Insulin-receptor phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatases.

Calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase has been proposed to be an important phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase. The ability of the enzyme to attack autophosphorylated insulin receptor was examined and compared with the known ability of the enzyme to act on autophosphorylated epidermal-growth-factor (EGF) receptor. Purified calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase was shown to catalyse the complete dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosyl-(insulin receptor). When compared at similar concentrations, 32P-labelled EGF receptor was dephosphorylated at greater than 3 times the rate of 32P-labelled insulin receptor; both dephosphorylations exhibited similar dependence on metal ions and calmodulin. Native phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatases in cell extracts were also characterized. With rat liver, heart or brain, most (75%) of the native phosphatase activity against both 32P-labelled insulin and EGF receptors was recovered in the particulate fraction of the cell, with only 25% in the soluble fraction. This subcellular distribution contrasts with results of previous studies using artificial substrates, which found most of the phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity in the soluble fraction of the cell. Properties of particulate and soluble phosphatase activity against 32P-labelled insulin and EGF receptors are reported. The contribution of calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase activity to phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity in cell fractions was determined by utilizing the unique metal-ion dependence of calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase. Whereas Ni2+ (1 mM) markedly activated the calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, it was found to inhibit potently both particulate and soluble phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity. In fractions from rat liver, brain and heart, total phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity against both 32P-labelled receptors was inhibited by 99.5 +/- 6% (mean +/- S.E.M., 30 observations) by Ni2+. Results of Ni2+ inhibition studies were confirmed by other methods. It is concluded that in cell extracts phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatases other than calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase are the major phosphotyrosyl-(insulin receptor) and -(EGF receptor) phosphatases.     

Tyrosyl kinase activity is inversely related to prostatic acid phosphatase activity in two human prostate carcinoma cell lines.

Alterations in prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP), a phosphotyrosyl phosphatase, corresponded to changes in overall tyrosyl kinase activity. PAcP added to extracts of prostate carcinoma cells with a low endogenous level of PAcP activity and elevated tyrosyl kinase activity decreased the tyrosyl kinase activity. On the other hand, when PAcP activity was decreased by the addition of androgens to cells, there was a corresponding increase in tyrosyl kinase activity.     

Vitamin D receptor agonists induce prostatic acid phosphatase to reduce cell growth and HER-2 signaling in LNCaP-derived human prostate cancer cells

We have previously shown that concentrations of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25D) that induce G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest in androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells also decrease expression of c-Myc, a proto-oncogene that stimulates progression from G(1) to S phase of the cell cycle. Since both c-Myc expression and cell cycle progression are regulated by tyrosine kinase activation, we examined the ability of 1,25D to alter tyrosine kinase signaling in LNCaP cells and the androgen-independent LNCaP C81 (C81 LN) cell line. 1,25D selectively reduced protein tyrosine phosphorylation within both the LNCaP and C81 LN cells. This reduction in tyrosine kinase signaling appears to result from elevated levels of cellular prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP). Western blots and biochemical assays revealed 1,25D increases the level of active PAcP in both cell lines. In addition, 1,25D decreased tyrosine phosphorylation of HER-2, an EGFR family member inactivated by PAcP, and the HER-2 downstream adaptor protein p52 Shc in C81 LN cells. Inhibition of HER-2 signaling by AG825 reduces growth of C81 LN cells and the parental LNCaP cells. These data therefore suggest that 1,25D-mediated decreases in LNCaP and C81 LN cell growth are in part due to decreases in tyrosine kinase signaling that result from up-regulation of PAcP.     

Polyamine-mediated turnover of ornithine decarboxylase in Chinese-hamster ovary cells.

The major secreted isoenzyme of human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) (EC 3.1.3.2), which catalyses p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP) hydrolysis at acid pH values, was found to have phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatase activity since it dephosphorylated three different phosphotyrosine-containing protein substrates. Several lines of evidence are presented to show that the phosphotyrosyl phosphatase and PAcP are the same enzyme. A highly purified PAcP enzyme preparation which contains a single N-terminal peptide sequence was used to test for the phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity. Both activities comigrated during gel filtration by high performance liquid chromatography. Phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity and PNPP acid phosphatase activity exhibited similar sensitivities to different effectors. Both phosphatase activities showed the same thermal stability. Specific anti-PAcP antibody reacted to the same extent with both phosphatase activities. PNPP acid phosphatase activity was competitively inhibited by the phosphotyrosyl phosphatase substrate. To characterize further the phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activity, the Km values using different phosphoprotein substrates were determined. The apparent Km values for phosphorylated angiotensin II, anti-pp60src immunoglobulin G and casein were in the nM range for phosphotyrosine residues, which was about 50-fold lower than the Km for phosphoserine residues in casein.     

A phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity associated with acid phosphatase from human prostate gland

Using [32P]P-Tyr-IgG and [32P]P-Tyr-casein phosphorylated by pp60v-src as substrates, studies on the phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity in human prostate gland indicate that it is associated with prostatic acid phosphatase. Evidence to support this conclusion include the following: (a) these two enzymatic activities co-purify to apparent homogeneity; (b) they co-migrated on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatographies; (c) the exhibit identical thermostability; and (d) the phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activity is sensitive to inhibition by p-nitrophenyl phosphate and by several classical inhibitors of prostatic acid phosphatase including L(+)-tartrate, molybdate, vanadate and NaF. The purified enzyme exhibits high specificity towards phosphotyrosyl-proteins with little activity towards several phosphoseryl-proteins and phosphothreonyl-proteins examined. The present findings indicate that prostatic acid phosphatase may function in vivo as a phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase.     

Partial purification and characterization of phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

We have previously described a phosphotyrosylprotein phosphatase in membrane vesicles from human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells which is inhibited by micromolar concentration of Zn2+ and is insensitive to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and NaF [Brautigan, D. L., Bornstein, P., & Gallis, B. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6519-6522]. Here we present the identification and partial purification of a similar enzyme from lysates of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. the enzyme was purified by using diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex, Zn2+ affinity, and Sephadex G-75 chromatography. During purification, the phosphatase was separated into at least three fractions, all of which exhibited very similar properties and an apparent molecular weight of 40 000 upon gel filtration. The enzyme dephosphorylated phosphotyrosine (P-Tyr)-containing carboxymethylated and succinylated (CM-SC) phosphorylase with an apparent Km of 0.8 microM, as well as P-Tyr containing casein and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor kinase, but did not dephosphorylate P-Ser-phosphorylase. The phosphatase was inhibited by Zn2+ at micromolar concentrations (K0.5 with EGF receptor kinase = 5 X 10(-6) M; with CM-SC phosphorylase = 3.3 X 10(-5) M) but not by millimolar concentrations of EDTA and NaF. No inhibition was seen with 1 mM tetramisole, a specific inhibitor of alkaline phosphatases. P-Tyr inhibited the enzyme by 50% at 0.4 X 10(-3) M, while Tyr, Pi, PPi, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate, an excellent substrate for alkaline phosphatases and structurally very similar to P-Tyr, exerted partial inhibition at concentrations above 10(-3) M. The pH optimum was found to be 6.5-7, depending on the substrate used. Very little activity was seen below pH 5 and above pH 8.5. These properties clearly distinguish this enzyme from alkaline phosphatases, as well as the neutral and acidic protein phosphatases so far described, and therefore define it as a new enzyme of the phosphatase family--a phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase.     

Differential in vitro phosphorylation of clathrin light chains by the epidermal growth factor receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase and a pp60c-src-related spleen tyrosine kinase.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase activity has been suggested to play important roles in the EGF-enhanced, clathrin-coated pit-mediated receptor internalization (W. S. Chen, C. S. Lazar, M. Peonie, R. Y. Tsien, G. N. Gill, and M. G. Rosenfeld, 1987, Nature 328, 820-823) but the kinase substrate important for this process has not been identified. This study demonstrates that the EGF receptor, partially purified from A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells, catalyzes the phosphorylation of one of the two clathrin light chains, clathrin light chain a (LCa). The phosphorylation activity is stimulated by EGF and immunoprecipitated by an EGF receptor monoclonal antibody. The phosphorylation occurs exclusively on tyrosine residues. Amino acid composition of the major tryptic phosphopeptide of the EGF receptor-phosphorylated LCa corresponds closely to that of residues 1 to 97 of LCa. A stoichiometry of 0.2 mol phosphate/mol LCa was attained after 60 min at 30 degrees C and a Km value of 1.7 microM was determined for the reaction. LCa of either neuronal or non-neuronal origin could serve as a substrate. In addition to the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase, a particulate src-related protein tyrosine kinase purified from bovine spleen (C. M. E. Litwin, H.-C. Cheng, and J. H. Wang, 1991, J. Biol. Chem. 226, 2557-2566) was shown in this study to also phosphorylate the light chains. However, in contrast to the EGF receptor phosphorylation, both clathrin light chains a and b were phosphorylated by the spleen kinase, suggesting that the two tyrosine kinases have differential site specificities. Given the specificity of LCa phosphorylation by the EGF receptor, we propose that LCa phosphorylation on a tyrosine residue(s) may be important in EGF-induced receptor internalization.     

