A 220-kD undercoat-constitutive protein: its specific localization at cadherin-based cell-cell adhesion sites

Recently we developed an isolation procedure for the cell-to-cell adherens junctions (AJ; cadherin-based junctions) from rat liver (Tsukita, Sh. and Sa. Tsukita. 1989. J. Cell Biol. 108:31-41). In this study, using the isolated AJ, we have obtained two mAbs specific to the 220-kD undercoat-constitutive protein. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy with these mAbs showed that this 220-kD protein was highly concentrated at the undercoat of cell-to-cell AJ in various types of tissues and that this protein was located in the immediate vicinity of the plasma membrane in the undercoat of AJ. In the cells lacking typical cell-to-cell AJ, such as fibroblasts, the 220-kD protein was immunofluorescently shown to be coconcentrated with cadherin molecules at cell-cell adhesion sites. These localization analyses appeared to indicate the possible direct or indirect association of the 220-kD protein with cadherin molecules. Furthermore, it was revealed that the 220-kD protein and alpha-spectrin were coimmunoprecipitated with the above mAbs in both the isolated AJ and the brain. The affinity-purified 220-kD protein molecule looked like a spherical particle, and its binding site on the spectrin molecule was shown to be in the position approximately 10-20 nm from the midpoint of spectrin tetramer by low-angle rotary-shadowing electron microscopy. Taking all these results together with biochemical and immunological comparisons, we are persuaded to speculate that the 220-kD protein is a novel member of the ankyrin family. However, the possibility cannot be excluded that the 220-kD protein is an isoform of beta-spectrin. The possible roles of this 220-kD protein in the association of cadherin molecules with the spectrin-based membrane skeletons at the cadherin-based cell-cell adhesion sites are discussed.     

A new 400-kD protein from isolated adherens junctions: its localization at the undercoat of adherens junctions and at microfilament bundles such as stress fibers and circumferential bundles

In the previous study, we succeeded in isolating the cell-to-cell adherens junctions from rat liver (Tsukita, S., and S. Tsukita. 1989. J. Cell Biol. 108:31-41.). In this study, we have obtained mAbs specific to the 400-kD protein, which was identified as one of the major constituents of the undercoat of isolated adherens junctions. Immune blot analyses showed that this protein occurs in various types of tissues. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immune electron microscopy have revealed that this protein is distributed not only at the undercoat of adherens junctions but also along actin bundles associated with the junction in nonmuscle cells: stress fibers in cultured fibroblasts and circumferential bundles in epithelial cells. The partially purified protein molecule looks like a slender rod approximately 400 nm in length. By virtue of its molecular shape, we have named this protein 'tenuin' (from Latin 'tenuis', thin or slender).     

CSK: a protein-tyrosine kinase involved in regulation of src family kinases.

The functions of src family protein-tyrosine kinases are thought to be regulated negatively by the phosphorylation of highly conserved tyrosine residues close to their carboxyl termini. Recently we have purified and cloned a protein-tyrosine kinase (designated as CSK) that can specifically phosphorylate the negative regulatory site of p60c-src. To elucidate the relationship between CSK and other types of src family kinases, we investigated the tissue distribution of CSK and examined whether CSK could phosphorylate the negative regulatory sites of src family kinases other than p60c-src. Western blot analysis indicated that CSK was enriched at the highest level in lymphoid tissues in which the expression of p60c-src is considerably lower than those of other types of src family kinases. CSK phosphorylated p56lyn and p59fyn, which are known to be expressed in lymphoid tissues at a relatively high level. The putative regulatory site, tyrosine 508, was found to be essential for phosphorylation in p56lyn, and the kinase activities of these src family kinases were repressed by phosphorylation with CSK. These findings raise the possibility that CSK might act as a universal regulator for src family kinases.     

Association between the PDGF receptor and members of the src family of tyrosine kinases.

We have examined the interaction between the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor and three src family tyrosine kinases, pp60c-src, p59fyn, and pp62c-yes. The kinase activities of all three enzymes were elevated after PDGF stimulation of quiescent fibroblasts, coincident with association of the src family kinases with the PDGF receptor and other proteins. The presence of a protein of 81-85 kd in these complexes correlated with the detection of phosphatidylinositol (PI) kinase activity (previously described to associate with both the PDGF receptor and pp60c-src-middle T antigen). These results suggest that the physiological response to PDGF involves interaction of the receptor not only with serine/threonine and lipid kinases and a phospholipase, but also with other tyrosine kinases.     

