Synthetic peptides reproducing the EGF-receptor segment homologous to the pp60v-src phosphoacceptor site. Phosphorylation by tyrosine protein kinases

Cellular functions regulated by phosphorylation of EGFR on Tyr845

The Src gene product (Src) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are prototypes of oncogene products and function primarily as a cytoplasmic non-receptor tyrosine kinase and a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase, respectively. The identification of Src and EGFR, and the subsequent extensive investigations of these proteins have long provided cutting edge research in cancer and other molecular and cellular biological studies. In 1995, we reported that the human epidermoid carcinoma cells, A431, contain a small fraction of Src and EGFR in which these two kinase were in physical association with each other, and that Src phosphorylates EGFR on tyrosine 845 (Y845) in the Src-EGFR complex. Y845 of EGFR is located in the activation segment of the kinase domain, where many protein kinases contain kinase-activating autophosphorylation sites (e.g., cAMP-dependent protein kinase, Src family kinases, transmembrane receptor type tyrosine kinases) or trans-phosphorylation sites (e.g., cyclin-dependent protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Akt protein kinase). A number of studies have demonstrated that Y845 phosphorylation serves an important role in cancer as well as normal cells. Here we compile the experimental facts involving Src phosphorylation of EGFR on Y845, by which cell proliferation, cell cycle control, mitochondrial regulation of cell metabolism, gamete activation and other cellular functions are regulated. We also discuss the physiological relevance, as well as structural insights of the Y845 phosphorylation.

Fully automated synthesis of (phospho)peptide arrays in microtiter plate wells provides efficient access to protein tyrosine kinase characterization

Background

Synthetic peptides have played a useful role in studies of protein kinase substrates and interaction domains. Synthetic peptide arrays and libraries, in particular, have accelerated the process. Several factors have hindered or limited the applicability of various techniques, such as the need for deconvolution of combinatorial libraries, the inability or impracticality of achieving full automation using two-dimensional or pin solid phases, the lack of convenient interfacing with standard analytical platforms, or the difficulty of compartmentalization of a planar surface when contact between assay components needs to be avoided. This paper describes a process for synthesis of peptides and phosphopeptides on microtiter plate wells that overcomes previous limitations and demonstrates utility in determination of the epitope of an autophosphorylation site phospho-motif antibody and utility in substrate utilization assays of the protein tyrosine kinase, p60^c-src.

Results

The overall reproducibility of phospho-peptide synthesis and multiplexed EGF receptor (EGFR) autophosphorylation site (pY1173) antibody ELISA (9H2) was within 5.5 to 8.0%. Mass spectrometric analyses of the released (phospho)peptides showed homogeneous peaks of the expected molecular weights. An overlapping peptide array of the complete EGFR cytoplasmic sequence revealed a high redundancy of 9H2 reactive sites. The eight reactive phospopeptides were structurally related and interestingly, the most conserved antibody reactive peptide motif coincided with a subset of other known EGFR autophosphorylation and SH2 binding motifs and an EGFR optimal substrate motif. Finally, peptides based on known substrate specificities of c-src and related enzymes were synthesized in microtiter plate array format and were phosphorylated by c-Src with the predicted specificities. The level of phosphorylation was proportional to c-Src concentration with sensitivities below 0.1 Units of enzyme.

Conclusions

The ability of this method to interface with various robotics and instrumentation is highly flexible since the microtiter plate is an industry standard. It is highly scalable by increasing the surface area within the well or the number of wells and does not require specialized robotics. The microtiter plate array system is well suited to the study of protein kinase substrates, antigens, binding molecules, and inhibitors since these all can be quantitatively studied at a single uniform, reproducible interface.

