Tyrosine kinase activity is essential for the association of phospholipase C-gamma with the epidermal growth factor receptor

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced disulfide-linked dimerization of PDGF receptor in living cells

It is well established that epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are able to induce noncovalent dimerization of their surface receptors. It is thought that receptor dimerization plays an important role in activation of the tyrosine kinase function and in the process of receptor autophosphorylation. Here we show that the addition of either PDGF-BB or PDGF-AA to intact 3T3 cells induces formation of 400- and 430-kDa species, respectively, recognized by either anti-PDGF receptor antibodies or anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Interestingly, the 400- and the 430-kDa species are detected in nonreducing gels but not in reducing gels. Moreover, an alkylating agent, N-ethylmaleimide, inhibits PDGF-induced formation of high-molecular-mass species. Comparisons of V8 protease peptide maps of [35S]methionine-labeled PDGF receptors and high-molecular-mass proteins indicate that they represent dimers of PDGF receptors. It appears therefore that in addition to noncovalent dimerization, PDGF receptors undergo ligand-dependent disulfide-linked dimerization.

Growth factors and pancreatic cancer

Cultured human pancreatic cancer cells produce a number of growth factors, including transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha). These cells also overexpress the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and exhibit a parallel increase in EGF receptor mRNA levels. TGF-alpha, which binds to the EGF receptor, is more potent than EGF in enhancing the anchorage-independent growth of several pancreatic cancer cell lines, including T3M4 cells. In contrast, EGF is more efficient than TGF-alpha with respect to EGF receptor downregulation and tyrosine phosphorylation in T3M4 cells. Further, T3M4 cells recycle EGF, but markedly degrade TGF-alpha. It is suggested that the production of multiple growth factors, the overexpression of the EGF receptor, the recycling of EGF, and the attenuated ability of TGF-alpha to downregulate the EGF receptor combine to enhance the growth advantage of human pancreatic cancer cells.

The epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylates GTPase-activating protein (GAP) at Tyr-460, adjacent to the GAP SH2 domains

GTPase-activating protein (GAP) stimulates the ability of p21ras to hydrolyze GTP to GDP. Since GAP is phosphorylated by a variety of activated or oncogenic protein-tyrosine kinases, it may couple tyrosine kinases to the Ras signaling pathway. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor cytoplasmic domain phosphorylated human GAP in vitro within a single tryptic phosphopeptide. The same GAP peptide was also apparently phosphorylated on tyrosine in EGF-stimulated rat fibroblasts. Circumstantial evidence suggested that residue 460 might be the site of GAP tyrosine phosphorylation. This possibility was confirmed by phosphorylation of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the predicted tryptic peptide containing Tyr-460. Alteration of Tyr-460 to phenylalanine by site-directed mutagenesis diminished the in vitro phosphorylation of a bacterial GAP polypeptide by the EGF receptor. We conclude that Tyr-460 is a site of GAP tyrosine phosphorylation by the EGF receptor in vitro and likely in vivo. GAP Tyr-460 is located immediately C terminal to the second GAP SH2 domain, suggesting that its phosphorylation might have a role in regulating protein-protein interactions.

Distinct structural specificities for functional coupling of the epidermal growth factor receptor to calcium-signalling versus phospholipase A2 responses

Activation of phospholipase C (PLC), leading to a rise in cytosolic Ca2+, and of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) leading to a release of arachidonic acid, are among the early transmembrane signalling events that have been demonstrated in response to occupancy of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. The tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor has been shown to be necessary for both of these responses. This requirement for the tyrosine kinase activity could conceivably implicate a role for receptor autophosphorylation in the activation of PLA2. We now demonstrate that coupling of the EGF receptor to PLA2 was not impaired in a deletion mutant (CD126) devoid of the 126 amino acids from the C-terminus which include four major autophosphorylation sites. Functional coupling of the EGF receptor to PLA2 was demonstrated using three different experimental designs: (1) release of [14C]arachidonic acid from prelabelled intact cells. (2) release of [3H]arachidonic acid from prelabelled cells permeabilized with glass beads, and (3) direct measurement of PLA2 enzymic activity in cell-free extracts using an 'in vitro' assay employing exogenous phospholipid substrate. Functional coupling of the EGF receptor to PLA2 occurred despite the absence of a demonstrable Ca(2+)-signalling response and the detection of diminished but persistent PLC-gamma phosphorylation on tyrosine residues in the CD126 deletion mutants. These results point to a clear distinction in the biochemical mechanism and role for receptor autophosphorylation in functional coupling of the EGF receptor to PLA2 activation versus Ca2+ signalling.

The epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylates GTPase-activating protein (GAP) at Tyr-460, adjacent to the GAP SH2 domains

GTPase-activating protein (GAP) stimulates the ability of p21ras to hydrolyze GTP to GDP. Since GAP is phosphorylated by a variety of activated or oncogenic protein-tyrosine kinases, it may couple tyrosine kinases to the Ras signaling pathway. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor cytoplasmic domain phosphorylated human GAP in vitro within a single tryptic phosphopeptide. The same GAP peptide was also apparently phosphorylated on tyrosine in EGF-stimulated rat fibroblasts. Circumstantial evidence suggested that residue 460 might be the site of GAP tyrosine phosphorylation. This possibility was confirmed by phosphorylation of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the predicted tryptic peptide containing Tyr-460. Alteration of Tyr-460 to phenylalanine by site-directed mutagenesis diminished the in vitro phosphorylation of a bacterial GAP polypeptide by the EGF receptor. We conclude that Tyr-460 is a site of GAP tyrosine phosphorylation by the EGF receptor in vitro and likely in vivo. GAP Tyr-460 is located immediately C terminal to the second GAP SH2 domain, suggesting that its phosphorylation might have a role in regulating protein-protein interactions.

Modulation of phospholipase A2 activity by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in CHO cells transfected with human EGF receptor. Role of receptor cytoplasmic subdomain

Activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in response to external stimuli may play a pivotal role in signal-transduction pathways via the generation of important cellular intermediates, including prostaglandins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to modulate prostaglandin production, possibly via direct activation of PLA2 or indirectly via interaction with a PLA2-modifying protein such as lipocortin I. We have investigated these pathways with two CHO cell-lines, one (CHOwt) transfected with the full-length human EGF receptor and the second (CHO 11) with a deletion mutant, delta 990, that has lost the autophosphorylation sites and part of the internalization domain. CHOwt cells responded to EGF with a rapid rise in lysophosphatidylcholine and arachidonic acid release concomitant with an increase in prostaglandin production. However, in the non-internalizing CHO 11 cells no such activation of PLA2 was observed. This was not due to an intrinsic lack of PLA2 in these cells, as PLA2 activation was shown on melittin addition, nor was this difference due to a defect in intracellular pathways, as arachidonic acid was released from both cell types by Ca2+ and protein kinase C modulators. However, only in CHOwt cells were these responses potentiated by concomitant addition of EGF. Thus the cytoplasmic subdomain of the EGF receptor, containing the major sites of autophosphorylation and the internalization domain, seems to be involved in the activation of PLA2 by EGF. In addition, we have shown that phosphorylation of lipocortin I is unlikely to play a role in PLA2 activation. In CHOwt cells and a positive control cell line, A431, activation of PLA2 was complete by 10 min, at which time there was no evidence of lipocortin I phosphorylation.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates association and kinase activity of Raf-1 with the EGF receptor

Raf-1 serine- and threonine-specific protein kinase is transiently activated in cells expressing the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor upon treatment with EGF. The stimulated EGF receptor coimmunoprecipitates with Raf-1 kinase and mediates protein kinase C-independent phosphorylation of Raf-1 on serine residues. Hyperphosphorylated Raf-1 has lower mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and has sixfold-increased activity in immunocomplex kinase assay with histone H1 or Raf-1 sequence-derived peptide as a substrate. Raf-1 activation requires kinase-active EGF receptor; a point mutant lacking tyrosine kinase activity in inactive in Raf-1 coupling and association. It is noteworthy that tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Raf-1 induced by EGF was not detected in these cells. These observations suggest that Raf-1 kinase may act as an important downstream effector of EGF signal transduction.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of a 120-kilodalton pp60src substrate upon epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor stimulation and in polyomavirus middle-T-antigen-transformed cells

