Critical cytoplasmic domains of the common beta subunit of the human GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-5 receptors for growth signal transduction and tyrosine phosphorylation.

The high-affinity receptors for human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 3 (IL-3) and interleukin 5 (IL-5) are composed of two distinct subunits, alpha and beta c. The alpha subunits are specific for each cytokine, whereas the beta subunit (beta c) is shared by the three receptors and is an essential component of signal transduction. We have made a series of mutant beta c cDNAs that delete various regions of the cytoplasmic domain and examined the function of these mutants by coexpressing them with the alpha subunit of the human GM-CSF receptor (hGMR) in an IL-3-dependent mouse pro-B cell line BaF3. Two domains in the membrane-proximal portion of beta c were found to be important for transducing the hGM-CSF-mediated growth signals: one domain between Arg456 and Phe487 appears to be essential for proliferation, and the second domain between Val518 and Asp544 enhances the response to GM-CSF, but is not absolutely required for proliferation. The region between Val518 and Leu626 was responsible for major tyrosine phosphorylation of 95 and 60 kDa proteins. Thus, beta c-mediated major tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins was apparently separated from proliferation. However, the beta 517 mutant lacking residues downstream of Val518 transmitted a herbimycin-sensitive proliferation signal, suggesting that beta 517 still activates a tyrosine kinase(s). We also evaluated the role of the cytoplasmic domain of the GMR alpha subunit and the results suggest that it is involved in the hGM-CSF-mediated signal transduction, but is not essential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Characterization of cis-regulatory elements of the c-myc promoter responding to human GM-CSF or mouse interleukin 3 in mouse proB cell line BA/F3 cells expressing the human GM-CSF receptor.

Interleukin 3 (IL-3) or granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activates c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc genes and proliferation in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. Using a series of deletion mutants of the beta subunit of human GM-CSF receptor (hGMR) and inhibitors of tyrosine kinase, two distinct signaling pathways, one for activation of c-fos and c-jun genes, and the other for cell proliferation and activation of c-myc gene have been elucidated. In contrast to wealth of information on the pathway leading to activation of c-fos/c-jun genes, knowledge of the latter is scanty. To clarify the mechanisms of activation of c-myc gene by cytokines, we established a transient transfection assay in mouse proB cell line BA/F3 cells expressing hGMR. Analyses of hGMR beta subunit mutants revealed two cytoplasmic regions involved in activation of the c-myc promoter, one is essential and the other is dispensable but enhances the activity. These regions are located at the membrane proximal and the distal regions covering amino acid positions 455-544 and 544-589, respectively. Characterization of cis-acting regulatory elements of the c-myc gene showed that the region containing the P2 promoter initiation site is sufficient to mediate the response to mIL-3 or hGM-CSF. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay using an oligonucleotide corresponding to the distal putative E2F binding site revealed that p107/E2F complex, the negative regulator of E2F, decreased, and free E2F increased after mIL-3 stimulation. These results support the thesis that mIL-3 or hGM-CSF regulates the c-myc promoter by altering composition of the E2F complexes at E2F binding site.     

Suppression of apoptotic death in hematopoietic cells by signalling through the IL-3/GM-CSF receptors.

Interleukin 3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) exert their biological functions through acting on a specific receptor which consists of a ligand-specific alpha subunit and the shared common beta subunit. Inhibition by genistein of a subset of IL-3/GM-CSF-mediated signals, including c-myc induction, resulted in the abrogation of DNA synthesis, however, IL-3 still protected cells from apoptotic cell death. Conversely, a C-terminal truncated form of the GM-CSF receptor, which is missing a critical cytoplasmic region required for activation of the Ras/Raf-1/MAP kinase pathway, induced DNA synthesis, but failed to prevent cell death in response to GM-CSF. Consequently, cells died by apoptosis in the presence of GM-CSF, despite displaying a transient mitogenic response. However, expression of activated Ras protein complemented defective signalling through the mutant receptor and supported long-term proliferation in concert with GM-CSF. These results indicate that IL-3 and GM-CSF prevent apoptosis of hematopoietic cells by activating a signalling pathway distinct from the induction of DNA synthesis and that long-term cell proliferation requires the activation of both pathways.     