Kinetics and regulation of the tyrosine phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor in intact A431 cells.

We have previously reported that antibodies to phosphotyrosine recognize the phosphorylated forms of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors (Zippel et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 881:54-61, 1986, and Sturani et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 137:343-350, 1986). In this report, the time course of receptor phosphorylation is investigated. In normal human fibroblasts, ligand-induced phosphorylation of PDGF and EGF receptors is followed by rapid dephosphorylation. However, in A431 cells the tyrosine-phosphorylated form of EGF receptor persists for many hours after EGF stimulation, allowing a detailed analysis of the conditions affecting receptor phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In A431 cells, the number of receptor molecules phosphorylated on tyrosine was quantitated and found to be about 10% of total EGF receptors. The phosphorylated receptor molecules are localized on the cell surface, and they are rapidly dephosphorylated upon removal of EGF from binding sites by a short acid wash of intact cells and upon a mild treatment with trypsin. ATP depletion also results in rapid dephosphorylation, indicating that continuous phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions occur in the ligand-receptor complex at steady state. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate added shortly before EGF reduces the rate and the final extent of receptor phosphorylation. Moreover, it also reduces the amount of phosphorylated receptors if it is added after EGF. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by chronic treatment with phorbol dibutyrate increases the receptor phosphorylation induced by EGF, suggesting a homologous feedback regulation of EGF receptor functions.     

Biosynthesis of the epidermal growth factor receptor: post-translational glycosylation-independent acquisition of tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation activity

We previously showed that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells undergoes a slow post-translational modification whereby it acquires (t1/2 = 30-40 min) EGF binding capacity (Slieker, L.J., et. al. (1986) J. Biol. Chem., 261, 15233-15241). This activation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum and requires core N-linked glycosylation. By employing both anti-EGF receptor and anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies to immunoprecipitate receptor pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine, we demonstrate here that the EGF receptor also acquires tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation activity post-translationally (t1/2 = 10-15 min). The acquisition of tyrosine kinase activity is independent of the acquisition of EGF binding capacity, since it precedes the latter process and does not require N-linked glycosylation.     

Differential responsiveness of prostatic acid phosphatase and prostate-specific antigen mRNA to androgen in prostate cancer cells

Androgens regulate the expression of both human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), two major prostate epithelium-specific differentiation antigens. Due to the important role of these two enzymes as prostate epithelium differentiation markers, we investigated their regulation of expression at the mRNA level in LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells. Interestingly, phenol red, a pH indicator in the culture medium, promoted cell growth. To eliminate this non-specific effect, a phenol red-free, steroid-reduced medium was utilized. When high-density cells were grown in that medium, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) suppressed PAcP but stimulated PSA. However, tumor promoter phorbol ester 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) functioned as a potent inhibitor of both PAcP and PSA expression. Prolonged treatment with DHT as well as TPA resulted in a similar down-regulation of protein kinase C and cellular PAcP activities. Thus, the levels of PAcP and PSA mRNA are differentially regulated by androgens in LNCaP cells.     

Effects of gangliosides GM3 and De-N-acetyl GM3 on epidermal growth factor receptor kinase activity and cell growth.

