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Biomedical subjects

J Schlessinger

Publications and source records attributed to J Schlessinger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Identification of a new Pyk2 target protein with Arf-GAP activity.

Protein tyrosine kinase Pyk2 is activated by a variety of G-protein-coupled receptors and by extracellular signals that elevate intracellular Ca2+ concentration. We have identified a new Pyk2 binding protein designated Pap. Pap is a multidomain protein composed of an N-terminal alpha-helical region with a coiled-coil motif, followed by a pleckstrin homology domain, an Arf-GAP domain, an ankyrin homology region, a proline-rich region, and a C-terminal SH3 domain. We demonstrate that Pap forms a stable complex with Pyk2 and that activation of Pyk2 leads to tyrosine phosphorylation of Pap in living cells. Immunofluorescence experiments demonstrate that Pap is localized in the Golgi apparatus and at the plasma membrane, where it is colocalized with Pyk2. In addition, in vitro recombinant Pap exhibits strong GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity towards the small GTPases Arf1 and Arf5 and weak activity towards Arf6. Addition of recombinant Pap protein to Golgi preparations prevented Arf-dependent generation of post-Golgi vesicles in vitro. Moreover, overexpression of Pap in cultured cells reduced the constitutive secretion of a marker protein. We propose that Pap functions as a GAP for Arf and that Pyk2 may be involved in regulation of vesicular transport through its interaction with Pap.

ADP-Ribosylation Factor 1↗
PubMed1998

Nerve growth factor acutely reduces chemical transmission by means of postsynaptic TrkA-like receptors in squid giant synapse.

Tyrosine phosphorylation has been shown to be an important modulator of synaptic transmission in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Such findings hint toward the existence of extracellular ligands capable of activating this widely represented signaling mechanism at or close to the synapse. Examples of such ligands are the peptide growth factors which, on binding, activate receptor tyrosine kinases. To gain insight into the physiological consequences of receptor tyrosine kinase activation in squid giant synapse, a series of growth factors was tested in this preparation. Electrophysiological, pharmacological, and biochemical analysis demonstrated that nerve growth factor (NGF) triggers an acute and specific reduction of the postsynaptic potential amplitude, without affecting the presynaptic spike generation or presynaptic calcium current. The NGF target is localized at a postsynaptic site and involves a new TrkA-like receptor. The squid receptor crossreacts with antibodies generated against mammalian TrkA, is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to NGF stimulation, and is blocked by specific pharmacological inhibitors. The modulation described emphasizes the important role of growth factors on invertebrate synaptic transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Crystal structure of an angiogenesis inhibitor bound to the FGF receptor tyrosine kinase domain.

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is an essential physiological process in development, yet also plays a major role in the progression of human diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, atherosclerosis and cancer. The effects of the most potent angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) are mediated through cell surface receptors that possess intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity. In this report, we describe a synthetic compound of the pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine class, designated PD 173074, that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activities of the FGF and VEGF receptors. We show that systemic administration of PD 173074 in mice can effectively block angiogenesis induced by either FGF or VEGF with no apparent toxicity. To elucidate the determinants of selectivity, we have determined the crystal structure of PD 173074 in complex with the tyrosine kinase domain of FGF receptor 1 at 2.5 A resolution. A high degree of surface complementarity between PD 173074 and the hydrophobic, ATP-binding pocket of FGF receptor 1 underlies the potency and selectivity of this inhibitor. PD 173074 is thus a promising candidate for a therapeutic angiogenesis inhibitor to be used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases whose progression is dependent upon new blood vessel formation.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Structure of a heparin-linked biologically active dimer of fibroblast growth factor.

The fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) form a large family of structurally related, multifunctional proteins that regulate various biological responses. They mediate cellular functions by binding to transmembrane FGF receptors, which are protein tyrosine kinases. FGF receptors are activated by oligomerization, and both this activation and FGF-stimulated biological responses require heparin-like molecules as well as FGF. Heparins are linear anionic polysaccharide chains; they are typically heterogeneously sulphated on alternating L-iduronic and D-glucosamino sugars, and are nearly ubiquitous in animal tissues as heparan sulphate proteoglycans on cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix. Although several crystal structures have been described for FGF molecules in complexes with heparin-like sugars, the nature of a biologically active complex has been unknown until now. Here we describe the X-ray crystal structure, at 2.9 A resolution, of a biologically active dimer of human acidic FGF in a complex with a fully sulphated, homogeneous heparin decassacharide. The dimerization of heparin-linked acidic FGF observed here is an elegant mechanism for the modulation of signalling through combinatorial homodimerization and heterodimerization of the 12 known members of the FGF family.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Identification of a new Pyk2 isoform implicated in chemokine and antigen receptor signaling.

