Measurement of nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis activities in immunoprecipitates.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
J Downward
Publications and source records attributed to J Downward.
Measurements of GTP/GDP exchange in permeabilized fibroblasts.
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Animals↗
The Grb2 binding domain of mSos1 is not required for downstream signal transduction.
Cellular Ras proteins are activated primarily by specific guanine-nucleotide releasing factors such as the Son of Sevenless (Sos) proteins. This activation event is thought to occur in response to plasma membrane localization of a complex containing Sos and a small adapter protein Grb2. We have isolated a dominant mutant allele of mSos1 which transforms Rat1 cells, yet is no longer able to bind Grb2. Biochemical experiments reveal that the subcellular distribution of this truncated Sos protein is not altered with respect to the wild type Sos protein. These data argue against a role for Grb2 in the direct recruitment of Sos proteins to the plasma membrane and suggest that Grb2 may function to overcome negative regulation of Sos by its C terminus.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
Signal transduction. Regulating S6 kinase.
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Animals↗
The activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by Ras.
BACKGROUND: Activation of the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex can play a critical role in transducing growth factor responses. The lipid kinase complex, which is made up of p85 alpha and p110 alpha regulatory and catalytic subunits, becomes associated with a number of activated receptor protein tyrosine kinases, but the mechanism of its activation has not yet been defined. Recent evidence indicates that Ras can bind to the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex. We describe here the functional regulation of the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex by Ras. RESULTS: Expression of p110 alpha, the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, has been used to demonstrate an inhibitory effect of p85 alpha on p110 alpha activity in intact cells; inhibition did not result from a decrease in p110 alpha expression. In this cellular context, we have investigated the effect of a constitutively active mutant of Ras, v-Ras, either on p85 alpha or p110 alpha-alone, or on the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex. In the presence of the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex, v-Ras suppressed cell growth, but an effector-domain mutant of v-Ras did not. The growth-suppressive effect of v-Ras was not seen for any other combination of expressed proteins. The phenotype induced by v-Ras was consistent with activation of the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex: it was sensitive to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, and the cells accumulated 3-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositides. Activation of purified p85 alpha/p110 alpha by purified recombinant Ras in vitro was also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex, p85 alpha/p110 alpha, shows a suppressed catalytic function in vivo when compared with free p110 alpha. This complex can, however, be activated by Ras. We suggest that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex is a downstream effector of Ras.
Animals↗
Phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase as a direct target of Ras.
Ras (p21ras) interacts directly with the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase in a GTP-dependent manner through the Ras effector site. In vivo, dominant negative Ras mutant N17 inhibits growth factor induced production of 3' phosphorylated phosphoinositides in PC12 cells, and transfection of Ras, but not Raf, into COS cells results in a large elevation in the level of these lipids. Therefore Ras can probably regulate phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase, providing a point of divergence in signalling pathways downstream of Ras.
Animals↗
SH3 domains of the adapter molecule Grb2 complex with two proteins in T cells: the guanine nucleotide exchange protein Sos and a 75-kDa protein that is a substrate for T cell antigen receptor-activated tyrosine kinases.
In T lymphocytes activated via the T cell antigen receptor (TCR), the SH2- and SH3-containing adapter molecule Grb2 forms a complex with the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange protein Sos and tyrosine phospho-proteins. The interaction of Sos with Grb2 is mediated via the Grb2 SH3 domains. In this study, it is shown that a 75-kDa protein is also complexed with the Grb2 SH3 domains in T cells, but not in Rat-1 fibroblasts. The identity of the p75 protein is not known, but immunoblot analysis with phosphotyrosine antibodies indicated that it is rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated in TCR-activated T cells. This characteristic clearly distinguishes p75 from Sos since Sos is not a phosphotyrosine protein. In vitro binding studies indicated that the p75 phosphotyrosine protein binds to a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein of intact Grb2, but not to a Grb2 fusion protein mutated in its SH3 domains. p75 can also bind to the single COOH-terminal Grb2 SH3 domain, whereas Sos has an in vitro binding preference for the NH2-terminal Grb2 SH3 domain. Collectively, these data indicate that in T cells, two proteins can complex with the Grb2 SH3 domains: Sos and a p75 molecule that is tyrosine-phosphorylated in TCR-activated cells. The significance of p75 association with Grb2 is not clear, but by analogy with Sos, p75 is a potential candidate for a Grb2 effector protein. Data are presented showing that the interaction of the Grb2 SH2 domains with tyrosine phosphoproteins may be regulated by conformational restraints imposed by different molecules complexing with the Grb2 SH3 domains. It is thus possible to speculate that the interaction of either p75 or Sos with the Grb2 SH3 domain may influence the interaction of the Grb2 SH2 domain with tyrosine phosphoproteins.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
A complex of Grb2 adaptor protein, Sos exchange factor, and a 36-kDa membrane-bound tyrosine phosphoprotein is implicated in ras activation in T cells.
