Association of the erythropoietin receptor with protein tyrosine kinase activity

Role of c-Kit and erythropoietin receptor in erythropoiesis

Erythropoiesis is regulated by a number of growth factors, among which stem cell factor (SCF) and erythropoietin (Epo) play a non-redundant function. Viable mice with mutations in the SCF gene (encoded by the Steel (Sl) locus), or its receptor gene c-Kit (encoded by the White spotting (W) locus) develop a hypoplastic macrocytic anemia. Mutants of W or Sl that are completely devoid of c-Kit or SCF expression die in utero of anemia between days 14 and 16 of gestation and contain reduced numbers of erythroid progenitors in the fetal liver. Likewise, Epo and Epo receptor (Epo-R)-deficient mice die in utero due to a marked reduction in the number of committed fetal liver derived erythroid progenitors. Thus, committed erythroid progenitors require both c-Kit and Epo-R signal transduction pathways for their survival, proliferation and differentiation. In vitro, Epo alone is capable of generating mature erythroid progenitors; however, a combined treatment of Epo and SCF results in synergistic proliferation and expansion of developing erythroid progenitors. This review summarizes recent advances made towards understanding the signaling mechanisms by which Epo-R and c-Kit regulate growth, survival, and differentiation of erythroid progenitors alone and cooperatively.

Erythropoietin

Maintenance of the red cell volume is a fundamental aspect of ensuring oxygen supply to the tissues. The balance between the very dynamic processes of erythropoiesis and erythrocyte loss is precarious and yet normal individuals experience a remarkably constant haematocrit. This is achieved by a very elegant and sensitive homeostatic mechanism which links tissue oxygen delivery to red cell production. The glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin (EPO) is the principle controller of this process. It is now clear that even minor underproduction of EPO will result in anaemia. The most widespread example of this is the anaemia of end-stage renal failure. The pharmacological use of recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) in this setting is now well established and has had a dramatic impact on the quality of life of patients with renal disease. With the more widespread use of EPO in other clinical conditions and the advent of novel therapeutic approaches, this is an opportune moment to review the physiology and patho-physiology of this fascinating and essential hormone.

Identification of a glialblastoma cell differentiation factor-related gene mRNA in human microvascular endothelial cells

Vascular endothelial cells (VEC) transduce mitogenic and chemoattractant signals in response to erythropoietin (Epo). An analysis of changes in gene expression in VEC would be helpful to understanding the molecular nature of mitogenic signals. An effective method for analysis of gene expression is through differential display. Using this approach, we obtained from Epo-treated human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) a cDNA fragment with characteristics of the 3'end of mRNA. Using the cDNA fragment, we then isolated a full-length clone from a HMVEC cDNA library. The cDNA of interest encodes a protein consisting of 404 amino acids with a carboxy-terminal end sequence identical to glialblastoma cell differentiation factor-related protein (GBDR1). Northern blot analysis showed that GBDR1 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. In Southern blot analysis, GBDR1 cDNA identified a single gene on chromosome 9. Since analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed several putative phosphorylation sites for different protein kinases, the GBDR1 protein was expressed and purified from bacterial extracts and, as predicted, casein kinase II phosphorylated GBDR1 in vitro. Immunofluorescence and biochemical data revealed that the GBDR1 protein is not entirely localized in the cytosolic fraction, suggesting that it may interact with another protein(s). These findings demonstrate that GBDR1 is an intracellular signaling molecule that may play a role in the regulation of endothelial cell growth.

Virocrine transformation: the intersection between viral transforming proteins and cellular signal transduction pathways

This review describes a mechanism of viral transformation involving activation of cellular signaling pathways. We focus on four viral oncoproteins: the E5 protein of bovine papillomavirus, which activates the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor; gp55 of spleen focus forming virus, which activates the erythropoietin receptor; polyoma virus middle T antigen, which resembles an activated receptor tyrosine kinase; and LMP-1 of Epstein-Barr virus, which mimics an activated tumor necrosis factor receptor. These examples indicate that diverse viruses induce cell transformation by activating cellular signal transduction pathways. Study of this mechanism of viral transformation will provide new insights into viral tumorigenesis and cellular signal transduction.

Deregulation of erythropoiesis by the Friend spleen focus-forming virus

The proliferation and differentiation of erythroid cells is a highly regulated process that is controlled primarily at the level of interaction of erythropoietin (Epo) with its specific cell surface receptor (EpoR). However, this process is deregulated in mice infected with the Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV). Unlike normal erythroid cells, erythroid cells from SFFV-infected mice are able to proliferate and differentiate in the absence of Epo, resulting in erythroid hyperplasia and leukemia. Over the past 20 years, studies have been carried out to identify the viral genes responsible for the pathogenicity of SFFV and to understand how expression of these genes leads to the deregulation of erythropoiesis in infected animals. The studies have revealed that SFFV encodes a unique envelope glycoprotein which interacts specifically with the EpoR at the cell surface, resulting in activation of the receptor and subsequent activation of erythroid signal transduction pathways. This leads to the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells in the absence of Epo. Although the precise mechanism by which the viral protein activates the EpoR is not yet known, it has been proposed that it causes dimerization of the receptor, resulting in constitutive activation of Epo signal transduction pathways. While interaction of the SFFV envelope glycoprotein with the EpoR leads to Epo-independent erythroid hyperplasia, this is not sufficient to transform these cells. Transformation requires the viral activation of the cellular gene Sfpi-1, whose product is thought to block erythroid cell differentiation. By understanding how SFFV can deregulate erythropoiesis, we may gain insights into the causes and treatment of related diseases in man.