Tyrosine protein kinase assays

Protein kinases form a large family of enzymes that play a major role in a number of live processes. The study of their action is important for the understanding of the transformation mechanisms and of the normal and pathological growth events. The quality of an enzyme assay is often the key point of an enzymatic study. It must be flexible and compatible with various experimental conditions, such as those for the purification process, the screening of inhibitors and the substrate specificity studies. As will be shown in the present review, two categories of substrates, peptidic and proteic, should be distinguished. The use of peptide substrates facilitates the determination of the recognition requirements of the enzyme and of the kinetic effects of even minute variations in their sequence. These linear peptide structures are assumed to mimic a complex interaction between the enzyme and a protein substrate in which distant amino acids in the sequence are vicinal in the folded substrate. Less amenable to a systematic study, but probably more adequate to investigate the natural substrate of a given kinase, are the proteic substrates. Obviously the tools to measure protein kinase activities are not the same in these two cases. The main difficulty in assaying protein kinases is the use of labelled gamma-ATP, mostly at large excess concentration, since the final product of the reaction has to be separated from the non-reacted labelled ATP. In the case of peptide substrates, the difficulty is to separate them from ATP basing on differences of molecular mass. Despite the efforts of many investigators to rely upon differences in solubility, in charges or in "affinity", this separation, which is crucial for the assay, is still an unsolved experimental problem. Chromatographic, as well as electrophoretic assays appeared relatively late in this domain, and more work in assessing new methodologies might bring new breakthroughs in the next few years. Specific, simple and reliable kinase assays are still a major challenge. Their improvement will help to conduct specificity studies, to elucidate complex growth mechanisms in which they are involved and to discover more selective potent inhibitors.

Exploration of the sequence specificity of pp60c-src tyrosine kinase. Minimal peptide sequence required for maximal activity

The minimum length required for phosphorylation of a peptide by pp60c-src tyrosine kinase (srcTK) was delineated in this work. Budde (M.D. Anderson University of Texas, personal communication) suggested that the peptide (FGE)3Y(GEF)2GD (peptide I) was a "good" srcTK substrate. Peptide I yielded a 251-fold higher kcat/Km than RRLIEDAEYAARRG, a peptide substrate based upon the autophosphorylation site of srcTK. This was due to a 38-fold lower Km and a 6.6-fold increase in kcat.N-terminal truncation of up to 8 residues in a series of peptides yielded only a 3-fold decrease in activity. Removal of the final N-terminal residue resulted in a 10-fold loss in substrate activity, primarily as a result of an increase in the Km. C-terminal truncations ending in the amide yielded no significant loss in activity until the Y + 3 residue was removed, which resulted in a 73-fold decrease in kcat/Km relative to peptide I. The latter was due primarily to an increase in Km. The results from peptides truncated on both termini suggest that subsite recognition N- and C-terminal relative to the site of phosphorylation can be examined independently. In addition, the observation that only 5 residues are required for significant substrate activity suggests that small molecule inhibitors based upon interactions with the phosphoacceptor site may be developed.

Photosensitized inhibition of growth factor-regulated protein kinases by hypericin

The naphthodianthrone hypericin causes a photosensitized inhibition of protein kinases involved in growth factor signalling pathways. Nanomolar concentrations of hypericin inhibit the protein tyrosine kinase activities (PTK) of the epidermal growth factor receptor and the insulin receptor, while being ineffective towards the cytosolic protein tyrosine kinases Lyn, Fgr, TPK-IIB and CSK. Photosensitized inhibition by hypericin is not restricted to receptor-PTKs since the Ser/Thr protein kinases (protein kinase CK-2, protein kinase C and mitogen-activated kinase) are also extremely sensitive to inhibition (IC50 value for protein kinase CK-2 = 6 nM). A comparison of the hypericin-mediated inhibition of the epidermal growth factor-receptor PTK and protein kinase CK-2 revealed that the inhibition is irreversible, strictly dependent upon irradiation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex with fluorescent light and likely mediated by the formation of radical intermediates (type I mechanism). Although the exact molecular basis for the selectivity of enzyme inhibition by hypericin remains unknown, our results suggest that distantly related protein kinases could still share common reactive domains for the interaction with hypericin.

Tyrosine protein kinase inhibition and cancer

The various aspects of the research on tyrosine protein kinase inhibition and its connections with cancer are presented. The emphasis was made on the theoretical low toxic side effects of specific tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors. Particularly, the strategy of finding peptidic substrate-derived inhibitors or modulators is discussed, with an almost complete compendium of the tyrosine protein kinase peptidic substrates published so far. A series of data has been gathered that may serve as a basis for the discovery of selective and specific tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors by screening on molecular and cellular models. The potential of SH2 domain-interfering agents are also presented as a promising route to new anticancer compounds.

Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases by purine analogues

While testing purines related to the non-specific protein kinase inhibitors N6-dimethylaminopurine and N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)adenine as potential inhibitors of the p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase, we discovered a compound with high specificity, 2-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-6- benzylamino-9-methylpurine (olomoucine). Kinetic analysis of kinase inhibition reveals that olomoucine behaves as a competitive inhibitor for ATP and as a non-competitive inhibitor for histone H1 (linear inhibition for both substrates). The kinase specificity of this inhibition was investigated for 35 highly purified kinases (including p34cdk4/cyclin D1, p40cdk6/cyclin D3, cAMP-dependent and cGMP-dependent kinases, eight protein kinase C isoforms, calmodulin-dependent kinase II, myosin light-chain kinase, mitogen-activated S6 kinase, casein kinase 2, double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, AMP-stimulated kinase, eight tyrosine kinases). Most kinases are not significantly inhibited. Only the cell-cycle regulating p34cdc2/cyclin B, p33cdk2/cyclin A and p33cdk2/cyclin E kinases, the brain p33cdk5/p35 kinase and the ERK1/MAP-kinase (and its starfish homologue p44mpk) are substantially inhibited by olomoucine (IC50 values are 7, 7, 7, 3 and 25 microM, respectively). The cdk4/cyclin D1 and cdk6/cyclin D3 kinases are not significantly sensitive to olomoucine (IC50 values greater than 1 mM and 150 microM, respectively). N6-(delta 2-Isopentenyl)adenine is confirmed as a general kinase inhibitor with IC50 values of 50-100 microM for many kinases. The purine specificity of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibition was investigated: among 81 purine derivatives tested, only C2, N6 and N9-substituted purines exert a strong inhibitory effect on the p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase. An essentially similar sensitivity to this olomoucine family of compounds was observed for the brain-specific cdk5/p35 kinase. Structure/activity relationship studies allow speculation on the interactions of olomoucine and its analogues with the kinase catalytic subunit. Olomoucine inhibits in vitro M-phase-promoting factor activity in metaphase-arrested Xenopus egg extracts, inhibits in vitro DNA synthesis in Xenopus interphase egg extracts and inhibits the licensing factor, an essential replication factor ensuring that DNA is replicated only once in each cell cycle. Olomoucine inhibits the starfish oocyte G2/M transition in vivo. Through its unique selectivity olomoucine provides an anti-mitotic reagent that may preferentially inhibit certain steps of the cell cycle.

A novel antioxidant flavonoid (IdB 1031) affecting molecular mechanisms of cellular activation

In searching for new drug candidates which could help bridge the gaps between free radical oxidations, pathophysiological responses, and pharmacological treatment, a series of flavonoids was screened. The most interesting compound emerging from this screening, the flavone 3'-hydroxyfarrerol (IdB 1031), is presented in this article. This compound is a good inhibitor of microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by either iron-adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) or carbon tetrachloride. The elevated rate constant for the interaction with peroxyl radicals, analysed by the kinetics of inhibition of crocin bleaching in the presence of a diazo initiator, gives an account for the observed antioxidant capacity. When tested on human neutrophils activated by fMLP, IdB 1031 inhibits (ID50:20 microM) respiratory burst. This effect, which is possibly linked to the observed inhibition of protein-kinase C (ID50:50 microM), seems rather specific since IdB 1031 does not inhibit tyr-kinases and casein-kinase-2, while Quercetin and other flavonoids inhibit unspecifically all these enzymes. These effects, as a whole, depict this compound as a drug candidate for diseases in which peroxidative damage is associated with the induction of inflammatory responses and specifically with activation of a respiratory burst of leucocytes.

4,5-Dianilinophthalimide: a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with selectivity for the epidermal growth factor receptor signal transduction pathway and potent in vivo antitumor activity

Deregulated signal transduction via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) family of protein-tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors is associated with proliferative diseases. We describe a class of compounds (4,5-dianilinophthalimides) that inhibit the EGF-R protein-tyrosine kinase in vitro with high selectivity. In cells, 4,5-dianilinophthalmide selectively inhibited both ligand-induced EGF-R and p185c-erbB2 autophosphorylation and c-fos mRNA induction. Antitumor activity could be demonstrated in vivo against xenografts of the A431 and SK-OV-3 tumors, which overexpress the EGF-R and p185c-erbB2, respectively. In contrast, a platelet-derived growth factor-driven tumor was not inhibited by 4,5-dianilinophthalimide, which is compatible with its cellular selectivity and hypothesized mechanism of action. No overt cumulative toxicity was observed during treatment even though high efficacy was observed, indicating a good therapeutic window. 4,5-Dianilinophthalimides may offer therapeutic agents for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases that overexpress EGF-R family protein-tyrosine kinases or their ligands.

