Biomedical subjects

U R Rapp

Publications and source records attributed to U R Rapp.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Oncogene activation of HIV-LTR-driven expression via the NF-kappa B binding sites.

The Raf-1 proto-oncogene product is a highly regulated serine/threonine kinase that functions in signal transduction downstream from growth factor receptors and upstream from nuclear proto-oncogene products. Using a transient cotransfection assay we have found that activated Raf-1 activates expression from the HIV-LTR. Analysis of a series of 5' deletion and point mutations revealed the NF-kappa B motifs as the Raf-responsive element in the HIV-LTR. Moreover, Raf-BXB activated expression from heterologous promoters driven by the HIV NF-kappa B binding sites. In addition to Raf, we show that v-Src, v-H-Ras and v-Mos activate HIV-LTR expression through the NF-kappa B binding sites and v-H-Ras-induced HIV-LTR expression is mediated by Raf-1. These findings may have implications for the involvement of the cellular homologues of these oncogenes in the switch from latent to productive infection by HIV in response to T-cell activation.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Rapid activation of C-Raf-1 after stimulation of the T-cell receptor or the muscarinic receptor type 1 in resting T cells.

The c-Raf-1 serine/threonine kinase is an important component of signal transduction pathways mediating the effects of a variety of growth factors. In activated T cells, IL-2 has been shown to induce activation of c-Raf-1, but c-Raf-1 has not previously been shown to be activated through the T-cell receptor (TCR) in resting G0 T cells. Using a sensitive immune complex kinase reaction, we show that cross-linking of the stimulatory and costimulatory receptors CD3, CD4, or CD28 induces c-Raf-1 activation in highly purified resting peripheral blood human T cells. In contrast, cross-linking the nonstimulatory receptor CD45 did not induce c-Raf-1. Surprisingly, although earlier studies had shown delayed kinetics in response to Thy-1 stimulation in murine cells, c-Raf-1 activation in response to CD3 cross-linking was one of the earliest measurable events. In spite of its early kinetics, c-Raf-1 activation was found to be downstream of several other early signal transduction events, including activation of a tyrosine kinase and a tyrosine phosphatase. Several lines of evidence suggest that activation of c-Raf-1 in response to TCR stimulation may be PKC-dependent: first, phorbol esters are extremely potent activators of c-Raf-1 in human T cells; second, the kinetics of accumulation of products of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis coincides with the kinetics of c-Raf-1 activation; and third, physiologic activation of the PLC/PKC pathway through a transfected, G-protein-coupled receptor HM1 induced similar levels of c-Raf-1 activation with a similar time course. We conclude that c-Raf-1 activation is tightly coupled to TCR stimulation and may participate in signal transduction pathways in resting, G0 T cells. The observation that the HM1 receptor can also activate c-Raf-1 suggests that T cells have the capability to utilize both tyrosine kinase-dependent and tyrosine kinase-independent mechanisms of c-Raf-1 activation.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Identification of the major phosphorylation sites of the Raf-1 kinase.

Treatment of cells with various growth factors and mitogens results in the rapid hyperphosphorylation and activation of the Raf-1 kinase. To determine if phosphorylation events affect Raf-1 activity, we have initiated experiments to identify the phosphorylation sites of Raf-1. In this report, we find that Ser43, Ser259, and Ser621 are the major sites of Raf-1 which are phosphorylated in mammalian cells and in Sf9 insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus encoding human Raf-1. Mutant Raf-1 proteins lacking kinase activity are also phosphorylated on these sites in vivo, indicating that these phosphorylation events are not a consequence of autophosphorylation. Furthermore, we find that Thr268 is the predominant Raf-1 residue phosphorylated in in vitro autokinase assays. In addition, we have examined the biochemical activity of baculovirus-expressed Raf-1 proteins containing mutations at these phosphorylation sites. In in vitro protein kinase assays Ser259 mutant proteins were 2-fold more active than wild-type Raf-1 and Ser621 mutant proteins were inactive as kinases. Analysis of the residues surrounding Ser259 and Ser621 indicates that RSXSXP may be a consensus sequence for the kinase responsible for phosphorylation of Raf-1 at these sites. Interestingly, these RSXSXP sequences are completely conserved throughout evolution in all Raf family members.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Mitogen regulation of c-Raf-1 protein kinase activity toward mitogen-activated protein kinase-kinase.