The monoclonal antibody 2B12 is directed toward p120, a 120-kDa cellular protein originally identified as a protein tyrosine kinase substrate in cells expressing membrane-associated oncogenic variants of pp60src. In this report, we show that p120 was tyrosine phosphorylated in avian cells expressing membrane-associated, enzymatically activated variants of c-src, including variants having structural alterations in the src homology regions 2 and 3. In contrast, p120 was not tyrosine phosphorylated in cells expressing enzymatically activated, nonmyristylated pp60src. Furthermore, p120 was tyrosine phosphorylated in avian cells expressing middle T antigen, the transforming protein of polyomavirus, as well as in rodent cells stimulated with either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or platelet-derived growth factor. Analysis of the time course of p120 tyrosine phosphorylation in EGF-stimulated cells revealed a rapid onset of tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition, both the extent and duration of p120 phosphorylation increased when cells overexpressing the EGF receptor were stimulated with EGF. Biochemical analysis showed that p120 (in both normal and src-transformed cells) was membrane associated, was myristylated, and was phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues. Hence, p120 appears to be a substrate of both nonreceptor- and ligand-activated transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases and of serine/threonine kinases and is perhaps a component of both mitogen-stimulated and tyrosine kinase oncogene-induced signaling pathways.

Phosphorylation and activation of epidermal growth factor receptors in cells transformed by the src oncogene

Because functionally significant substrates for the tyrosyl protein kinase activity of pp60v-src are likely to include membrane-associated proteins involved in normal growth control, we have tested the hypothesis that pp60v-src could phosphorylate and alter the signaling activity of transmembrane growth factor receptors. We have found that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor becomes constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine in cells transformed by the src oncogene and in addition displays elevated levels of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. High-performance liquid chromatography phosphopeptide mapping revealed two predominant sites of tyrosine phosphorylation, both of which differed from the major sites of receptor autophosphorylation; thus, the src-induced phosphorylation is unlikely to occur via an autocrine mechanism. To determine whether pp60v-src altered the signaling activity of the EGF receptor, we analyzed the tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma, since phosphorylation of this enzyme occurs in response to activation of the EGF receptor but not in response to pp60v-src alone. We found that in cells coexpressing pp60v-src and the EGF receptor, phospholipase C-gamma was constitutively phosphorylated, a result we interpret as indicating that the signaling activity of the EGF receptor was altered in the src-transformed cells. These findings suggest that pp60v-src-induced alterations in phosphorylation and function of growth regulatory receptors could play an important role in generating the phenotypic changes associated with malignant transformation.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of a 120-kilodalton pp60src substrate upon epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor stimulation and in polyomavirus middle-T-antigen-transformed cells

The monoclonal antibody 2B12 is directed toward p120, a 120-kDa cellular protein originally identified as a protein tyrosine kinase substrate in cells expressing membrane-associated oncogenic variants of pp60src. In this report, we show that p120 was tyrosine phosphorylated in avian cells expressing membrane-associated, enzymatically activated variants of c-src, including variants having structural alterations in the src homology regions 2 and 3. In contrast, p120 was not tyrosine phosphorylated in cells expressing enzymatically activated, nonmyristylated pp60src. Furthermore, p120 was tyrosine phosphorylated in avian cells expressing middle T antigen, the transforming protein of polyomavirus, as well as in rodent cells stimulated with either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or platelet-derived growth factor. Analysis of the time course of p120 tyrosine phosphorylation in EGF-stimulated cells revealed a rapid onset of tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition, both the extent and duration of p120 phosphorylation increased when cells overexpressing the EGF receptor were stimulated with EGF. Biochemical analysis showed that p120 (in both normal and src-transformed cells) was membrane associated, was myristylated, and was phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues. Hence, p120 appears to be a substrate of both nonreceptor- and ligand-activated transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases and of serine/threonine kinases and is perhaps a component of both mitogen-stimulated and tyrosine kinase oncogene-induced signaling pathways.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates association and kinase activity of Raf-1 with the EGF receptor

Raf-1 serine- and threonine-specific protein kinase is transiently activated in cells expressing the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor upon treatment with EGF. The stimulated EGF receptor coimmunoprecipitates with Raf-1 kinase and mediates protein kinase C-independent phosphorylation of Raf-1 on serine residues. Hyperphosphorylated Raf-1 has lower mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and has sixfold-increased activity in immunocomplex kinase assay with histone H1 or Raf-1 sequence-derived peptide as a substrate. Raf-1 activation requires kinase-active EGF receptor; a point mutant lacking tyrosine kinase activity in inactive in Raf-1 coupling and association. It is noteworthy that tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Raf-1 induced by EGF was not detected in these cells. These observations suggest that Raf-1 kinase may act as an important downstream effector of EGF signal transduction.

