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J Downward

Publications and source records attributed to J Downward.

120 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Transfer of functional EGF receptors to an IL3-dependent cell line.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a small protein that acts as a mitogen for various epidermal, epithelial, and fibroblastic cells that bear specific EGF receptors. The molecule that binds EGF is a 175-kD transmembrane protein, with an extracellular ligand binding domain and an intracellular domain that possesses tyrosine kinase activity, thought to be involved in the mitogenic signalling process. Here we have constructed a recombinant murine retrovirus that transduces a human cDNA encoding the 175-kD protein and used this retrovirus to infect BAF3, a murine, bone marrow-derived cell line, which is dependent on the haematopoietic factor interleukin-3 (IL3) for its growth in culture. The EGF receptors expressed in the infected cells exhibit two affinity states, as well as EGF-stimulated autophosphorylation. Furthermore, EGF can replace IL3 in supporting short-term proliferation of these cells. These data identify functional properties of the EGF receptor upon expression of the 175-kD EGF binding protein in a haemotopoietic cell that does not express endogenous receptors. They also suggest that gene transfer of growth factor receptors to heterologous cells may allow novel growth stimuli to be exploited.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

p21ras-induced responsiveness of phosphatidylinositol turnover to bradykinin is a receptor number effect.

Proteins encoded by ras genes have recently been reported to couple certain growth factor receptors to phospholipase C, the enzyme catalyzing phosphatidylinositol breakdown. To investigate this hypothesis, the normal and the transforming Ha-, Ki-, and N-ras genes were each transfected into Rat-1 fibroblasts under the control of strong promoters. Several cell lines, both normal and transformed, were selected that expressed high levels of p21ras. Phosphatidylinositol turnover was measured in these cells in response to a wide variety of peptide factors; bradykinin was found to have a greatly enhanced effect on the p21ras overexpressors relative to the parental and control cells. Bradykinin receptor numbers were measured in these lines and found to be up to 40-fold higher in the p21ras overexpressors than in the parental cells. This was found to be the case for both normal and transforming forms of all three varieties of ras genes. Receptor number correlated well with the bradykinin-dependent phosphatidylinositol turnover response in all cases. These data indicate that the effects of p21ras on cellular responses to the peptide hormone bradykinin are due to changes in receptor number rather than to direct coupling by p21ras between the receptor and phospholipase C.

Bradykinin↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptors in bladder tumours.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor expression in 31 primary human bladder tumours was quantitated using both structural and functional assays and the EGF receptor gene in the same tumours was analyzed by Southern blot analysis. Immunocytochemical studies using the EGFR1 monoclonal antibody (Mab) showed a significant correlation between EGF receptor levels and the stage and grade of the tumours. Autophosphorylation assays employed to evaluate the receptor's tyrosine kinase activity gave results which in general were consistent with the immunocytochemical data. Using internally controlled immunocytochemical studies with two Mabs and Southern blot analysis of DNA isolated from the tumours, no evidence was obtained for the production of truncated receptors similar to those encoded by the v-erb-B oncogene. Gene amplification was not found in any of the superficial tumours, but one invasive tumour with high EGF receptor expression had an 8-10 fold amplification of the EGF receptor gene. The EGF receptor isolated from this tumour showed a normal pattern of tyrosine phosphorylation at all three major autophosphorylation sites. Our detailed study is consistent with the correlation previously found between EGF receptor expression and stage and grade of bladder tumours, and suggests that at this level of analysis EGF receptors in bladder tumours are not abnormal in structure or size, autophosphorylation activity, or gene structure.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗
PubMed1986

Antibodies to the ATP-binding site of the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor as specific inhibitors of EGF-stimulated protein-tyrosine kinase activity.

A region of the primary amino acid sequence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF) protein-tyrosine kinase, which is involved in ATP binding, was identified using chemical modification and immunological techniques. EGF receptor was 14C-labelled with the ATP analogue 5'-p-fluorosulphonylbenzoyladenosine and from a tryptic digest a single radiolabelled peptide was isolated. The amino acid sequence was determined to be residues 716-724 and hence lysine residue 721 is located within the ATP-binding site. Antisera were elicited in rabbits to a synthetic peptide identical to residues 716-727 of the EGF receptor and the homologous sequence in v-erb B transforming protein from avian erythroblastosis virus. The affinity-purified antibodies precipitated human ECF receptor from A431 cells and placenta, and the v-erb B protein from erythroblasts. The antibodies inhibited EGF-stimulated receptor protein-tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of an exogenous peptide substrate containing tyrosine. The antibodies did not immunoprecipitate the transforming proteins pp60v-src or P120gag-abl or cAMP-dependent protein kinase, proteins which have homologous but not identical sequences surrounding the lysine residue within the ATP-binding site, nor did they react with the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. The antibodies had no effect on the kinase activity of purified v-abl protein in solution. The antibodies may therefore be a specific inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase of the EGF receptor.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1986