JAK2 associates with the beta c chain of the receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and its activation requires the membrane-proximal region.

The high-affinity receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) consists of a unique alpha chain and a beta c subunit that is shared with the receptors for interleukin-3 (IL-3) and IL-5. Two regions of the beta c chain have been defined; these include a membrane-proximal region of the cytoplasmic domain that is required for mitogenesis and a membrane-distal region that is required for activation of Ras, Raf-1, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and S6 kinase. Recent studies have implicated the cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase JAK2 in signalling through a number of the cytokine receptors, including the IL-3 and erythropoietin receptors. In the studies described here, we demonstrate that GM-CSF stimulation of cells induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 and activates its in vitro kinase activity. Mutational analysis of the beta c chain demonstrates that only the membrane-proximal 62 amino acids of the cytosolic domain are required for JAK2 activation. Thus, JAK2 activation is correlated with induction of mitogenesis but does not, alone, activate the Ras pathway. Carboxyl truncations of the alpha chain, which inactivate the receptor for mitogenesis, are unable to mediate GM-CSF-induced JAK2 activation. Using baculovirus-expressed proteins, we further demonstrate that JAK2 physically associates with the beta c chain but not with the alpha chain. Together, the results further support the hypothesis that the JAK family of kinase are critical to coupling cytokine binding to tyrosine phosphorylation and ultimately mitogenesis.     

Analysis of signals and functions of the chimeric human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor in BA/F3 cells and transgenic mice

Receptors for GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5 are composed of two subunits: alpha, which is specific for each cytokine, and betac, which is shared by all. Although the role of betac in signal transduction has been extensively studied, the role of the alpha subunit has remained to be clarified. To analyze the role of the human (h) GM-CSF receptor alpha subunit, we constructed a chimeric receptor subunit composed of extracellular and transmembrane regions of alpha fused with the cytoplasmic region of betac, designated alpha/beta. In BA/F3 cells, chimeric receptor composed of alpha/beta,beta can transduce signals for mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade activation and proliferation in response to hGM-CSF. Although phosphorylation of Jak1 but not of Jak2 occurred with stimulation of hGM-CSF, the dominant-negative Jak2 but not the dominant-negative Jak1 suppresses c-fos promoter activation. To determine whether the chimeric receptor alpha/beta,beta is functional in vivo, we developed transgenic mice expressing the chimeric receptor alpha/beta,beta. Bone marrow cells from the transgenic mice expressing the alpha/beta,beta receptor form not only GM colonies but also various lineages of colonies in response to GM-CSF. In addition, mast cells were produced when bone marrow cells of the transgenic mouse were cultured with hGM-CSF. Thus, it appears that the cytoplasmic region of the alpha subunit is not required for hGM-CSF promoting activities, even in bone marrow cells.     

Functional analysis of a single chain chimeric alpha/beta-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor. Importance of a glutamate residue in the transmembrane region.

To analyze the function of each subunit of the receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), GMR, we previously generated a single-chain chimeric receptor by fusion of the extracellular and transmembrane domain from the alpha-subunit (alpha-GMR) to the intracellular part of the beta-subunit (beta-GMR) introducing an additional glutamate residue at the fusion site (alpha/beta-GMR). We demonstrated the capacity of alpha/beta-GMR to bind GM-CSF with low affinity and to induce GM-CSF-dependent activation of tyrosine kinase activity and proliferation in transfected Ba/F3 cells. To further compare the functions of wild type and chimeric receptors, we now report that this alpha/beta-GMR is sufficient to mediate morphological changes, expression of alpha(4)- and beta(1)-integrin receptor subunits, and serine-phosphorylation of Akt kinase. To analyze the function of the glutamate residue at the fusion region of alpha/beta-GMR various point mutants changing this amino acid and its position were expressed in Ba/F3 cells. None of these mutants was capable of supporting GM-CSF-dependent proliferation; however, when beta-GMR was coexpressed, GM-CSF mediated short and long term proliferation. Interestingly, some mutants but not alpha/beta-GMR can induce proliferation in the presence of an anti-alpha-GMR antibody. These data demonstrate the significance of a glutamate residue in the transmembrane region of alpha/beta-GMR for ligand-induced receptor activation.     

