Sprouty proteins are targeted to membrane ruffles upon growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase activation. Identification of a novel translocation domain

Sprouty (Spry) was first identified in a genetic screen in Drosophila to be an antagonist of fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling, seemingly by inhibiting the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Data base searches lead to the identification and cloning of, to date, four mammalian sprouty genes. The primary sequences of the mammalian sprouty gene products share a well conserved cysteine-rich C-terminal domain with the Drosophila protein. The N-terminal regions, however, do not exhibit significant homology. This study aimed at determining the disposition of Spry proteins in intact cells before and after stimulation of the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase. Full-length or deletion mutants of Spry, tagged at the N termini with the FLAG-epitope, were expressed in COS-1 cells by transient transfection and analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy before and after EGF stimulation of the cells. In unstimulated cells, the Spry proteins were distributed throughout the cytosol except for human Sprouty2 (hSpry2), which, although generally located in the cytosol, co-localized with microtubules. In all cases, the Spry proteins underwent rapid translocation to membrane ruffles following EGF stimulation. The optimal translocation domain was identified by deletion and immunofluorescence analysis to be a highly conserved 105-amino acid domain in the C-terminal half of the hSpry2 protein. The translocation of this conserved domain, based on hSpry2 data, was independent of the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase.     

Regulation of sprouty expression by PLCgamma and calcium-dependent signals

Sprouty, an essential antagonist of fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling, is induced following fibroblast growth factor receptor activation. The signaling pathways that induce sprouty have been incompletely characterized. However, studies show that MAP kinase signaling stimulates sprouty induction in various cell lines. Here we report that activation of sprouty expression by basic fibroblast growth factor required phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma) and calcium-dependent signaling. We showed that the induction of sprouty was inhibited by chelation of intracellular or extracellular calcium and that a fibroblast growth factor receptor deficient for PLCgamma signaling only weakly induced sprouty expression. Additionally, inhibition of PLCgamma with a pharmacological antagonist repressed the induction of sprouty by basic fibroblast growth factor. These findings indicate that calcium-dependent signaling regulates sprouty expression and that PLCgamma is vital for this process. This pathway of sprouty induction may be critical at sites such as limb bud mesenchyme where MAP kinases are inactive.     

Activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway alone is not sufficient to induce glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The signal transduction pathway by which insulin stimulates glucose transport is largely unknown, but a role for tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases has been proposed. Since mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is activated by insulin through phosphorylation on both tyrosine and threonine residues, we investigated whether MAP kinase and its upstream regulator, p21ras, are involved in insulin-mediated glucose transport. We did this by examining the time- and dose-dependent stimulation of glucose uptake in relation to the activation of Ras-GTP formation and MAP kinase by thrombin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Ras-GTP formation was stimulated transiently by all three agonists, with a peak at 5 to 10 min. Thrombin induced a second peak at approximately 30 min. The activation of p21ras was paralleled by both the phosphorylation and the activation of MAP kinase: transient for insulin and EGF and biphasic for thrombin. However, despite the strong activation of Ras-GTP formation and MAP kinase by EGF and thrombin, glucose uptake was not stimulated by these agonists, in contrast to the eightfold stimulation of 2-deoxy-D-[14C]glucose uptake by insulin. In addition, insulin-mediated glucose transport was not potentiated by thrombin or EGF. Although these results cannot exclude the possibility that p21ras and/or MAP kinase is needed in conjunction with other signaling molecules that are activated by insulin and not by thrombin or EGF, they show that the Ras/MAP kinase signaling pathway alone is not sufficient to induce insulin-mediated glucose transport.     

Anchorage-dependent regulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade by growth factors is supported by a variety of integrin alpha chains.

