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Autophosphorylation of the Fes tyrosine kinase. Evidence for an intermolecular mechanism involving two kinase domain tyrosine residues.

The human c-fes proto-oncogene encodes a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase (Fes) that is associated with multiple hematopoietic cytokine receptors. Fes tyrosine autophosphorylation sites may regulate kinase activity and recruit downstream signaling proteins with SH2 domains. To localize the Fes autophosphorylation sites, full-length Fes and deletion mutants lacking either the unique N-terminal or SH2 domain were autophosphorylated in vitro and analyzed by CNBr cleavage. Identical phosphopeptides of 10 and 4 kDa were produced with all three proteins, localizing the tyrosine autophosphorylation sites to the C-terminal kinase domain. Substitution of kinase domain tyrosine residues 713 or 811 with phenylalanine resulted in a loss of the 10- and 4-kDa phosphopeptides, respectively, identifying these tyrosines as in vitro autophosphorylation sites. CNBr cleavage analysis of Fes isolated from 32PO4-labeled 293T cells showed that Tyr-713 and Tyr-811 are also autophosphorylated in vivo. Mutagenesis of Tyr-713 reduced both autophosphorylation of Tyr-811 and transphosphorylation of Bcr, a recently identified Fes substrate, supporting a major regulatory role for Tyr-713. Wild-type Fes transphosphorylated a kinase-inactive Fes mutant on Tyr-713 and Tyr-811, suggesting that Fes autophosphorylation occurs via an intermolecular mechanism analogous to receptor tyrosine kinases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Platelet-derived growth factor-induced formation of tensin and phosphoinositide 3-kinase complexes.

Tensin is an SH2 domain-containing cytoskeletal protein that binds to and caps actin filaments. Investigation of signal transduction mechanisms associated with tensin revealed the presence of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity in tensin immunoprecipitates from platelet-derived growth factor-treated cells. Association of PI 3-kinase activity with tensin was transitory, and the amount of activity was approximately 1% of the total PI 3-kinase activity found in anti-phosphotyrosine (anti-pY) immunoprecipitates. In vitro, PI 3-kinase activity associated with the SH2 domain of tensin in a platelet-derived growth factor-dependent manner. The optimal phosphopeptide binding specificity of the SH2 domain of tensin was determined to be phospho-Y (E or D), N, (I, V, or F). Synthetic phosphopeptides containing the sequence YENI could specifically block the association of PI 3-kinase activity with tensin in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that PI 3-kinase interacts with the cytoskeleton via the SH2 domain of tensin and may play an important role in platelet-derived growth factor-induced cytoskeletal reorganization that is concomitant with cell migration and proliferation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Tyrosine phosphorylation of the juxtamembrane domain of the v-Fms oncogene product is required for its association with a 55-kDa protein.

Tyrosine autophosphorylation of the v-Fms oncogene product results in the formation of high affinity binding sites for cellular proteins with Src homology 2 (SH2) domains that are involved in various signal cascades. Tryptic digestion of the autophosphorylated v-Fms and of its cellular counterpart, the feline c-Fms polypeptide, gave rise to at least six common major phosphopeptides, four of which have been characterized previously. Employing site-directed mutagenesis and phosphopeptide mapping of in vitro phosphorylated glutathione S-transferase v-Fms fusion proteins as well as full-length v-Fms molecules expressed in various cells, we show here that Tyr543 of the juxtamembrane domain and Tyr696 of the kinase insert domain constitute major autophosphorylation sites. Recombinant fusion proteins containing the tyrosine-phosphorylated kinase insert domain bind the growth factor receptor bound protein 2 and the p85 and p110 subunits of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase. In contrast, fusion proteins containing the juxtamembrane domain phosphorylated on Tyr543 fail to bind any of the known SH2 domain-containing cellular proteins but associate specifically with an as yet undefined 55-kDa cellular protein that by itself is phosphorylated on tyrosine.

3T3 Cells↗

Activation of the avian erythrocyte Na-K-Cl cotransport protein by cell shrinkage, cAMP, fluoride, and calyculin-A involves phosphorylation at common sites.

