Direct binding of Cbl to Tyr568 and Tyr936 of the stem cell factor receptor/c-Kit is required for ligand-induced ubiquitination, internalization and degradation

Differential signaling of Flt3 activating mutations in acute myeloid leukemia: a working model

Receptor tyrosine kinases couple a wide variety of extracellular cues to cellular responses. The class III subfamily comprises the platelet-derived growth factor receptor, c-Kit, Flt3 and c-Fms, all of which relay cell proliferation signals upon ligand binding. Accordingly, mutations in these proteins that confer ligand-independent activation are found in a subset of cancers. These mutations cluster in the juxtamembrane (JM) and catalytic tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) regions. In the case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the juxtamembrane (named ITD for internal tandem duplication) and TKD Flt3 mutants differ in their spectra of clinical outcomes. Although the mechanism of aberrant activation has been largely elucidated by biochemical and structural analyses of mutant kinases, the differences in disease presentation cannot be attributed to a change in substrate specificity or signaling strength of the catalytic domain. This review discusses the latest literature and presents a working model of differential Flt3 signaling based on mis-localized juxtamembrane autophosphorylation, to account for the disease variation. This will have bearing on therapeutic approaches in a complex disease such as AML, for which no efficacious drug yet exists.

A CSF-1 receptor phosphotyrosine 559 signaling pathway regulates receptor ubiquitination and tyrosine phosphorylation

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation involves ligand-induced receptor dimerization and transphosphorylation on tyrosine residues. Colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1)-induced CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) tyrosine phosphorylation and ubiquitination were studied in mouse macrophages. Phosphorylation of CSF-1R Tyr-559, required for the binding of Src family kinases (SFKs), was both necessary and sufficient for these responses and for c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation and all three responses were inhibited by SFK inhibitors. In c-Cbl-deficient macrophages, CSF-1R ubiquitination and tyrosine phosphorylation were substantially inhibited. Reconstitution with wild-type, but not ubiquitin ligase-defective C381A c-Cbl rescued these responses, while expression of C381A c-Cbl in wild-type macrophages suppressed them. Analysis of site-directed mutations in the CSF-1R further suggests that activated c-Cbl-mediated CSF-1R ubiquitination is required for a conformational change in the major kinase domain that allows amplification of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and full receptor activation. Thus the results indicate that CSF-1-mediated receptor dimerization leads to a Tyr-559/SFK/c-Cbl pathway resulting in receptor ubiquitination that permits full receptor tyrosine phosphorylation of this class III RTK in macrophages.

I787 provides signals for c-Kit receptor internalization and functionality that control mast cell survival and development

Mast cell (MC) differentiation, survival, and activation are controlled by the membrane tyrosine kinase c-Kit upon interaction with stem cell factor (SCF). Here we describe a single point mutation induced by N-ethyl-N-nitrosurea (ENU) mutagenesis in C57BL/6J mice-an A to T transversion at position 2388 (exon 17) of the c-Kit gene, resulting in the isoleucine 787 substitution by phenylalanine (787F), and analyze the consequences of this mutation for ligand binding, signaling, and MC development. The Kit(787F/787F) mice carrying the single amino acid exchange of c-Kit lacks both mucosal and connective tissue-type MCs. In bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs), the 787F mutation does not affect SCF binding and c-Kit receptor shedding, but strongly impairs SCF-induced cytokine production, degranulation enhancement, and apoptosis rescue. Interestingly, c-Kit downstream signaling in 787F BMMCs is normally initiated (Erk1/2 and p38 activation as well as c-Kit autophosphorylation) but fails to be sustained thereafter. In addition, 787F c-Kit does not efficiently mediate Cbl activation, leading to the absence of subsequent receptor ubiquitination and impaired c-Kit internalization. Thus, I787 provides nonredundant signals for c-Kit internalization and functionality.

