Functional Characterization of the Kinase Activation Loop in Nucleophosmin (NPM)-Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) Using Tandem Affinity Purification and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry |
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| Authors: | Peng Wang Fang Wu Yupo Ma Liang Li Raymond Lai Leah C Young |
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| Institution: | From the ‡Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta and Cross Cancer Institute, and ;§Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2Z2, Canada and ;the ¶Division of Laboratory Medicine, Nevada Cancer Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135 |
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| Abstract: | Previous studies have shown that the kinase activation loop (KAL) of the oncogenic fusion protein NPM-ALK regulates its overall tyrosine phosphorylation status and tumorigenicity. Using tandem affinity purification-mass spectrometry, we assessed how the KAL of NPM-ALK regulates the phosphorylation status of its individual tyrosines. Using the lysates of GP293 cells transfected with NPM-ALK, our highly reproducible results showed evidence of phosphorylation in all 3 tyrosines in KAL and 8 tyrosines outside KAL. We created 7 KAL mutants, each of which carried a Tyr-to-Phe mutation of ≥1 of the 3 tyrosines in KAL. A complete loss of the 8 phosphotyrosines outside KAL was found in 3 KAL mutants, and their oncogenicity (assessed by cell viability, colony formation, and the ability to phosphorylate effector proteins) was abrogated. A partial loss of the 8 phosphotyrosines was found in 4 KAL mutants, but their oncogenicity did not show simple correlation with the number of residual phosphotyrosines. Tyr-to-Phe mutations of each of the 8 phosphotyrosines outside KAL did not result in a significant decrease in the oncogenicity. In conclusion, we have provided details of how the KAL in NPM-ALK regulates its tyrosine phosphorylation pattern. Our results challenge some of the current concepts regarding the relationship between the tyrosine phosphorylation and oncogenicity of NPM-ALK. |
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