Conformational studies on calcium binding by tBoc-Leu-Pro-Tyr-Ala-NHCH3, a tyrosine kinase substrate, in a nonpolar solvent

With a view to understanding the structural requirement for tyrosine phosphorylation, we have examined the free and Ca(2+)-bound conformations of the synthetic peptide tBoc-Leu-Pro-Tyr-Ala-NHCH3, a substrate for a protein tyrosine kinase, using circular dichroism (CD), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and molecular modeling methods. CD spectrum of the free peptide in water showed a random coil structure, while the spectrum in acetonitrile was indicative of a folded structure containing a type III beta-turn. Dihedral angle data derived from JNH-CH coupling constants, as well as two-dimensional 1H-COSY and NOESY spectral analyses, showed that the peptide adopts a conformation close to the 3(10)-helix. Ca2+ binding by the peptide, as monitored by CD spectral changes, was quite weak in water. However, substantial CD spectral changes were observed in the peptide on addition of Ca2+ in acetonitrile suggestive of major conformational alterations due to Ca2+ binding. Analysis of the binding isotherms at 25 degrees C obtained from CD data in acetonitrile indicated a 2:1 peptide:Ca2+ ("sandwich") complex to be the dominant species with a Kd of about 30 microM. A 1:1 complex was also present and became significant at Ca2+:peptide ratios above 1. By comparison, the peptide formed a predominantly 1:1 complex with Mg2+ with a Kd of about 40 microM. 13C-NMR data showed that a mixture of cis and trans conformers (arising from rotation around the Leu-Pro bond) in the free peptide changes over to the all-trans form on coordination of the peptide carbonyl groups to the Ca2+ ion. 1H-NOESY data of the Ca2+ complex revealed several interactions involving the sidechains of two peptide molecules in the sandwich. Molecular modeling and energy minimization with and without the input of NOESY-derived distance constraints showed the sandwich complex to be an energetically very favourable conformation. Besides its relevance in terms of the possible involvement of divalent cations in substrate-tyrosine kinase interaction, the conformational characterization of tBoc-Leu-Pro-Tyr-Ala-NHCH3 and its Ca2+ complex should help understand the conformational determinants for Ca(2+)-binding by linear peptides.

An analysis of the substrate specificity of insulin-stimulated protein kinase-1, a mammalian homologue of S6 kinase-II

The specificity determinants for insulin-stimulated protein kinase-I (ISPK-1) have been investigated with synthetic peptides based on naturally-occurring protein phosphoacceptor sequences. Peptides (Arg-Arg-Xaa-Ser-Xaa) that fulfill the consensus sequence for cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (PK-A) are also phosphorylated readily by ISPK-1. The phosphorylation efficiency is improved by increasing the number of N-terminal arginine residues and by moving the arginyl cluster one residue further away from the serine, the nonapeptide (Arg)4-Ala-Ala-Ser-Val-Ala being the best substrate among all the short peptides tested (Km = 15 microM). Conversely, the substitution of either Thr for Ser or Lys for Arg is detrimental. Likewise, two flanking Pro residues and an Arg immediately N-terminal to the Ser act as negative specificity determinants. While the specificity of ISPK-1 shows several similarities to that of PK-A, including an absolute requirement for basic residues on the N-terminal side of the target Ser, it differs in several other respects including (1), the detrimental effect of a Lys for Arg substitution which is still compatible with some phosphorylation by ISPK-1, but not PK-A; (2), the presence of C-terminal acidic residues which are tolerated very well by ISPK-1, but are detrimental to PK-A; (3), the effect of substituting Phe for Val in the peptide Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Val-Ala, which improves the efficiency of phosphorylation by PK-A (lowering the Km 4-fold), but has no effect on phosphorylation by ISPK-1. These differences in peptide substrate specificity may account in part for the different rates of phosphorylation of physiological substrates for ISPK-1 and PK-A, such as the G subunit of protein phosphatase-1.