New insights into the mechanisms of hematopoietic cell transformation by activated receptor tyrosine kinases

A large number of alterations in genes encoding receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), namely FLT3, c-KIT, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors, and the anaplastic large cell lymphoma kinase (ALK), have been found in hematopoietic malignancies. They have drawn much attention after the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. RTK gene alterations include point mutations and gene fusions that result from chromosomal rearrangements. In both cases, they activate the kinase domain in the absence of ligand, producing a permanent signal for cell proliferation. Recently, this simple model has been refined. First, by contrast to wild-type RTK, many mutated RTK do not seem to signal from the plasma membrane, but from various locations inside the cell. Second, their signal transduction properties are altered: the pathways that are crucial for cell transformation, such as signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) factors, do not necessarily contribute to the physiologic functions of these receptors. Finally, different mechanisms prevent the termination of the signal, which normally occurs through receptor ubiquitination and degradation. Several mutations inactivating CBL, a key RTK E3 ubiquitin ligase, have been recently described. In this review, we discuss the possible links among RTK trafficking, signaling, and degradation in leukemic cells.

Ubiquitin conjugase UBCH8 targets active FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 for proteasomal degradation

The class III receptor tyrosine kinase FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) regulates normal hematopoiesis and immunological functions. Nonetheless, constitutively active mutant FLT3 (FLT3-ITD) causally contributes to transformation and is associated with poor prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) can counteract deregulated gene expression profiles and decrease oncoprotein stability, which renders them candidate drugs for AML treatment. However, these drugs have pleiotropic effects and it is often unclear how they correct oncogenic transcriptomes and proteomes. We report here that treatment of AML cells with the HDACi LBH589 induces the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBCH8 and degradation of FLT3-ITD. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches show that UBCH8 and the ubiquitin-ligase SIAH1 physically interact with and target FLT3-ITD for proteasomal degradation. These ubiquitinylating enzymes though have a significantly lesser effect on wild-type FLT3. Furthermore, physiological and pharmacological stimulation of FLT3 phosphorylation, inhibition of FLT3-ITD autophosphorylation and analysis of kinase-inactive FLT3-ITD revealed that tyrosine phosphorylation determines degradation of FLT3 and FLT3-ITD by the proteasome. These results provide novel insights into antileukemic activities of HDACi and position UBCH8, which have been implicated primarily in processes in the nucleus, as a previously unrecognized important modulator of FLT3-ITD stability and leukemic cell survival.

A Phase 1 study of imatinib mesylate in combination with cytarabine and daunorubicin for c-kit positive relapsed acute myeloid leukemia

The c-kit receptor is expressed in 95% of relapsed acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) and mediates leukemic proliferation. We conducted a Phase 1 study of the c-kit inhibitor, imatinib mesylate (IM), in combination with cytarabine and daunorubicin (7+3) in c-kit+ relapsed AML. IM was dose escalated using a 3 by 3 design. Phosphorylated STAT5 was absent to minimally present in residual blasts on day 14 bone marrows. The maximum tolerated dose of IM was 300 mg. The dose-limiting toxicity was Grade 3-4 hepatic toxicity. The CR/CRp rate was 57%. Cytotoxic therapy that includes IM for relapsed AML is well-tolerated and effective.

Sp1/NFkappaB/HDAC/miR-29b regulatory network in KIT-driven myeloid leukemia

The biologic and clinical significance of KIT overexpression that associates with KIT gain-of-function mutations occurring in subsets of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (i.e., core binding factor AML) is unknown. Here, we show that KIT mutations lead to MYC-dependent miR-29b repression and increased levels of the miR-29b target Sp1 in KIT-driven leukemia. Sp1 enhances its own expression by participating in a NFkappaB/HDAC complex that further represses miR-29b transcription. Upregulated Sp1 then binds NFkappaB and transactivates KIT. Therefore, activated KIT ultimately induces its own transcription. Our results provide evidence that the mechanisms of Sp1/NFkappaB/HDAC/miR-29b-dependent KIT overexpression contribute to leukemia growth and can be successfully targeted by pharmacological disruption of the Sp1/NFkappaB/HDAC complex or synthetic miR-29b treatment in KIT-driven AML.

Roles of E3 ubiquitin ligases in cell adhesion and migration

Recent studies have demonstrated that a number of E3 ubiquitin ligases, including Cbl, Smurf1, Smurf2, HDM2, BCA2, SCF(beta-TRCP) and XRNF185, play important roles in cell adhesion and migration. Cbl negatively regulates cell adhesion via alpha integrin and Rap1 and inhibits actin polymerization by ubiquitinating mDab1 and WAVE2. Smurf1 regulates cell migration through ubiquitination of RhoA, talin head domain and hPEM2, while Smurf2 ubiquitinates Smurf1, TGFbeta type I receptor and RaplB to modulate cell migration and adhesion. HDM2 negatively regulates cell migration by targeting NFAT (a transcription factor) for ubiquitination and degradation, while SCF(beta-TRCP) ubiquitinates Snail (a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin) to inhibit cell migration. TRIM32 promotes cell migration through ubiquitination of Abl interactor 2 (Abi2), a tumor suppressor. RNF5 and XRNF185 modulate cell migration by ubiquitinating paxillin. Thus, these E3 ubiquitin ligases regulate cell adhesion and (or) migration through ubiquitination of their specific substrates.