Na-K-Cl cotransport activity in duck erythrocytes increases approximately 10-fold in response to osmotic cell shrinkage, norepinephrine, fluoride, or calyculin-A (an inhibitor of type-1 and -2a phosphatases). To assess whether all four stimuli promote phosphorylation of the cotransport protein and whether this phosphorylation is catalyzed by the same kinase, the cotransporter was isolated from erythrocytes by immunoprecipitation and its pattern of phosphorylation was evaluated. Each stimulus evoked proportionate increases in cotransporter activity and phosphorylation. No two stimuli in combination evoked greater activation and phosphorylation than did the more potent of the two stimuli acting alone. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the cotransport protein indicated that phosphorylation occurs at serine and threonine residues. Phosphopeptide mapping revealed a distinctive pattern of 8 major tryptic phosphopeptides, none of which were significantly phosphorylated in the unstimulated state. Maps of cotransporters activated by the four different stimuli were indistinguishable. Measurements of phosphorylation stoichiometry indicated that each cotransporter acquires approximately 5 phosphates on going from an inactive state in swollen cells to an active state in shrunken cells. Staurosporine, a kinase inhibitor with broad selectivity, inhibited each stimulus equipotently (IC50 approximately 0.7 microM). Staurosporine promptly reversed cotransporter activity and phosphorylation when added to shrinkage-stimulated but not to calyculin-stimulated cells, indicating that it enters the cell rapidly and blocks phosphorylation. These results suggest that cell shrinkage, cAMP, fluoride, and calyculin-A promote the phosphorylation of the Na-K-Cl cotransport protein at a similar constellation of serine and threonine residues. It is proposed that all modes of stimulation ultimately involve the same protein kinase.

Animals↗

Regulation of the epithelial brush border Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 stably expressed in fibroblasts by fibroblast growth factor and phorbol esters is not through changes in phosphorylation of the exchanger.

The epithelial brush border Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is regulated by growth factors and protein kinases. When stably expressed in PS120 fibroblasts, NHE3 is stimulated by serum and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and inhibited by phorbol esters. To examine the role of phosphorylation of NHE3 in growth factor/protein kinase regulation, NHE3 was C-terminally tagged with an 11-amino acid epitope of the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG) and stably expressed in Na+/H+ exchanger null PS120 fibroblasts (PS120/NHE3V). NHE3V was regulated by serum, FGF, and phorbol ester in a manner identical to wild type non-VSVG-tagged NHE3. Phosphorylation of NHE3V was evaluated via immunoprecipitation with anti-VSVG antibody after in vivo labeling of PS120/NHE3V cells with [32P]orthophosphate. NHE3V was phosphorylated under basal conditions. However, FGF and PMA, under conditions in which these agonists regulate NHE3V, altered neither the amount of phosphorylation of NHE3V as analyzed by one-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography nor two-dimensional phosphopeptide maps of tryptic digests of NHE3V. In contrast, while changes in NHE3V phosphorylation were not observed with serum exposure by one-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two-dimensional studies showed increases in two phosphopeptides. Under all these conditions, phosphoamino acid analysis showed that NHE3V was phosphorylated only on serine residues. By cell surface protein biotinylation studies under basal conditions, at least 27% of the NHE3V was expressed on the cell surface. To further analyze the phosphorylation status of the surface and intracellular forms of NHE3V under basal conditions and determine whether the amount of phosphorylation of the surface form changes upon serum, FGF, and PMA regulation, the surface form of NHE3V was separated from intracellular form by biotinylation/avidin-agarose precipitation. Under basal conditions, both intracellular and surface forms of NHE3V were phosphorylated. However, the amount of phosphorylation of the surface form of NHE3V did not change upon stimulation by serum and FGF and inhibition by PMA based on one-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Thus, we conclude that when expressed in PS120 cells, while NHE3 is a phosphoprotein under basal conditions, its regulation by FGF and PMA is not by changes in the phosphorylation of NHE3, while regulation by serum may involve changes in its phosphorylation. Regulation of NHE3 probably involves intermediate associated regulatory proteins. The function of basal phosphorylation of NHE3 is not known.