Pyk2 is a protein tyrosine kinase that links G-protein-coupled receptors, inflammatory cytokines, and extracellular stimuli that elevate intracellular calcium concentration with activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and regulation of ion channel functions. Here we describe the identification, cloning, and characterization of a new isoform of Pyk2 (Pyk2-H) that is generated by alternative RNA splicing. Pyk2-H is mainly expressed in hematopoietic cells including T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells. Engagement of T-cell or B-cell antigen receptors leads to rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2-H. Pyk2-H is also activated in response to the chemokines RANTES and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta in T cells. In addition, we show that glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing the carboxyl termini of Pyk2 and Pyk2-H bind to a different set of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in thymus lysates. Specific expression of Pyk2-H and its activation by antigens or chemokines in hematopoietic cells may contribute toward the generation of cell type-specific signals involved in host immune responses.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1998

Crk protein binds to PDGF receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 with different modulating effects on PDGF- and insulin-dependent signaling pathways.

We have studied the involvement of murine c-Crk, an SH2/SH3 containing adaptor protein, in signaling pathways stimulated by different receptor tyrosine kinases. We show here that c-Crk is associated with components of insulin- and PDGF-dependent signaling pathways. Insulin treatment of murine myoblast cells induces the formation of stable complex of endogenous c-Crk with insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) mediated via the SH2 domain of Crk. The ligand dependent physical association of c-Crk with IRS-1 is direct. However IRS-1 is also co-precipitated with c-Crk from quiescent L6 cells. The association of IRS-1 with c-Crk in quiescent cells is probably not direct since Far Western blot analysis did not reveal the binding of neither SH2 domain nor amino-terminal SH3 domain of c-Crk to IRS-1 from unstimulated cells. We also show that PDGF treatment of murine myoblast cells induces association of c-Crk with the PDGF receptor and tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Crk. Overexpression of c-Crk enhanced insulin- but not PDGF-induced activation of MAP kinases when compared to parental cell lines. Thus, the formation of the direct IRS-1/Crk complex appears to be crucial for Crk-mediated insulin-induced activation of MAP kinase, whereas Crk is probably involved in other PDGF-induced responses. These data provide support to the hypothesis that insulin and PDGF employ different mechanisms for activation of MAP kinase cascade.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Disulfide bond structure of human epidermal growth factor receptor.

The extracellular domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR) consists of 621 amino acid residues, including 50 cysteines. The connections of the 25 disulfide bonds in the recombinant sEGFR protein, obtained from Chinese hamster ovary cells, have been determined using N-terminal sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopy. We identified a basic repeat of eight cysteines with a 1-3, 2-4, 5-6, and 7-8 disulfide pairing pattern in the two cysteine-rich regions of sEGFR. By comparison to other cysteine-rich motifs, it was concluded that the cysteine-rich repeat of sEGFR belongs to the laminin-type EGR-like (LE) structural motif. Three-dimensional structure models of the two cysteine-rich regions have been built, based on the three-dimensional structures of the LE domains from the laminin gamma1 chain and secondary structure predictions for the EGF receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Pyk2 is a downstream mediator of the IL-2 receptor-coupled Jak signaling pathway.

Many cytokines transmit signals to the cell interior through activation of receptor-associated, Janus family protein tyrosine kinases (Jak PTKs). The interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) is associated with the Jak1 and Jak3 PTKs, and ligand-induced activation of these PTKs is essential for lymphocyte proliferation. Here, the nonreceptor PTK, Pyk2, was found to be activated following IL-2 stimulation in a Jak-dependent manner. Furthermore, physical association was detected between endogenous Pyk2 and Jak3, and a dominant interfering mutant of Pyk2 inhibited IL-2-induced cell proliferation without affecting Stat5 activation. Collectively, these results suggest that Pyk2 is a newly identified component of the Jak-mediated IL-2 signaling pathway.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1998

Activation of phospholipase C gamma by PI 3-kinase-induced PH domain-mediated membrane targeting.

Signaling via growth factor receptors frequently results in the concomitant activation of phospholipase C gamma (PLC gamma) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. While it is well established that tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma is necessary for its activation, we show here that PLC gamma is regulated additionally by the lipid products of PI 3-kinase. We demonstrate that the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of PLC gamma binds to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PdtIns(3,4,5)P3], and is targeted to the membrane in response to growth factor stimulation, while a mutated version of this PH domain that does not bind PdtIns(3,4,5)P3 is not membrane targeted. Consistent with these observations, activation of PI 3-kinase causes PLC gamma PH domain-mediated membrane targeting and PLC gamma activation. By contrast, either the inhibition of PI 3-kinase by overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant or the prevention of PLC gamma membrane targeting by overexpression of the PLC gamma PH domain prevents growth factor-induced PLC gamma activation. These experiments reveal a novel mechanism for cross-talk and mutual regulation of activity between two enzymes that participate in the control of phosphoinositide metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Cell-contact-dependent signalling in axon growth and guidance: Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta.