Proapoptotic activity of bortezomib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor cells

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are caused by activating mutations in the KIT or PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinase genes. Although >85% of GIST patients treated with the small-molecule inhibitor imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) achieve disease stabilization, complete remissions are rare and a substantial proportion of patients develop resistance to imatinib over time. Upregulation of soluble, non-chromatin-bound histone H2AX has an important role in imatinib-induced apoptosis of GIST cells. Additionally, H2AX levels in untreated GIST are maintained at low levels by a pathway that involves KIT, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In this study, we asked whether bortezomib-mediated inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery could lead to upregulation of histone H2AX and GIST cell death. We show that bortezomib rapidly triggers apoptosis in GIST cells through a combination of mechanisms involving H2AX upregulation and loss of KIT protein expression. Downregulation of KIT transcription was an underlying mechanism for bortezomib-mediated inhibition of KIT expression. In contrast, the nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway did not seem to play a major role in bortezomib-induced GIST cell death. Significantly, we found that bortezomib would induce apoptosis in two imatinib-resistant GIST cell lines as well as a short-term culture established from a primary imatinib-resistant GIST. Collectively, our results provide a rationale to test the efficacy of bortezomib in GIST patients with imatinib-sensitive or -resistant tumors.

E3 ligase-defective Cbl mutants lead to a generalized mastocytosis and myeloproliferative disease

Somatic mutations of Kit have been found in leukemias and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The proto-oncogene c-Cbl negatively regulates Kit and Flt3 by its E3 ligase activity and acts as a scaffold. We recently identified the first c-Cbl mutation in human disease in an acute myeloid leukemia patient, called Cbl-R420Q. Here we analyzed the role of Cbl mutants on Kit-mediated transformation. Coexpression of Cbl-R420Q or Cbl-70Z with Kit induced cytokine-independent proliferation, survival, and clonogenic growth. Primary murine bone marrow retrovirally transduced with c-Cbl mutants and transplanted into mice led to a generalized mastocytosis, a myeloproliferative disease, and myeloid leukemia. Overexpression of these Cbl mutants inhibited stem cell factor (SCF)-induced ubiquitination and internalization of Kit. Both Cbl mutants enhanced the basal activation of Akt and prolonged the ligand-dependent activation. Importantly, transformation was observed also with kinase-dead forms of Kit and Flt3 in the presence of Cbl-70Z, but not in the absence of Kit or Flt3, suggesting a mechanism dependent on receptor tyrosine kinases, but independent of their kinase activity. Instead, transformation depends on the Src family kinase Fyn, as c-Cbl coimmunoprecipitated with Fyn and inhibition abolished transformation. These findings may explain primary resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeted at receptor tyrosine kinases.

Degradation of activated protein kinases by ubiquitination

Protein kinases are important regulators of intracellular signal transduction pathways and play critical roles in diverse cellular functions. Once a protein kinase is activated, its activity is subsequently downregulated through a variety of mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that the activation of protein kinases commonly initiates their downregulation via the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. Failure to regulate protein kinase activity or expression levels can cause human diseases.

Oncogenic signaling from the hematopoietic growth factor receptors c-Kit and Flt3