The beta c component of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)/interleukin 3 (IL-3)/IL-5 receptor interacts with a hybrid GM-CSF/erythropoietin receptor to influence proliferation and beta-globin mRNA expression.

BACKGROUND: The interaction of different members of the hematopoietic growth factor receptor family may be relevant to the increased proliferation and the failure of differentiation that characterizes the myeloid leukemias. We recently demonstrated that a chimeric receptor (GMER) that is composed of the extracellular and transmembrane domains of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor alpha-chain (GMR alpha) and the cytoplasmic domain of the murine erythropoietin receptor mEpoR binds hGM-CSF with low affinity (3 nM) and confers both proliferative and differentiation signals to stably transfected murine Ba/F3 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate whether the common beta-subunit of the GM-CSF receptor (beta c) can interact with GMER, either the entire beta-subunit or a mutant, truncated beta-subunit that completely lacks the cytoplasmic domain (beta tr) was introduced into Ba/F3 cells that express GMER, and the binding of GM-CSF as well as proliferation and differentiation responses were measured. RESULTS: Scatchard analysis showed that both GMER + beta c and GMER + beta tr bound hGM-CSF with high affinity (Kd 40 pM to 65 pM). Proliferation assays showed that the maximum growth of cells expressing GMER + beta c was identical to that of cells with GMER alone. However, proliferation of the cells that expressed GMER + beta tr was reduced by 80-95% of GMER. Dose-response curves showed that the concentration of GM-CSF required for half-maximal growth was 0.5-5.0 pM for GMER + beta c and 0.5-5 nM for GMER and GMER + beta tr. The EpoR cytoplasmic domain of GMER also undergoes ligandinducible tyrosine phosphorylation. However, the tyrosine phosphorylation did not correlate with growth in cells expressing beta tr. Coexpression of beta c with GMER in Ba/F3 cells grown in hGM-CSF markedly enhanced beta-globin mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that beta c can transduce a unique signal in association with GMER to influence both proliferative and differentiation signal pathways.     

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor signals for increased glucose transport via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- and hydrogen peroxide-dependent mechanisms

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates cellular glucose uptake by decreasing the apparent K(m) for substrate transport through facilitative glucose transporters on the plasma membrane. Little is known about this signal transduction pathway and the role of the alpha subunit of the GM-CSF receptor (alpha GMR) in modulating transporter activity. We examined the function of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) in GM-CSF-stimulated glucose uptake and found that PI 3-kinase inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, completely blocked the GM-CSF-dependent increase of glucose uptake in Xenopus oocytes expressing the low affinity alpha GMR and in human cells expressing the high affinity alpha beta GMR complex. We identified a Src homology 3 domain-binding motif in alpha GMR at residues 358-361 as a potential interaction site for the PI 3-kinase regulatory subunit, p85. Physical evidence for p85 binding to alpha GMR was obtained by co-immunoprecipitation with antibodies to alpha GMR and p85, and an alpha GMR mutant with alteration of the Src homology 3 binding domain lost the ability to bind p85. Experiments with a construct eliminating most of the intracellular portion of alpha GMR showed a 50% reduction in GM-CSF-stimulated glucose uptake with residual activity blocked by wortmannin. Searching for a proximally generated diffusible factor capable of activating PI 3-kinase, we identified hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), generated by ligand or antibody binding to alpha GMR, as the initiating factor. Catalase treatment abrogated GM-CSF- or anti-alpha GMR antibody-stimulated glucose uptake in alpha GMR-expressing oocytes, and H(2)O(2) activated PI 3-kinase and led to some stimulation of glucose uptake in uninjected oocytes. Human myeloid cell lines and primary explant human lymphocytes expressing high affinity GM-CSF receptors responded to alpha GMR antibody with increased glucose uptake. These results identify the early events in the stimulation of glucose uptake by GM-CSF as involving local H(2)O(2) generation and requiring PI 3-kinase activation. Our findings also provide a mechanistic explanation for signaling through the isolated alpha subunit of the GM-CSF receptor.     

