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J Massague

Publications and source records attributed to J Massague.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Subunit structure and dynamics of the insulin receptor.

A model for the minimum subunit composition and stiochiometry of the physiologically relevant insulin receptor has been deduced based on results obtained by affinity labeling of this receptor in a variety of cell types and species. We propose that the receptor is a symmetrical disulfide-linked heterotetramer composed of two alpha (apparent Mr = 125,000) and two beta (apparent Mr = 90,000) glycoprotein subunits in the configuration (beta-S-S-alpha)-S-S-(alpha-S-S-beta). The disulfide or disulfides linking the two (alpha-S-S-beta) halves (class I disulfides) exhibit greater sensitivity to reduction by exogenous reductants than those linking the alpha and beta subunits (class II disulfides). When the class I disulfides are reduced by addition of diothiothreitol to intact cells, the receptor retains its ability to bind insulin and to effect a biological response. The beta subunit contains a site at about the center of its amino acid sequence that is extremely sensitive to proteolytic cleavage by elastaselike proteases, yielding a beta 1 fragment (Mr = 45,000) that remains disulfide linked to the receptor complex and a free beta 2 fragment. Binding of insulin to the receptor complex appears to result in the formation or stabilization of a new receptor conformation as evidenced by an altered susceptibility of the alpha subunit to exogenous trypsin. A receptor structure with high affinity for insulinlike growth factor (IGF) I and low affinity for insulin in fibroblast and placental membranes has also been affinity labeled. It exhibits the same structural features found for the insulin receptor, including two classes of disulfide bridges and beta subunits highly sensitive to proteolytic cleavage. These recent observations identifying the presence of distinct insulin and IGF-I receptors that share similar complex structures suggest that these hormones may also share common mechanisms of transmembrane signaling.

Animals↗

Identification of a nerve growth factor receptor protein in sympathetic ganglia membranes by affinity labeling.

Membranes from adult rabbit superior cervical ganglia, cross-linked to membrane-bound 125I-labeled nerve growth factor (NGF) by the photoreactive agent hydroxysuccinimidyl-p-azidobenzoate, were found to contain two labeled components with apparent Mr = 143,000 and Mr = 112,000. At high concentrations of the cross-linker, minor amounts of a Mr = 300,000 affinity labeled product were also observed. The affinity labeled species exhibit the characteristics expected of membrane receptors for NGF. The inhibition of specific 125I-NGF binding to membranes by increasing concentrations of unlabeled NGF parallels the inhibiton of the affinity labeling of these components. Insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, multiplication stimulating activity, and epidermal growth factor do not inhibit the affinity labeling reaction. Membrane preparations of various non-neuronal tissues do not show any detectable specific cross-linking to 125I-NGF. The affinity labeled species of superior cervical ganglia are proteins and contain intrapeptide disulfide bridges compacting their molecular structure. Peptide mapping experiments indicate a close structural relationship between the Mr = 143,000- and the Mr = 112,000-labeled proteins, suggesting a transformation of the former into the latter by limited proteolysis. The results suggest that the Mr = 143,000 affinity labeled protein represents a native NGF receptor component.

Affinity Labels↗

Affinity labeling of multiplication stimulating activity receptors in membranes from rat and human tissues.

Plasma membranes from rat adipocytes and liver and from human placenta have been labeled by covalent cross-linking to membrane-bound 125I-labeled multiplication stimulating activity (125I-MSA) with three different bishydroxysuccinimide esters: disuccinimidyl suberate, disuccinimidyl succinate, and ethyleneglycolyl bis(succinimidyl succinate). Dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiographic analysis of the 125I-MSA-labeled material in the presence of dithiothreitol reveals one single-labeled protein migrating with an apparent Mr = 255,000 regardless of the kind and concentration of cross-linker used. Electrophoresis in the absence of reductant indicates that the affinity-labeled species is not disulfide-linked to any other protein in the native plasma membrane, but contains internal disulfide bonds that compact its structure. The labeling of the Mr = 255,000 species increases with increasing concentrations of 125I-MSA between 0.3 and 3 nM. Labeling is abolished in a competitive manner by nonradioactive MSA but not by similar concentrations of insulin, proinsulin, or epidermal growth factor in all three tissues examined. The unique labeling of this Mr = 225,000 membrane component and its selective inhibition by MSA suggest that this protein is a plasma membrane receptor for MSA.

Adipose Tissue↗

Electrophoretic resolution of three major insulin receptor structures with unique subunit stoichiometries.

Plasma membrane insulin receptors, affinity labeled by covalent crosslinking to receptor-bound 125I-labeled insulin, are shown to appear as a heterogeneous population of three major disulfide-linked complexes (Mr 350,000, 320,000, and 290,000) upon electrophoresis in highly porous dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels in the absence of reductant. This pattern is consistent in all rat and human tissues that were analyzed. Upon reduction of disulfide bonds, each of these receptor structures is dissociated in two successive steps. Low concentrations of dithiothreitol promote a first step of disulfide bond reduction in which the Mr 350,000 species splits into a Mr 210,000 form and the Mr 290,000 species splits into a Mr 160,000 form. In contrast, both the Mr 210,000 and Mr 160,000 receptor fragments are generated from the native Mr 320,000 species upon partial reduction, indicating an asymmetrical structure. The second step of receptor reduction occurs upon treatment of the native disulfide-linked receptor complexes with high concentrations of dithiothreitol. Under these conditions, the Mr 350,000 receptor yields a Mr 125,000 subunit, denoted as alpha, and a Mr 90,000 subunit, denoted as beta, whereas the Mr 290,000 receptor dissociates into the alpha subunit and a Mr 49,000 subunit, denoted as beta 1. The Mr 320,000 receptor band is found to consist of alpha, beta, and beta 1 subunits upon complete reduction. The partially reduced Mr 210,000 receptor fragment is composed of the alpha subunit disulfide-linked to the beta subunit, whereas the Mr 160,000 species consists of the alpha subunit disulfide-linked to the beta 1 subunit. Thus, the stoichiometry of the three ubiquitous native insulin receptor structures of Mr 350,000, 320,000, and 290,000 are (alpha) 2 (beta) 2, (alpha) 2 (beta) (beta 1), and (alpha) 2 (beta 1) 2, respectively.

Animals↗