The making of an erythroid cell. Molecular control of hematopoiesis

The number of circulating red cells is regulated by the daily balance between two processes: the destruction of the old red cells in the liver and the generation of new cells in the bone marrow. The process during which hematopoietic stem cells generate new red cells is called erythropoiesis. This manuscript will describe the molecular mechanisms involved in the process of erythroid differentiation as we understand them today. In particular it will review how erythroid specific growth factor-receptor interactions activate specific transcription factors to turn on the expression of the genes responsible for the establishment of the erythroid phenotype.

The role of tyrosine phosphorylation in proliferation and maturation of erythroid progenitor cells--signals emanating from the erythropoietin receptor

Red blood cells arise continuously from pluripotent stem cells which mature and become functionally specialized upon commitment to the erythroid lineage. In mammals, the key regulator of this process is the hormone erythropoietin (EPO). Hormone binding to the cognate receptor, the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R), causes receptor homodimerization and transiently triggers tyrosine phosphorylation within target cells. Although the EPO-R lacks intrinsic enzymatic activity it couples, presumably sequentially, to the protein tyrosine kinase receptor c-KIT and the cytosolic protein tyrosine kinase JAK2. Signaling through the EPO-R is promoted by tyrosine phosphorylation of the cytosolic domain and the recruitment of secondary signaling molecules such as the lipid kinase inositolphospholipid 3-kinase (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) and protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 to the activated receptor. Complex formation of the activated EPO-R with the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 terminates signaling. In primary fetal liver cells redundant signals emanating from phosphotyrosine residues in the EPO-R support formation of erythroid colonies in vitro. However, since the last tyrosine residue in the cytosolic domain of the EPO-R, Y479, uniquely supports in the absence of other tyrosine residues an almost normal level of colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) colony formation, Y479 represents one of the key residues required in vivo for erythroid proliferation and differentiation. The signal emanating from Y479 involves sequential EPO-induced recruitment of phosphoinositol lipid 3-kinase to the EPO-R and activation of mitogen-activated-protein(MAP)kinase activity. The MAP-kinase signaling cascade could serve as an intracellular switch integrating signals mediated by several phosphotyrosine residues in the cytosolic domain of the EPO-R and provide a possible explanation for partial redundancy in signaling.

Phosphorylation of erythropoietin receptors in the endoplasmic reticulum by pervanadate-mediated inhibition of tyrosine phosphatases

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the major hormone regulating the proliferation of erythroid precursors and their differentiation into erythrocytes. Ligand binding to the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R), a member of the cytokine receptor family, triggers Tyr phosphorylation of the surface form of the receptor, presumably mediated by the Janus kinase (JAK) 2. To study whether non-surface EPO-R can be phosphorylated, Ba/F3 cells stably transfected with EPO-R were treated with pervanadate (PV), which is widely used as a potent tool to inhibit cellular protein Tyr phosphatases, thus resulting in enhanced Tyr phosphorylation of cellular proteins. PV treatment caused the EPO-R to undergo Tyr phosphorylation in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. PV-mediated Tyr phosphorylation of EPO-R occurred at several intracellular sites including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), because both endoglycosidase H (endo H)-resistant EPO-R and the ER-retained EPO-R mutant (DeltaWS1 EPO-R) were Tyr phosphorylated in response to PV. Moreover, in metabolic labelling experiments, endo H-sensitive EPO-R was also phosphorylated. The phosphorylated fraction accounted for only 30-50% of the newly synthesized EPO-R, the fraction that normally exits from the ER. Tyr phosphorylation could not be detected on proteolytic fragments of the EPO-R, suggesting that this is a highly regulated process. Unlike the wild-type (wt) EPO-R, which was phosphorylated both on EPO binding and after inhibition of Tyr phosphatases by PV treatment, an EPO-R mutant (W282R EPO-R) that does not activate JAK2 was phosphorylated after PV treatment but not by EPO binding. Both EPO-R and JAK2 were phosphorylated with similar kinetics by PV treatment, suggesting that JAK2, as well as protein Tyr kinases different from JAK2, might mediate PV-dependent EPO-R phosphorylation. Furthermore the Tyr-phosphorylated ER-retained EPO-R mutant DeltaWS1 co-immunoprecipitated with JAK2 kinase, indicating that the EPO-R might interact with JAK2 while in the ER.