Involvement of protein tyrosine kinase in Toll-like receptor 4-mediated NF-kappa B activation in human peripheral blood monocytes

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a powerful activator of the innate immune system. Exposure to LPS induces an inflammatory reaction in the lung mediated primarily by human blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages, which release an array of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines including IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. The signaling mechanisms utilized by LPS to stimulate the release of cytokines and chemokines are still incompletely understood. Pretreatment with the protein tyrosine kinase-specific inhibitors genistein and herbimycin A effectively blocked LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation as well as IL-8 gene expression in human peripheral blood monocytes. However, when genistein was added 2 min after the addition of LPS, no inhibition was observed. Utilizing a coimmunoprecipitation assay, we further showed that LPS-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) may be involved in downstream signaling events induced by LPS. These findings provide evidence that LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation and IL-8 gene expression use a signaling pathway requiring protein tyrosine kinase and that such regulation may occur through tyrosine phosphorylation of TLR4.     

Differential induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha and manganese superoxide dismutase by endotoxin in human monocytes: role of protein tyrosine kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor kappaB

A mutant Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) lacking myristoyl fatty acid markedly stimulates the activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) without inducing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) production by human monocytes (Tian et al., 1998, Am J Physiol 275:C740.), suggesting that induction of MnSOD and TNFalpha by LPS are regulated through different signal transduction pathways. The protein tyrosine kinase (PTK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway plays an important role in the LPS-induced TNFalpha production. In the current study, we determined the effects of PTK inhibitors, genistein and herbimycin A, on the induction of MnSOD and TNFalpha in human monocytes. Genistein (10 microg/ml) and herbimycin A (1 microg/ml) markedly inhibited LPS-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation, phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of MAPK (p42 ERK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase), and increases in the steady state level of TNFalpha mRNA as well as TNFalpha production. In contrast, at similar concentrations, genistein and herbimycin A had no effect on the LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) and induction of MnSOD (mRNA and enzyme activity) in human monocytes. In addition, inhibition of NFkappaB activation by gliotoxin and pyrrodiline dithiocarbamate, inhibited LPS induction of TNFalpha and MnSOD mRNAs. These results suggest that (1) while PTK and MAPK are essential for the production of TNFalpha, they are not necessary for the induction of MnSOD by LPS, and (2) while activation of NFkappaB alone is insufficient for the induction of TNFalpha mRNA by LPS, it is necessary for the induction of TNFalpha as well as MnSOD mRNAs.     

The human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor is capable of initiating signal transduction in NIH3T3 cells.

The ability of the receptor for the hematopoietic cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to function in non-hematopoietic cells is unknown. NIH3T3 fibroblasts were transfected with cDNAs encoding the alpha and beta subunit of the human GM-CSF receptor and a series of stable transformants were isolated that bound GM-CSF with either low (KD = 860 - > 1000 pM) or high affinity (KD = 20-80 pM). Low affinity receptors were not functional. However, the reconstituted high affinity receptors were found to be capable of activating a number of signal transduction pathways, including tyrosine kinase activity, phosphorylation of Raf-1, and the transient induction of c-fos and c-myc mRNAs. The activation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation by GM-CSF in NIH3T3 cells was rapid (< 1 min) and transient (peaking at 5-20 min) and resulted in the phosphorylation of proteins of estimated molecular weights of 42, 44, 52/53 and 58-60 kDa. Some of these proteins co-migrated with proteins from myeloid cells that were phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in response to GM-CSF. In particular, p42 and p44 were identified as mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases), and the phosphorylation on tyrosine residues of p42 and p44 MAP kinases occurred at the same time as the phosphorylation of Raf-1. However, despite evidence for activation of many mitogenic signal transduction molecules, GM-CSF did not induce significant proliferation of transfected NIH3T3 cells. These results suggest that murine fibroblasts contain signal transducing molecules that can effectively interact with the human GM-CSF receptor, and that are sufficient to activate at least some of the same signal transduction pathways this receptor activates in myeloid cells, including activation of one or more tyrosine kinase(s). However, the level of activation of signal transduction is either below a threshold of necessary activity or at least one mitogenic signal necessary for proliferation is missing.     