The noncatalytic src homology region 2 segment of abl tyrosine kinase binds to tyrosine-phosphorylated cellular proteins with high affinity

Several proteins implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation contain a common noncatalytic domain, src homology region 2 (SH2). We have used the bacterially expressed SH2 domain of abl protein-tyrosine kinase to evaluate the ability of this domain to bind to cellular proteins. ablSH2 specifically bound to a number of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins from cells transformed by tyrosine kinase oncogenes in a filter-binding assay and to a subset of those proteins in solution. The SH2 probe bound almost exclusively to tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, and binding was eliminated by dephosphorylation of cell proteins. Free phosphotyrosine could partially disrupt SH2 binding, suggesting that phosphotyrosine is directly involved in the binding interaction. These results demonstrate that an SH2 domain is sufficient to confer direct, high-affinity phosphotyrosine-dependent binding to proteins and suggest a general role for SH2 domains in cellular signaling pathways.

Phosphorylation and activation of epidermal growth factor receptors in cells transformed by the src oncogene

Because functionally significant substrates for the tyrosyl protein kinase activity of pp60v-src are likely to include membrane-associated proteins involved in normal growth control, we have tested the hypothesis that pp60v-src could phosphorylate and alter the signaling activity of transmembrane growth factor receptors. We have found that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor becomes constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine in cells transformed by the src oncogene and in addition displays elevated levels of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. High-performance liquid chromatography phosphopeptide mapping revealed two predominant sites of tyrosine phosphorylation, both of which differed from the major sites of receptor autophosphorylation; thus, the src-induced phosphorylation is unlikely to occur via an autocrine mechanism. To determine whether pp60v-src altered the signaling activity of the EGF receptor, we analyzed the tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma, since phosphorylation of this enzyme occurs in response to activation of the EGF receptor but not in response to pp60v-src alone. We found that in cells coexpressing pp60v-src and the EGF receptor, phospholipase C-gamma was constitutively phosphorylated, a result we interpret as indicating that the signaling activity of the EGF receptor was altered in the src-transformed cells. These findings suggest that pp60v-src-induced alterations in phosphorylation and function of growth regulatory receptors could play an important role in generating the phenotypic changes associated with malignant transformation.

Cyclic AMP agonists induce the phosphorylation of phospholipase C-tau and of a 76 kDa protein co-precipitated by anti-(phospholipase C-tau) monoclonal antibodies in BALB/c-3T3 cells. Relationship to inositol phosphate formation

Previous studies have demonstrated enhanced phosphorylation of phospholipase C-tau (PLC-tau), a key regulatory enzyme in phosphoinositide metabolism, in cells treated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor, both of which act via specific receptor tyrosine kinases. Our studies on BALB/c-3T3 cells show that agents that promote cellular cyclic AMP accumulation also increase the phosphorylation, specifically the serine phosphorylation, of this enzyme. Increased phosphorylation of PLC-t (2-3-fold) was evident within 5-10 min of addition of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) and either cholera toxin or forskolin to cells, and persisted for at least 3 h. Treatment of cells with cyclic AMP agonists also enhanced, with similar kinetics, the phosphorylation of a 76 kDa protein co-precipitated by anti-PLC-tau monoclonal antibodies. Brief exposure of cells to cholera toxin/IBMX or forskolin/IBMX decreased inositol phosphate formation induced by the GTP-binding protein (G-protein) activator aluminium fluoride by approx. 50%, but was without effect on PDGF-stimulated inositol phosphate formation. These findings suggest that PLC-tau, and perhaps the 76 kDa co-precipitated protein, are substrates of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in BALB/c-3T3 cells: however, the lack of effect of cyclic AMP elevation on PDGF-stimulated inositol phosphate formation indicates that the intrinsic activity of PLC-tau is unaltered by cyclic AMP-mediated phosphorylation.