The c-raf-1 protooncogene encodes a Ser/Thr protein kinase. A mitogen-activated protein kinase-kinase (MAPKK) purified from bovine brain is phosphorylated and activated 4-9-fold in vitro by c-Raf-1 from mitogen-treated cells. c-Raf-1 protein kinase activity, measured by the phosphorylation of brain MAPKK substrate, is detectably activated within 1 min after addition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) to 3T3 cells, increasing more rapidly than the endogenous NIH 3T3 cell MAPKK activity. c-Raf-1 activation is also induced by insulin, phorbol ester, thrombin, and endothelin. PDGF-, epidermal groth factor-, and insulin-stimulated 32P-c-Raf-1 yield very similar, complex tryptic 32P-peptide maps, wherein only 2 of 10 32P-peptides appear entirely de novo after growth factor addition. Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 can phosphorylate c-Raf-1 in vitro on 4-6 tryptic 32P-peptides, all of which comigrate with tryptic 32P-peptides derived from c-Raf-1 labeled in situ. Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation of c-Raf-1 in vitro, however, does not 1) generate 32P-peptides that comigrate with those that appear de novo after PDGF or insulin treatment in situ; 2) does not convert c-Raf-1 polypeptides to a slower mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as is seen after PDGF or insulin; 3) does not alter c-Raf-1 kinase activity toward MAPKK. Thus, based on overlapping site specificity, Erk-2 is a viable candidate to be among the PDGF-stimulated c-Raf-1 kinases. Although PDGF/insulin-stimulated c-Raf-1 Ser/Thr phosphorylation may be necessary to sustain the active state, a role for mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 phosphorylation in the initiation of c-Raf-1 activation is unlikely.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Normal and oncogenic p21ras proteins bind to the amino-terminal regulatory domain of c-Raf-1.

In higher eukaryotes, the Ras and Raf-1 proto-oncoproteins transduce growth and differentiation signals initiated by tyrosine kinases. The Ras polypeptide and the amino-terminal regulatory domain of Raf-1 (residues 1-257) are shown to interact, directly in vitro and in a yeast expression system. Raf-1 (1-257) binds GTP-Ras in preference to GDP-Ras, and inhibits Ras-GAP activity. Mutations in and around the Ras effector domain impair Ras binding to Raf-1 (1-257) and Ras transforming activity in parallel.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Protein kinase C alpha activates RAF-1 by direct phosphorylation.

The kinase Raf-1 can be activated by treatment of cells with mitogens and by the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (reviewed in refs 1,2). Activated Raf-1 triggers a protein kinase cascade by direct phosphorylation of MAP kinase kinase, resulting in phosphorylation of ternary complex factor and Jun by MAP kinase. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism and biological consequences of PKC alpha-mediated Raf-1 activation in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. PKC alpha directly phosphorylates and activates Raf-1 both in vitro and in vivo. PKC alpha induces Raf-1 phosphorylation at several sites, including a serine residue at position 499. Mutation of serine at this position or at residue 259 does not abrogate Raf-1 stimulation by a combination of Ras plus the src tyrosine kinase Lck, but severely impedes Raf-1 activation by PKC alpha. Consistent with such a direct interaction is the observation that Raf-1 and PKC alpha cooperate in the transformation of NIH3T3 cells. The Ser499 phosphorylation site is necessary for this synergism.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Interleukin 2 regulates Raf-1 kinase activity through a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent mechanism in a T-cell line.

Previously we found that interleukin 2 (IL-2) induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the serine/threonine-specific kinase encoded by the raf-1 protooncogene in a T-cell line, CTLL-2. Here we extended these findings by exploring the effects of selective removal of phosphate from tyrosines in p72-74-Raf-1 kinase that had been immunoprecipitated from IL-2-stimulated CTLL-2 cells. Treatment in vitro of IL-2-activated Raf-1 with the tyrosine-specific phosphatases CD45 and TCPTP (formerly called T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase) reduced Raf kinase activity to nearly baseline levels. This effect was completely inhibited by the phosphatase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate. In contrast, treatment of Raf-1 with a serine/threonine-specific phosphatase, protein phosphatase 1 (PP-1), resulted in a more modest decrease in Raf in vitro kinase activity, and this effect was prevented by okadaic acid. Two-dimensional phosphoamino acid analysis confirmed the selective removal of phosphate from tyrosine by CD45 and from serine and threonine by PP-1. The immunoreactivity of p72-74-Raf-1 with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies was also completely abolished by treatment with CD45 in the absence but not in the presence of sodium orthovanadate. These findings provide evidence that the IL-2-stimulated phosphorylation of Raf-1 on tyrosines plays an important role in upregulating the activity of this serine/threonine-specific kinase in CTLL-2 cells and, as such, provides a model system for studying the transfer of growth factor-initiated signals from protein tyrosine kinases to serine/threonine-specific kinases.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Raf-1 is required for T cell IL2 production.