A critical cytoplasmic domain of the interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptor alpha chain and its function in IL-5-mediated growth signal transduction.

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) regulates the production and function of B cells, eosinophils, and basophils. The IL-5 receptor (IL-5R) consists of two distinct membrane proteins, alpha and beta. The alpha chain (IL-5R alpha) is specific to IL-5. The beta chain is the common beta chain (beta c) of receptors for IL-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The cytoplasmic domains of both alpha and beta chains are essential for signal transduction. In this study, we generated cDNAs of IL-5R alpha having various mutations in their cytoplasmic domains and examined the function of these mutants by expressing them in IL-3-dependent FDC-P1 cells. The membrane-proximal proline-rich sequence of the cytoplasmic domain of IL-5R alpha, which is conserved among the alpha chains of IL-5R, IL-3R, and GM-CSF receptor (GM-CSFR), was found to be essential for the IL-5-induced proliferative response, expression of nuclear proto-oncogenes such as c-jun, c-fos, and c-myc, and tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins including JAK2 protein-tyrosine kinase. In addition, analysis using chimeric receptors which consist of the extracellular domain of IL-5R alpha and the cytoplasmic domain of beta c suggested that dimerization of the cytoplasmic domain of beta c may be an important step in activating the IL-5R complex and transducing intracellular growth signals.     

Inhibition by anti-HLA class II monoclonal antibodies of monoclonal antibody OKT3-induced T cell proliferation. Studies at the mRNA level

mAb to monomorphic determinants of HLA class II Ag have been shown to inhibit monocyte-dependent OKT3-induced T cell proliferation, indicating that MHC class II molecules play a regulatory role also in Ag nonrestricted, CD3-induced T cell proliferation. This effect involves several steps in the process of T cell activation and proliferation, including IL-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-2 secretion and IL-2R alpha expression. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of an anti-HLA class II mAb (Q5/6) on the mRNA expression of genes related to monocyte and T cell activation. mRNA levels for early (early c-myc, c-fos) and late (late c-myc, N-ras, c-myb) genes involved in T cell activation were determined as well as mRNA levels for IL-1 beta, IL-6, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-2R alpha. The kinetics of mRNA induction for ICAM-1 was also investigated. The results show that in T lymphocytes the expression of c-fos and early c-myc mRNA was unaffected by mAb Q5/6, whereas the c-myb and N-ras mRNA levels were strongly diminished as well as those of IL-2, IL-2R alpha, and IFN-gamma mRNA. An early increase of ICAM-1 mRNA was partially inhibited. In monocytes, a marked reduction of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNA was found. It is concluded that the HLA class II determinant involved in the inhibition mechanism can be engaged in the control of IL-1 beta and IL-6 mRNA levels and constitute an accessory signal up-regulating IL-2 and IL-2R alpha gene activation, through a pathway not affecting c-myc and c-fos expression.     

A membrane-proximal region of the interleukin-2 receptor gamma c chain sufficient for Jak kinase activation and induction of proliferation in T cells.

The interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (IL-2R) consists of three distinct subunits (alpha, beta, and gamma c) and regulates proliferation of T lymphocytes. Intracellular signalling results from ligand-mediated heterodimerization of the cytoplasmic domains of the beta and gamma c chains. To identify the residues of gamma c critical to this process, mutations were introduced into the cytoplasmic domain, and the effects on signalling were analyzed in the IL-2-dependent T-cell line CTLL2 and T-helper clone D10, using chimeric IL-2R chains that bind and are activated by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Whereas previous studies of fibroblasts and transformed T cells have suggested that signalling by gamma c requires both membrane-proximal and C-terminal subdomains, our results for IL-2-dependent T cells demonstrate that the membrane-proximal 52 amino acids are sufficient to mediate a normal proliferative response, including induction of the proto-oncogenes c-myc and c-fos. Although gamma c is phosphorylated on tyrosine upon receptor activation and could potentially interact with downstream molecules containing SH2 domains, cytoplasmic tyrosine residues were dispensable for mitogenic signalling. However, deletion of a membrane-proximal region conserved among other cytokine receptors (cytoplasmic residues 5 to 37) or an adjacent region unique to gamma c (residues 40 to 52) abrogated functional interaction of the receptor chain with the tyrosine kinase Jak3. This correlated with a loss of all signalling events analyzed, including phosphorylation of the IL-2R beta-associated kinase Jak1, expression of c-myc and c-fos, and induction of the proliferative response. Thus, it appears in T cells that Jak3 is a critical mediator of mitogenic signaling by the gamma c chain.     

The alpha subunit of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor interacts with c-Kit and inhibits c-Kit signaling

The cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) regulates hematopoiesis and the function of mature host defense cells through the GM-CSF receptor (GMR), which is composed of alpha (alphaGMR) and beta (betaGMR) subunits. Stem cell factor is another important hematopoietic cytokine that signals through c-Kit, a receptor tyrosine kinase, and regulates hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and erythroid development. Like other cytokine receptors, GMR and c-Kit are generally deemed as independent adaptor molecules capable of transducing cytokine-specific signals. We found that the alphaGMR directly interacts with c-Kit and that the interaction is mediated by the cytoplasmic domains. Furthermore, alphaGMR inhibited c-Kit auto-phosphorylation induced by the ligand stem cell factor. Consistent with the inhibitory effect, the expression of alphaGMR was suppressed in cells whose viability was dependent on c-Kit signaling. In contrast, the alternatively spliced alpha2 isoform of the alphaGMR could not inhibit c-Kit signaling, providing a rationale for the existence of the alpha2 isoform. Our results suggest that in addition to having the commonly appreciated roles in cytokine signal transduction, the receptors alphaGMR and c-Kit could interact to coordinate their signal initiation.     

Identification of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 as Signaling Intermediates in the α6β4 Integrin-Dependent Activation of Phosphoinositide 3-OH Kinase and Promotion of Invasion

Expression of the alpha6beta4 integrin increases the invasive potential of carcinoma cells by a mechanism that involves activation of phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K). In the present study, we investigated the signaling pathway by which the alpha6beta4 integrin activates PI3K. Neither the alpha6 nor the beta4 cytoplasmic domain contains the consensus binding motif for PI3K, pYMXM, indicating that additional proteins are likely to be involved in the activation of this lipid kinase by the alpha6beta4 integrin. We identified insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 as signaling intermediates in the activation of PI3K by the alpha6beta4 integrin. IRS-1 and IRS-2 are cytoplasmic adapter proteins that do not contain intrinsic kinase activity but rather function by recruiting proteins to surface receptors, where they organize signaling complexes. Ligation of the alpha6beta4 receptor promotes tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and IRS-2 and increases their association with PI3K, as determined by coimmunoprecipitation. Moreover, we identified a tyrosine residue in the cytoplasmic domain of the beta4 subunit, Y1494, that is required for alpha6beta4-dependent phosphorylation of IRS-2 and activation of PI3K in response to receptor ligation. Most importantly, Y1494 is essential for the ability of the alpha6beta4 integrin to promote carcinoma invasion. Taken together, these results imply a key role for the IRS proteins in the alpha6beta4-dependent promotion of carcinoma invasion.     