Identification and characterization of p59fyn (a src-like protein tyrosine kinase) in normal and polyoma virus transformed cells.

fyn is a member of the growing family of protein tyrosine kinase genes whose sequences are highly related to that of c-src. We have generated antibodies to peptides corresponding to two different amino-terminal sequences encoded by this gene. Antisera to both peptides recognized a 59 kd protein from human and mouse fibroblasts. p59fyn was phosphorylated in vivo on serine and tyrosine residues and was also myristylated. Furthermore, immune precipitates of p59fyn had tyrosine kinase activity in vitro, as measured by autophosphorylation and by phosphorylation of substrates such as enolase. This kinase activity was shown to be negatively regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. We have also established that, like pp60c-src and p62c-yes, p59fyn was complexed with middle T antigen, the transforming protein of polyoma virus. However, the tyrosine kinase activity of p59fyn was not elevated in middle T transformed cells. Possible explanations for this are discussed.     

A tyrosine kinase related to pp60c-src is associated with membranes of Electrophorus electricus electric organ

A tyrosine-specific protein kinase immunologically related to pp60c-src, the cellular homolog of the Rous sarcoma virus-transforming protein, was expressed at elevated levels in the electric organ of the electric eel Electrophorus electricus. The electric organ kinase phosphorylated antibodies reactive with pp60c-src at tyrosine residues in immune complex protein kinase assays and was associated with electric organ membranes enriched in acetylcholine receptors. The protein recognized by anti-pp60c-src antibodies was phosphorylated in endogenous membrane phosphorylation reactions and was shown to have a relative molecular mass of 57 kDa by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In immune complex protein kinase assays the 57-kDa protein was phosphorylated at threonine by a distinct threonine kinase from the electric organ. The tyrosine kinase was purified 844-fold from electric organ membranes by chromatography on omega-aminohexyl agarose, phosphocellulose, and casein-Sepharose. Threonine kinase activity in immunoprecipitates was not observed in the tyrosine kinase fractions after the first step. Incubation of the casein Sepharose fraction with [gamma-32P]ATP-Mn2+ in solution resulted in phosphorylation of only the 57-kDa protein. Phosphorylation occurred solely at tyrosine, suggesting that the kinase is capable of autophosphorylation. The structural and functional properties of the 57-kDa electric organ kinase indicate that the 57-kDa electric organ protein is a member of the src subfamily of tyrosine kinases and is closely related to pp60c-src.     

Radixin, a barbed end-capping actin-modulating protein, is concentrated at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis [published erratum appears in J Cell Biol 1991 Sep;114(5):1101-3]

Radixin is a barbed end-capping actin-modulating protein which was first identified in isolated cell-to-cell adherens junctions from rat liver (Tsukita, Sa., Y. Hieda, and Sh. Tsukita, 1989. J. Cell Biol. 108:2369-2382). In the present study, we have analyzed the distribution of radixin in dividing cells. For this purpose, an mAb specific for radixin was obtained using chicken gizzard radixin as an antigen. By immunofluorescence microscopy with this mAb and a polyclonal antibody obtained previously, it was clearly shown in rat fibroblastic cells (3Y1 cells) that radixin was highly concentrated at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. Radixin appeared to accumulate rapidly at the cleavage furrow at the onset of furrowing, continued to be concentrated at the furrow during anaphase and telophase, and was finally enriched at the midbody. This concentration of radixin at the cleavage furrow was detected in all other cultured cells we examined: bovine epithelial cells (MDBK cells), mouse myeloma cells (P3 cells), rat kangaroo Ptk2 cells, mouse teratocarcinoma cells, and chicken fibroblasts. Furthermore, it became clear that the epitope for the mAb was immunofluorescently masked in the cell-to-cell adherens junctions. Together, these results lead us to conclude that radixin is present in the undercoat of the cell-to-cell adherens junctions and that of the cleavage furrow, although their respective molecular architectures are distinct. The possible roles of radixin at the cleavage furrow are discussed with special reference to the molecular mechanism of the actin filament-plasma membrane interaction at the furrow.     

Purification and characterization of a possible protooncogene fyn product, p59fyn, from a rat brain particulate fraction.

Four tyrosine-protein kinases that reacted with antibodies specific to p62c-yes, p60c-src, p60c-src+, and p59fyn, respectively, were solubilized from a rat brain particulate fraction and separated by casein-Toyopearl column chromatography. Possible p59fyn, with a pI of 6.5, was purified 490-fold as a single 59-kDa protein band on SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme contained almost no phosphotyrosine residues but was autophosphorylated with Mg2+. ATP exclusively at tyrosine residues, with a concomitant increase in the kinase activity toward tyrosine-glutamate (1:4) copolymers. The rate of the copolymer phosphorylation was proportional to the square of the enzyme concentration, suggesting activation through intermolecular catalysis. In the presence of Mn2+, however, the reaction showed a first-order dependence on the enzyme concentration.     