Animals↗

Differential regulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase adapter subunit variants by insulin in human skeletal muscle.

The role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) in insulin signaling was evaluated in human skeletal muscle. Insulin stimulated both antiphosphotyrosine-precipitable PI 3-kinase activity and 3-O-methylglucose transport in isolated skeletal muscle (both approximately 2-3-fold). Insulin stimulation of 3-O-methylglucose transport was inhibited by the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 (IC50 = 2.5 microM). The PI 3-kinase adapter subunits were purified from muscle lysates using phosphopeptide beads based on the Tyr-751 region of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. Immunoblotting of the material adsorbed onto the phosphopeptide beads revealed the presence of p85alpha, p85beta, p55(PIK)/p55gamma, and p50 adapter subunit isoforms. In addition, p85alpha-NSH2 antibodies recognized four adapter subunit variants of 54, 53, 48, and 46 kDa, the latter corresponding to the p50 splice variant. Serial immunoprecipitations demonstrated that these four proteins were associated with a large proportion of the total PI 3-kinase activity immunoprecipitated by p85alpha-NSH2 domain antibodies. Antibodies to p85beta, p55(PIK)/p55gamma, and the p50 adapter subunit also immunoprecipitated PI 3-kinase activity from human muscle lysates. A large proportion of the total cellular pool of the 53-kDa variant, p50, and p55(PIK) was present in antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates from unstimulated muscle, whereas these immunoprecipitates contained only a very small proportion of the cellular pool of p85alpha, p85beta, and the 48-kDa variant. Insulin greatly increased the levels of the 48-kDa variant in antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates and caused smaller -fold increases in the levels of p85alpha, p85beta, and the 53-kDa variant. The levels of p50 and p55(PIK) were not significantly changed. These properties indicate mechanisms by which specificity is achieved in the PI 3-kinase signaling system.

3-O-Methylglucose↗

A major, transformation-sensitive PKC-binding protein is also a PKC substrate involved in cytoskeletal remodeling.

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a major role in regulating cell growth, transformation, and gene expression; however, identifying phosphorylation events that mediate these responses has been difficult. We expression-cloned a group of PKC-binding proteins and identified a high molecular weight, heat-soluble protein as the major PKC-binding protein in REF52 fibroblasts (Chapline, C., Mousseau, B., Ramsay, K., Duddy, S., Li, Y., Kiley, S. C., and Jaken, S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 6417-6422). In this study, we demonstrate that this PKC-binding protein, clone 72, is also a PKC substrate in vitro and in vivo. Using a combination of phosphopeptide mapping, Edman degradation, and electrospray mass spectrometry, serine residues 283, 300, 507, and 515 were identified as the major in vitro PKC phosphorylation sites in clone 72. Phosphorylation state-selective antibodies were raised against phosphopeptides encompassing each of the four phosphorylation sites. These antibodies were used to determine that phorbol esters stimulate phosphorylation of serines 283, 300, 507, and 515 in cultured cells, indicating that clone 72 is directly phosphorylated by PKC in living cells. Phosphorylated clone 72 preferentially accumulates in membrane protrusions and ruffles, indicating that PKC activation and clone 72 phosphorylation are involved in membrane-cytoskeleton remodeling. These data lend further evidence to the model that PKCs directly interact with, phosphorylate, and modify the functions of a group of substrate proteins, STICKs (substrates that interact with C-kinase).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phosphotyrosine 1173 mediates binding of the protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 to the epidermal growth factor receptor and attenuation of receptor signaling.

The protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 binds to and dephosphorylates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and both SH2 domains of SHP-1 are important for this interaction (Tenev, T., Keilhack, H., Tomic, S., Stoyanov, B., Stein-Gerlach, M., Lammers, R., Krivtsov, A. V., Ullrich, A., and Böhmer, F. D. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 5966-5973). We mapped the EGFR phosphotyrosine 1173 as the major binding site for SHP-1 by a combination of phosphopeptide activation, phosphopeptide competition, and receptor YF mutant analysis. Mutational conversion of the EGFR sequence 1171-1176 AEYLRV into the high affinity SHP-1 binding sequence LEYLYL of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) led to a highly elevated SHP-1 binding to the mutant EGFR (EGFR1171-1176EpoR) and in turn to an enhanced dephosphorylation of the receptor. SHP-1 expression interfered with EGF-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase stimulation, and this effect was more pronounced in case of EGFR1171-1176EpoR. Reduced SHP-1 binding to the EGFR Y1173F mutant resulted in a reduced receptor dephosphorylation by coexpressed SHP-1 and less interference with EGF-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase stimulation. The effects of receptor mutations on SHP-1 binding were, however, stronger than those on receptor dephosphorylation by SHP-1. Therefore, receptor dephosphorylation may be the result of the combined activity of receptor-bound SHP-1 and SHP-1 bound to an auxiliary docking protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of in vivo phosphorylation sites required for protein kinase D activation.

Protein kinase D (PKD) is activated by phosphorylation in intact cells stimulated by phorbol esters, cell permeant diacylglycerols, bryostatin, neuropeptides, and growth factors, but the critical activating residues in PKD have not been identified. Here, we show that substitution of Ser744 and Ser748 with alanine (PKD-S744A/S748A) completely blocked PKD activation induced by phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) treatment of intact cells as assessed by autophosphorylation and exogenous syntide-2 peptide substrate phosphorylation assays. Conversely, replacement of both serine residues with glutamic acid (PKD-S744E/S748E) markedly increased basal activity (7.5-fold increase compared with wild type PKD). PKD-S744E/S748E mutant was only slightly further stimulated by PDB treatment in vivo, suggesting that phosphorylation of these two sites induces maximal PKD activation. Two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide analysis obtained from PKD mutants immunoprecipitated from 32P-labeled transfected COS-7 cells showed that two major spots present in the PDB-stimulated wild type PKD or the kinase-dead PKD-D733A phosphopeptide maps completely disappeared in the kinase-deficient triple mutant PKD-D733A/S744E/S748E. Our results indicate that PKD is activated by phosphorylation of residues Ser744 and Ser748 and thus provide the first example of a non-RD kinase that is up-regulated by phosphorylation of serine/threonine residues within the activation loop.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Multisite autophosphorylation of p21-activated protein kinase gamma-PAK as a function of activation.

p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) is a family of serine/threonine kinases whose activity is stimulated by binding to small G-proteins such as Cdc42 and subsequent autophosphorylation. Focusing on the ubiquitous gamma-isoform of PAK in this study, baculovirus-infected insect cells were used to obtain recombinant gamma-PAK, while native gamma-PAK was isolated from rabbit reticulocytes. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of gamma-PAK followed by immunoblot analysis revealed a similar profile for native and recombinant gamma-PAK, both consisting of multiple protein spots. Following Cdc42-stimulated autophosphorylation, the two-dimensional profiles of native and recombinant gamma-PAK were characterized by a similar acidic shift, suggesting a common response to Cdc42. To understand the effect of differential phosphorylation on its activation status, gamma-PAK autophosphorylation was conducted in the presence or absence of activators such as Cdc42 and histone II-AS, followed by tryptic digestion and comparative two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping. The major phosphopeptides were subjected to a combination of manual and automated amino acid sequencing. Overall, eight autophosphorylation sites were identified in Cdc42-activated gamma-PAK, six of which are in common with those previously reported in alpha-PAK, while Ser-19 and Ser-165 appear to be uniquely phosphorylated in the gamma-form. Further, the phosphorylation of Ser-141, Ser-165, and Thr-402 was found to correlate with gamma-PAK activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Histone H2B phosphorylation in mammalian apoptotic cells. An association with DNA fragmentation.