Integrin cooperation with growth factor receptors to enable permissive signaling to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway has important implications for cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Here we have sought to determine whether anchorage regulation of the MAP kinase pathway is specific to the alpha chain subunit of the integrins employed during adhesion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) anchored via endogenous alpha(2), alpha(3), or alpha(5) integrin subunits or NIH3T3 fibroblast cells lines anchored via ectopically expressed human integrin alpha(2) or alpha(5) subunits displayed comparable MAP kinase activation upon growth factor stimulation, regardless of the integrin alpha chain employed. In contrast, when either cell type was maintained in suspension, growth factor treatment inefficiently activated the MAP kinase pathway. The integrin-mediated enhancement of MAP kinase activation by growth factor correlated with the tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase but was independent of Shc. These data indicate that integrin modulation of the MAP kinase pathway is supported by a variety of integrin complexes and imply that other pathways may be required for the previously reported alpha chain-specific effects on cell cycle regulation and cell differentiation.     

Effect of human papillomavirus type 16 oncogenes on MAP kinase activity.

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signal transduction pathway is an intracellular signaling cascade which mediates cellular responses to growth and differentiation factors. The MAP kinase pathway can be activated by a wide range of stimuli dependent on the cell types, and this is normally a transient response. Oncogenes such as ras, src, raf, and mos have been proposed to transform cells in part by prolonging the activated stage of components within this signaling pathway. The human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogenes E6 and E7 play an essential role in the in vitro transformation of primary human keratinocytes and rodent cells. The HPV type 16 E5 gene has also been shown to have weak transforming activity and may enhance the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-mediated signal transduction to the nucleus. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of the oncogenic HPV type 16 E5, E6, and E7 genes on the induction of the MAP kinase signaling pathway. The E5 gene induced an increase in the MAP kinase activity both in the absence and in the presence of EGF. In comparison, the E6 and E7 oncoproteins do not alter the MAP kinase activity or prolong the MAP kinase activity induced with EGF. These findings suggest that E5 may function, at least in part, to enhance the cell response through the MAP kinase pathway. However, the transforming activity of E6 and E7 is not associated with alterations in the MAP kinase pathway. These findings are consistent with E5 enhancing the response to growth factor stimulation.     

mSprouty2 inhibits FGF10-activated MAP kinase by differentially binding to upstream target proteins

Murine Sprouty2 (mSpry2) is a conserved ortholog of Drosophila Sprouty, a gene that inhibits several tyrosine kinase receptor pathways, resulting in net reduction of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. However, the precise mechanism mediating mSpry2 function as a negative regulator in tyrosine kinase growth factor pathways that regulate diverse biological functions remains incompletely characterized. Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) is a key positive regulator of lung branching morphogenesis and induces epithelial expression of mSpry2 adjacent to mesenchymal sites of FGF10. Herein, we demonstrate that FGF10 stimulation of mouse lung epithelial cells (MLE15) overexpressing mSpry2 results in both mSpry2 tyrosine phosphorylation and differential binding of mSpry2 to several key upstream target proteins in the MAP kinase-activating pathway. Thus FGF receptor (FGFR) activation results in increased association of mSpry2 with growth factor receptor-binding protein 2, suc-1-associated nuerotrophic factor target 2, and Raf but decreased binding to protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 and GTPase-activating protein 1, resulting in a net reduction of MAP kinase activation. mSpry2 also spatially translocates to the plasma membrane and intracellular membrane structures in response to FGF10 stimulation. Our data demonstrate novel intracellular mechanisms mediating mSpry2 function as a negative regulator of uncontrolled FGF-induced MAP kinase signaling.     

Role of IRS-1-GRB-2 complexes in insulin signaling.

GRB-2 is a small SH2- and SH3 domain-containing adapter protein that associates with the mammalian SOS homolog to regulate p21ras during growth factor signaling. During insulin stimulation, GRB-2 binds to the phosphorylated Y895VNI motif of IRS-1. Substitution of Tyr-895 with phenylalanine (IRS-1F-895) prevented the IRS-1-GRB-2 association in vivo and in vitro. The myeloid progenitor cell line, 32-D, is insensitive to insulin because it contains few insulin receptors and no IRS-1. Coexpression of IRS-1 or IRS-1F-895 with the insulin receptor was required for insulin-stimulated mitogenesis in 32-D cells, while expression of the insulin receptor alone was sufficient to mediate insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and activation of p21ras and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. The Shc-GRB-2 complex formed during insulin stimulation is a possible mediator of p21ras and MAP kinase activation in IRS-1-deficient 32-D cells. Interestingly, IRS-1, but not IRS-1F-895, enhanced the stimulation of MAP kinase by insulin in 32-D cells expressing insulin receptors. Thus, IRS-1 contributes to the stimulation of MAP kinase by insulin, probably through formation of the IRS-1-GRB-2 complex at Tyr-895. Our results suggest that the Shc-GRB-2 complex and the activation of p21ras-dependent signaling pathways, including MAP kinase, are insufficient for insulin-stimulated mitogenesis and that the essential function(s) of IRS-1 in proliferative signaling is largely unrelated to IRS-1-GRB-2 complex formation.     