Engagement of the T cell receptor/CD3 complex activates the serine/threonine kinase, Raf-1, but the physiologic consequences of its activation have not been determined. The effects of Raf-1 on interleukin 2 (IL2) production in T cells were examined using activated and inhibitory forms of Raf-1. A truncated active form of Raf-1 was expressed constitutively from the metallothionein promoter in a malignant T cell line, Jurkat. Treatment of the cells with zinc and cadmium greatly increased active Raf-1 expression. This increase in Raf-1 expression allowed antibodies to CD3 and to CD28 to stimulate IL2 production in the absence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and enhanced IL2 production stimulated by these antibodies in the presence of PMA. The action of active Raf-1 was to increase IL2 gene transcription as it enhanced transcription of a reporter gene linked to IL2 promoter. Finally, the dominant negative form of Raf-1 inhibited transcription directed by the IL2 promoter that was induced by the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and PMA. We conclude that Raf-1 activity is necessary for IL2 gene transcription and secretion. These data indicate a role for Raf-1 in the immune response.

CD28 Antigens↗

PubMed1993

Protooncogene-encoded protein kinases in interleukin-2 signal transduction.

Protooncogenes are the normal forms of cellular genes that when altered in their expression or coding sequences can contribute to neoplastic transformation. As these genes often are important for normal cellular growth control, we explored the possibility that protein kinases encoded by particular protooncogenes could participate in signal transduction pathways regulated by the T cell growth factor, interleukin-2 (IL-2). In this review we summarize our findings to date regarding Raf-1, a serine/threonine-specific kinase that becomes phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and enzymatically activated in response to IL-2 stimulation. In addition, we describe our investigations of Lck and Lyn, two closely related protein tyrosine kinases of the src gene family that physically associate with the IL-2 receptor complex and whose activities are regulated by IL-2 in at least some T cells and B cells, respectively.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Oncogene activation: c-raf-1 gene mutations in experimental and naturally occurring tumors.

We demonstrate here consistent point mutations of the c-raf-1 proto-oncogene, within a small region of the kinase domain, in a mouse model for chemical tumor induction. This is the first demonstration of point mutated raf genes in vivo, and the first isolation of activating in vivo point mutations in the kinase domain of a proto-oncogene. The specific region where these mutations are clustered also has biological significance. This is precisely the region where 5/5 independently generated monoclonal antibodies raised against Raf-1 map to [29], and predictions based upon the crystal structure of A kinase identify this as the substrate pocket. The tumors examined show a selective specificity for Raf-1 mutations in that another family of genes, the ras proto-oncogenes which are frequently activated by point mutation in both animal and human tumors [15-21,26], is not involved. Our consistent finding of Raf-1 mutations in a mouse tumor model also has consequences for further evaluation of the role of Raf-1 in human tumor development, as it emphasizes the need to examine c-raf-1 at the sequence level. In fact preliminary screening of human lung tumors indicates point mutations at amino acid 533 (John Lyons, personal communication). Finally, the cumulative data on the critical role of Raf-1 in signal transduction and the occurrence of oncogenic Raf-1 in tumors [32-41] highlight this enzyme as an attractive target for development of novel anticancer regimens.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Neuronal expression of the RAF protooncogene in the spinal cord of adult guinea pigs.

The cellular raf oncogenes encode cytoplasmic serine/threonine specific protein kinases. Since there are some indications that they are involved in neuronal plasticity, we investigated the localization of raf protein kinases immunohistochemically. The spinal cord of adult guinea pigs was fixed by means of transcardial perfusion, transverse sections were cut from each segment and stained with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, raised against synthetic raf peptide and recombinant raf protein, respectively. The motor neurons of the ventral horn and the large- and medium sized neurons of laminae I, IV, V, VI, VII and VII were stained in every segment of the spinal cord. The widespread occurrence of raf kinases in the spinal cord and the literature data indicating their participation in growth factor mediated processes, raise the possibility that the raf protooncogenes play a fundamental role in the regulation of transmembrane signalling of these neurons.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine couples Ras to activation of Raf protein kinase during mitogenic signal transduction.