Synthesis and conformational studies on peptides corresponding to a putative autophosphorylation site of abl TPK

The transforming gene of Abelson murine leukaemia virus (v-abl) codes for a membrane-associated tyrosine-specific protein kinase (abl TPK). Analysis of the v-abl gene has shown that both the fibroblast-transforming and tyrosine-protein kinase activities reside within a minimal region encoding a protein of 43 kDa (p43v-abl), which represents the most active, isolated form of this enzyme. Since the cellular substrates for p43v-abl are yet to be identified, we synthesized by classical solution methods the octapeptide H-Gly-Asp-Thr-Tyr-Thr-Ala-His-Ala-OH, corresponding to the structural sequence of the main putative autophosphorylation site (Tyr 515) of the abl TPK, as well as some of its analogs modified in positions -2, -1, +1 and +3. The synthetic peptides were tested as substrates for the p43v-abl. The kinetic data obtained indicate that the rates of their phosphorylation vary considerably depending on the sequence of the peptide, as expected. As a rule, no significant increment of the efficiency results from each substitution in the parent sequence. While the replacement of the two charged residues, namely Asp-2 and His-7, with neutral Ala is well tolerated, the substitution with amino acids bearing opposite charges is detrimental. The correlation between secondary structure of our synthetic octapeptides and their substrate recognition by p43v-abl was studied using CD and fluorescence spectroscopy in 5 mM Tris, in 98% TFE/Tris and in 30 mM SDS solutions. The comparison of the spectroscopic data with the kinetic parameters does not confirm a close relationship between the conformational properties of these peptides and their enzymatic role.

Use of hydrophilic interaction chromatography for the study of tyrosine protein kinase specificity

A new HPLC method has been developed to assay tyrosine protein kinase activity. Using hydrophilic interaction chromatography, it is possible to resolve the four components of the incubation medium: substrate peptide, [32P]phosphorylated peptide, unreacted [gamma-32P]ATP, and 32P-labelled inorganic phosphate. ATP interacts so strongly with the stationary phase material that it can be removed selectively from the incubation medium with solid-phase extraction cartridges packed with the same type of material. The three remaining components of interest can then be resolved by reversed-phase or hydrophilic interaction HPLC. This procedure permits the evaluation of almost every type of peptide as a substrate of tyrosine protein kinase.

Phosphorylation of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2

A major in vivo phosphorylation site of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA-2) was found to be localized at the C-terminus of the protein. In vitro phosphorylation studies using casein kinase 1 (CK-1) and casein kinase 2 (CK-2) revealed that EBNA-2 is a substrate for CK-2, but not for CK-1. The CK-2 specific phosphorylation site was localized in the 140 C-terminal amino acids using a recombinant trpE-C-terminal fusion protein. In a similar experiment, the 58 N-terminal amino acids expressed as a recombinant trpE-fusion protein were not phosphorylated. Phosphorylation of a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 464-476 of EBNA-2 as a substrate led to the incorporation of 0.69 mol phosphate/mol peptide indicating that only one of three potential phosphorylation sites within the peptide was modified. The most likely amino acid residues for phosphorylation by CK-2 are Ser469 and Ser470.

Selective effect of poly(lysine) on the enhancement of the lyn tyrosine protein kinase activity. Increased specificity toward src peptides

A tyrosine protein kinase (TPK-I), isolated from rat spleen [Brunati, A. M. & Pinna, L. A. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 172, 451-457] and recently identified as the product of the lyn oncogene [Brunati, A. M., Donella-Deana, A., Ralph, S., Marchiori, F., Borin, G., Fischer, S. & Pinna, L. A. (1991) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1901, 123-126], is stimulated by a variety of effectors, including poly(lysine), heparin and very high NaCl concentrations. The efficacy of these compounds is variably dependent on the nature of the phosphoacceptor peptide substrates. Here we show that poly(lysine), but neither NaCl nor heparin, specifically enhances the phosphorylation efficiency of lyn TPK for the peptide EDNEYTA (src peptide). It reproduces the main autophosphorylation site of pp60c-src (Tyr416), which is entirely conserved in lyn TPK. The favourable effect of poly(lysine) is accounted for by both a dramatic drop of the Km value (70 microM versus 670 microM) and more than a threefold increase in Vmax. The effect is not so evident with a variety of different peptides, either unrelated to the src peptide (e.g. angiotensin II, AAYAA) or derived from the src peptide by single or multiple substitutions of the residues located on the N-terminal side of tyrosine. In particular, the responsiveness to poly(lysine) is dramatically reduced whenever alanine is replaced for either asparagine at position -2 or glutamic acid at position -1, either in the src heptapeptide or in its shorter derivative, the pentapeptide NEYTA. In sharp contrast, the favourable effect of 2 M NaCl, which is invariably accounted for only by an increased Vmax, is especially evident with peptides like angiotensin II and AAYAA, whose phosphorylation is less sensitive to poly(lysine) stimulation. The phosphorylation of the src peptides are actually inhibited rather than stimulated by 2 M NaCl. Consistent with this, lyn TPK autophosphorylation is also dramatically stimulated by poly(lysine) while being inhibited by 2 M NaCl. These data show that poly(lysine) deeply alters the selectivity of lyn TPK by conferring to it an enhanced activity and an especially high affinity toward peptides that reproduce the conserved autophosphorylation site of the TPK of the src family. It is suggested that endogenous compound, whose effect is mimicked by poly(lysine) in vitro, may play a relevant role in determining the specificity of lyn TPK in vivo and possibly of other TPK of the src family.

