Polyoma virus middle T antigen-pp60c-src complex associates with purified phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in vitro

IRS1 and IRS2: molecular characterization, tissue expression and transcriptional regulation by insulin in yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco

The insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins, in particular, IRS1 and IRS2, are the key downstream players of insulin signaling pathway and the regulation of lipid metabolism. In the present study, two genes of IRS (IRS1 and IRS2) were isolated and characterized from yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. Their molecular characterizations, tissue expressions, and transcriptional levels by insulin both in vivo and in vitro were determined. The validated complementary DNAs encoding for IRS1 and IRS2 were 3693 and 3177 bp in length, encoding proteins of 1230 and 1058 amino acid residues, respectively. Similarly to mammals, amino acid sequence alignment revealed that IRSs contained an N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, a phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain, and several C-terminal multiple sites of tyrosine phosphorylation. Both IRS1 and IRS2 were widely expressed across the ten tissues (liver, white muscle, spleen, brain, gill, mesenteric fat, anterior intestine, heart, mid-kidney, and ovary), but at the variable levels. Insulin injection at 1 μg/g in vivo significantly stimulated the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of IRS2, but not IRS1 mRNA expression levels in the liver of yellow catfish after 48 h. In hepatocytes of yellow catfish, insulin incubation significantly stimulated the IRS1 (at a 1000 nM insulin group) and IRS2 (at both 100 and 1000 nM insulin groups) mRNA expressions, which indicated that IRS2 was more sensitive than IRS1 to insulin stimulation in the liver of yellow catfish, and IRS2 played a more important role in mediating insulin's effects on the liver metabolism. The present study serves to increase our understanding into the function of IRS in fish.

The Different Conformational States of Tissue Transglutaminase Have Opposing Affects on Cell Viability

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is an acyltransferase/GTP-binding protein that contributes to the development of various diseases. In human cancer cells, tTG activates signaling pathways that promote cell growth and survival, whereas in other disorders (i.e. neurodegeneration), overexpression of tTG enhances cell death. Therefore, it is important to understand how tTG is differentially regulated and functioning to promote diametrically distinct cellular outcomes. Previous structural studies revealed that tTG adopts either a nucleotide-bound closed conformation or a transamidation-competent open conformation. Here we provide evidence showing that these different conformational states determine whether tTG promotes, or is detrimental to, cell survival, with the open conformation of the protein being responsible for inducing cell death. First, we demonstrate that a nucleotide binding-defective form of tTG, which has previously been shown to induce cell death, assumes an open conformation in solution as assessed by an enhanced sensitivity to trypsin digestion and by small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. We next identify two pairs of intramolecular hydrogen bonds that, based on existing x-ray structures, are predicted to form between the most C-terminal β-barrel domain and the catalytic core domain of tTG. By disrupting these hydrogen bonds, we are able to generate forms of tTG that constitutively assume an open conformation and induce apoptosis. These findings provide important insights into how tTG participates in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly with regard to the actions of a C-terminal truncated form of tTG (TG-Short) that has been linked to such disorders and induces apoptosis by assuming an open-like conformation.

A novel mechanism by which tissue transglutaminase activates signaling events that promote cell survival

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) functions as a GTPase and an acyl transferase that catalyzes the formation of protein cross-links. tTG expression is frequently up-regulated in human cancer, where it has been implicated in various aspects of cancer progression, including cell survival and chemo-resistance. However, the extent to which tTG cooperates with other proteins within the context of a cancer cell, versus its intrinsic ability to confer transformed characteristics to cells, is poorly understood. To address this question, we asked what effect the ectopic expression of tTG in a non-transformed cellular background would have on the behavior of the cells. Using NIH3T3 fibroblasts stably expressing a Myc-tagged form of tTG, we found that tTG strongly protected these cells from serum starvation-induced apoptosis and triggered the activation of the PI3-kinase/mTOR Complex 1 (mTORC1)/p70 S6-kinase pathway. We determined that tTG forms a complex with the non-receptor tyrosine kinase c-Src and PI3-kinase, and that treating cells with inhibitors to block tTG function (monodansylcadaverine; MDC) or c-Src kinase activity (PP2) disrupted the formation of this complex, and prevented tTG from activating the PI3-kinase pathway. Moreover, treatment of fibroblasts over-expressing tTG with PP2, or with inhibitors that inactivate components of the PI3-kinase pathway, including PI3-kinase (LY294002) and mTORC1 (rapamycin), ablated the tTG-promoted survival of the cells. These findings demonstrate that tTG has an intrinsic capability to stimulate cell survival through a novel mechanism that activates PI3-kinase signaling events, thus highlighting tTG as a potential target for the treatment of human cancer.

Genetic modeling of glioma formation in mice

In addition to the histological features that define gliomas, mutations and other alterations in gene expression and signal transduction are classically found in these tumors. Some of these alterations are likely to be the effects of the neoplastic phenotype, while others may be causative agents essential to the etiologic origin of the disease. The determination of whether specific genetic alterations, either individually or in combination, can serve as the etiology of gliomas requires modeling in animals with the fulfillment of Koch's postulates. Animal modeling studies not only provide information on the potential causes of glioma formation, they also identify novel candidate targets for therapy and provide tumor-bearing animals for preclinical trials. Recently, remarkable strides have been made in the generation of mouse models of the diffuse gliomas that provide unparalleled opportunities for advancing our knowledge of the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of this lethal class of tumors.

Molecular recognition by SH2 domains

In this chapter, we have described the biophysical investigations which have dissected the mechanisms of SH2 domain function. Due to nearly a decade and a half of investigation on SH2 domains, much about their binding mechanism has been characterized. SH2 domains have been found to have a positively charged binding cavity, largely conserved between different SH2 domains, which coordinates binding of the pTyr in the target. The ionic interactions between this pocket and the pTyr, in particular, between Arg beta B5 and the phosphate, provide the majority of the binding energy stabilizing SH2 domain-target interactions. The specificity in SH2 domain-target interactions emanates most often from the interactions between the residues C-terminal to the pTyr in the target and the specificity determining residues in the C-terminal half of the SH2 domain. However, the interactions in the specificity determining region of SH2 domains are weak, and hence single SH2 domains show only a modest level of specificity for tyrosine phosphorylated targets. Greater specificity in SH2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphorylated target interactions can be achieved by placing SH2 domains in tandem (as is often found) or possibly through specific localization of SH2 domain-containing proteins within the cell. Although a relatively good understanding of how SH2 domains function in isolation has been obtained, the ways in which SH2 domain binding is coupled to allosteric transmission of signals in larger SH2 domain-containing proteins are still not clear. Hence, the future should bring further investigations of the mechanisms by which SH2 domain ligation alters the enzymatic activity and cellular localization of SH2 domain-containing proteins.

TC21 mediates transformation and cell survival via activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and NF-kappaB signaling pathway

The signaling pathways of TC21-mediated transformation and cell survival are not well-established. In this study, we have investigated the role of PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway in oncogenic-TC21-mediated transformation and cell survival. We found that oncogenic-TC21 stimulated the PI3-K activity. This was associated with the activation of Akt, a key component of PI3-K signaling pathway. We also found that TC21 interacted and formed complex with PI3-K. Mutations in the GTP-binding region of TC21, which enhanced GTP-binding potential of this protein, also stimulated its association with PI3-K, suggesting that PI3-K may preferentially interact with the GTP-bound form. Suppression of PI3-K and Akt by specific inhibitors LY294002 and Wortmannin reversed TC21-induced transformation. Likewise, inhibition of PI3-K activity by the PI3-K phosphotase PTEN reduced TC21-mediated focus formation in NIH3T3 cells. Investigation of TC21's effect on cell survival revealed that mutant-TC21 expressing cells were more resistant to etoposide- and cisplatin-induced cell death, and this was associated with the activation of anti-apoptotic protein NF-kappaB, a downstream target of Akt. Treatment of PI3-K inhibitor LY294002 significantly suppressed TC21-mediated NF-kappaB activation. In conclusion, we have identified PI3-K as an effector of TC21 and demonstrated that the PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway plays important roles in TC21-mediated transformation and cell survival.

Astrocytes give rise to oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas after gene transfer of polyoma virus middle T antigen in vivo

The cells of origin for oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas are not known but are presumed to be oligodendrocyte and astrocyte precursors, respectively. In this paper we report the generation of mixed gliomas from in vivo transformation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells (differentiated astrocytes) with polyoma virus middle T antigen (MTA). MTA is a powerful oncogene that activates a number of signal transduction pathways, including those proposed to be involved in gliomagenesis, and has been shown to induce tumors in many cell types. We have achieved transfer of MTA expression specifically to GFAP(+) cells in vivo using somatic cell gene transfer, and find resultant formation of anaplastic gliomas with mixed astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma morphological features. We conclude that GFAP- expressing astrocytes, with appropriate signaling abnormalities, can serve as the cell of origin for oligodendrogliomas, astrocytomas, or mixed gliomas.

Deletion of proline-rich domain in polyomavirus T antigens results in virus partially defective in transformation and tumorigenesis

Polyomavirus productively infects mouse cells, transforms rat fibroblasts in culture, and induces a broad spectrum of tumors when inoculated into newborn mice. The expression of large, middle, and small T antigen are necessary for virus growth and oncogenic transformation. We have generated a small deletion in a region common to both large and middle T antigen that encodes three consecutive prolines. In this report we characterize this mutant virus in terms of its ability to replicate in mouse cells, transform rat fibroblasts, and induce tumors in the mouse. We find that the virus immortalizes primary cells and that viral DNA replication is not impaired, indicating that these functions of large T antigen are not altered. However, the ability of the virus to transform rat fibroblasts is defective. The mutant virus makes fewer foci and the foci are weaker in appearance. The mutant middle T still associates with PI 3-kinase and shc, suggesting that the overall structure of the protein has not been disrupted. When inoculated into newborn C3H mice, the mutant virus induces fewer overall tumors with a longer latency than wild-type virus. These results indicate that this proline-rich domain in middle T antigen is important for oncogenesis in a wide variety of tissues and cell types.

Polyoma middle T antigen in HL-60 cells accelerates hematopoietic myeloid and monocytic cell differentiation

Expression of the polyoma virus middle T antigen in HL-60 cells accelerates their differentiation in response to both monocytic and granulocytic differentiation-inducing agents. Middle T-expressing cells treated with the granulocytic inducer retinoic acid or the monocytic inducer 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 differentiated 24 h earlier than parental, mock-electroporated, or vector control cell lines. The rapid onset of differentiation correlated with an increase in the cellular level of the middle T protein as well as two known retinoic-acid-inducible markers in HL-60 cells: the paxillin and transglutaminase gene products. The accelerated functional differentiation response and expression of retinoic-acid-inducible markers indicate that middle T played a causal role in differentiation. Thus, expression of the polyoma middle T antigen in HL-60 cells enhanced a variety of molecular changes associated with cellular differentiation.

The elevation of cellular phosphatidic acid levels caused by polyomavirus transformation can be disassociated from the activation of phospholipase D

Middle T (mT), the oncogene of murine polyomavirus, causes transformation of rat fibroblasts by activating a number of signal transducing pathways usually used by polypeptide growth factors and their receptors. Here, we report data regarding the activation of signal transducing pathways involving phospholipase D (PL-D). The hydrolysis of phospholipids by PL-D produces phosphatidic acid (PA), a compound with multiple biological effects. The PA content of cells expressing wild-type mT, introduced via a number of different methods, is approximately 50% higher than their untransformed counterparts. This increase in cellular PA content is associated with an approximately 65% increase in PL-D activity in cells expressing wild-type mT. We have also examined the effects of a number of site-directed mutants of mT, on both cellular PA levels and on PL-D activity. Mutants that do not produce mT (Py808A) or that produce a truncated, nonmembrane bound mT (Py1387T) have PA levels similar to that of control cells. Cells expressing the 322YF mutant of mT (which abolishes interaction of mT with phospholipase C gamma1) show increases in both PA levels and PL-D activity that are similar to those seen with wild-type mT. Expression of mutants that abolish the interaction of mT with either shc or with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (250YS and 315YF, respectively) cause an increase in PL-D activity comparable to that seen with wild-type mT. However, the PA content of cells expressing these mutants is not elevated. These results suggest that mT causes activation of cellular PL-D, but this activation alone is not sufficient to cause an increase in cellular PA content. Therefore, wild-type mT must affect another, as yet unknown, step in PA metabolism.

Oncogenic H-ras stimulates tumor angiogenesis by two distinct pathways

The switch from a quiescent tumor to an invasive tumor is accompanied by the acquisition of angiogenic properties. This phenotypic change likely requires a change in the balance of angiogenic stimulators and angiogenic inhibitors. The nature of the angiogenic switch is not known. Here, we show that introduction of activated H-ras into immortalized endothelial cells is capable of activating the angiogenic switch. Angiogenic switching is accompanied by up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) bioactivity and downregulation of tissue inhibitor of MMP. Furthermore, we show that inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase leads to partial inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, thus demonstrating that activated H-ras activates tumor angiogenesis through two distinct pathways. Finally, we show evidence for two forms of tumor dormancy.

A novel link between integrins, transmembrane-4 superfamily proteins (CD63 and CD81), and phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase

Enzymatic and immunochemical assays show a phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase in novel and specific complexes with proteins (CD63 and CD81) of the transmembrane 4 superfamily (TM4SF) and an integrin (alpha3beta1). The size (55 kDa) and other properties of the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI 4-K) (stimulated by nonionic detergent, inhibited by adenosine, inhibited by monoclonal antibody 4CG5) are consistent with PI 4-K type II. Not only was PI 4-K associated with alpha3beta1-CD63 complexes in alpha3-transfected K562 cells, but also it could be co-purified from CD63 in untransfected K562 cells lacking alpha3beta1. Thus, TM4SF proteins may link PI 4-K activity to the alpha3beta1 integrin. The alpha5beta1 integrin, which does not associate with TM4SF proteins, was not associated with PI 4-K. Notably, alpha3beta1-CD63-CD81-PI 4-K complexes are located in focal complexes at the cell periphery rather than in focal adhesions. The novel linkage between integrins, transmembrane 4 proteins, and phosphoinositide signaling at the cell periphery may play a key role in cell motility and provides a signaling pathway distinct from conventional integrin signaling through focal adhesion kinase.

Role of protein kinase activity in apoptosis

The transmission of signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus involves a number of different pathways all of which have in common protein modification. The modification is primarily in the form of phosphorylation which leads to the activation of a series of protein kinases. It is now evident that these pathways are common to stimuli that lead to mitogenic and apoptotic responses. Even the same stimuli under different physiological conditions can cause either cell proliferation or apoptosis. Activation of specific protein kinases can in some circumstances protect against cell death, while in others it protects the cell against apoptosis. Some of the pathways involved lead to activation of transcription factors and the subsequent induction of genes involved in the process of cell death or proliferation. In other cases, such as for the tumour suppressor gene product p53, activation may be initiated both at the level of gene expression or through pre-existing proteins. Yet in others, while the initial steps in the pathway are ill-defined, it is clear that downstream activation of a series of cystein proteases is instrumental in pushing the cell towards apoptosis. In this report we review the involvement of protein kinases at several different levels in the control of cell behaviour.

Controlled overexpression of selected domains of the P85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase reverts v-Ha-Ras transformation

Selected domains of the regulatory p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase have been expressed under the control of the tetracycline transactivator in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts transformed by the v-Ha-Ras oncogene. The domains expressed were the SH3 domain, the BCR homology domain, the region between the two SH2 domains which contains the p110 binding site (the inter SH2 (IS) domain), and the C-terminal (CT) domain (containing both SH2 domains and the IS domain). The levels of IS or SH3 domain expressed in the presence of tetracycline were sufficient to reverse the transforming effects of v-Ha-Ras, and no further inhibition of proliferation was observed when expression was increased 7-fold by removal of tetracycline. In contrast inhibition of proliferation by the CT domain was observed only when the level of expression was increased 5-fold by removal of tetracycline. Overexpression of the BCR domain of p85 had no effect on v-Ha-Ras transformation. Expression of the IS domain disrupted the interaction of the p85 regulatory subunit with the p110 catalytic subunit. These results indicate that the association of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase with the p110 subunit is necessary for v-Ha-Ras-induced transformation in NIH 3T3 cells.

Crystal structure of the PI 3-kinase p85 amino-terminal SH2 domain and its phosphopeptide complexes

Crystal structures of the amino-terminal SH2 domain of the p85alpha subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, alone and in complex with phosphopeptides bearing pTyr-Met/Val-Xaa-Met motifs, show that phosphopeptides bind in the two-pronged manner seen in high-affinity Lck and Src SH2 complexes, with conserved interactions between the domain and the peptide segment from phosphotyrosine to Met+3. Peptide binding requires the rearrangement of a tyrosyl side chain in the BG loop to create the hydrophobic Met+3 binding pocket. The structures suggest a mechanism for the biological specificity exhibited by PI 3-kinase in its interactions with phosphoprotein partners.

Anti-tumor activity of cytokines against opportunistic vascular tumors in mice

Polyoma middle T (PmT)-transformed endothelial cells may represent a unique murine model for human opportunistic vascular tumors. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-tumor potential of a panel of 13 cytokines against murine PmT-transformed endothelial cells. Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta1) substantially decreased in a dose-dependent manner the proliferation of a panel of 6 PmT-transformed cell lines. IFNalpha and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNFalpha) had marginal anti-proliferative activity, whereas other molecules (interleukins-1, -2, -4, -6 and -13, IFNbeta, leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) caused no growth inhibition. IFNgamma and TGFbeta1 were therefore selected for further analysis of their mechanism of action and in vivo relevance. IFNgamma and TGFbeta1 reduced the activity of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and the production of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-biphosphate, without modifying the tyrosine kinase(s) activity associated with PmT. IFNgamma and TGFbeta1 were also tested for their ability to modify the in vivo growth of the PmT-transformed endothelial cells H5V in syngeneic C57B1/6 mice. Treatment with IFNnu and TGFbeta1 significantly delayed tumor growth and increased survival time. In contrast, treatment with IFNalpha and TNFalpha failed to prolong survival. In nude mice, IFNgamma and TGFbeta1 had a transient effect on tumor growth but no effect on survival, suggesting a contribution of T cells to the in vivo anti-tumor activity of these cytokines.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe Vps34p, a phosphatidylinositol-specific PI 3-kinase essential for normal cell growth and vacuole morphology

We have cloned the gene, vps34+, from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe which encodes an 801 amino acid protein with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. The S. pombe Vps34 protein shares 43% amino acid sequence identity with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Vps34 protein and 28% identity with the p110 catalytic subunit of the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. When the vps34+ gene is disrupted, S.pombe strains are temperature-sensitive for growth and the mutant cells contain enlarged vacuoles. Furthermore, while wild-type strains exhibit substantial levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, this activity is not detected in the vps34 delta strain. S.pombe Vps34p-specific antiserum detects a single protein in cells of -90 kDa that fractionates almost exclusively with the crude membrane fraction. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity also is localized mainly in the membrane fraction of wild-type cells. Immunoisolated Vps34p specifically phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol on the D-3 position of the inositol ring to yield phosphatidylinositol(3)phosphate. but does not utilize phosphatidylinositol(4)phosphate or phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate as substrates. In addition, when compared to the mammalian p110 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, S. pombe Vps34p is relatively insensitive to the inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. Together, these results indicate that S. pombe Vps34 is more similar to the phosphatidylinositol-specific 3-kinase, Vps34p from S. cerevisiae, and is distinct from the p110/p85 and G protein-coupled phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases from mammalian cells. These data are discussed in relation to the possible role of Vps34p in vesicle-mediated protein sorting to the S. pombe vacuole.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase binds constitutively to alpha/beta-tubulin and binds to gamma-tubulin in response to insulin

Recently we reported the localization of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) by immunofluorescence to microtubule bundles and the centrosome (Kapeller, R., Chakrabarti, R., Cantley, L., Fay, F., and Corvera, S. (1993) Mol. Cell. Biol. 13, 6052-6063). In complementary experiments we used the recombinant p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase to identify proteins that associate with phosphoinositide 3-kinase and found that phosphoinositide 3-kinase associates with alpha/beta-tubulin. The association occurs in vivo but was not significantly affected by growth factor stimulation. We localized the region of p85 that interacts with alpha/beta-tubulin to the inter-SH2 domain. These results support the immunofluorescence data and show that p85 directly associates with alpha/beta-tubulin. We then determined whether phosphoinositide 3-kinase associates with gamma-tubulin. We found a dramatic growth factor-dependent association of phosphoinositide 3-kinase with gamma-tubulin. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase associates with gamma-tubulin in response to insulin and, to a lesser extent, in response to platelet-derived growth factor. Neither epidermal growth factor nor nerve growth factor treatment of cells results in association of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and gamma-tubulin. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase is also immunoprecipitated with antibodies to pericentrin in response to insulin, indicating that phosphoinositide 3-kinase is recruited to the centrosome. Neither phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity, nor intact microtubules are necessary for the association. Treatment of cells with 0.5 M NaCl dissociates gamma-tubulin from the centrosome and disrupts the association of phosphoinositide 3-kinase with pericentrin, but not gamma-tubulin. Recombinant p85 binds to gamma-tubulin from both insulin stimulated and quiescent cells. These results suggest that the association of phosphoinositide 3-kinase with gamma-tubulin is direct. These data suggest that phosphoinositide 3-kinase may be involved in regulating microtubule responses to insulin and platelet-derived growth factor.

Rho family GTPases bind to phosphoinositide kinases

Rho family GTPases appear to play an important role in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, but the mechanism of regulation is unknown. Since phosphoinositide 3-kinase and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate have also been implicated in actin reorganization, we investigated the possibility that Rho family members interact with phosphoinositide kinases. We found that both GTP- and GDP-bound Rac1 associate with phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase in vitro and in vivo. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase also bound to Rac1 and Cdc42Hs, and these interactions were GTP-dependent. Stimulation of Swiss 3T3 cells with platelet-derived growth factor induced the association of PI 3-kinase with Rac in immunoprecipitates. PI 3-kinase activity was also detected in Cdc42 immunoprecipitates from COS7 cells. These results suggest that phosphoinositide kinases are involved in Rho family signal transduction pathways and raise the possibility that the effects of Rho family members on the actin cytoskeleton are mediated in part by phosphoinositide kinases.

Polyoma virus middle T antigen: meddler or mimic?

Polyoma virus middle T antigen duplicates the actions of growth-factor receptors in binding the signalling molecules phosphatidylinositol 3'-OH kinase and Shc. These properties indicate that middle T is mitogenic and may be required to overcome inhibition of DNA replication during the lytic life cycle of the virus.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Currently, a central question in biology is how signals from the cell surface modulate intracellular processes. In recent years phosphoinositides have been shown to play a key role in signal transduction. Two phosphoinositide pathways have been characterized, to date. In the canonical phosphoinositide turnover pathway, activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C results in the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and the generation of two second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. The 3-phosphoinositide pathway involves protein-tyrosine kinase-mediated recruitment and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, resulting in the production of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. The 3-phosphoinositides are not substrates of any known phospholipase C, are not components of the canonical phosphoinositide turnover pathway, and may themselves act as intracellular mediators. The 3-phosphoinositide pathway has been implicated in growth factor-dependent mitogenesis, membrane ruffling and glucose uptake. Furthermore the homology of the yeast vps34 with the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase has suggested a role for this pathway in vesicular trafficking. In this review the different mechanisms employed by protein-tyrosine kinases to activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and its involvement in the signaling cascade initiated by tyrosine phosphorylation, are examined.

Transformation by polyoma virus middle T-antigen involves the binding and tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc

Polyoma virus middle T-antigen converts normal fibroblasts to a fully transformed, tumorigenic phenotype. It achieves this, at least in part, by binding and activating one of the non-receptor tyrosine kinases, pp60c-src, pp62c-yes or pp59c-fyn (reviewed in refs 2 and 3). As a result, middle T-antigen itself is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues, one of which (Tyr 315) acts as a binding site for the SH2 domains of phosphatidylinositol-3'OH kinase 85K subunit. Here we show that another tyrosine phosphorylation site in middle T-antigen (Tyr 250; refs 4, 5) acts as a binding region for the SH2 domain of the transforming protein Shc. This results in Shc also becoming tyrosine-phosphorylated and binding to the SH2 domain of Grb2 (ref. 10). This probably stimulates p21ras activity through the mammalian homologue of the Drosophila guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor Sos (reviewed in ref. 11). We suggest that middle T-antigen transforms cells by acting as a functional homologue of an activated tyrosine kinase-associated growth-factor receptor.

Platelet-derived growth factor induces phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase release from the middle T-pp60c-src complex and association with the platelet-derived growth factor receptor

Both platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) induce mitogenesis in normal rat kidney (NRK) fibroblasts transformed by the polyoma virus middle T (pmt) oncogene. In unstimulated pmt-NRK cells phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase forms a complex with the middle T protein and pp60c-src. PDGF treatment causes a release of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity from the complex and a simultaneous increase in activity associated with the PDGF receptor. In contrast after treatment with EGF the majority of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity remains associated with the middle T-pp60c-src complex. Proliferation of NRK fibroblasts transformed by the v-src oncogene is already maximal, and no further stimulation is observed with either PDGF or EGF. Neither growth factor induces dissociation of the complex between phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and pp60v-src. These observations suggest that the complex between phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the middle T protein and pp60c-src is dissociable, and that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase plays different roles in mitogenic signal transduction by the PDGF and EGF receptors.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85 SH2 domain specificity defined by direct phosphopeptide/SH2 domain binding

We have developed a competition binding assay to quantify relative affinities of isolated Src-homology 2 (SH2) domains for phosphopeptide sequences. Eleven synthetic 11-12-amino acid phosphopeptides containing YMXM or YVXM recognition motifs bound to a PI 3-kinase p85 SH2 domain with highest affinities, including sequences surrounding phosphorylated tyrosines of the PDGF, CSF-1/c-Fms, and kit-encoded receptors, IRS-1, and polyoma middle T antigens; matched, unphosphorylated sequences did not bind. A scrambled YMXM phosphopeptide or sequences corresponding to the GAP or PLC-gamma SH2 domain binding motifs of the PDGF, FGF, and EGF receptors bound to the p85 SH2 domain with 30-100-fold reduced affinity, indicating that this affinity range confers specificity. Binding specificity was appropriately reversed with an SH2 domain from PLC-gamma: a phosphopeptide corresponding to the site surrounding PDGF receptor Tyr1021 binds with approximately 40-fold higher affinity than a YMXM-phosphopeptide. We conclude that essential features of specific phosphoprotein/SH2 domain interactions can be reconstituted using truncated versions of both the phosphoprotein (a phosphopeptide) and cognate SH2 domain-containing protein (the SH2 domain). SH2 domain binding specificity results from differences in affinity conferred by the linear sequence surrounding phosphotyrosine.

Recognition of a high-affinity phosphotyrosyl peptide by the Src homology-2 domain of p56lck

The Src homology-2 (SH2) domains are modules of about 100 amino-acid residues that are found in many intracellular signal-transduction proteins. They bind phosphotyrosine-containing sequences with high affinity and specificity, recognizing phosphotyrosine in the context of the immediately adjacent polypeptide sequence. The protein p56lck (Lck) is a Src-like, lymphocyte-specific tyrosine kinase. A phosphopeptide library screen has recently been used to deduce an 'optimal' binding sequence for the Lck SH2 domain. There is selectivity for the residues Glu, Glu and Ile in the three positions C-terminal to the phosphotyrosine. An 11-residue phosphopeptide derived from the hamster polyoma middle-T antigen, EPQpYEEIPIYL, binds with an approximately 1 nM dissociation constant to the Lck SH2 (ref. 17), an affinity equivalent to that of the tightest known SH2-phosphopeptide complex. We report here the high-resolution crystallographic analysis of the Lck SH2 domain in complex with this phosphopeptide. Recent crystallographically derived structures of the Src SH2 domain in complex with low-affinity peptides, which do not contain the EEI consensus, and NMR-derived structures of unliganded Abl (ref. 19) and p85 (ref. 20) SH2 domains have revealed the conserved fold of the SH2 domain and the properties of a phosphotyrosine binding pocket. Our high-affinity complex shows the presence of a second pocket for the residue (pY + 3) three positions C-terminal to the phosphotyrosine (pY). The peptide is anchored by insertion of the pY and pY + 3 side chains into their pockets and by a network of hydrogen bonds to the peptide main chain. In the low-affinity phosphopeptide/Src complexes, the pY + 3 residues do not insert into the homologous binding pocket and the peptide main chain remains displaced from the surface of the domain.