T lymphocytes contain both Grb2, an SH2 and SH3 domain containing adaptor protein, and Sos, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ras. Immunoprecipitates of Sos from the lysates of T cells contain a 36-kDa protein which is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in response to T cell receptor/CD3 cross-linking. In vitro studies using different bacterially synthesized GST-Sos fusion proteins confirm the formation of complexes containing p36 and the proline-rich COOH-terminal domain of Sos. The use of mutant GST-Grb2 proteins in which both SH3 domains have been mutationally inactivated shows that Grb2 binds to tyrosine phosphorylated p36 via its SH2 domain. In Jurkat cells phosphorylated p36 is localized exclusively in the particulate fraction. In addition, another SH2 domain-containing protein, p52Shc is tyrosine phosphorylated upon TCR.CD3 cross-linking and associates with a 150-kDa phosphotyrosine containing protein. Taken together these data suggest that activation of Ras in T cells via the TCR.CD3 complex might be controlled, at least in part, by mechanisms similar to those found in fibroblasts, involving in this case formation of a complex of Grb2, Sos, and a membrane-bound tyrosine phosphoprotein of molecular mass 36-kDa.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
Interaction of Ras and Raf in intact mammalian cells upon extracellular stimulation.
It has recently been shown that Ras proteins interact directly with Raf serine/threonine kinases in vitro and in the yeast two-hybrid system, leading to speculation that Raf proteins function as effectors for Ras. Here it is demonstrated that the endogenous Raf-1 protein co-immunoprecipitates with Ras from mammalian cells when the non-neutralizing anti-Ras monoclonal antibody Y13-238 is used. The formation of a Ras-Raf complex is absolutely dependent on prior treatment of the cells with a stimulus that activates Ras: phorbol ester or anti-T cell receptor antibody in the case of human peripheral blood T lymphoblasts, or epidermal growth factor in the case of Rat-1 fibroblasts. Up to 3% of cellular Raf-1 can be found in association with Ras. The association is not competed by addition of exogenous GST-Raf to the cell lysates and is therefore unlikely to be due to Ras-Raf binding after cell lysis. Specific interaction of Ras and Raf therefore occurs in intact mammalian cells in response to stimuli that cause Ras to become GTP-bound.
Animals↗
The GRB2/Sem-5 adaptor protein.
GRB2/Sem-5 is a 25-kDa adaptor protein which contains a central Src homology type 2 (SH2) domain flanked by two Src homology type 3 (SH3) domains. GRB2/Sem-5 was first identified due to the essential role of the sem-5 gene product in the vulval induction pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. The SH2 domain of GRB2/Sem-5 binds to a number of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins, most notably the epidermal growth factor receptor, the insulin receptor substrate IRS-1 and another putative adaptor protein, Shc. The SH3 domains bind to Sos, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ras proteins. GRB2/Sem-5 brings together Sos and tyrosine phosphoproteins into a complex and thereby may regulate the nucleotide exchange rate of Ras and hence its activation state.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
Tyr-716 in the platelet-derived growth factor beta-receptor kinase insert is involved in GRB2 binding and Ras activation.
