Mutation of the pleckstrin homology domain of Bruton's tyrosine kinase in immunodeficiency impaired inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate binding capacity

Src-induced activation of inducible T cell kinase (ITK) requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and the Pleckstrin homology domain of inducible T cell kinase

The Tec family of tyrosine kinases are involved in signals emanating from cytokine receptors, antigen receptors, and other lymphoid cell surface receptors. One family member, ITK (inducible T cell kinase), is involved in T cell activation and can be activated by the T cell receptor and the CD28 cell surface receptor. This stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of ITK can be mimicked by the Src family kinase Lck. We have explored the mechanism of this requirement for Src family kinases in the activation of ITK. We found that coexpression of ITK and Src results in increased membrane association, tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of ITK, which could be blocked by inhibitors of the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) as well as overexpression of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase. Removal of the Pleckstrin homology domain (PH) of ITK resulted in a kinase that could no longer be induced to localize to the membrane or be activated by Src. The PH of ITK was also able to bind inositol phosphates phosphorylated at the D3 position. Membrane targeting of ITK without the PH recovered its ability to be activated by Src. These results suggest that ITK can be activated by a combination of Src and PI 3-kinase.

A comparative analysis of the phosphoinositide binding specificity of pleckstrin homology domains

Pleckstrin homology (PH) and phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains are structurally related regulatory modules that are present in a variety of proteins involved in signal transduction, such as kinases, phospholipases, GTP exchange proteins, and adapter proteins. Initially these domains were shown to mediate protein-protein interactions, but more recently they were also found to bind phosphoinositides. Most studies to date have focused on binding of PH domains to phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns)-4-P and PtdIns-4,5-P2 and have not considered the lipid products of phosphoinositide 3-kinase: PtdIns-3-P, PtdIns-3,4-P2, and PtdIns-3,4,5-P3. Here we have compared the phosphoinositide specificity of six different PH domains and the Shc PTB domain using all five phosphoinositides. We show that the Bruton's tyrosine kinase PH domain binds to PtdIns-3,4, 5-P3 with higher affinity than to PtdIns-4,5-P2, PtdIns-3,4-P2 or inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins-1,3,4,5-P4). This selectivity is decreased by the xid mutation (R28C). Selective binding of PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 over PtdIns-4,5-P2 or PtdIns-3,4-P2 was also observed for the amino-terminal PH domain of T lymphoma invasion and metastasis protein (Tiam-1), the PH domains of Son-of-sevenless (Sos) and, to a lesser extent, the PH domain of the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. The oxysterol binding protein and beta-spectrin PH domains bound PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 and PtdIns-4,5-P2 with similar affinities. PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 and PtdIns-4,5-P2 also bound to the PTB domain of Shc with similar affinities and lipid binding was competed with phosphotyrosine (Tyr(P)-containing peptides. These results indicate that distinct PH domains select for different phosphoinositides.

Role of Btk in B cell development and signaling

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), the target of inactivating mutations in X-linked immunodeficiency diseases of mice and humans, is essential for normal B cell responsiveness. Recent studies have outlined a mechanism for the activation of Btk by B cell receptor engagement and have identified proximal and distal targets of Btk action.

Characterization of the pleckstrin homology domain of Btk as an inositol polyphosphate and phosphoinositide binding domain

We previously reported that the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) binds Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and that missense mutations in this domain which cause either human X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) or murine X-linked immunodeficiency (Xid) also dramatically reduce the Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 binding activity. In this paper, we describe the inositol phosphate binding specificity of the Btk PH domain and different inositol polyphosphate binding properties among the PH domains of Tec family kinases. Our results suggest that certain inositol phosphates and/or phosphoinositides are physiological ligands of some Tec family kinases and that Tec family members are differently regulated by inositol molecules.

The function of inositol high polyphosphate binding proteins

The inositol phosphate metabolism network has been found to be much more complex than previously thought, as more and more inositol phosphates and their metabolizing enzymes have been discovered. Some of the inositol phosphates have been shown to have biological activities, but little is known about their signal transduction mechanisms except for that of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The recent discovery, however, of a number of binding proteins for inositol high polyphosphate [inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4), inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate, or inositol hexakisphosphate] enables us to speculate on the physiological function of these compounds. In this article we focus on two major issues: (1) the roles of inositol high polyphosphates in vesicular trafficking, especially exocytosis, and (2) pleckstrin homology domain-containing IP4 binding proteins involved in the Ras signaling pathway.