Role of Gab1 in heart, placenta, and skin development and growth factor- and cytokine-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase activation

Gab1 is a member of the Gab/DOS (Daughter of Sevenless) family of adapter molecules, which contain a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and potential binding sites for SH2 and SH3 domains. Gab1 is tyrosine phosphorylated upon stimulation of various cytokines, growth factors, and antigen receptors in cell lines and interacts with signaling molecules, such as SHP-2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, although its biological roles have not yet been established. To reveal the functions of Gab1 in vivo, we generated mice lacking Gab1 by gene targeting. Gab1-deficient embryos died in utero and displayed developmental defects in the heart, placenta, and skin, which were similar to phenotypes observed in mice lacking signals of the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and epidermal growth factor pathways. Consistent with these observations, extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein (ERK MAP) kinases were activated at much lower levels in cells from Gab1-deficient embryos in response to these growth factors or to stimulation of the cytokine receptor gp130. These results indicate that Gab1 is a common player in a broad range of growth factor and cytokine signaling pathways linking ERK MAP kinase activation.     

Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase by the A(2A)-adenosine receptor via a rap1-dependent and via a p21(ras)-dependent pathway.

The A(2A)-adenosine receptor, a prototypical G(s)-coupled receptor, activates mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in a manner independent of cAMP in primary human endothelial cells. In order to delineate signaling pathways that link the receptor to the regulation of MAP kinase, the human A(2A) receptor was heterologously expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and HEK293 cells. In both cell lines, A(2A) agonist-mediated cAMP accumulation was accompanied by activation of the small G protein rap1. However, rap1 mediates A(2A) receptor-dependent activation of MAP kinase only in CHO cells, the signaling cascade being composed of G(s), adenylyl cyclase, rap1, and the p68 isoform of B-raf. This isoform was absent in HEK293 cells. Contrary to CHO cells, in HEK293 cells activation of MAP kinase by A(2A) agonists was not mimicked by 8-bromo-cAMP, was independent of Galpha(s), and was associated with activation of p21(ras). Accordingly, overexpression of the inactive S17N mutant of p21(ras) and of a dominant negative version of mSos (the exchange factor of p21(ras)) blocked MAP kinase stimulation by the A(2A) receptor in HEK 293 but not in CHO cells. In spite of the close homology between p21(ras) and rap1, the S17N mutant of rap1 was not dominant negative because (i) overexpression of rap1(S17N) failed to inhibit A(2A) receptor-dependent MAP kinase activation, (ii) rap1(S17N) was recovered in the active form with a GST fusion protein comprising the rap1-binding domain of ralGDS after A(2A) receptor activation, and (iii) A(2A) agonists promoted the association of rap1(S17N) with the 68-kDa isoform of B-raf in CHO cells. We conclude that the A(2A) receptor has the capacity two activate MAP kinase via at least two signaling pathways, which depend on two distinct small G proteins, namely p21(ras) and rap1. Our observations also show that the S17N version of rap1 cannot be assumed a priori to act as a dominant negative interfering mutant.     

p21ras mediates control of IL-2 gene promoter function in T cell activation.