We have investigated the relationship between hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and activation of the Raf-1 protein kinase in Ras-mediated transduction of mitogenic signals. As previously reported, cotransfection of a PC-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) expression plasmid bypassed the block to cell proliferation resulting from expression of the dominant inhibitory mutant Ras N-17. In contrast, PC-PLC failed to bypass the inhibitory effect of dominant negative Raf mutants, suggesting that PC-PLC functions downstream of Ras but upstream of Raf. Consistent with this hypothesis, treatment of quiescent cells with exogenous PC-PLC induced Raf activation, even when normal Ras function was blocked by Ras N-17 expression. Further, activation of Raf in response to mitogenic growth factors was blocked by inhibition of endogenous PC-PLC. Taken together, these results indicate that hydrolysis of PC mediates Raf activation in response to mitogenic growth factors.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Susceptibility and resistance to J3V1 retrovirus-induced murine plasmacytomagenesis in reconstituted severe combined immunodeficient mice.

To date much is known about the genetics of susceptibility and resistance to plasmacytoma induction in mice, however little is known about the cellular aspects of these phenotypes. The complexity of plasmacytomagenesis allows for susceptibility and resistance to reflect differences in B cells, T cells, accessory cells and/or stromal elements contributing to the disease process. Alternatively, these phenotypes may result from differential abilities to affect events critical to plasmacytomagenesis, such as myc deregulation. To address these possibilities, the v-myc-raf-containing retrovirus, J3V1, was used to induce plasmacytomas (PCTs) in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice reconstituted with susceptible (Balb/c) and/or resistant (DBA/2) cells. The results demonstrate that Balb/c bone marrow (BM)-reconstituted SCID mice yielded PCTs of donor origin, while DBA/2 BM-reconstituted mice did not. Mice reconstituted with both DBA/2 BM and Balb/c peripheral lymphocytes, as well as those reconstituted with Balb/c peripheral lymphocytes alone, also yielded only Balb/c PCTs. These results indicate that: (1) a microenvironment supportive of plasmacytomagenesis is insufficient to allow PCT development among resistant cells; (2) DBA/2 BM-derived cells do not suppress plasmacytomagenesis by target cell elimination or microenvironment destruction; (3) resistance is not solely attributable to the inability of DBA/2 B cells to deregulate myc; and (4) potential PCT targets reside in a number of lymphoid tissues. Taken together, these results demonstrate that a major aspect of resistance/susceptibility to plasmacytomagenesis is dictated by the genotype of the target B cell.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

v-raf confers CSF-1 independent growth to a macrophage cell line and leads to immediate early gene expression without MAP-kinase activation.

The BAC-1.2F5 macrophage cell line depends on CSF-1 for proliferation and survival. Phosphorylation and activation of the RAF-1 kinase are among the early events in CSF-1 signal transduction. To characterize the role of RAF-1 in CSF-1-induced proliferation, we overexpressed oncogenically activated RAF-1, cellular RAF-1 and RAF-1 kinase-defective mutant proteins in BAC-1.2F5 cells. We were unable to establish stable cell lines expressing either kinase-negative or full length RAF-1 proteins, implying that expression of these molecules is not tolerated in BAC-1.2F5 cells. Oncogenically activated RAF-1 induces CSF-1-independent growth in the absence of autocrine growth factor production. Autonomous growth is not associated with dedifferentiation, since v-raf-expressing macrophages perform the same immunological functions as control cells. Intriguingly, autonomous growth correlates with the suppression of CSF-1-mediated MAP-Kinase activation and with the low constitutive expression of a number of CSF-1-inducible genes, including fos, jun, ets2, and myc, but also the genes for the inflammatory cytokines TNF alpha and IL-1 beta. Many of these genes have AP-1 binding sites in their promoters, and the v-raf-expressing cells contain constitutive AP-1 binding activity. These data indicate that RAF-1, but not MAP-Kinase, is a key component in CSF-1 mitogenic signal transduction, and are consistent with a working hypothesis in which RAF-1 mediates transcriptional activation of genes via AP-1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

H-ras and raf-1 cooperate in transformation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts.