Previously it was reported (Bremer, E.G., Schlessinger, J., and Hakomori, S.-I. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 2434-2440) that ganglioside GM3 inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated phosphorylation of the EGF receptor in Triton X-100-treated preparations of human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) cell membranes. In addition, these authors reported that GM3 inhibited the growth of A431 cells. In contrast, a modified ganglioside, de-N-acetyl GM3, enhanced the EGF-dependent tyrosine kinase activity of the EGF receptor. In this work and in subsequent studies (Hanai, N., Dohi, T., Nores, G. A., and Hakomori, S.-I. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 6296-6301), the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor from A431 cell membranes was assayed in the presence of Triton X-100. In this report, we confirm that GM3 inhibited and de-N-acetyl GM3 stimulated EGF receptor autophosphorylation in the presence of Triton X-100. However, in the absence of detergents, ganglioside GM3 inhibited EGF-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation, whereas de-N-acetyl GM3 had no effect on EGF-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation. The effects of these gangliosides on receptor autophosphorylation were measured in both A431 cell plasma membranes and in 3T3 cell membranes permeabilized to [32P]ATP by a freeze-thaw procedure, in intact A431 cells permeabilized with alamethicin, and in intact A431 cells grown in the presence of [32P]orthophosphate. Thus, the inhibitory effect of GM3 on receptor autophosphorylation was demonstrated in the presence and in the absence of detergent; the stimulatory effect of de-N-acetyl GM3 was observed only in the presence of detergent. We also demonstrate that ganglioside GM3 inhibited EGF-stimulated growth of transfected murine fibroblasts (3T3) that express the gene for human EGF receptor (Velu, T. J., Beguinot, L., Vass, W. C., Zhang, K., Pastan, I., and Lowy, D. R. (1989) J. Cell. Biochem. 39, 153-166). De-N-acetyl ganglioside GM3 had no effect on the growth of these cells. Growth of control fibroblasts, which lack endogenous EGF receptors (Pruss, R. M., and Herschman, H. R. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 3918-3921), was not affected by the presence of either ganglioside. Similarly, ganglioside GM3, but not de-N-acetyl ganglioside GM3, inhibited the EGF-dependent incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA by transfected fibroblasts. Incorporation of labeled thymidine into DNA of control fibroblasts was not affected by the presence of either ganglioside. These studies indicate that ganglioside GM3, but not its deacetylated analogue, can affect EGF receptor kinase activity in intact membranes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Growth hormone-induced alteration in ErbB-2 phosphorylation status in 3T3-F442A fibroblasts

The growth hormone receptor (GHR), a cytokine receptor superfamily member, requires the JAK2 tyrosine kinase for signaling. We now examine functional interactions between growth hormone (GH) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in 3T3-F442A fibroblasts. Although EGF enhanced ErbB-2 tyrosine phosphorylation, GH, while causing retardation of its migration on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, decreased ErbB-2's tyrosine phosphorylation. GH-induced retardation was reversed by treatment of anti-ErbB-2 precipitates with both alkaline phosphatase and protein phosphatase 2A, suggesting that GH induced serine/threonine phosphorylation of ErbB-2. Both GH-induced shift in ErbB-2 migration and GH-induced MAP kinase activation were unaffected by a protein kinase C inhibitor but were blocked by the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) inhibitor, PD98059. Notably, leukemia inhibitory factor, but not interferon-gamma, also promoted ErbB-2 shift and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Cotreatment with EGF and GH versus EGF alone resulted in a 35% decline in acute ErbB-2 tyrosine 1248 autophosphorylation, a marked decline (approximately 50%) in DNA synthesis, and substantially decreased cyclin D1 expression. We conclude that in 3T3-F442A cells, 1) the GH-induced decrease in ErbB-2 tyrosine phosphorylation correlates with MEK1/mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and 2) GH antagonizes EGF-induced DNA synthesis and cyclin D1 expression in a pattern consistent with its alteration in ErbB-2 phosphorylation status.     

Protein kinase C pathway is involved in regulating the secretion of prostatic acid phosphatase in human prostate cancer cells

The stimulated secretion of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) has been known to be a hallmark of androgen action on human prostate epithelial cells for the last five decades. The molecular mechanism of androgen action on PAcP secretion, however, has remained mostly unknown. We investigated the molecular mechanism that promotes PAcP secretion in LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells which express PAcP and are androgen-responsive. Treatment with 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, resulted in an increased secretion of PAcP in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. 4Alpha-phorbol, a biologically inactive isomer of TPA, had no effect. This TPA stimulation of PAcP secretion was observed 2 h after exposure, while TPA did not have a significant effect on the mRNA level even with a 6 h treatment. A23187 calcium ionophore, known to mobilize cellular calcium which is a co-factor of PKC, also activated PAcP secretion. This TPA stimulation of PAcP secretion was more potent than the conventional stimulating agent 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) at the same concentration of 50 nM. Furthermore, the action of TPA and DHT on PAcP secretion was blocked by five different PKC inhibitors. Results also showed that DHT, as well as TPA, could rapidly modulate PKC activity. Therefore, PKC can regulate PAcP secretion, and may also be involved in DHT action on PAcP secretion.     