Signal transduction in response to growth factors is a strictly controlled process with networks of feedback systems, highly selective interactions and finely tuned on-and-off switches. In the context of cancer, detailed signaling studies have resulted in the development of some of the most frequently used means of therapy, with several well established examples such as the small molecule inhibitors imatinib and dasatinib in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Impaired function of receptor tyrosine kinases is implicated in various types of tumors, and much effort is put into mapping the many interactions and downstream pathways. Here we discuss the hematopoietic growth factor receptors c-Kit and Flt3 and their downstream signaling in normal as well as malignant cells. Both receptors are members of the same family of tyrosine kinases and crucial mediators of stem-and progenitor-cell proliferation and survival in response to ligand stimuli from the surrounding microenvironment. Gain-of-function mutations/alterations render the receptors constitutively and ligand-independently activated, resulting in aberrant signaling which is a crucial driving force in tumorigenesis. Frequently found mutations in c-Kit and Flt3 are point mutations of aspartic acid 816 and 835 respectively, in the activation loop of the kinase domains. Several other point mutations have been identified, but in the case of Flt3, the most common alterations are internal tandem duplications (ITDs) in the juxtamembrane region, reported in approximately 30% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). During the last couple of years, the increasing understanding of c-Kit and Flt3 signaling has also revealed the complexity of these receptor systems. The impact of gain-of-function mutations of c-Kit and Flt3 in different malignancies is well established and shown to be of clinical relevance in both prognosis and therapy. Many inhibitors of both c-Kit or Flt3 or of their downstream substrates are in clinical trials with encouraging results, and targeted therapy using a combination of such inhibitors is considered a promising approach for future treatments.

Breakdown of endocytosis in the oncogenic activation of receptor tyrosine kinases

There is increasing evidence to support the concept that the malignant behavior of many tumors is sustained by the deregulated activation of growth factor receptors. Activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) by their respective ligand(s) initiates cellular signals that tightly modulate cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and migration to ensure normal tissue patterning. Therefore, uncontrolled activation of such signals can have deleterious effects, leading to oncogenesis. To date, deregulation of most RTKs has been implicated in the development of cancer, although the mechanisms that lead to their deregulation are not yet fully understood (10). RTK endocytosis, the internalization and trafficking of receptors inside the cell, has long been established as a mechanism to attenuate RTK signaling. However, RTKs have been demonstrated to continue to signal along the endocytic pathway, which contributes to the spatio-temporal regulation of signal transduction. This review will focus on recent advances linking defective endocytosis of RTKs in the development of cancer.

CBL exon 8/9 mutants activate the FLT3 pathway and cluster in core binding factor/11q deletion acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome subtypes

PURPOSE

CBL is a negative regulator of activated receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK). In this study, we determined the frequency of CBL mutations in acute leukemias and evaluated the oncogenic potential of mutant CBL.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The cDNA of 300 acute myeloid leukemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and 82 human leukemic cell lines was screened for aberrations in the linker and RING finger domain of CBL. The oncogenic potential of identified mutants was evaluated in hematopoietic cells.

RESULTS

We identified 3 of 279 AML/MDS patients expressing CBL exon 8/9 deletion mutants. Three of four cases at diagnosis expressed deleted transcripts missing exon 8 or exon 8/9. In remission samples a weak or no expression of mutant CBL was detected. No aberrations were found in normal hematopoietic tissues. One of 116 sequenced AML/MDS cases carried a R420G missense mutation. All AML/MDS patients with identified CBL mutants belonged to the core binding factor and 11q deletion AML subtypes. Functionally, CBL negatively regulated FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) activity and interacted with human FLT3 via the autophosphorylation sites Y589 and Y599 and colocalized in vivo. Expression of CBLDeltaexon8 and CBLDeltaexon8+9 in FLT3-WT-Ba/F3 cells induced growth factor-independent proliferation associated with autophosphorylation of FLT3 and activated the downstream targets signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) and protein kinase B (AKT). FLT3 ligand-dependent hyperproliferation of CBL mutant cells could be abrogated by treatment with the FLT3 PTK inhibitor PKC412 (midostaurin).

CONCLUSION

CBL exon8/9 mutants occur in genetically defined AML/MDS subtypes and transform hematopoietic cells by constitutively activating the FLT3 pathway. This phenotype resembles the one of mutated RTKs and suggests that CBL mutant AML patients might benefit from treatment with FLT3 PTK inhibitors.