Substitution of phosphotyrosine for sulphotyrosine in biologically active peptides. Enzymatic phosphorylation of a progastrin peptide confers immunoreactivity reminiscent of the sulphated derivative

The peptide SAEEEDQYN, corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal tryptic fragment of rat progastrin, whose penultimate tyrosyl residue is sulphated in the native peptide, is phosphorylated with Km values of 120 and 180 microM by two spleen tyrosine protein kinases, termed TPK-IIB and TPK-III, respectively. Another spleen tyrosine protein kinase related to the src family (TPK-I/lyn) is poorly active toward this peptide, displaying a Km 6.5 mM. The Tyr-phosphorylated peptide is recognized by an antibody (L304), which reacts with both sulphated and unmodified peptides, while it is not recognized by a second antibody (L303), which reacts with unmodified peptide yet not with the sulphated derivative. These data, in conjunction with previous observations (Hofsteenge, J., Stone, S.R., Donella-Deana, A. and Pinna, L.A. (1990) Eur. J. Biochem. 188, 55-59) support the view that phosphotyrosine is an effective surrogate for sulphotyrosine in a wide spectrum of biological activities.

Specificity determinants for tyrosine protein kinase. A study with recombinant hirudin mutants

Hirudin, the powerful anticoagulant agent of leech (Hirudo medicinalis) saliva, was readily phosphorylated by two spleen tyrosine protein kinases (TPK-IIB and TPK-III) at Tyr63 with Km values of 238 microM and 74 microM, respectively. The synthetic tridecapeptide DGDFEEIPEEYLQ, corresponding to the hirudin 53-65 C-terminal fragment, was phosphorylated even more efficiently than hirudin itself. Four hirudin mutants, in which one or more of the glutamic acids at positions 57, 58, 61 and 62 have been replaced by glutamines, were poorer substrates than hirudin. The mutant in which all four glutamates were substituted, [Gln57,58,61,62]hirudin, was virtually not phosphorylated by either TPK-IIB and TPK-III. Substitution of Glu57 and Glu58 was less deleterious than substitution of the two glutamic acids adjacent to Tyr63: [Gln61,62]hirudin exhibited a 20-fold lower phosphorylation efficiency with TPK-IIB. With TPK-III, however, the Km value of [Gln61,62]hirudin was slightly lower, while the Vmax decreased sixfold. The substitution of Glu62 alone was also more detrimental with TPK-IIB than with TPK-III. The behaviour of a third spleen TPK, named lyn TPK-I and belonging to the src family, was markedly different in that it did not phosphorylate hirudin but exhibited significant activity towards [Gln57,58,61,62]hirudin. Taken together, these data confirm and extend with a protein substrate the results obtained with short model peptides which indicated the stringent substrate requirements of TPK-IIB (and of TPK-III to a lesser extent) for N-terminal acidic residues. In contrast, such residues are deleterious with lyn TPK-I. These observations also support the concept that tyrosine protein kinases recognize specificity determinants situated in the vicinity of the target residue rather than requiring higher-order structural features.