It has been shown previously in T cells that stimulation of protein kinase C or the T cell antigen receptor leads to a rapid and persistent activation of p21ras as measured by a dramatic increase in the amount of bound GTP. These stimuli are also known to induce the expression of the T lymphocyte growth factor, interleukin-2 (IL-2), an essential growth factor for the immune system. Receptor induced activation of p21ras has been demonstrated in several cell types but involvement of protein kinase C as an upstream activator of p21ras appears to be unique to T cells. In this study we show that p21ras acts as a component of the protein kinase C and T cell antigen receptor downstream signalling pathway controlling IL-2 gene expression. In the murine T cell line EL4, constitutively active p21ras greatly potentiates the phorbol ester and T cell receptor agonist induced production of IL-2 as measured both by biological assay for the cytokine and by the use of a reporter construct. Active p21ras also partially replaces the requirement for protein kinase C activation in synergizing with a calcium ionophore to induce production of IL-2. Furthermore, using a dominant negative mutant of ras, Ha-rasN17, we show that endogenous ras function is essential for induction of IL-2 expression in response to protein kinase C or T cell receptor stimulation. Activation of ras proteins is thus a necessary but not sufficient event in the induction of IL-2 synthesis. Ras proteins are therefore pivotal signalling molecules in T cell activation.     

Mechanisms of inhibition by heparin of PDGF stimulated MAP kinase activation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Heparin and heparan are potent inhibitors of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. To investigate the mechanisms by which heparin suppresses growth factor stimulated mitogenesis, the present experiments investigated the effects of heparin on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulated signal transduction pathways. Heparin treatment substantially inhibited PDGF-BB stimulated rat VSMC growth. Western analysis showed a 30 min PDGF-BB treatment of VSMC induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple protein bands; cotreatment with heparin inhibited mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase tyrosine phosphorylation but had little effect on PDGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation. In-gel kinase assays demonstrated that heparin inhibited PDGF-BB stimulated MAP kinase activity at late (25 min) but not early (10 min) time points. These data indicate that heparin does not inhibit the initial signalling events after PDGF-BB binding but instead acts through an alternate mechanism to inhibit MAP kinase. To investigate if heparin directly stimulates tyrosine phosphatase-mediated suppression of MAP kinase, we treated VSMC with orthovanadate, a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. Heparin inhibited MAP kinase tyrosine phosphorylation after orthovanadate treatment, indicating that heparin does not suppress MAP kinase by enlistment of a tyrosine phosphatase. Experiments were performed to investigate signalling pathways upstream of MAP kinase. To determine if protein kinase C (PKC) mediates PDGF-BB, serum, and EGF stimulation of MAP kinase, we treated VSMC overnight with phorbol ester (PMA) to downregulate PKC. Abolition of conventional and novel PKC activity significantly suppressed both serum and PDGF-BB induced MAP kinase activation, indicating protein kinase C is an important mediator for these mitogens. In contrast, downregulation of these PKC isoforms had little effect on EGF stimulation of MAP kinase. As heparin inhibits PDGF and serum but not EGF stimulation of MAP kinase, these data precisely correlate heparin inhibition of MAP kinase with activation through PKC-dependent pathways. Immunoprecipitation analysis found that heparin inhibited serum, PMA, and PDGF but not EGF induced raf-1 phosphorylation. These studies demonstrate that heparin did not block PDGF-BB receptor activation, which initiates the mitogenic signalling cascade. Heparin did inhibit specific postreceptor second messenger signals, such as the late phase activation of MAP kinase, which may be mediated by suppression of PKC-dependent pathways. J. Cell. Physiol. 172:69–78, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Sprouty2 inhibits the Ras/MAP kinase pathway by inhibiting the activation of Raf.

Several genetic studies in Drosophila have shown that the dSprouty (dSpry) protein inhibits the Ras/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway induced by various activated receptor tyrosine kinase receptors, most notably those of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). Currently, the mode of action of dSpry is unknown, and the point of inhibition remains controversial. There are at least four mammalian Spry isoforms that have been shown to co-express preferentially with FGFRs as compared with EGFRs. In this study, we investigated the effects of the various mammalian Spry isoforms on the Ras/MAP kinase pathway in cells overexpressing constitutively active FGFR1. hSpry2 was significantly more potent than mSpry1 or mSpry4 in inhibiting the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Additional experiments indicated that full-length hSpry2 was required for its full potency. hSpry2 had no inhibitory effect on either the JNK or the p38 pathway and displayed no inhibition of FRS2 phosphorylation, Akt activation, and Ras activation. Constitutively active mutants of Ras, Raf, and Mek were employed to locate the prospective point of inhibition of hSpry2 downstream of activated Ras. Results from this study indicated that hSpry2 exerted its inhibitory effect at the level of Raf, which was verified in a Raf activation assay in an FGF signaling context.     