Ligand stimulation of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) beta-receptor leads to activation of its intrinsic tyrosine kinase and autophosphorylation of the intracellular part of the receptor. The autophosphorylated tyrosine residues mediate interactions with downstream signal transduction molecules and thereby initiate different signalling pathways. A pathway leading to activation of the GTP-binding protein Ras involves the adaptor molecule GRB2. Here we show that Tyr-716, a novel autophosphorylation site in the PDGF beta-receptor kinase insert, mediates direct binding of GRB2 in vitro and in vivo. In a panel of mutant PDGF beta-receptors, in which Tyr-716 and the previously known autophosphorylation sites were individually mutated, only PDGFR beta Y716F failed to bind GRB2. Furthermore, a synthetic phosphorylated peptide containing Tyr-716 bound GRB2, and this peptide specifically interrupted the interaction between GRB2 and the wild-type receptor. In addition, the Y716(P) peptide significantly decreased the amount of GTP bound to Ras in response to PDGF in permeabilized fibroblasts as well as in porcine aortic endothelial cells expressing transfected PDGF beta-receptors. The mutant PDGFR beta Y716F still mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and an increased DNA synthesis in response to PDGF, indicating that multiple signal transduction pathways transduce mitogenic signals from the activated PDGF beta-receptor.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
Involvement of Shc in insulin- and epidermal growth factor-induced activation of p21ras.
Shc proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and associate with growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) upon treatment of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or insulin. We have studied the role of Shc in insulin- and EGF-induced activation of p21ras in NIH 3T3 cells overexpressing human insulin receptors (A14 cells). A14 cells are equally responsive to insulin and EGF with respect to activation of p21ras. Analysis of Shc immunoprecipitates revealed that (i) both insulin and EGF treatment resulted in Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and (ii) Shc antibodies coimmunoprecipitated both Grb2 and mSOS after insulin and EGF treatment. The induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and the presence of Grb2 and mSOS in Shc immunoprecipitates followed similar time courses, with somewhat higher levels after EGF treatment. In mSOS immunoprecipitates, Shc could be detected as well. Furthermore, Shc immune complexes contained guanine nucleotide exchange activity toward p21ras in vitro. From these results, we conclude that after insulin and EGF treatment, Shc associates with both Grb2 and mSOS and therefore may mediate, at least in part, insulin- and EGF-induced activation of p21ras. In addition, we investigated whether the Grb2-mSOS complex associates with the insulin receptor or with insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1). Although we observed association of Grb2 with IRS1, we did not detect complex formation between mSOS and IRS1 in experiments in which the association of mSOS with Shc was readily detectable. Furthermore, whereas EGF treatment resulted in the association of mSOS with the EGF receptor, insulin treatment did not result in the association of mSOS with the insulin receptor. These results indicate that the association of Grb2-nSOS with Shc may be an important event in insulin-induced, mSOS-mediated activation of p21ras.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
Role of Shc in the activation of Ras in response to epidermal growth factor and nerve growth factor.
Treatment of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 with nerve growth factor (NGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to result in activation of Ras. In response to EGF treatment, complexes form between Sos, Grb2 and tyrosine phosphorylated Shc and/or EGF receptor. In response to NGF treatment, complexes form between Sos, Grb2 and tyrosine phosphorylated Shc. While Shc is also found bound to the activated NGF receptor, Trk, no complexes were detectable that contained both Trk and Grb2 or Sos. In streptolysin O permeabilised cells, a tyrosine phosphopeptide, EGFR-Y1068P, which binds to the SH2 domain of Grb2, totally blocks growth factor induced formation of complexes between Grb2 and Shc or EGF receptor, and also blocks activation of nucleotide exchange on Ras. At low concentrations, another tyrosine phosphopeptide, TRK-Y490P, which binds to the SH2 domain of Shc, blocks growth factor induced formation of complexes between Shc and the EGF receptor or Trk, but fails to block activation of nucleotide exchange on Ras. Higher concentrations of TRK-Y490P inhibit tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and the formation of Shc complexes with Grb2: this results in strong inhibition of Ras activation by NGF and partial inhibition of Ras activation by EGF. These data demonstrate that the formation of a trimeric complex between tyrosine phosphorylated Shc, Grb2 and Sos is the key event in the activation of Ras in response to NGF. The binding of Sos to tyrosine phosphorylated receptor, via Grb2 may also contribute to Ras activation by EGF but not NGF, while stable complex formation between Shc and receptors is not necessary for Ras activation by either growth factor.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Direct interaction of Ras and the amino-terminal region of Raf-1 in vitro.