A single amino acid substitution in the pleckstrin homology domain of phospholipase C delta1 enhances the rate of substrate hydrolysis

The pleckstrin homology (PH) domain has been postulated to serve as an anchor for enzymes that operate at a lipid/water interface. To understand further the relationship between the PH domain and enzyme activity, a phospholipase C (PLC) delta1/PH domain enhancement-of-activity mutant was generated. A lysine residue was substituted for glutamic acid in the PH domain of PLC delta1 at position 54 (E54K). Purified native and mutant enzymes were characterized using a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4, 5)P2)/dodecyl maltoside mixed micelle assay and kinetics measured according to the dual phospholipid model of Dennis and co-workers (Hendrickson, H. S., and Dennis, E. A. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 5734-5739; Carmen, G. M., Deems, R. A., and Dennis, E. A. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 18711-18714). Our results show that both PLC delta1 and E54K bind phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate cooperatively (Hill coefficients, n = 2.2 +/- 0.2 and 2.0 +/- 0.1, respectively). However, E54K shows a dramatically increased rate of (PI(4, 5)P2)-stimulated PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis (interfacial Vmax for PLC delta1 = 4.9 +/- 0.3 micromol/min/mg and for E54K = 31 +/- 3 micromol/min/mg) as well as PI hydrolysis (Vmax for PLC delta1 = 27 +/- 3.4 nmol/min/mg and for E54K = 95 +/- 12 nmol/min/mg). In the absence of PI(4,5)P2 both native and mutant enzyme hydrolyze PI at similar rates. E54K also has a higher affinity for micellar substrate (equilibrium dissociation constant, Ks = 85 +/- 36 microM for E54K and 210 +/- 48 microM for PLC delta1). Centrifugation binding assays using large unilamelar phospholipid vesicles confirm that E54K binds PI(4,5)P2 with higher affinity than native enzyme. E54K is more active even though the interfacial Michaelis constant (Km) for E54K (0.034 +/- 0.01 mol fraction PI(4,5)P2) is higher than the Km for native enzyme (0.012 +/- 0.002 mol fraction PI(4,5)P2). D-Inositol trisphosphate is less potent at inhibiting E54K PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis compared with native enzyme. These results demonstrate that a single amino acid substitution in the PH domain of PLC delta1 can dramatically enhance enzyme activity. Additionally, the marked increase in Vmax for E54K argues for a direct role of PH domains in regulating catalysis by allosteric modulation of enzyme structure.

Structure of the PH domain and Btk motif from Bruton's tyrosine kinase: molecular explanations for X-linked agammaglobulinaemia

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is an enzyme which is involved in maturation of B cells. It is a target for mutations causing X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) in man. We have determined the structure of the N-terminal part of Btk by X-ray crystallography at 1.6 A resolution. This part of the kinase contains a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and a Btk motif. The structure of the PH domain is similar to those published previously: a seven-stranded bent beta-sheet with a C-terminal alpha-helix. Individual point mutations within the Btk PH domain which cause XLA can be classified as either structural or functional in the light of the three-dimensional structure and biochemical data. All functional mutations cluster into the positively charged end of the molecule around the predicted binding site for phosphatidylinositol lipids. It is likely that these mutations inactivate the Btk pathway in cell signalling by reducing its affinity for inositol phosphates, which causes a failure in translocation of the kinase to the cell membrane. A small number of signalling proteins contain a Btk motif that always follows a PH domain in the sequence. This small module has a novel fold which is held together by a zinc ion bound by three conserved cysteines and a histidine. The Btk motif packs against the second half of the beta-sheet of the PH domain, forming a close contact with it. Our structure opens up new ways to study the role of the PH domain and Btk motif in the cellular function of Btk and the molecular basis of its dysfunction in XLA patients.

Signalling through the lipid products of phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase

When a stimulatory agonist molecule binds at the exterior of the cell membrane, a second messenger transduces the signal to the interior of the cell. Second messengers can be derived from phospholipids in the membrane by the action of the enzymes phospholipase C or phosphoinositide-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K). PI(3)K is a key player in many cellular responses, including the movement of organelle membranes, shape alteration through rearrangement of cytoskeletal actin, transformation and chemotaxis. But how PI(3)K mediates these responses is only now becoming clear.

Regulatory recruitment of signalling molecules to the cell membrane by pleckstrinhomology domains

Pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains are small protein modules found in more than 100 proteins, most of which require association with the cell membrane to mediate their biological functions. Recent studies have demonstrated that some PH domains bind specifically to phosphoinositides, and that PH-domain-mediated recruitment of certain proteins to the cell membrane is important in regulation of their activities or functions. This provides the cell with a simple and efficient mechanism for linking growth-factor-induced changes in the levels of specific membrane phosphoinositides with other signalling pathways that control diverse processes such as protein synthesis, DNA synthesis and cell adhesion.

Xid and Xid-like immunodeficiencies from a signaling point of view

The analysis of Btk-associated molecules and ligand-induced Btk phosphorylation has suggested the existence of a complexed Btk-associated signaling network involved in the activation of B lymphocytes and mast cells. Recent gene targeting experiments have revealed protein kinase C betaI/II (PKCbetaI/II) as a critical component of the Btk-dependent signaling chain and have highlighted a potential role for the Btk-PKCbetaI/II interaction in the amplification of B cell receptor mediated signaling.