Histone phosphorylation was investigated in several mammalian cells undergoing apoptosis (human HL-60 and HeLa, mouse FM3A and N18 cells, and rat thymocytes). Among the four nucleosomal core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4), H2B, which is not usually phosphorylated in quiescent or growing cells, was found to be phosphorylated after treatment with various apoptotic inducers. The H2B was phosphorylated around the time when nucleosomal DNA fragmentation was initiated and, like this fragmentation, was completely blocked with Z-Asp-CH(2)-DCB, an inhibitor of ICE or ICE-like caspase. The involved single phosphopeptide of H2B proved to be phosphorylatable in vitro with a protein kinase C, and the site Ser-32 was tentatively identified. Despite typical apoptotic chromatin condensation, the H3 phosphorylation was at a low level, and the sites where phosphorylation did occur did not include any mitosis-specific phosphopeptides. Phosphorylation of H4 was increased, but the other two histone proteins (H1 and H2A) were not appreciably changed. These observations imply that 1) H2B phosphorylation occurs universally in apoptotic cells and is associated with apoptosis-specific nucleosomal DNA fragmentation, 2) chromatin condensation in apoptosis occurs by a different biochemical mechanism from those operating during mitosis or premature chromosome condensation, and 3) this unique phosphorylation of H2B is a useful biochemical hallmark of apoptotic cells.

Animals↗

Site-selective dephosphorylation of the platelet-derived growth factor beta-receptor by the receptor-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase DEP-1.

Ligand stimulation of PDGF beta-receptors leads to autophosphorylation of the regulatory tyrosine 857 and of tyrosine residues that in their phosphorylated form serve as docking sites for Src homology 2 domain-containing proteins. Regulation of the PDGF beta-receptor by protein-tyrosine phosphatases is poorly understood. We have investigated PDGF beta-receptor dephosphorylation by receptor-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase DEP-1 using a cell line with inducible DEP-1 expression and by characterizing in vitro dephosphorylation of the PDGF beta-receptor and of receptor-derived phosphopeptides by DEP-1. After DEP-1 induction PDGF beta-receptor.DEP-1 complexes and reduced receptor tyrosine phosphorylation were observed. Phosphopeptide analysis of the PDGF beta-receptors from DEP-1-expressing cells and of the receptors dephosphorylated in vitro by DEP-1 demonstrated that dephosphorylation of autophosphorylation sites of the receptor differed and revealed that the regulatory Tyr(P)(857) was not a preferred site for DEP-1 dephosphorylation. When dephosphorylation of synthetic receptor-derived peptides was analyzed, the selectivity was reproduced, indicating that amino acid sequence surrounding the phosphorylation sites is the major determinant of selectivity. This notion is supported by the observation that the poorly dephosphorylated Tyr(P)(562) and Tyr(P)(857), in contrast to other analyzed phosphorylation sites, are surrounded by basic amino acid residues at positions -4 and +3 relative to the tyrosine residue. Our study demonstrates that DEP-1 dephosphorylation of the PDGF beta-receptor is site-selective and may lead to modulation, rather than general attenuation, of signaling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

p13(SUC1) and the WW domain of PIN1 bind to the same phosphothreonine-proline epitope.

The WW domain of the human PIN1 and p13(SUC1), a subunit of the cyclin-dependent kinase complex, were previously shown to be involved in the regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase complex activity at the entry into mitosis, by an unresolved molecular mechanism. We report here experimental evidence for the direct interaction of p13(SUC1) with a model CDC25 peptide, dependent on the phosphorylation state of its threonine. Chemical shift perturbation of backbone (1)H(N), (15)N, and (13)Calpha resonances during NMR titration experiments allows accurate identification of the binding site, primarily localized around the anion-binding site, occupied in the crystal structure of the homologous p9(CKSHs2) by a sulfate molecule. The epitope recognized by p13(SUC1) includes the proline at position +1 of the phosphothreonine, as was shown by the decrease in affinity for a mutated CDC25 phosphopeptide, containing an alanine/proline substitution. No direct interaction between the PIN1 WW domain or its catalytic proline cis/trans-isomerase domain and p13(SUC1) was detected, but our study showed that in vitro the WW domain of the human PIN1 antagonizes the binding of the p13(SUC1) to the CDC25 phosphopeptide, by binding to the same phosphoepitope. We thus propose that the full cyclin-dependent kinase complex stimulates the phosphorylation of CDC25 through binding of its p13(SUC1) module to the phosphoepitope of the substrate and that the reported WW antagonism of p13(SUC1)-stimulated CDC25 phosphorylation is caused by competitive binding of both protein modules to the same phosphoepitope.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification of a phosphorylation site in the hinge region of the human progesterone receptor and additional amino-terminal phosphorylation sites.