NGF and EGF rapidly activate p21ras in PC12 cells by distinct, convergent pathways involving tyrosine phosphorylation.

Activation of p21ras, demonstrated directly as an increase in p21ras-associated GTP, was induced rapidly but transiently by both nerve growth factor (NGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in PC12 cells. The factors activate p21ras to equal extents and with virtually identical time courses. Growth factor-induced p21ras activation and tyrosine phosphorylation have similar time courses and sensitivities to genistein inhibition, indicating that p21ras activation is a result of tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, PC12 mutants lacking the Trk NGF receptor tyrosine kinase also lack NGF-inducible p21ras activation. The protein kinase inhibitor K252a and the methyltransferase inhibitor MTA abolish NGF-induced, but not EGF-induced, p21ras activation--effects correlated with inhibition only of NGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. In spite of differences in sensitivity to genistein, MTA, and K252a, EGF- and NGF-stimulated p21ras activation are not additive, implying that they do share at least one step in common.     

VEGF stimulates MAPK through a pathway that is unique for receptor tyrosine kinases

We demonstrate that stimulation of primary cultures of endothelial cells with vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) results in a rapid increase in labeled guanine nucleotide bound to p21ras. Surprisingly, although VEGF stimulates ras activity, adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of a dominant negative form of ras (N17ras) had no effect on VEGF-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. In contrast, treatment of endothelial cells with two structurally unrelated inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) abrogated VEGF-stimulated MAPK activity. In addition, inhibition of ras-Raf interactions by expression of a truncated form of Raf containing only the ras binding domain blocked VEGF-stimulated MAPK activation. These results suggest that VEGF stimulation of MAPK in endothelial cells differs from the pathway used by other members of the receptor tyrosine kinase family. In contrast, analogous to certain G-coupled receptors, VEGF appears to activate MAPK through a PKC-dependent pathway that requires a stable ras-Raf interaction but is not inhibited by N17ras expression.     

Platelet-derived growth factor activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase through a Ras-dependent pathway that is important for actin reorganization and cell migration.

Members of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase family, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, stress-activated protein kinase-1/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, and p38, are central elements that transduce the signal generated by growth factors, cytokines, and stressing agents. It is well known that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which leads to cellular mitogenic response. On the other hand, the role of the other MAP kinases in mediating the cellular function of PDGF remains unclear. In the present study, we have investigated the functional role of the other MAP kinases in PDGF-mediated cellular responses. We show that ligand stimulation of PDGF receptors leads to the activation of p38 but not stress-activated protein kinase-1/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase. Experiments using a specific inhibitor of p38, SB203580, show that the activation of p38 is required for PDGF-induced cell motility responses such as cell migration and actin reorganization but not required for PDGF-stimulated DNA synthesis. Analyses of tyrosine residue-mutated PDGF receptors show that Src homology 2 domain-containing proteins including Src family kinases, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the GTPase-activating protein of Ras, the Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase SHP-2, phospholipase C-gamma, and Crk do not play a major role in mediating the PDGF-induced activation of p38. Finally, the expression of dominant-negative Ras but not dominant-negative Rac inhibited p38 activation by PDGF, suggesting that Ras is a potent mediator in the p38 activation pathway downstream of PDGF receptors. Taken together, our present study proposes the existence of a Ras-dependent pathway for the activation of p38, which is important for cell motility responses elicited by PDGF stimulation.     

ras mediates nerve growth factor receptor modulation of three signal-transducing protein kinases: MAP kinase, Raf-1, and RSK.

p21c-ras plays a critical role in mediating tyrosine kinase-stimulated cell growth and differentiation. However, the pathways through which p21c-ras propagates these signals remain unknown. We report that in PC12 cells, expression of a dominant inhibitory mutant of ras, c-Ha-ras(Asn-17), antagonizes growth factor- and phorbol ester-induced activation of the erk-encoded family of MAP kinases, the 85-92 kd RSKs, and the kinase(s) responsible for hyperphosphorylation of the proto-oncogene product Raf-1. In addition, we find that expression of the activated ras oncogene is sufficient to stimulate these events. These data indicate that ras mediates nerve growth factor receptor and protein kinase C modulation of MAP kinases, RSKs, and Raf-1.     

Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, ERK2, by p21ras oncoprotein.

To examine signal transduction events activated by oncogenic p21ras, we have studied kinases that are activated following the scrape loading of p21ras into quiescent cells. We observe rapid activation of 42 kDa and 46 kDa protein kinases. The 42 kDa kinase is the mitogen and extracellular-signal regulated kinase ERK2, (MAP2 kinase), which is activated by phosphorylation on tyrosine and threonine in response to oncogenic p21ras, while the 46 kDa kinase is likely to be another member of the ERK family. Stimulation of these kinases by oncogenic p21ras does not require the presence of growth factors, showing that oncogenic p21ras uncouples kinase activation from external signals. In ras transformed cell lines, these kinases are constitutively activated. We propose that the kinases are important components of the signal transduction pathway activated by p21ras oncoprotein.     

Differential signaling by adaptor molecules LRP1 and ShcA regulates adipogenesis by the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP1) is a transmembrane receptor that integrates multiple signaling pathways. Its cytoplasmic domain serves as docking sites for several adaptor proteins such as the Src homology 2/α-collagen (ShcA), which also binds to several tyrosine kinase receptors such as the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor. However, the physiological significance of the physical interaction between LRP1 and ShcA, and whether this interaction modifies tyrosine kinase receptor signaling, are still unknown. Here we report that LRP1 forms a complex with the IGF-1 receptor, and that LRP1 is required for ShcA to become sensitive to IGF-1 stimulation. Upon IGF-1 treatment, ShcA is tyrosine phosphorylated and translocates to the plasma membrane only in the presence of LRP1. This leads to the recruitment of the growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) to ShcA, and activation of the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Conversely, in the absence of ShcA, IGF-1 signaling bifurcates toward the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and accelerates adipocyte differentiation when cells are stimulated for adipogenesis. These results establish the LRP1-ShcA complex as an essential component in the IGF-1-regulated pathway for MAP kinase and Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin activation, and may help to understand the IGF-1 signaling shift from clonal expansion to growth-arrested cells and differentiation during adipogenesis.     

Multiple hemopoietic growth factors stimulate activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase family members.

Stimulation of hemopoietic cells with IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage-CSF and Steel factor-(SLF) induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of protein substrates. Two of these proteins, designated p42 and p44, were tyrosine phosphorylated rapidly in response to treatment with IL-3, IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage-CSF and SLF, but not IL-4. We demonstrate that these common substrates are members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) family of protein serine/threonine kinases. Ion-exchange chromatography yielded a peak of MAP kinase activity eluting at 0.3 to 0.32 M NaCl. Immunoblotting of column fractions with antiphosphotyrosine antibodies showed coelution of the peak of MAP kinase enzyme activity with the p42 and p44 tyrosine phosphorylated species, and with two proteins of 42 and 44 kDa which were immunoreactive with anti-MAP kinase antibodies. Moreover, a characteristic shift in mobility of the p42 and p44 species was observed after factor treatment. Time-course analyses and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography demonstrated SLF activation of MAP kinase activity was maximal after 2 min of factor treatment and decreased to basal levels after 30 min stimulation. By contrast, activation of MAP kinase after IL-5 treatment was not as rapid. Maximal activity was observed 15 min after stimulation and remained elevated for up to 60 min after IL-5 addition. Investigation of the role of protein kinase C in the mechanism of activation by these growth factors demonstrated that specific inhibition of protein kinase C led to a reduction, but not ablation, of the SLF and IL-3 induced stimulation of MAP kinase activity. The use of synthetic peptide substrates confirmed SLF and IL-5 activate isoforms of MAP kinases. These results demonstrate that members of the MAP kinase family are involved in common signal transduction events elicited by IL-3, IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage-CSF and Steel factor, but not those involving IL-4.