Prolonged induction of p21Cip1/WAF1/CDK2/PCNA complex by epidermal growth factor receptor activation mediates ligand-induced A431 cell growth inhibition

Proliferation of some cultured human tumor cell lines bearing high numbers of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors is paradoxically inhibited by EGF in nanomolar concentrations. In the present study, we have investigated the biochemical mechanism of growth inhibition in A431 human squamous carcinoma cells exposed to exogenous EGF. In parallel, we studied a selected subpopulation, A431-F, which is resistant to EGF-mediated growth inhibition. We observed a marked reduction in cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2) activity when A431 and A431-F cells were cultured with 20 nM EGF for 4 h. After further continuous exposure of A431 cells to EGF, the CDK2 activity remained at a low level and was accompanied by persistent G1 arrest. In contrast, the early reduced CDK2 activity and G1 accumulation in A431-F cells was only transient. We found that, at early time points (4-8 h), EGF induces p21Cip1/WAF1 mRNA and protein expression in both EGF-sensitive A431 cells and EGF-resistant A431-F cells. But only in A431 cells, was p21Cip1/WAF1 expression sustained at a significantly increased level for up to 5 d after addition of EGF. Induction of p21Cip1/WAF1 by EGF could be inhibited by a specific EGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin AG1478, suggesting that p21Cip1/WAF1 induction was a consequence of receptor tyrosine kinase activation by EGF. We also demonstrated that the increased p21Cip1/WAF1 was associated with both CDK2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Taken together, our results demonstrate that p21Cip1/WAF1 is an important mediator of EGF-induced G1 arrest and growth inhibition in A431 cells.     

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in the human prostate: Synthesis predominantly by interstitial and vascular smooth muscle cells and action as a carcinoma cell mitogen

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is an activating ligand for the EGF receptor (HER1/ErbB1) and the high-affinity receptor for diphtheria toxin (DT) in its transmembrane form (proHB-EGF). HB-EGF was immunolocalized within human benign and malignant prostatic tissues, using monospecific antibodies directed against the mature protein and against the cytoplasmic domain of proHB-EGF. Prostate carcinoma cells, normal glandular epithelial cells, undifferentiated fibroblasts, and inflammatory cells were not decorated by the anti-HB-EGF antibodies; however, interstitial and vascular smooth muscle cells were highly reactive, indicating that the smooth muscle compartments are the major sites of synthesis and localization of HB-EGF within the prostate. In marked contrast to prostatic epithelium, proHB-EGF was immunolocalized to seminal vesicle epithelium, indicating differential regulation of HB-EGF synthesis within various epithelia of the reproductive tract. HB-EGF was not overexpressed in this series of cancer tissues, in comparison to the benign tissues. In experiments with LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cells, HB-EGF was similar in potency to epidermal growth factor (EGF) in stimulating cell growth. Exogenous HB-EGF and EGF each activated HER1 and HER3 receptor tyrosine kinases and induced tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins to a similar extent. LNCaP cells expressed detectable but low levels of HB-EGF mRNA; however, proHB-EGF was detected at the cell surface indirectly by demonstration of specific sensitivity to DT. HB-EGF is the first HER1 ligand to be identified predominantly as a smooth muscle cell product in the human prostate. Further, the observation that HB-EGF is similar to EGF in mitogenic potency for human prostate carcinoma cells suggests that it may be one of the hypothesized stromal mediators of prostate cancer growth. J. Cell. Biochem. 68:328-338, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of phorbol, dexamethasone and starvation on 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport by rat thymocytes. Modulation of transport by altered trans effects.