The D816V mutation of c-Kit circumvents a requirement for Src family kinases in c-Kit signal transduction

The receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit plays a critical role in hematopoiesis, and gain-of-function mutations of the receptor are frequently seen in several malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and testicular carcinoma. The most common mutation of c-Kit in these disorders is a substitution of the aspartic acid residue in position 816 to a valine (D816V), leading to constitutive activation of the receptor. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of Src family kinases in c-Kit/D816V signaling. Src family kinases are necessary for the phosphorylation of wild-type c-Kit as well as of activation of downstream signaling pathways including receptor ubiquitination and the Ras/Mek/Erk pathway. Our data demonstrate that, unlike wild-type c-Kit, the phosphorylation of c-Kit/D816V is not dependent on Src family kinases. In addition, we found that neither receptor ubiquitination nor Erk activation by c-Kit/D816V required activation of Src family kinases. In vitro kinase assay using synthetic peptides revealed that c-Kit/D816V had an altered substrate specificity resembling Src and Abl tyrosine kinases. We further present evidence that, in contrast to wild-type c-Kit, Src family kinases are dispensable for c-Kit/D816V cell survival, proliferation, and colony formation. Taken together, we demonstrate that the signal transduction pathways mediated by c-Kit/D816V are markedly different from those activated by wild-type c-Kit and that altered substrate specificity of c-Kit circumvents a need for Src family kinases in signaling of growth and survival, thereby contributing to the transforming potential of c-Kit/D816V.

The c-Kit/D816V mutation eliminates the differences in signal transduction and biological responses between two isoforms of c-Kit

Activating mutations of codon 816 of the Kit gene have been implicated in malignant cell growth of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), systemic mastocytosis and germ cell tumors. Substitution of aspartic acid with valine (D816V) renders the receptor independent of ligand for activation and signaling. Wild-type c-Kit is a tyrosine kinase receptor that requires its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), for activation. Several isoforms of c-Kit exist as a result of alternative mRNA splicing, of which two are characterized by the presence or absence of four amino acids (GNNK- and GNNK+, respectively) in the extracellular domain. The two isoforms show differences in signal transduction and biological activities and the shorter isoform seems to be highly expressed than the longer isoform in human malignancies. In this study we analysed the signal transduction downstream of the oncogenic c-Kit mutant D816V in an isoform specific context, using the hematopoietic cell line Ba/F3 stably transfected with the different versions of isoform and mutant receptor. Our data show that in contrast to the differences shown in the activation of wild-type c-Kit isoforms, both isoforms of c-Kit/D816V are constitutively phosphorylated to the same extent. By the use of Western blot analysis we investigated the activation of different signaling proteins and found that both D816V/GNNK- and D816V/GNNK+ constitutively phosphorylated Gab2, Shc, SHP-2 and Cbl to almost the same extent as c-Kit/GNNK-. In addition, both isoforms of c-Kit/D816V induced SCF-independent cell survival and proliferation equally well. This is in contrast to wild-type c-Kit, where c-Kit/GNNK- induced better cell survival and stronger proliferation than c-Kit/GNNK+, and both required stimulation with SCF. Taken together, these findings reveal that the differences in downstream signal transduction and biological responses between the two GNNK isoforms are eliminated by the D816V mutant.

Adaptor protein Lnk associates with Tyr568 in c-Kit

The adaptor protein Lnk is expressed in haemopoietic cells and plays a critical role in haemopoiesis. Animal model studies demonstrated that Lnk acts as a broad inhibitor of signalling pathways in haemopoietic lineages. Lnk belongs to a family of proteins sharing several structural motifs, including an SH2 (Src homology 2) domain which binds phosphotyrosine residues in various signal-transducing proteins. The SH2 domain is essential for Lnk-mediated negative regulation of several cytokine receptors [e.g. Mpl, EpoR (erythropoietin receptor), c-Kit]. Therefore inhibition of the binding of Lnk to cytokine receptors might lead to enhanced downstream signalling of the receptor and thereby to improved haemopoiesis in response to exposure to cytokines (e.g. erythropoietin in anaemic patients). This hypothesis led us to define the exact binding site of Lnk to the stem cell factor receptor c-Kit. Pull-down experiments using GST (glutathione transferase)-fusion proteins of the different domains of c-Kit showed that Lnk almost exclusively binds to the phosphorylated juxtamembrane domain. Binding of Lnk to the juxtamembrane domain was abolished by point mutation of Tyr568 and was competed by peptides with a phosphotyrosine residue at position 568. Co-immunoprecipitation with full-length wild-type or Y568F mutant c-Kit and Lnk confirmed these results, thus showing the importance of this phosphorylated tyrosine residue. Lnk bound directly to c-Kit without requiring other interacting partners. The identification of the binding site of Lnk to c-Kit will be useful to discover inhibitory molecules that prevent the binding of these two proteins, thus making haemopoietic cells more sensitive to growth factors.