The Ras proteins are key regulators of the growth of eukaryotic cells, but their direct target enzymes, or 'effectors', are unknown. The protein encoded by the c-raf-1 proto-oncogene is thought to function downstream of p21ras because disruption of Raf blocks signalling by Ras in a number of systems. Here we report that the amino-terminal cysteine-rich regulatory region of p74c-raf-1 expressed as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein binds directly to Ras with relatively high affinity (50 nM). The binding is strictly dependent on the Ras protein being in the active GTP-bound conformation rather than the inactive GDP-bound state. Raf-GST interacts with wild-type and oncogenic Ras (Val 12) but fails to interact with a biologically inert effector mutant of Ras (Ala 38) and a dominant negative mutant (Asn 17). A peptide based on the effector region of Ras inhibits the interaction. Raf-GST acts as a potent competitive inhibitor of the GTPase-activating proteins p120GAP and neurofibromin. In addition, Raf itself displays weak GTPase-stimulating activity towards Ras. It is therefore likely that Raf is a direct effector of Ras.
Glutathione Transferase↗
Epidermal growth factor regulates p21ras through the formation of a complex of receptor, Grb2 adapter protein, and Sos nucleotide exchange factor.
Antisera against murine Son of sevenless (Sos) recognize a protein of M(r) 155,000 in rat-1 fibroblasts with specific guanine nucleotide exchange activity toward p21c-Ha-ras. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor coimmunoprecipitates with Sos from EGF-stimulated, but not quiescent, cells. The SH2 and SH3 domain-containing "adapter" protein Grb2 is also found in Sos immunoprecipitates in an EGF-inducible manner. In vitro reconstitution shows that Grb2 is required for the binding of activated EGF receptor to Sos. A phosphopeptide corresponding to tyrosine 1068 of the EGF receptor blocks both the assembly of the complex and EGF stimulation of nucleotide exchange on p21ras in a permeabilized cell system. These results suggest that EGF-induced activation of nucleotide exchange on p21ras proceeds through the recruitment of cytosolic Sos to a complex with EGF receptor and Grb2 at the plasma membrane.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
p21ras function is important for T cell antigen receptor and protein kinase C regulation of nuclear factor of activated T cells.
In T cells, signals initiated at the TCR, and in particular activation of protein kinase C (PKC), can activate the p21ras proteins. Triggering of the TCR and PKC is required for the efficient production of the T cell growth factor, IL-2. IL-2 gene transcription is controlled by a 275-bp enhancer that is known to contain binding sites for many transcription factors including the octamer family of proteins, NF kappa B, AP-1, and a T cell-specific factor, NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells). NFAT binds to a region of the IL-2 enhancer that has been defined as a TCR response element (ARRE-2), and is induced in response to increases in intracellular calcium, stimulation of PKC, or triggering of the TCR. To determine whether p21ras is involved in the signals that regulate NFAT, we examined the effect of expression of a constitutively active p21ras mutant, v-Ha-ras, and a dominant inhibitory mutant of p21ras, c-Ha-ras(asn)17, on the induction of a NFAT-driven reporter gene (NFAT CAT) during T cell activation. The constitutively active Ras mutant could synergize with the calcium ionophore ionomycin to induce NFAT. In addition, expression of p21v-Ha-ras could enhance NFAT CAT induction in response to TCR and PKC agonists. The dominant inhibitory mutant of p21ras could prevent NFAT CAT expression in response to PKC or TCR triggering. These data show that Ras regulates NFAT, and that p21ras function is important for the TCR- and PKC-regulated pathways that regulate NFAT.
Animals↗
Epidermal growth factor regulates the exchange rate of guanine nucleotides on p21ras in fibroblasts.
Treatment of intact Rat-1 fibroblasts with epidermal growth factor (EGF) leads to rapid activation of cellular ras-encoded proteins. By using the bacterial toxin streptolysin O to permeabilize these cells, it was shown that the low basal rate at which guanine nucleotides bind to, and dissociate from, ras-encoded protein in quiescent fibroblasts was greatly accelerated by EGF treatment. Nucleotide binding to other proteins was not affected. Stimulation of nucleotide exchange on ras-encoded protein required tyrosine kinase but not phospholipase activity. EGF had no effect on total GTPase-activating protein activity. Regulation of ras-encoded protein in Rat-1 fibroblasts is therefore mediated by stimulation, either directly or indirectly, of ras-encoded protein-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors by the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase.
Animals↗
Signal transduction. Rac and Rho in tune.
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Actins↗