Differential effects of expression of the CD45 tyrosine protein phosphatase on the tyrosine phosphorylation of the lck, fyn, and c-src tyrosine protein kinases.

Expression of the CD45 tyrosine protein phosphatase is required for the response of functional lymphocytes to stimulation through the antigen receptor. One or more of its substrates may therefore be essential for signal transduction during lymphocyte activation. We have studied the phosphorylation of the closely related lck, fyn, and c-src tyrosine protein kinases in leukemic murine T-cell lines that have lost the expression of CD45. The phosphorylation of the lck kinase at an inhibitory site of tyrosine phosphorylation, Tyr-505, was increased by two-, six-, and eightfold in three different cell lines. Phosphorylation of the fyn kinase at the homologous site, Tyr-531, was unaltered in one of these cell lines, but increased by 2.5-fold in the two others. The phosphorylation of p60c-src at the homologous tyrosine was essentially unchanged in the one CD45-negative cell line in which it was examined. The expression of CD45 therefore regulates the phosphorylation and potentially the activity of the lck and fyn tyrosine protein kinases, but the effect on the lck kinase is much greater than on the fyn kinase. This finding and the observation that CD45 had no effect on the phosphorylation of p60c-src suggest that CD45 exhibits polypeptide substrate specificity in vivo. Additionally, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the unresponsiveness of CD45-negative lymphoid cells to antigenic stimulation is due largely to hyperphosphorylation of the lck kinase.     

Zinc-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of hippocampal p60c-src is catalyzed by another protein tyrosine kinase.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of p60c-src induced by Zn2+ in rat hippocampal membranes is shown to inhibit Src tyrosine kinase activity. Zn2+ catalyzes the phosphorylation of p60c-src in the membranes but does not activate autophosphorylation of p60c-src immunoprecipitated with anti-Src monoclonal antibody. Moreover, the immunoprecipitated Src kinase has no Zn(2+)-induced activity in phosphorylation of exogenous substrate, enolase. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of p60c-src phosphorylated in the presence of Zn2+ yields a 4-kDa phosphopeptide corresponding to phosphorylation of a carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue of Src kinase. In conclusion, hippocampal membranes contain a Zn(2+)-stimulated protein tyrosine kinase capable of regulating the p60c-src activity.     

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.     

Zinc causes tyrosine phosphorylation of hippocampal p60c-src.

Zinc cations at concentrations of 0.2 mM and greater catalyzed specific phosphorylation, by ATP, of two membrane-associated proteins from rat hippocampus. These proteins, corresponding to molecular weights of 60 and 49 kDa, were phosphorylated primarily at tyrosine residues. The 60-kDa protein was identified as p60c-src by immunoprecipitation using two different p60src-specific monoclonal antibodies. The 49-kDa protein co-immunoprecipitated with p60c-src. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of p60c-src and the 49-kDa protein phosphorylated in the presence of Zn2+ gave different patterns of phosphopeptides. It is suggested that tyrosine phosphorylation of p60c-src and the p60c-src-associated 49-kDa protein may be a way of zinc participation in hippocampal neurotransmission.     

A protein tyrosine kinase involved in regulation of pp60c-src function

We recently identified a novel protein tyrosine kinase that specifically phosphorylates truncated pp60c-src (Mr = 53,000) at a tyrosine residue(s) distinct from its autophosphorylation site. In this study, we examined whether this enzyme phosphorylates intact pp60c-src (Mr = 60,000) and determined its phosphorylation site. Non-neuronal and neuronal forms of intact pp60c-src were separately purified from the membrane fraction of neonatal rat brain by sequential column chromatographies. The novel kinase phosphorylated tyrosine residues of both forms of intact pp60c-src. The phosphorylation occurred in parallel with autophosphorylation of pp60c-src, and in both forms the final stoichiometry estimated was quite similar to that of autophosphorylation (about 5%). The enzyme also phosphorylated pp60c-src in which the kinase activity had been destroyed by an ATP analogue, p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl 5'-adenosine. The phosphorylation site of the non-neuronal form was analyzed by sequential peptide mapping with tosylphenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone-treated trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin. Tryptic digestion of the phosphorylated pp60c-src yielded a unique phosphopeptide that cross-reacted with an antibody specific for the carboxyl-terminal sequence of chicken pp60c-src. Digestion of the phosphopeptide with chymotrypsin yielded a product that comigrated with a synthetic phosphopeptide corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal 15 residues of chicken pp60c-src. These results clearly indicate that the carboxyl-terminal sequence of rat pp60c-src is identical to that of chicken pp60c-src, and a tyrosine residue corresponding to chicken Tyr527 is the phosphorylation site. This phosphorylation resulted in a decrease in the enolase phosphorylating activity of pp60c-src. Kinetic experiments indicated that this decrease in activity was due to a decrease in the Vmax value of pp60c-src. These findings support our previous proposal that the novel tyrosine kinase acts as a specific regulator of pp60c-src in cells.     