Stimulation by NaCl, polylysine and heparin of two forms of spleen tyrosine protein kinase immunologically related with the protein expressed by lyn oncogene

The previously isolated spleen tyrosine protein kinase, conventionally termed TPK-IIA, displaying activation by either positively or negatively charged polyelectrolytes has been further characterized. TPK-IIA is immunologically related with the tyrosine protein kinase encoded by the lyn gene, a member of src subfamily and is dramatically activated by very high NaCl concentration. The stimulatory effects of NaCl and polylysine, which are not additive, are accounted for by increased Vmax values, the Km being virtually unchanged, suggesting that both effectors probably interact with the same site(s). Stimulation of TPK-IIA by heparin appears to be partially additive to that promoted by NaCl and possibly occurring through a different mechanism. The NaCl activatory effect correlates with the electrolytic nature of synthetic peptides used as substrates, being much more consistent with neutral peptides as compared with acidic ones. Of the other three spleen tyrosine protein kinases, TPK-I shows similar biochemical and immunological features, suggestive of close relatedness with TPK-IIA, while TPK-IIB and TPK-III are neither related with the lyn protein nor with the products of three other oncogenes of the src subfamily, namely lck, hck and fyn.

Different specificities of spleen tyrosine protein kinases for synthetic peptide substrates

20 synthetic peptides, each of which includes a tyrosyl residue flanked by either neutral or acidic amino acids in different proportions and at variable positions, have been employed as model substrates for investigation of the site specificity of three tyrosine protein kinases previously isolated from spleen [Brunati, A. M. & Pinna, L. A. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 172, 451-457] and conventionally termed TPK-I, TPK-IIB and TPK-III. Comparison of the phosphorylation efficiencies shows that each tyrosine protein kinase is considerably different from the others in both the stringency and the nature of its specificity determinants. By considering, in particular, the kinetic constants obtained with the pentapeptides AAYAA, EEYAA, AEYAA, EAYAA, with the tetrapeptides AYAA and EYAA and with the tripeptides AYA and EYA, it turns out that N-terminal acidic residue(s) are only essential with TPK-IIB for efficient phosphorylation with multiple residues displaying a synergistic effect. The very similar Km (130 microM) but 14-fold-different Vmax values with YEEEEE vs. EEEEEY indicate that an N-terminal rather than C-terminal location of acidic residues is required for a high phosphorylation rate with, though not for binding to TPK-IIB. Acidic residues decrease the phosphorylation rate with TPK-I, a kinase related to the src family which is immunologically indistinguishable from the lyn TPK; they are nearly ineffective, however, with TPK-III, the least specific of the tyrosine protein kinases, which exhibits appreciable activity toward tripeptides and dipeptides like GAY and AY which are not significantly affected by TPK-I and TPK-IIB. While the peptide substrate specificity of TPK-I is similar to that of TPK-IIA, a spleen tyrosine protein kinase previously considered [Brunati, A. M., Marchiori, F., Ruzza, P., Calderan, A., Borin, G. & Pinna, L. A. (1989) FEBS Lett. 254, 145-149], the remarkable requirement of TPK-IIB alone for acidic peptides may suggest the involvement of this enzyme, which is also unique in its failure to autophosphorylate, in the phosphorylation of the highly conserved and quite acidic phosphoacceptor sites of the src family protein kinases.

Assay of tyrosine protein kinase activity from HL-60 by high-performance liquid chromatography for specificity studies

Using a partially purified HL-60 tyrosine protein kinase, we designed a new HPLC method for the measurement of tyrosylphosphorylation of angiotensin II. The present method uses reversed-phase chromatography and elution involving an acetonitrile gradient containing the counterion tetrabutylammonium phosphate. The peptide substrate, [gamma-32P]ATP, the cosubstrate, and 32P-labeled phosphorylated peptides were quantified online by measuring the Cerenkov effect. Injections, separation, and analysis were performed automatically. Furthermore, the method permits a direct visualization of peptide substrate phosphorylation and has a potentially universal application; i.e., it is usable with any kind of peptide in a given range of hydrophobicity. This assay was designed for specificity studies, which are of major importance at the molecular level, in order to understand active site topology and the biophysical requirements of tyrosine protein kinases. As examples, data on chromatography separations of angiotensin II analogs (five to ten amino acids in length) are presented, as well as for other peptide substrates such as RR-src, the pp60src autophosphorylation site-derived peptide, and minigastrin. We adapted our experimental conditions to accommodate crude extracts from HL-60 cells. Preliminary experiments clearly indicated that other biological sources can be used. Despite the existence of numerous methods published in the literature for the measurement of kinase activities, the method presented herein is the only one to the authors' knowledge that can be used in and has been assessed for specificity studies. Peptides do not require particular features such as charged residues (i.e., arginine) to be analyzed.