We have previously reported the identification of seven in vivo phosphorylation sites in the amino-terminal region of the human progesterone receptor (PR). From our previous in vivo studies, it was evident that several phosphopeptides remained unidentified. In particular, we wished to determine whether human PR contains a phosphorylation site in the hinge region, as do other steroid receptors including chicken PR, human androgen receptor, and mouse estrogen receptor. Previously, problematic trypsin cleavage sites hampered our ability to detect phosphorylation sites in large incomplete tryptic peptides. Using a combination of mass spectrometry and in vitro phosphorylation, we have identified six previously unidentified phosphorylation sites in human PR. Using nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry, we have identified two new in vivo phosphorylation sites, Ser(20) and Ser(676), in baculovirus-expressed human PR. Ser(676) is analogous to the hinge site identified in other steroid receptors. Additionally, precursor ion scans identified another phosphopeptide that contains Ser(130)-Pro(131), a likely candidate for phosphorylation. In vitro phosphorylation of PR with Cdk2 has revealed five additional in vitro Cdk2 phosphorylation sites: Ser(25), Ser(213), Thr(430), Ser(554), and Ser(676). At least two of these, Ser(213) and Ser(676), are authentic in vivo sites. We confirmed the presence of the Cdk2-phosphorylated peptide containing Ser(213) in PR from in vivo labeled T47D cells, indicating that this is an in vivo site. Our combined studies indicate that most, if not all, of the Ser-Pro motifs in human PR are sites for phosphorylation. Taken together, these data indicate that the phosphorylation of PR is highly complex, with at least 14 phosphorylation sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

DNA-dependent acetylation of p53 by the transcription coactivator p300.

Reconstitution of the stages in the assembly of the p300.p53 transcription complex has identified a novel type of DNA-dependent regulation of p300-catalyzed acetylation. Phosphorylation at the CHK2 site (Ser(20)) in the N-terminal activation domain of p53 stabilized p300 binding. The phosphopeptide binding activity of p300 was mapped in vitro to two domains: the C-terminal IBiD domain and the N-terminal IHD domain (IBiD homology domain). The IHD or IBiD minidomains can bind to the p53 activation domain in vivo as determined using the mammalian two-hybrid VP16-GAL4 luciferase reporter assay. The IHD and IBiD minidomains of p300 also functioned as dominant negative inhibitors of p53-dependent transcription in vivo. Upon examining the affects of p300 binding on substrate acetylation, we found that the p53 consensus site DNA promotes a striking increase in p53 acetylation in vitro. Co-transfection into cells of the p53 gene and plasmid DNA containing the consensus DNA binding site of p53 activated DNA-dependent acetylation of p53 in vivo. The phosphopeptide binding activity of p300 is critical for DNA-dependent acetylation, as p53 acetylation was inhibited by phospho-Ser(20) peptides. Consensus site DNA-dependent acetylation of p53 stabilized the p300.p53 protein complex, whereas basal acetylation of p53 by p300 in the presence of nonspecific DNA resulted in p300 dissociation. These data identify at least three distinct stages in the assembly of a p300.p53 complex: 1) p300 docking to the activation domain of p53 via the IBiD and/or IHD domains; 2) DNA-dependent acetylation of p53; and 3) stabilization of the p300.p53(AC) complex after acetylation. The ability of DNA to act as an allosteric ligand to activate substrate acetylation identifies a conformational constraint that can be placed on the p300-acetylation reaction that is likely to be an amplification signal and influence protein-protein contacts at a promoter.