Ligand-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the IL-2 receptor beta chain and receptor-associated proteins.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulates the rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of several specific cellular proteins. However, the high-affinity human IL-2 receptor, composed of an alpha (p55) and beta (p70/75) subunit, does not contain a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase domain. In this study, we investigated the identities of the proteins phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to IL-2 stimulation to examine possible pathways of signal transduction. By the use of immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, we demonstrate that IL-2 augments tyrosine phosphorylation of the IL-2 receptor beta chain in human cell lines expressing either high-affinity (alpha/beta) receptors or only the beta chain. In IL-2-dependent mouse T cell lines, a 100,000-Da protein was phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to IL-2 and is proposed to be the mouse IL-2 receptor beta chain. Two other cellular proteins, pp55 and pp105 in human or pp55 and pp115 in mouse cell lines, were phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to IL-2 and coimmunoprecipitated with the high-affinity IL-2 receptor after chemical crosslinking of IL-2-stimulated cells. Thus, the IL-2 receptor may associate with additional subunits or with cellular proteins involved in signal transduction.     

Inhibition of integrin-mediated crosstalk with epidermal growth factor receptor/Erk or Src signaling pathways in autophagic prostate epithelial cells induces caspase-independent death

In vivo in the prostate gland, basal epithelial cells adhere to laminin 5 (LM5) via alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4 integrins. When placed in culture primary prostate basal epithelial cells secrete and adhere to their own LM5-rich matrix. Adhesion to LM5 is required for cell survival that is dependent on integrin-mediated, ligand-independent activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase Src, but not PI-3K. Integrin-mediated adhesion via alpha3beta1, but not alpha6beta4 integrin, supports cell survival through EGFR by signaling downstream to Erk. PC3 cells, which do not activate EGFR or Erk on LM5-rich matrices, are not dependent on this pathway for survival. PC3 cells are dependent on PI-3K for survival and undergo caspase-dependent death when PI-3K is inhibited. The death induced by inhibition of EGFR or Src in normal primary prostate cells is not mediated through or dependent on caspase activation, but depends on the induction of reactive oxygen species. In addition the presence of an autophagic pathway, maintained by adhesion to matrix through alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4, prevents the induction of caspases when EGFR or Src is inhibited. Suppression of autophagy is sufficient to induce caspase activation and apoptosis in LM5-adherent primary prostate epithelial cells.     

Interaction of p72syk with the gamma and beta subunits of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E, Fc epsilon RI.

Activation of protein tyrosine kinases is one of the initial events following aggregation of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (Fc epsilon RI) on RBL-2H3 cells, a model mast cell line. The protein tyrosine kinase p72syk (Syk), which contains two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains, is activated and associates with phosphorylated Fc epsilon RI subunits after receptor aggregation. In this report, we used Syk SH2 domains, expressed in tandem or individually, as fusion proteins to identify Syk-binding proteins in RBL-2H3 lysates. We show that the tandem Syk SH2 domains selectively associate with tyrosine-phosphorylated forms of the gamma and beta subunits of Fc epsilon RI. The isolated carboxy-proximal SH2 domain exhibited a significantly higher affinity for the Fc epsilon RI subunits than did the amino-proximal domain. When in tandem, the Syk SH2 domains showed enhanced binding to phosphorylated gamma and beta subunits. The conserved tyrosine-based activation motifs contained in the cytoplasmic domains of the gamma and beta subunits, characterized by two YXXL/I sequences in tandem, represent potential high-affinity binding sites for the dual SH2 domains of Syk. Peptide competition studies indicated that Syk exhibits a higher affinity for the phosphorylated tyrosine activation motif of the gamma subunit than for that of the beta subunit. In addition, we show that Syk is the major protein in RBL-2H3 cells that is affinity isolated with phosphorylated peptides corresponding to the phosphorylated gamma subunit motif. These data suggest that Syk associates with the gamma subunit of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E through an interaction between the tandem SH2 domains of SH2 domains of Syk and the phosphorylated tyrosine activation motif of the gamma subunit and that Syk may be the major signaling protein that binds to Fc epsilon RI tyrosine activation motif of the gamma subunit and that Syk may be the major signaling protein that binds to Dc epsilon tyrosine activation motifs in RBL-2H3 cells.