We examined the effect of overexpression of growth factor-regulated second messenger enzymes, alone and in combination, on transformation of NIH3T3 cells. Signal transducers included phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma), protein kinase C-gamma (PKC-gamma), and two proto-oncogenes, c-H-ras and c-raf-1. Three of these proteins, PLC-gamma, PKC-gamma and Raf-1, did not transform NIH3T3 cells alone or in combination. c-H-ras, which under its own promoter control has low transforming activity, also did not cooperate with PLC-gamma or PKC-gamma. In contrast, the combination of normal or oncogenic p21 H-Ras with the Raf-1 kinase dramatically increased transformation efficiency. The level of Ras protein required for transformation was reduced in Raf-1 co-transfectants, implying that, at low levels of p21 Ras, p74 Raf-1 is rate limiting. As transformation by Ras depends on jun-mediated transcriptional events, we also examined H-ras and c-raf-1 cooperation in transcriptional transactivation of TPA-responsive element (TRE)-dependent reporters. Like the H-ras/c-raf-1 cooperation in transformation, we observed this synergistic stimulation of TRE-dependent transcription. This pathway for transformation and transcriptional activation by increased levels of normal Ras and Raf may be important in tumors that show overexpression but lack mutationally activated forms of these two proto-oncogenes.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1993

Raf revertant cells resist transformation by non-nuclear oncogenes and are deficient in the induction of early response genes by TPA and serum.

A revertant cell line was generated from v-raf transformed NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. These cells, termed CHP25, express a functional v-raf oncogene. However, they are non-tumorigenic, do not form colonies in soft agar and possess a flat morphology. CHP25 cells are resistant to re-transformation by sis, ras, tyrosine kinase- as well as serine/threonine kinase-encoding oncogenes suggesting that Raf functions downstream of most membrane associated signal transducers. In contrast to v-raf transformed cells, in which the endogenous Raf-1 protein kinase is constitutively activated, v-Raf in CHP25 cells does not activate endogenous Raf-1 kinase. Since mitogen regulation of Raf-1 kinase in CHP25 cells is intact, we conclude that CHP25 cells are blocked at the level of Raf-1 substrate phosphorylation. Consistent with this interpretation CHP25 cells show specific alterations of early gene induction. The serum induction of c-fos and junD as well as the serum and TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) induction of junB and egr-1 are almost completely abolished. Only v-fos can transform CHP25, whereas c-fos, v-myc, c-jun and junB are ineffective. These data suggest that the lesion responsible for the revertant phenotype of CHP25 cells is the inability to activate the AP-1 complex. We conclude that Raf-1 signaling is essential for transformation of NIH/3T3 cells by peripheral oncogenes and for regulation of a subset of early response genes by TPA and serum growth factors.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1992

Evidence that Ha-Ras mediates two distinguishable intracellular signals activated by v-Src.

v-Src activates promoters under the control of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) response elements (TREs) and serum response elements (SREs) via two distinguishable intracellular signaling mechanisms. The induction of TRE- and SRE-mediated gene expression by v-Src could be distinguished by a differential sensitivity to depleting cells of protein kinase C (PKC) and to a dominant negative Raf-1 mutant. Thus, PKC depletion and the dominant negative Raf-1 mutant were able to distinguish two intracellular signaling mechanisms activated by v-Src. Both of these v-Src-induced intracellular signals were sensitive to a dominant negative mutant of Ha-Ras. These data suggest that Ha-Ras functions to coordinately regulate multiple intracellular signaling mechanisms activated by v-Src.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1992

Raf-1 activates MAP kinase-kinase.

The normal cellular homologue of the acutely transforming oncogene v-raf is c-raf-1, which encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that is activated by many extracellular stimuli. The physiological substrates of the protein c-Raf-1 are unknown. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases Erk1 and 2 are also activated by mitogens through phosphorylation of Erk tyrosine and threonine residues catalysed by a protein kinase of relative molecular mass 50,000, MAP kinase-kinase (MAPK-K). Here we report that MAPK-K as well as Erk1 and 2 are constitutively active in v-raf-transformed cells. MAPK-K partially purified from v-raf-transformed cells or from mitogen-treated cells can be deactivated by phosphatase 2A. c-Raf-1 purified after mitogen stimulation can reactivate the phosphatase 2A-inactivated MAPK-K over 30-fold in vitro. c-Raf-1 reactivation of MAPK-K coincides with the selective phosphorylation at serine/threonine residues of a polypeptide with M(r) 50,000 which coelutes precisely on cation-exchange chromatography with the MAPK-K activatable by c-Raf-1. These results indicate that c-Raf-1 is an immediate upstream activator of MAPK-K in vivo. To our knowledge, MAPK-K is the first physiological substrate of the c-raf-1 protooncogene product to be identified.

3T3 Cells↗