The growth and guidance of axons involves the recognition of complex environmental cues by receptor proteins on the surface of the growth cone and their interpretation by cellular machinery, leading to changes in cellular behaviour. Recent advances have demonstrated that the ligands for Eph receptor tyrosine kinases, the ephrins, act as repulsive axon guidance cues, and that Eph receptors are required for correct axonal navigation in vivo. Members of the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP) family also play important roles in axon guidance and growth. RPTP beta and Eph receptors interact with cell-surface-bound ligands, and there is increasing evidence that both transmembrane ephrins and contactin, a ligand for RPTP beta, may possess an intrinsic signalling function. Thus, the cell-contact-dependent interactions between these receptors and ligands may lead to initiation of bidirectional signals that regulate axonal growth and migration.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Multi-ligand interactions with receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase beta: implications for intercellular signaling.

Receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase beta (RPTP beta) shows structural and functional similarity to cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). It binds to several neuronal CAMs and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that combine to form cell-recognition complexes. Here, the authors discuss the implications of such complexes for intercellular signaling, and the regulation of RPTP activity by cell-cell and cell-ECM contact.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Binding of Shp2 tyrosine phosphatase to FRS2 is essential for fibroblast growth factor-induced PC12 cell differentiation.

FRS2 is a lipid-anchored docking protein that plays an important role in linking fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and nerve growth factor receptors with the Ras/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway. In this report, we demonstrate that FRS2 forms a complex with the N-terminal SH2 domain of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 in response to FGF stimulation. FGF stimulation induces tyrosine phosphorylation of Shp2, leading to the formation of a complex containing Grb2 and Sos1 molecules. In addition, a mutant FRS2 deficient in both Grb2 and Shp2 binding induces a weak and transient MAP kinase response and fails to induce PC12 cell differentiation in response to FGF stimulation. Furthermore, FGF is unable to induce differentiation of PC12 cells expressing an FRS2 point mutant deficient in Shp2 binding. Finally, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity of Shp2 is essential for sustained activation of MAP kinase and for potentiation of FGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation. These experiments demonstrate that FRS2 recruits Grb2 molecules both directly and indirectly via complex formation with Shp2 and that Shp2 plays an important role in FGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1998

Activation of the c-fos serum response element by phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase and rho pathways in HeLa cells.

Many growth factors rapidly induce transcription of the c-fos proto-oncogene. We have investigated the pathways for induction of the c-fos promoter by serum and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in HeLa cells. Induction of the serum response element (SRE) of the c-fos promoter could be split into two parts, one involving the serum response factor-associated ternary complex factor (TCF) factors and the second mediated by core SRE sequences. Serum induction was mediated primarily by the core SRE, whereas EGF used both the TCF and core SRE pathways. Using activated and inhibitory signaling proteins, we found that phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and rho family members could mediate activation by serum. Activation by PI3K was mediated by core SRE sequences and was dependent upon rac and rho, suggesting a PI3K-to-rac-to-rho pathway for core SRE activation. The PI3K target Akt was also capable of activating the SRE but functioned through the TCF pathway, suggesting that Akt does not mediate the primary PI3K pathway to the SRE and that Akt is capable of activating TCF family members. Serum and EGF induction of the core SRE was partially inhibited by rho and PI3K inhibitors. The use of these inhibitors demonstrates the complexity of signaling pathways to the SRE and suggests that serum activates rho by PI3K-dependent and -independent pathways.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1997

Signal transduction due to HIV-1 envelope interactions with chemokine receptors CXCR4 or CCR5.

Infection with HIV-1 requires expression of CD4 and the chemokine receptors CXCR4 or CCR5 at the target cell surface. Engagement of these receptors by the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein is essential for membrane fusion, but may additionally activate intracellular signaling pathways. In this study, we demonstrate that chemokines and HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins from both T-tropic and macrophage-tropic strains rapidly induce tyrosine phosphorylation of the protein tyrosine kinase Pyk2. The response requires CXCR4 and CCR5 to be accessible on the cell surface. The results presented here provide the first evidence for activation of an intracellular signaling event that can initiate multiple signaling pathways as a consequence of contact between HIV-1 and chemokine receptors.

CD4 Antigens↗