factor receptor molecules is exposed on the outer surface of A431 cells

Intact A431 cells were labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP. The major phosphorylation product of the ecto-kinase activity of A431 cells had the molecular mass of 170 kd and was identified as EGF receptor by specific immunoprecipitation. This phosphorylation was not stimulated by EGF added to the reaction buffer, but replacement of MgCl2 by MnCl2 in the buffer remarkably stimulated phosphorylation. An exogenous protein substrate, alpha-casein, was also phosphorylated by intact A431 cells. The analyses for phospho-amino acids of both EGF receptor and alpha-casein revealed that phosphorylation occurred mainly at phosphotyrosine residues. Tryptic phospho-peptides of the EGF receptor of intact A431 cells labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP were fractionated by HPLC. The elution patterns were essentially the same as that of the autophosphorylated EGF receptor, indicating that the phosphorylation sites of EGF receptor labeled in vivo with [gamma-32P]ATP are located in three tyrosine residues in the carboxyl terminus. These results indicate that the carboxyl-terminal tyrosine kinase domain of a small fraction of the EGF receptor molecules of an A431 cell is exposed on the outer surface of the cells.     

Examination of the role of serine phosphorylation in phospholipase C-gamma and its related P47 in cAMP-mediated depression of epidermal growth factor signal transduction.

Forskolin-pretreatment of A431 cells reduced both intrinsic and epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced EGF receptor phosphorylation, however, phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) was stimulated under the same conditions. No significant difference was detected in the amount of phosphotyrosine of PLC-gamma between two cultures with or without forskolin treatment followed by EGF. On the other hand, phosphorylation of a 47 kDa protein (P47) which cross-reacted with an anti-PLC-gamma monoclonal antibody, was stimulated by both forskolin and EGF. Phosphorylation was exclusively on serine residues in this case. These results indicate that both PLC-gamma and P47 are phosphorylated by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the EGF-stimulated serine kinase, and suggest that serine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma has no effect on ligand-dependent coupling with the EGF receptor.     

Use of an antiserum against phosphotyrosine for the identification of phosphorylated components in human fibroblasts stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor

In search for possible intracellular mediators of the mitogenic signal induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), we have investigated tyrosine-specific phosphorylation stimulated by PDGF in intact human fibroblasts. Cells were metabolically labeled, either with [32P] orthophosphoric acid or with [35S]methionine, and thereafter treated with PDGF for various times. Lysates from the cell cultures were then immunoprecipitated with an antiserum specifically recognizing phosphotyrosine. Analysis of the precipitated radioactivity by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and autoradiography or fluorography showed the appearance of a 185-kDa protein in cells stimulated with PDGF; maximum yield was at about 5 min after the addition of PDGF. This component was found to have several characteristics in common with the PDGF receptor, including similar Mr, binding to immobilized wheat germ agglutinin, and incorporation of phosphate on tyrosine residues after exposure to PDGF. We conclude that the 185-kDa component probably represents the PDGF receptor proper. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the 185-kDa protein/PDGF receptor, precipitated with the antiphosphotyrosine immune serum, revealed that it, in addition to phosphotyrosine, also contained phosphoserine. PDGF also consistently stimulated the phosphorylation of components of Mr values of 300,000 to 200,000, 115,000, 72,000, 54,000, 45,000, and 35,000. Some of these components may be involved in the intracellular transmission of the PDGF-induced mitogenic signal.     

Tumor promoter and epidermal growth factor stimulate phosphorylation of the c-erbB-2 gene product in MKN-7 human adenocarcinoma cells.

Treatment of human adenocarcinoma MKN-7 cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or phorbol tetradecanoate acetate (TPA) stimulated phosphorylation of the c-erbB-2 gene product. EGF induced a rapid increase in phosphotyrosine followed by relatively gradual increases in phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. On the other hand, the TPA-induced increase in phosphorylations occurred exclusively on serine and threonine residues. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping analysis suggested that treatments with EGF and TPA induced phosphorylation of many common sites in the c-erbB-2 gene product. However, in contrast to TPA, EGF increased the phosphorylation of the c-erbB-2 protein in cells whose protein kinase C had been down-regulated by long-term pretreatment with TPA, suggesting that EGF and TPA induce phosphorylation by different mechanisms. Since the c-erbB-2 gene product did not show detectable EGF-binding activity, phosphorylation of tyrosine of the c-erbB-2 gene product might be catalyzed directly by the EGF receptor kinase that was activated by EGF.     

Estrogen stimulates protein tyrosine phosphorylation and Src kinase activity in avian osteoclasts

The estrogen, 17beta-estradiol, stimulated a profound increase in phosphotyrosine immunostaining of proteins that localized along the site of attachment in avian osteoclasts within 1 min of treatment. By 10 min, this rapidly occurring event had returned to basal levels. Pretreatment with 1 microM herbimycin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, prevented the response. Immunoblotting revealed that Src kinase was one of the phosphorylated intermediates. Src kinase also appeared to translocate to the periphery of the cells during the 1 min 17beta-estradiol treatment and became dispersed by 10 min. Src kinase activity measurements indicated an increase in phosphotransferase activity after the 1 min estradiol treatment; this effect diminished with longer exposures to estrogen. Pretreatment of osteoclasts with 1 microg/ml cytochalasin B, an inhibitor of actin polymerization, delayed the appearance of increased phosphotyrosine immunostaining at attachment sites, possibly through inhibition of Src kinase translocation. These findings demonstrate that estrogen stimulates rapid tyrosine phosphorylation in osteoclasts, a process that involves activation and translocation of Src kinase to the plasma membrane.