Biomedical subjects

L E Marengere

Publications and source records attributed to L E Marengere.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

SH2 domain specificity and activity modified by a single residue.

Many intracellular targets of protein-tyrosine kinases possess Src homology 2 (SH2) domains that directly recognize phosphotyrosine-containing sites on autophosphorylated growth factor receptors and cytoplasmic proteins, and thereby mediate the activation of biochemical signalling pathways. SH2 domains possess relatively well conserved residues that form the phosphotyrosine-binding pocket, and more variable residues that are implicated in determining binding specificity by recognition of the three amino acids carboxy-terminal to phosphotyrosine (the +1 to +3 positions). One such residue, occupying the EF1 position of the +3-binding pocket, is a Thr in the SH2 domain of the Src tyrosine kinase, but is predicted to be a Trp in the SH2 domain of the Sem-5/drk/Grb2 adaptor protein. Here we report that changing this residue in the Src SH2 domain from Thr to Trp switches its selectivity to resemble that of the Sem-5/drk/Grb2 SH2 domain. Furthermore, this mutant Src SH2 domain effectively substitutes for the SH2 domain of the Sem-5 protein in activation of the Ras pathway in vivo. These results identify a residue that can modify SH2 selectivity, and indicate that the biological activity of an SH2 domain correlates with its binding specificity.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed1994

Structure and function of SH2 domains.

In order for cells to respond to their environment, a series of regulated molecular events has to take place. External signalling molecules bind to cellular receptors and thereby trigger the activation of multiple intracellular pathways, which modify cellular phenotypes. The cell-surface receptors for a wide range of polypeptide hormones possess protein tyrosine kinase activity, which is induced by binding of the appropriate extracellular ligand. Tyrosine phosphorylation can act as a molecular switch, by initiating the recruitment of cytoplasmic effector molecules containing Src homology (SH) 2 domains, to activated receptors. These SH2-containing proteins, in turn, regulate intracellular signalling pathways. Here, we discuss the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in triggering signalling pathways, as well as the functions of SH2 domains, which mediate these events through phosphotyrosine-dependent protein-protein interactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Immunolocalization of the Nuk receptor tyrosine kinase suggests roles in segmental patterning of the brain and axonogenesis.

Neural kinase (Nuk) encodes a murine receptor-like tyrosine kinase belonging to the Eph/Elk/Eck family. Protein localization studies indicate that during early embryogenesis Nuk is confined to the developing nervous system, where it marks segments along the axis of the neural tube in the hindbrain (rhombomeres r2, r3 and r5) and specific morphological bulges of the midbrain and forebrain. Subcellular localization of Nuk indicates that this receptor is concentrated at sites of cell-cell contact, often involving migrating neuronal cells or their extensions. Most notably, high levels of Nuk protein are found within initial axon outgrowths and associated nerve fibers. The axonal localization of Nuk is transient and is not detected after migrations have ceased, suggesting a role for this tyrosine kinase during the early pathfinding and/or fasciculation stages of axonogenesis. The subcellular localization of Nuk, as well as the presence of fibronectin type III and immunoglobulin-like adhesive domains on the extracellular region, suggest this receptor tyrosine kinase may function to regulate specific cell-cell interactions during early development of the murine nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

The human GRB2 and Drosophila Drk genes can functionally replace the Caenorhabditis elegans cell signaling gene sem-5.

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene sem-5 affect cell signaling processes involved in guiding a class of cell migrations and inducing vulval cell fates. The sem-5 sequence encodes a protein comprised almost exclusively of SH2 and SH3 domains (SH, src homology region) that are found together in many signaling proteins and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. A human protein, GRB2, was identified by its ability to associate with the activated human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR). The GRB2 and Sem-5 proteins share an identical architecture of their SH2 and SH3 domains and 58% amino acid sequence identity. Here we demonstrate that GRB2 and a Drosophila sem-5-like gene Drk can specifically rescue sem-5 mutants. We also show that Sem-5, like GRB2, can bind to the activated hEGFR in vitro. We further correlate the abilities of several mutant variants of GRB2 and Sem-5 to bind to the hEGFR in vitro with their abilities to functionally replace sem-5 in vivo. These data indicate that GRB2 and Drk are functional homologues of Sem-5 and demonstrate the high degree of conservation of both structure and function between signaling systems throughout evolution.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed1993

The v-Src SH3 domain binds phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase.

Fibroblasts transformed by v-src or by related oncogenes encoding activated tyrosine kinases contain elevated levels of polyphosphoinositides with phosphate at the D-3 position of the inositol ring, as a result of the activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase. v-src-transformed cells also contain increased levels of PI 3'-kinase activity immunoprecipitable with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies; furthermore, PI 3'-kinase can be detected in association with the v-Src tyrosine kinase. To identify regions of v-Src that can interact with PI 3'-kinase, the v-Src SH2 and SH3 domains were expressed in bacteria and incubated with lysates of normal chicken embryo fibroblasts. In vitro, the v-Src SH3 domain, but not the SH2 domain, bound PI 3'-kinase in lysates of uninfected chicken embryo fibroblasts. Substitutions of two highly conserved SH3 residues implicated in ligand binding abolished the ability of the v-Src SH3 domain to associate with PI 3'-kinase. Furthermore, the v-Src SH3 domain bound in vitro to the amino-terminal region of the p85 alpha subunit of PI 3'-kinase. These results suggest that the v-Src SH3 domain may mediate an interaction between the v-Src tyrosine kinase and PI 3'-kinase, by direct binding to p85.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Identification of residues in GTPase-activating protein Src homology 2 domains that control binding to tyrosine phosphorylated growth factor receptors and p62.

Ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) contains two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains which are implicated in binding to tyrosine-phosphorylated sites in specific activated growth factor receptors and to a cytoplasmic tyrosine-phosphorylated protein, p62. We have used site-directed mutagenesis of the two GAP SH2 domains (SH2-N and SH2-C) to identify residues involved in receptor and p62 binding. A bacterial fusion protein containing the precise SH2-N domain, as defined by sequence homology, associated with both the activated beta platelet-derived growth factor receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor, and p62 in vitro. However, short deletions at either the N or C termini of the SH2-N domain abolished binding, suggesting that the entire SH2 sequence is required for formation of an active domain. Conservative substitutions of 2 highly conserved basic residues in the SH2-N domain, an arginine and a histidine, resulted in complete loss of receptor and p62 binding, whereas other basic residues, and residues at variable SH2 sites, were more tolerant of substitution. The conserved arginine and histidine therefore appear critical for association with phosphotyrosine-containing proteins, possibly through an interaction with phosphotyrosine. The GAP SH2-C domain, unlike SH2-N, does not bind efficiently to activated receptors or p62 in vitro. The SH2-C domain lacks 3 residues which are otherwise well conserved, and contribute to high affinity SH2-N binding. Replacement of 1 of these residues, a cysteine, with the consensus glycine, conferred SH2-C binding activity toward tyrosine-phosphorylated p62 and epidermal growth factor receptor. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations in the GAP SH2 domains can therefore be used to identify residues that are critical for receptor and p62 binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