YRRL motifs in the cytoplasmic domain of the thrombopoietin receptor regulate receptor internalization and degradation

Thrombopoietin (Tpo), acting through the c-Mpl receptor, promotes the survival and proliferation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and drives megakaryocyte differentiation. The proproliferation and survival signals activated by Tpo must therefore be tightly regulated to prevent uncontrolled cell growth. In this work, we determined the mechanisms that control Tpo-stimulated c-Mpl internalization and defined the processes leading to its degradation. Stimulation of BaF-Mpl cells with Tpo leads to rapid, clathrin-dependent endocytosis of the receptor. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA), we found that inhibition of adaptor protein 2 (AP2), which mediates endocytosis of transmembrane proteins, strongly attenuates Tpo-stimulated c-Mpl internalization. AP2 interacts with YXXPhi motifs and we identified 2 such motifs in c-Mpl (Y(8)RRL and Y(78)RRL) and investigated Tpo-stimulated internalization of receptors bearing point mutations at these sites. After Tpo stimulation, internalization was greatly reduced in c-Mpl Y(78)F and c-Mpl Y(8+78)F, and these cell lines also exhibited increased proliferation and increased strength and duration of Jak2, STAT5, AKT, and ERK1/2 activation in response to Tpo. We also found that the Y(8)RRL motif regulates Tpo-stimulated lysosomal degradation of c-Mpl. Our data establishes that c-Mpl cytoplasmic YRRL motifs are responsible for both Tpo-mediated internalization via interactions with AP2 and lysosomal targeting after endocytosis.

Grb2 mediates negative regulation of stem cell factor receptor/c-Kit signaling by recruitment of Cbl

Aberrant activation of c-Kit is involved in a number of human diseases including cancers and leukemias. Certain receptor tyrosine kinases, such as epidermal growth factor receptor, have been shown to indirectly recruit Cbl through the adapter protein Grb2, leading to receptor ubiquitination and degradation. In order to study the role of Grb2 in c-Kit degradation, a series of mutations of the Grb2 binding sites in c-Kit were generated (Y703F, Y936F, and Y703F/Y936F). Since other signal transduction molecules are also known to bind Y703 and Y936, the more selective asparagine-to-alanine (N-to-A) mutants N705A, N938A, and N705A/N938A were generated. We could clearly demonstrate that binding of Grb2 was dependent on intact phosphorylation sites Y703 and Y936. Furthermore, we could demonstrate the presence of Cbl in a complex with Grb2 and c-Kit. Thus, Grb2 is able to indirectly recruit Cbl to c-Kit. In the N-to-A mutants, Cbl phosphorylation was strongly reduced, which correlated with reduced ubiquitination of c-Kit as well as decreased internalization and degradation of the receptor. Taken together, we have demonstrated that, in addition to its role in positive signaling via the Ras/Erk pathway, Grb2 mediates c-Kit degradation through recruitment of Cbl to c-Kit, leading to ubiquitination of c-Kit followed by internalization and degradation.

Flt3-dependent transformation by inactivating c-Cbl mutations in AML

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), mutational activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Flt3 is frequently involved in leukemic transformation. However, little is known about a possible role of highly expressed wild-type Flt3 in AML. The proto-oncogene c-Cbl is an important regulator of RTK signaling, acting through its ubiquitin ligase activity and as a platform for several signaling adaptor molecules. Here, we analyzed the role of c-Cbl in Flt3 signal transduction and myeloid transformation. C-Cbl physically interacted with Flt3 and was tyrosine phosphorylated in the presence of Flt3-ligand (FL). Overexpression of a dominant-negative form of c-Cbl (Cbl-70Z) inhibited FL-induced Flt3 ubiquitylation and internalization, indicating involvement of c-Cbl in Flt3 signaling. DNA sequencing of AML bone marrow revealed a case with a c-Cbl point mutation (Cbl-R420Q). Cbl-R420Q inhibited Flt3 internalization and ubiquitylation. Coexpression of Cbl-R420Q or Cbl-70Z with Flt3 induced cytokine-independent growth and survival of 32Dcl3 cells in the absence of FL. Also, the mutant Cbl proteins altered the amplitude and duration of Flt3-dependent signaling events. Our results indicate an important role of Cbl proteins in Flt3 signal modulation. Also, the data suggest a novel mechanism of leukemic transformation in AML by mutational inactivation of negative RTK regulators.