Investigation of factors that influence phosphorylation of pp60c-src on tyrosine 527.

Phosphorylation at tyrosine 527 of the proto-oncogene product, pp60c-src, has been proposed to decrease the tyrosine kinase activity of the enzyme. We have investigated potential factors that might influence phosphorylation at this site by making mutant variants of the pp60c-src protein. By effectively eliminating the site of N-terminal myristylation, we demonstrated that stable membrane association is not necessary for tyrosine 527 phosphorylation. Furthermore, mutational elimination of the enzymatic activity of this mutant pp60c-src protein did not alter the efficiency of phosphorylation at tyrosine 527. These data are consistent with the proposal that pp60c-src may be phosphorylated at tyrosine 527 by a cellular tyrosine kinase distinct from pp60c-src. In addition, using detergent-permeabilized cells, we established conditions that allow efficient phosphorylation of tyrosine 527 in vitro.     

Tissue-dependent regulation of protein tyrosine kinase activity during embryonic development

Protein tyrosine kinase activity was assayed in a variety of chicken tissues during embryonic development and in the adult. In some tissues protein tyrosine kinase activity decreased during embryonic development; however, in other tissues it remained high throughout development, it contrast to the level of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, which decreased during development. The highest levels of tyrosine kinase activity were detected in 17-d embryonic brain although only low levels of protein tyrosine phosphorylation were observed in this tissue. Several alternatives were examined in an effort to determine the mechanism responsible for the low levels of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in most older embryonic and adult chicken tissues despite the presence of highly active tyrosine kinases. The results show that the regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation during embryonic development is complex and varies from tissue to tissue. Furthermore, the results suggest that protein tyrosine phosphatases play an important role in regulating the level of phosphotyrosine in proteins of many older embryonic and adult tissues.     

Neoplastic transformation induced by an activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (pp56lck).

The lck proto-oncogene encodes a lymphocyte-specific member of the src family of protein tyrosine kinases. Here we demonstrate that pp56lck is phosphorylated in vivo at a carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue (Tyr-505) analogous to Tyr-527 of pp60c-src. Substitution of phenylalanine for tyrosine at this position resulted in increased phosphorylation of a second tyrosine residue (Tyr-394) and was associated with an increase in apparent kinase activity. In addition, this single point mutation unmasked the oncogenic potential of pp56lck in NIH 3T3 cell transformation assays. Viewed in the context of similar results obtained with pp60c-src, it is likely that the enzymatic activity and transforming ability of all src-family protein tyrosine kinases can be regulated by carboxy-terminal tyrosine phosphorylation. We further demonstrate that overexpression of pp56lck in the murine T-cell lymphoma LSTRA as a result of a retroviral insertion event produces a kinase protein that despite wild-type primary structure is nevertheless hypophosphorylated at Tyr-505. Thus, control of normal growth in this lymphoid cell line may have been abrogated through acquisition of a posttranslationally activated version of pp56lck.     

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.     

Altered sites of tyrosine phosphorylation in pp60c-src associated with polyomavirus middle tumor antigen.

We characterized the tyrosine phosphorylation sites of free pp60c-src and of pp60c-src associated with the polyomavirus middle tumor antigen (mT) in transformed avian and rodent cells. The sites of tyrosine phosphorylation in the two populations of pp60c-src were different, both in vitro and in vivo. Free pp60c-src was phosphorylated in vitro at a single site, tyrosine 416. pp60c-src associated with mT was phosphorylated in vitro on tyrosine 416 and on one or more additional tyrosine residues located in the amino-terminal region of the molecule. Free pp60c-src in polyomavirus mT-transformed cells was phosphorylated in vivo on tyrosine 527. In contrast, pp60c-src associated with mT was phosphorylated in vivo on tyrosine 416 and not detectably on tyrosine 527. Thus, the in vivo phosphorylation sites of pp60c-src associated with mT in transformed cells are identical to those of pp60v-src, the Rous sarcoma virus transforming protein. The results suggest that altered phosphorylation of pp60c-src associated with mT may play a role in the enhancement of the pp60c-src protein kinase activity and in cell transformation by polyomavirus.