Acetylation↗

Contribution of the membrane-distal tyrosine in intracellular signaling by the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor.

We have evaluated the contribution of intracellular tyrosine residues of the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (GCSF-R) to its signaling and cellular outcomes. We began with stable BaF3 cell lines overexpressing wild-type or mutant GCSF-Rs. When all four intracellular tyrosines of the GCSF-R were replaced with phenylalanine (FFFF GCSF-R), cell proliferation and survival were compromised. Replacement of only the membrane-distal tyrosine (YYYF GCSF-R) also showed reduced survival following a GCSF withdrawal/replacement protocol, suggesting a role for this tyrosine. Proliferation by FFFY GCSF-R cells was attenuated by approximately 70%. In evaluating the biochemical steps involved in signaling, we then showed that the membrane-distal tyrosine was necessary and sufficient for c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. With the use of a cell-permeable JNK-inhibitory peptide, JNK was implicated in the proliferation of the FFFY GCSF-R mutant. To further define the events linking the membrane-distal tyrosine and JNK activation, the Src homology 2 domains of Shc, Grb2, and 3BP2 were shown to bind the full-length GCSF-R and a phosphopeptide encompassing the membrane-distal tyrosine. When binding to variant phosphopeptides based on this membrane-distal tyrosine was tested, altering the amino acids immediately following the phosphotyrosine could selectively abolish the interaction with Shc or Grb2, or the binding to both Grb2 and 3BP2. When these changes were introduced into the full-length GCSF-R and new cell lines created, only the mutant that did not interact with Grb2 and 3BP2 did not activate JNK. Our results suggest that direct binding of Shc by the GCSF-R is not essential for JNK activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dissociation of emerin from barrier-to-autointegration factor is regulated through mitotic phosphorylation of emerin in a xenopus egg cell-free system.

Emerin is the gene product of STA whose mutations cause Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. It is an inner nuclear membrane protein and phosphorylated in a cell cycle-dependent manner. However, the means of phosphorylation of emerin are poorly understood. We investigated the regulation mechanism for the binding of emerin to chromatin, focusing on its cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation in a Xenopus egg cell-free system. It was shown that emerin dissociates from chromatin depending on mitotic phosphorylation of the former, and this plays a critical role in the dissociation of emerin from barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF). Then, we analyzed the mitotic phosphorylation sites of emerin. Emerin was strongly phosphorylated in an M-phase Xenopus egg cell-free system, and five phosphorylated sites, Ser49, Ser66, Thr67, Ser120, and Ser175, were identified on analysis of chymotryptic and tryptic emerin peptides using a phosphopeptide-concentrating system coupled with a Titansphere column, which specifically binds phosphopeptides, and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing. An in vitro binding assay involving an emerin S175A point mutant protein suggested that phosphorylation at Ser175 regulates the dissociation of emerin from BAF.

Animals↗

Multiple reaction monitoring to identify sites of protein phosphorylation with high sensitivity.

Phosphorylation governs the activity of many proteins. Insight into molecular mechanisms in biology would be immensely improved by robust, sensitive methods for identifying precisely sites of phosphate addition. An approach to selective mapping of protein phosphorylation sites on a specific target protein of interest using LC-MS is described here. In this approach multiple reaction monitoring is used as an extremely sensitive MS survey scan for potential phosphopeptides from a known protein. This is automatically followed by peptide sequencing and subsequent location of the phosphorylation site; both of these steps occur in a single LC-MS run, providing greater efficiency of sample use. The method is capable of detecting and sequencing phosphopeptides at low femtomole levels with high selectivity. As proof of the value of this approach in an experimental setting, a key Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell cycle regulatory protein, Cyclin B, was purified, and associated proteins were identified. Phosphorylation sites on these proteins were located. The technique, which we have called multiple reaction monitoring-initiated detection and sequencing (MIDAS), is shown to be a highly sensitive approach to the determination of protein phosphorylation.

Binding Sites↗