Structural and functional features of a cell surface phosphoglycoprotein associated with tumorigenic phenotype in human fibroblast x HeLa cell hybrids.

Monoclonal antibodies have been raised against a dimeric cell surface antigen (p75/150) which is specifically associated with the tumorigenic phenotype in human fibroblast X HeLa hybrids. During biosynthesis, a precursor molecule (p70/140), was associated with microsomal membranes in vivo but possessed no detectable cytoplasmic domains. At this stage, each p70 monomer contained 3 "high-mannose" type N-linked glycans which were subsequently processed into endoglycosidase H-insensitive complex oligosaccharides on the mature cell surface forms. Cleavage of this cell surface form with endoglycosidase F yielded non-N-glycosylated polypeptides of Mr = 60,000/120,000. All the monoclonal antibodies identified similar non-N-glycosylated polypeptides in cells grown in the presence of tunicamycin. p75/150 could be weakly labeled with [3H]palmitic or myristic acid. In vivo, p75/150 was found to be phosphorylated on serine residues. Immunoprecipitates of p75/150 from HeLa or tumorigenic hybrid cell lysates exhibited protein kinase activity in vitro, which phosphorylated p75/150 itself, also on serine residues. We were unable to detect this kinase activity in normal fibroblasts and in the nontumorigenic hybrid cells. Furthermore, we were unable to detect p75/150 or its precursors by either cell surface labeling, metabolic labeling, or Western blotting in nontumorigenic cell hybrids; p75/150 thus represents a tumor-specific marker in this system. Tryptic peptides of highly purified p75/150 have been generated, but their amino acid sequences did not reveal any significant homology with previously described proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Autophosphorylation and protein kinase C phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Effect on tyrosine kinase activity and ligand binding affinity.

The effect of autophosphorylation and protein kinase C-catalyzed phosphorylation on the tyrosine-protein kinase activity and ligand binding affinity of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor has been studied. Kinetic parameters for the phosphorylation by the receptor kinase of synthetic peptide substrates having sequences related to the 3 in vitro receptor autophosphorylation sites (tyrosine residues 1173 (P1), 1148 (P2), and 1068 (P3)) were measured. The Km of peptide P1 (residues 1164-1176) was significantly lower than that for peptides P2 (residues 1141-1151) or P3 (residues 1059-1072). The tyrosine residue 1173 was also the most rapidly autophosphorylated in purified receptor preparations, consistent with previous observations for the receptor in intact cells (Downward, J., Parker, P., and Waterfield, M. D. (1984) Nature 311, 483-485). Variation in the extent of receptor autophosphorylation from 0.1 to 2.8 mol of phosphate/mol of receptor did not influence kinase activity or EGF binding affinity either for purified receptor or receptor in membrane preparations. Phosphorylation of the EGF receptor by protein kinase C was shown to cause a 3-fold decrease in the affinity of purified EGF receptor for EGF and to reduce the receptor kinase activity. In membrane preparations, phosphorylation of the EGF receptor by protein kinase C resulted in conversion of high affinity EGF binding sites to a low affinity state. This suggests that activation of protein kinase C by certain growth promoting agents and tumor promoters is directly responsible for modulation of the affinity of the EGF receptor for its ligand EGF. The regulation of the EGF receptor function by protein kinase C is discussed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

The structure and function of the epidermal growth factor receptor studied by using antisynthetic peptide antibodies.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor has been purified and partial amino acid sequence obtained. A synthetic oligonucleotide was used to select complementary DNA clones from placental and A431 clone banks. The nucleotide sequence of a 5.8 kilobase transcript was determined and used to predict the total amino acid sequence of the receptor. We have predicted a model for the receptor which has an external ligand binding domain of 621 amino acids, a transmembrane region of 23 amino acids, and a cytoplasmic domain of 542 amino acids having protein tyrosine kinase activity. The kinase autophosphorylation sites have been mapped onto the primary amino acid sequence. Analysis of protein sequence databases have shown that the erb-B oncogene of avian erythroblastosis virus has acquired part of the avian EGF receptor gene. The hypothesis has been proposed that transformation by this virus is the result of expression of a truncated EGF receptor which lacks the majority of the EGF binding domain and delivers a continuous proliferation signal to transformed cells. We describe here the production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to selected synthetic peptides from the EGF receptor and v-erb B sequences. Antisera to sequences encompassing the three major sites of autophosphorylation and the putative ATP binding site all recognize the native EGF receptor molecule. We have used these reagents to test our model of EGF receptor structure and v-erb B function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Antibodies to the autophosphorylation sites of the epidermal growth factor receptor protein-tyrosine kinase as probes of structure and function.

Antisera were prepared against three synthetic peptides with amino acid sequences identical to those surrounding the three major autophosphorylation sites of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. The affinity-purified antibodies reacted strongly in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against the immunizing peptide but showed little cross-reaction with the other two phosphorylation site peptides. EGF receptors labelled by autophosphorylation could be specifically precipitated by each of the phosphorylation site antibodies. The antibodies recognised EGF receptors labelled at each of the autophosphorylation sites, indicating that they could bind to the immunizing sequences irrespective of their states of phosphorylation. The antibodies were able to inhibit EGF receptor autophosphorylation without affecting EGF-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity towards exogenous peptide substrates, suggesting that the kinase and autophosphorylation sites were in distinct domains. Immunofluorescent staining of A431 cells showed that the autophosphorylation site sequences resided inside the cell. The autophosphorylation sites were shown to be within a domain of 20 000 mol. wt. which could be cleaved from the receptor through limited proteolysis by the calcium-dependent protease, calpain. The position of cleavage of the EGF receptor by the protease was mapped to lie between residues 996 and 1059. These results are discussed in the context of a model for the structure and function of the human EGF receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

The use of anti-synthetic peptide antibodies to study the v-erb B protein from chicken and rat cells transformed by avian erythroblastosis virus.

Two site-specific anti-peptide antisera have been produced that efficiently recognize the native form of the v-erb B protein from avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV)-infected chicken erythroblasts and fibroblasts, and from AEV-transformed mammalian cells. Since the antibodies were generated against synthetic sequences, the immunoprecipitations could be performed in the presence or absence of immunizing peptide, permitting the specifically precipitated proteins to be identified from background non-specifically adsorbed proteins. We confirmed that immobilized v-erb B protein from cell lysates of unlabelled AEV-infected chicken erythroblasts became labelled upon incubation with [gamma-32P]ATP. In addition we demonstrated for the first time that v-erb B from mammalian cells became labelled under the same conditions. These results suggest that the v-erb B protein may possess intrinsic kinase activity. The reagents described should permit further investigations as to whether this activity plays a role in maintaining cellular transformation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Close similarity of epidermal growth factor receptor and v-erb-B oncogene protein sequences.

Each of six peptides derived from the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor very closely matches a part of the deduced sequence of the v-erb-B transforming protein of avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV). In all, the peptides contain 83 amino acid residues, 74 of which are shared with v-erb-B. The AEV progenitor may have acquired the cellular gene sequences of a truncated EGF receptor (or closely related protein) lacking the external EGF-binding domain but retaining the transmembrane domain and a domain involved in stimulating cell proliferation. Transformation of cells by AEV may result, in part, from the inappropriate acquisition of a truncated EGF receptor from the c-erb-B gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Autophosphorylation sites on the epidermal growth factor receptor.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is a tyrosine-specific protein kinase with autophosphorylating activity. A 300 amino acid-long region of the receptor's cytoplasmic domain matches (35-90% homology) sequences of transforming proteins from the src family and includes a putative nucleotide binding site. Several of the src transforming proteins have tyrosine kinase activity, but v-erb-B, which appears to be a truncated EGF receptor, is virtually identical to the receptor over this region and yet lacks detectable kinase activity. To locate possible acceptor sites in the v-erb-B protein, we have mapped these sites in the human EGF receptor. We report here that three tyrosine sites near the C-terminus are phosphorylated in vitro. In intact cells, we find that EGF stimulates phosphorylation of several sites, the tyrosine 14 residues from the C-terminus being modified the most extensively. The equivalent site is absent in the v-erb-B protein of avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) and may influence tyrosine kinase activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