Insulin stimulates autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor on multiple tyrosines in three domains: tyrosines 1316 and 1322 in the C-terminal tail, 1146, 1150 and 1151 in the tyrosine-1150 domain, and possibly 953, 960 or 972 in the juxtamembrane domain. In the present work the sequence of dephosphorylation of the various autophosphorylation sites by particulate and cytosolic preparations of phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase from rat liver was studied with autophosphorylated human placental insulin receptor as substrate. Both phosphatase preparations elicited a broadly similar pattern of dephosphorylation. The tyrosine-1150 domain in triphosphorylated form was found to be exquisitely sensitive to dephosphorylation, and was dephosphorylated 3-10-fold faster than the di- and monophosphorylated forms of the tyrosine-1150 domain or phosphorylation sites in other domains. The major route for dephosphorylation of the triphosphorylated tyrosine-1150 domain involved dephosphorylation of one of the phosphotyrosyl pair, 1150/1151, followed by phosphotyrosyl 1146 to generate a species monophosphorylated mainly (greater than 80%) at tyrosine 1150 or 1151. Insulin receptors monophosphorylated in the tyrosine-1150 domain disappeared slowly, and overall the other domains were completely dephosphorylated faster than the tyrosine-1150 domain. Dephosphorylation of the diphosphorylated C-terminal domain yielded insulin receptor in which the domain was singly phosphorylated at tyrosine 1322. Triphosphorylation of the insulin receptor in the tyrosine-1150 domain appears important in activating the receptor tyrosine kinase to phosphorylate other proteins. The extreme sensitivity of the triphosphorylated form of the tyrosine-1150 domain to dephosphorylation may thus be important in terminating or regulating insulin-receptor tyrosine kinase action and insulin signalling.     

Tumor necrosis factor regulates tyrosine phosphorylation on epidermal growth factor receptors in A431 carcinoma cells: evidence for a distinct mechanism.

Previous studies of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) action on tumor cells revealed a possible role for tyrosine phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in the growth-regulatory activities of this cytokine (N. J. Donato, G. E. Gallick, P. A. Steck, and M. G. Rosenblum, J. Biol. Chem., 264: 20474-20481, 1989). EGF receptor immunoprecipitated from [32P] phosphate-equilibrated A431 cells demonstrated that TNF treatment resulted in both a time- and concentration-dependent stimulation of EGF receptor phosphorylation, which was maximal (approximately 3-fold) after 10-20 min of TNF exposure (10 nM). Incubation of A431 cells with an equivalent concentration of EGF resulted in similar stimulation of EGF receptor phosphorylation, albeit at different phosphotyrosine levels. Antiphosphotyrosine immunoblot analysis confirmed these results but suggested that the extent and kinetics of TNF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation were distinct from those obtained in EGF-treated cells. Resolution of tryptic phosphopeptides from EGF receptor demonstrated that TNF-induced phosphorylation of EGF receptor was similar, but not identical, to profiles obtained from EGF-treated cells and distinct when compared to the actions of phorbol ester. Unlike EGF, TNF was unable to directly stimulate EGF receptor tyrosine kinase activity in membranes prepared from A431 cells. In addition, TNF treatment had no significant effect on either the high- or low-affinity ligand-binding sites on EGF receptor and did not alter the kinetics or extent of ligand-induced internalization of EGF receptors. However, EGF receptor biosynthesis was consistently increased upon prolonged treatment with TNF (4-12 h). Our results suggest that TNF regulates both phosphorylation and biosynthesis of EGF receptor in a manner distinct from that of both EGF and phorbol ester, and studies of the differential phosphorylation of EGF receptor may aid in understanding the molecular mode of TNF action.     

Insulin-mimetic anti-insulin receptor monoclonal antibodies stimulate receptor kinase activity in intact cells.

In the present studies, nine different monoclonal antibodies to the extracellular domain of the insulin receptor were tested in three different cell types for their ability to stimulate the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor. Previous studies had suggested that several of these monoclonal antibodies stimulate biological responses without stimulating the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor (Hawley, D. M., Maddux, B. A., Patel, R. G., Wong, K. Y., Manula, P. W., Firestone, G. L., Brunetti, A., Verspohl, E., and Goldfine, I. D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 2438-2444 and Soos, M. A., O'Brien, R. M., Brindle, N. P. J., Stigter, J. M., Okamoto, A. K., Whittaker, J., and Siddle, K. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 86, 5217-5221). In the present study, a more sensitive assay was utilized, and these same monoclonal antibodies, when added to intact cells, were found to stimulate the phosphotransferase activity of the receptor. This increase in activity was reversed by phosphatase treatment of the receptor. In contrast, monoclonal antibodies which had no insulin-mimetic activities did not stimulate the receptor's kinase activity. In addition, Western blot analyses of lysates with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies showed that insulin-mimetic, but not non-insulin-mimetic antibodies, stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor as well as an endogenous substrate (phosphoprotein Mr = 160,000). Finally, these antibodies were found to stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of another endogenous substrate of the insulin receptor kinase, the type I phosphatidylinositol kinase. These studies support the hypothesis that monoclonal antibodies, like insulin, stimulate biological responses via their ability to stimulate the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor.