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J L Bos

Publications and source records attributed to J L Bos.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

B cell antigen receptor stimulation induces formation of a Shc-Grb2 complex containing multiple tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins.

Activation of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the epidermal growth factor and insulin receptors, induces tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc proteins and their association with the SH2 domain-containing adaptor protein Grb2. The Shc-Grb2 complex has been implicated in coupling these receptors to p21ras. The B cell antigen receptor plays a key role in directing B cell proliferation and differentiation. Although the B cell receptor lacks intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, its mode of action parallels that of receptor tyrosine kinases in many aspects. B cell receptor stimulation activates src-related tyrosine kinases and the tyrosine kinase syk, which leads to phosphorylation of various cytoplasmic proteins and initiates multiple signaling events, including p21ras activation. Therefore, we have investigated whether Shc proteins are targets for the activated B cell receptor. It was found that the 52- and 46-kDa forms of Shc are expressed in mature human B cells and become rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine upon B cell receptor stimulation. Also, Shc is induced to associate with the Grb2 molecule and an undefined 130-kDa protein. In a specific response to B cell activation, the Shc-Grb2 complex associates with several tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, including two prominent phosphoproteins with molecular masses of 130 and 110 kDa. These observations strongly suggest that the Shc and Grb2 adaptor proteins are involved in coupling the B cell antigen receptor to one or multiple signal transduction pathways.

3T3 Cells↗

Calcium inhibits epidermal growth factor-induced activation of p21ras in human primary keratinocytes.

Human primary keratinocytes are an elegant model system to study the balance between proliferation and differentiation. Both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and extracellular calcium have been implicated to function in the control of this balance, although the molecular mechanism underlying this process is poorly understood. In this study, we measured the effect of both EGF and calcium treatment on activation of p21ras and ERK2. We found that addition of EGF stimulated the activity of ERK2. This stimulation was dependent on p21ras activity, since it was completely abolished by expression of a dominant negative mutant of p21ras (p21ras(Asn-17)). Raising the level of extracellular calcium (1.8 mM) did not result in activation of ERK2. On the contrary, calcium treatment inhibited EGF-induced stimulation of ERK2 activity. In order to determine the site at which calcium treatment interferes in EGF-induced signaling, we analyzed the effect of calcium on the various steps that are involved in EGF-induced, p21ras-dependent activation of ERK2. We observed that calcium treatment inhibited EGF-induced p21ras activation. Calcium treatment, however, did not interfere with EGF-induced EGF receptor autophosphorylation or association of mammalian SOS with the EGF receptor and Shc. This, together with the observation that calcium treatment alone decreased the basal level of p21ras activity, indicates that calcium treatment interferes in EGF-mediated signaling at the level of p21ras. This type of cross talk may play a role in the decision between proliferation and differentiation in human primary keratinocytes.

Calcium↗

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↗

Platelet-derived growth factor-induced p21ras-mediated signaling is independent of platelet-derived growth factor receptor interaction with GTPase-activating protein or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase.

Stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) results in the association of several SH2 domain-containing proteins with the activated PDGF receptor, including GAP, a GTPase-activating protein of p21ras, and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3K). To investigate the role of GAP-PI-3K receptor interaction in p21ras signaling, we have used cell lines expressing mutant PDGF receptors that either are impaired in GAP binding or fail to bind both GAP and PI-3K. In these cell lines, PDGF treatment resulted in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), which could be blocked by the expression of a dominant-negative mutant of p21ras (p21ras(asn17)), indicating that these mutations in the PDGF receptor do not abolish p21ras-mediated activation of ERK2. In addition, the PDGF-induced increase in levels of p21rasGTP, as measured either in intact cells or in permeabilized cells, appears to be normal in the cell lines expressing the mutant PDGF receptors. These results indicate that binding of GAP and/or PI-3K to the PDGF receptor is not necessary for PDGF-induced p21ras activation and p21ras-mediated signaling to ERK2. We also show that, in contrast to the activation of ERK2, PDGF-induced GAP and PI-3K interaction with the PDGF receptor are not inhibited by p21ras(asn17) expression, indicating that these interactions do not require p21ras activation.

Animals↗

Insulin-induced phosphorylation of the 46- and 52-kDa Shc proteins.

The products of the shc gene appear to be substrates for activated oncogenic tyrosine kinases, such as v-Src and v-Fps and activated tyrosine kinase receptors like the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors. We investigated whether the Shc proteins are targets for the activated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. Here we show that the 46- and 52-kDa Shc proteins are rapidly phosphorylated upon insulin receptor activation in fibroblasts expressing elevated levels of human insulin receptors. Furthermore, we observed insulin-induced association of a 23-kDa protein with the Shc proteins. These effects on Shc proteins are similar to those observed after EGF and PDGF treatment. In contrast to the observed Shc-EGF receptor association, we did not detect association between the Shc proteins and the insulin receptor. We conclude that the Shc proteins are common elements in a signal transduction pathway that is shared by EGF, PDGF, and insulin.

3T3 Cells↗

Epidermal-growth-factor receptors generate Ras.GTP more efficiently than insulin receptors.

Activation of the Ras proto-oncogene contributes in general to mitogenic activation of cells. We show here that epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates Ras.GTP formation very efficiently in a variety of cell lines expressing endogenous EGF receptors only. Maximal activation of the receptor converts up to 65% of cellular p21ras from the GDP form into the active GTP-bound state. This efficient activation occurs also in cultured primary human fibroblasts. Maximal insulin-induced Ras.GTP formation is less but in cells overexpressing the insulin receptor a similar high response of Ras.GTP formation is observed after insulin stimulation. Not only the efficiency but also the kinetics by which the EGF and insulin receptors stimulate Ras.GTP formation are quite distinct. In the Rat-1-derived cell line, H13IR2000, overexpressing both p21Ha-ras and the insulin receptor, the activated insulin receptor generates approximately 1 mol Ras.GTP/mol activated insulin receptor. The activated EGF receptor amplifies the signal, resulting in the activation of approximately 40 mol p21ras/mol receptor. Moreover, EGF-stimulated generation of Ras.GTP is transient with a maximum after 2 min of hormone stimulation and diminishes to near basal levels within 1 h whereas the insulin-induced Ras.GTP levels are maximal at 5-10 min and decline only slowly to half-maximal in 1 h. Desensitization of the EGF pathway by prolonged EGF stimulation, prevents subsequent stimulation of Ras.GTP formation by newly added EGF but not by insulin. Vice versa, in cells preincubated with insulin for 1 h, EGF stimulates Ras.GTP formation to near maximal values. These observations indicate that desensitization by prolonged hormone incubation does not involve inactivation of common signaling intermediates but rather components, specific for each pathway, like the particular receptors. The rapid down regulation of EGF receptors compared to insulin receptors corroborate this possibility. The observed high potency of EGF receptors to generate Ras.GTP may explain the, in general, stronger mitogenic activity of EGF compared to insulin.

3T3 Cells↗

Pertussis toxin-sensitive activation of p21ras by G protein-coupled receptor agonists in fibroblasts.

Some agonists of G protein-coupled receptors, such as thrombin and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), can promote cell proliferation via a pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive signaling pathway. While these agonists stimulate phospholipase C and inhibit adenylate cyclase, it appears that other, as-yet-unidentified, effector pathways are required for mitogenesis. Here we report that LPA and a thrombin receptor agonist peptide rapidly activate the protooncogene product p21ras in quiescent fibroblasts. This activation is inhibited by PTX and yet not attributable to known PTX-sensitive G protein pathways, including stimulation of phospholipases, inhibition of adenylate cyclase, or modulation of ion channels. LPA- and peptide-induced p21ras activation is inhibited by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, at doses that do not affect epidermal growth factor-induced p21ras activation. Thus, a heterotrimeric G protein of the Gi subfamily regulates activation of p21ras by LPA and thrombin, possibly through an intermediary tyrosine kinase. This pathway may critically participate in mitogenic signaling downstream from certain G protein-coupled receptors.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗

cAMP antagonizes p21ras-directed activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 and phosphorylation of mSos nucleotide exchange factor.

In fibroblasts, stimulation of receptor tyrosine kinases results in the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2). The major signalling pathway employed by these receptors involves the activation of p21ras and raf-1 kinase. Here we show that in NIH3T3 and rat-1 fibroblasts, elevation of the intracellular cAMP level results in the inhibition of ERK2 activation induced by PDGF, EGF and insulin treatment. Analysis of various signalling intermediates shows that cAMP interferes at a site downstream of p21ras, but upstream of raf-1 kinase. Inhibition by cAMP depends on both the cAMP concentration and the absolute amount of p21ras molecules bound to GTP, suggesting a mechanism of competitive inhibition. Also TPA-induced, p21ras-independent, activation of raf-1 kinase and ERK2 is inhibited by cAMP. We have used the inhibitory effect of cAMP to investigate whether phosphorylation of mSos, a p21ras nucleotide exchange factor, is dependent on the activity of the raf-1 kinase/ERK2 pathway. We found that phosphorylation of mSos, as monitored by a mobility shift, is delayed with respect to p21ras and ERK2 activation and is inhibited by cAMP in a similar cell type- and concentration-dependent manner as the inactivation of ERK2. These results provide evidence for a model of p21ras-directed signalling towards ERK2 that feeds back on mSos by regulating its phosphorylation status and that can be negatively modulated by protein kinase A and positively modulated by protein kinase C action.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

A PCR-based method for the analysis of human CD44 splice products.

CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in the interaction between cells and extracellular matrix. Several variant forms of CD44 exist, which differ from each other in the composition of both the intra- and extracellular domain of the protein. Post-translational modification and alternative RNA processing are responsible for this variation. Recently, it was found that certain variant CD44 proteins, containing extra sequences in the extracellular domain of the protein, are involved in metastatic spread of tumor cells. Variant CD44 proteins are also involved in immunological functions of T and B cells. A large variety of alternatively spliced CD44 mRNAs can be expressed by cells. We have developed a method for the analysis of CD44 mRNAs present in the cell. This reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based method can be used to analyze the exon composition of each major CD44 mRNA species present in the cell. In this study we describe the analysis of CD44 mRNAs isolated from six different human cell lines.

Antigens, CD↗

Ras activation by insulin and epidermal growth factor through enhanced exchange of guanine nucleotides on p21ras.

A number of growth factors, including insulin and epidermal growth factor (EGF), induce accumulation of the GTP-bound form of p21ras. This accumulation could be caused either by an increase in guanine nucleotide exchange on p21ras or by a decrease in the GTPase activity of p21ras. To investigate whether insulin and EGF affect nucleotide exchange on p21ras, we measured binding of [alpha-32P]GTP to p21ras in cells permeabilized with streptolysin O. For this purpose, we used a cell line which expressed elevated levels of p21 H-ras and which was highly responsive to insulin and EGF. Stimulation with insulin or EGF resulted in an increase in the rate of nucleotide binding to p21ras. To determine whether this increased binding rate is due to the activation of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, we made use of the inhibitory properties of a dominant negative mutant of p21ras, p21ras (Asn-17). Activation of p21ras by insulin and EGF in intact cells was abolished in cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing p21ras (Asn-17). In addition, the enhanced nucleotide binding to p21ras in response to insulin and EGF in permeabilized cells was blocked upon expression of p21ras (Asn-17). From these data, we conclude that the activation of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor is involved in insulin- and EGF-induced activation of p21ras.

Animals↗

Epidermal growth factor induces phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 via multiple pathways.

Expression of p21rasAsn-17, a dominant negative mutant of p21ras that blocks p21ras activation by growth factors, inhibits activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) by insulin and platelet-derived growth factor in rat-1 cells [A. M. M. de Vries-Smits, B. M. T. Burgering, S. J. Leevers, C. J. Marshall, and J. L. Bos, Nature (London) 357:602-604, 1992]. Here we report that expression of p21rasAsn-17 does not abolish epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced phosphorylation of ERK2 in fibroblasts. Since EGF activates p21ras in these cells, this indicates that EGF induces a p21ras-independent pathway for the phosphorylation of ERK2 as well. We investigated whether activation of protein kinase C (PKC) or increase in intracellular calcium could be involved in p21ras-independent signaling. In rat-1 cells, inhibition of either PKC, by prolonged 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) pretreatment, or calcium influx, by ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) pretreatment, did not abolish EGF-induced ERK2 phosphorylation. However, a combined inhibition of both p21ras and calcium influx, but not PKC, resulted in a complete inhibition of EGF-induced ERK2 phosphorylation. In contrast, in Swiss 3T3 cells, inhibition of both p21ras activation and TPA-sensitive PKC, but not calcium influx, inhibited EGF-induced ERK2 phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that in fibroblasts, EGF induces alternative pathways of ERK2 phosphorylation in a cell-type-specific manner.

Animals↗

The role of p21ras in receptor tyrosine kinase signaling.

The notion that ras proteins are required for the stimulation of mitogenesis by different receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) has spurred researchers to investigate the precise role of p21ras in signal transduction. A large number of stimuli can drive p21ras in the active conformation, and several proteins that play an important role in regulating the GTP/GDP balance on p21ras have been identified. Indeed, activation of p21ras has been demonstrated to occur by stimulation of guanine nucleotide-releasing proteins (GNRPs) or inhibition of GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Moreover, a number of SH2-containing proteins have been implicated in this signaling pathway, such as shc and sem-5/grb2. On the other hand, downstream signaling from p21ras involves an important protein kinase cascade. This pathway seems to be conserved in evolution, and analogous routes have been described in organisms such as yeast, nematodes, and fruit flies. Nevertheless, the direct effector molecule of p21ras that could couple to this kinase cascade is still unknown. Some indications have been obtained that suggest that this function might be partially performed by p120GAP. This review gives an overview of the role of p21ras in signaling from diverse RTKs. Elucidation of this pathway will improve our understanding of mitogenic signaling pathways and the basis of cancer.

Animals↗

K-ras oncogene activation in adenocarcinoma of the human pancreas. A study of 82 carcinomas using a combination of mutant-enriched polymerase chain reaction analysis and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization.

We examined 82 surgically resected or biopsied, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary adenocarcinomas of the pancreas for the presence of activating point mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene. Mutations were detected using primer-mediated, mutant-enriched, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and characterized further by allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization. This combination of mutant-enriched polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization results in a rapid and sensitive characterization of the mutations in codon 12 of K-ras. Sixty-eight (83%) of the 82 carcinomas examined harbored a point mutation. Of the 68 mutations, 33 (49%) were guanine to adenine transitions, 27 (39%) were guanine to thymine transversions, and eight (12%) were guanine to cytosine transversions. Mutations were found in carcinomas of the head (61 of 75, 81%) as well as in carcinomas of the body or tail (seven of seven, 100%) of the pancreas. The overall prevalence of K-ras point mutations in adenocarcinomas of the pancreas obtained from patients who smoked cigarettes at some point during their lives (88%; 86% in current smokers and 89% in ex-smokers) was greater than that seen in pancreatic adenocarcinomas from patients who never smoked cigarettes (68%, P = 0.046). The presence of K-ras point mutations did not correlate with tumor ploidy, tumor proliferating index, or patient survival. These results demonstrate that primer-mediated, mutant-enriched polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis combined with allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization can be used to detect and characterize mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, and the results confirm that activating point mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene occur frequently in adenocarcinomas of the pancreas.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Complex formation between the p21ras GTPase-activating protein and phosphoproteins p62 and p190 is independent of p21ras signalling.

We have investigated whether complex formation between the p21ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) and the phosphotyrosine-containing proteins p62 and p190 is dependent on functional p21ras, to test the hypothesis that binding of p21rasGTP to GAP enables GAP to associate with these phosphoproteins. The formation of p21rasGTP was inhibited by a dominant interfering mutant of p21ras, p21ras(Asn-17), which was introduced with a vaccinia virus expression system. We used NIH3T3 cells in which complex formation between GAP and tyrosine-phosphorylated p62 and p190 can be induced either by v-src transformation, by incubating the cells with the phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate or by activation of a growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase. In all cases, expression of p21ras(Asn-17) did not affect the presence or the formation of the GAP-phosphoprotein complexes. To monitor the effectiveness of p21ras inhibition, we measured p21ras-mediated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2). In all cases, expression of p21ras(Asn-17) completely blocked signalling to ERK2. From these data we conclude that p21rasGTP formation is not essential for complex formation between GAP and tyrosine-phosphorylated p62 and p190, and thus complex formation does not depend on interaction of GAP with p21rasGTP.

3T3 Cells↗

Interaction between the p21ras GTPase activating protein and the insulin receptor.

We investigated the involvement of the p21ras-GTPase activating protein (GAP) in insulin-induced signal transduction. In cells overexpressing the insulin receptor, we did not observe association between GAP and the insulin receptor after insulin treatment nor the phosphorylation of GAP on tyrosine residues. However, after insulin treatment in the presence of the phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenylarsine oxide (PAO), 5-10% of GAP was found to be associated with the insulin receptor, and, in addition, a fraction of total GAP was phosphorylated on tyrosine. Using in vitro binding we showed that the N-terminal part of GAP containing the src-homology domains 2 and 3 (SH2-SH3-SH2 region) is involved in binding to the autophosphorylated insulin receptor beta-chain. In vitro binding between GAP and the autophosphorylated insulin receptor occurred independently of PAO pretreatment. These results suggest that GAP can transiently interact with the insulin receptor after insulin treatment, and this interaction is arrested after PAO pretreatment.

3T3 Cells↗

Relation between the insulin receptor number in cells, autophosphorylation and insulin-stimulated Ras.GTP formation.

We showed previously that upon insulin stimulation of an insulin receptor overexpressing cell line, most of the p21ras was rapidly converted into the GTP bound state (Burgering, B. M. T., Medema, R. H., Maassen, J. A., Van de Wetering, M. L., Van der Eb, A. J., McCormick, F., and Bos, J. L. (1991) EMBO J. 10, 1103-1109). To determine whether this process also occurs in cells expressing physiologically relevant numbers of insulin receptors, insulin stimulated Ras.GTP formation was quantitated in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-derived cell lines expressing varying numbers of insulin receptors. In the parental CHO9 cells, expressing only 5.10(3) insulin receptors, insulin stimulation for 3 min increased Ras.GTP levels with 10%. Upon increasing the number of insulin receptors in these cells, Ras.GTP levels increased almost proportionally until a plateau value of 60% is reached at high receptor numbers. These data show that receptor overexpression is not a prerequisite for insulin-stimulated Ras.GTP formation. The yield of Ras.GTP generated is 0.2-1.0 mol/mol autophosphorylated insulin receptor in CHO9- and NIH3T3-derived cell lines, respectively. These values argue against signal-amplifying processes between the insulin receptor and p21ras. To determine whether receptor autophosphorylation is required for Ras.GTP formation, NIH3T3 cells overexpressing insulin receptors were stimulated with a monoclonal antibody which activates the receptor and subsequent glucose transport without inducing detectable autophosphorylation. Also, CHO cells expressing the mutant Ser1200 receptor, which has markedly impaired tyrosyl autophosphorylation but is capable of mediating insulin-stimulated metabolic effects in CHO cells, were used. In both cases, no Ras.GTP formation was observed. Furthermore, Rat-1-derived cell lines expressing mutant p21ras, which is permanently in the active GTP-bound form, still responded to insulin by increasing the glucose uptake. These results support our hypothesis that Ras.GTP formation is activated by the tyrosyl-phosphorylated insulin receptor and suggest that an active Ras.GTP complex does not mediate metabolic signaling.

3T3 Cells↗

Involvement of p21ras in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2.

Many growth factors upon stimulation of their receptors induce the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, ERKs, also known as MAP kinases. Several of these growth factors also activate the ras proto-oncogene product, p21ras (Ras), by stimulating the conversion of the inactive GDP-bound form of Ras to the active GTP-bound form. We have shown that direct introduction of p21ras oncoprotein into cells in the absence of growth factors activates ERKs within five minutes, which indicates that normal p21ras may be involved in the activation of ERKs by growth factors. Here we use a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing an interfering mutant of p21ras, RasAsn17, to investigate this question. In NIH3T3 cells that overexpress the insulin receptor, this recombinant virus inhibits insulin-induced activation of ERK2 completely, but there is no inhibition of insulin-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. In rat-1 cells the recombinant virus inhibited ERK2 activity induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) but not by phorbol ester. We conclude that p21ras mediates insulin- and PDGF-induced activation of ERK2.

Cell Line↗