A chimeric receptor/oncogene that can be regulated by a ligand in vitro and in vivo

The BCR/ABL oncogene encodes an activated tyrosine kinase that causes human chronic myelogenous leukemia. The mechanism of transformation, however, is complex and not well understood. One of the important contributions of BCR to transformation is believed to be dimerization or oligomerization of ABL, thereby activating ABL tyrosine kinase activity. We reasoned that if ABL was dimerized through other mechanisms, activation of the tyrosine kinase activity should also result, and the activated kinase may also be transforming. Erythropoietin is known to activate its receptor by causing dimerization, and therefore a synthetic oncogene was created by linking the extracytoplasmic and transmembrane domains of the EPO receptor with c-ABL. This chimeric receptor was stably expressed in Ba/F3 cells and, in the absence of EPO, had no detectable biological effect on the cells. EPO, however, induced a rapid, dose-dependent activation of ABL tyrosine kinase activity and phosphorylation of several cellular proteins. The major target proteins have been identified, and are very similar to the known substrates of BCR/ABL, including Shc, CBL, CRKL, and several proteins in the cytoskeleton. EPO treatment also resulted in biological effects that were remarkably similar to those of BCR/ABL, including improved viability, altered integrin function, and a weak mitogenic signal. The biological effects were in part dose-dependent, in that low EPO concentrations enhanced viability but did not cause proliferation. At high EPO doses, kinase activation was maximal, and a mitogenic effect was also revealed. In nude mice, Ba/F3 cells expressing this chimeric receptor did not cause detectable disease without administration of pharmacologic doses of EPO. If EPO was given intraperitoneally 5 days a week, however, a dose-dependent lethal leukemia resulted. This ligand-regulatable oncogene mimics some of the biological effects of BCR/ABL, and analysis of ABL mutants in this system will be useful to dissect the signaling pathways that cause CML.

Erythropoietin-Induced Activation of STAT5 Is Impaired in the Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have ineffective in vivo and in vitro erythropoiesis, characterized by an impaired response to erythropoietin (Epo). We examined proliferation and maturation of MDS marrow cells in response to Epo in more detail. Epo-dependent DNA synthesis as well as induction of GATA-1 binding activity in marrow cells from 15 MDS cases were severely reduced as compared with normal bone marrow (NBM). Additionally, the appearance of morphologically identifiable erythroid cells was decreased in MDS cell cultures. These data indicate that both the Epo-dependent proliferation as well as the differentiation induction by Epo is suppressed. To study more upstream events of the Epo signal transduction route we investigated activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5. In all 15 MDS samples tested, STAT5 activation was absent or greatly suppressed in response to Epo. In contrast, interleukin-3 induced a normal STAT5 response in MDS cells. Further, in MDS the subset of CD71+ BM cells that is phenotypically similar to Epo-responsive cells in normal marrow, was present. We conclude that the Epo response in MDS is disturbed at an early point in the Epo receptor (EpoR) signal transduction pathway.

Erythropoietin-Induced Activation of STAT5 Is Impaired in the Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have ineffective in vivo and in vitro erythropoiesis, characterized by an impaired response to erythropoietin (Epo). We examined proliferation and maturation of MDS marrow cells in response to Epo in more detail. Epo-dependent DNA synthesis as well as induction of GATA-1 binding activity in marrow cells from 15 MDS cases were severely reduced as compared with normal bone marrow (NBM). Additionally, the appearance of morphologically identifiable erythroid cells was decreased in MDS cell cultures. These data indicate that both the Epo-dependent proliferation as well as the differentiation induction by Epo is suppressed. To study more upstream events of the Epo signal transduction route we investigated activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5. In all 15 MDS samples tested, STAT5 activation was absent or greatly suppressed in response to Epo. In contrast, interleukin-3 induced a normal STAT5 response in MDS cells. Further, in MDS the subset of CD71+ BM cells that is phenotypically similar to Epo-responsive cells in normal marrow, was present. We conclude that the Epo response in MDS is disturbed at an early point in the Epo receptor (EpoR) signal transduction pathway.

Signal transduction of erythropoietin in endothelial cells

Erythropoietin (EPO) induces endothelin expression in endothelial cells (EC) and has angiogenic effects. We investigated the intracellular signal transduction of EPO in EC and tested the hypothesis that the proliferative effects of EPO may be mediated by cytosolic calcium, changes in intracellular pH, or tyrosine phosphorylation. Cytosolic calcium and pH were measured with fura-2 and BCECF. Protein phosphorylation was assessed with 32P-labeled EC and two-dimensional (2D) gel chromatography. Tyrosine phosphorylation was measured using specific antityrosine antibodies and confocal microscopy. Proliferation was measured by thymidine incorporation and cell count. No effects of EPO on cytosolic calcium and pH were observed. In contrast, erythropoietin increased phosphorylation of 94, 70, 42, 40, 29 and 25 kDa proteins at five minutes and 60 minutes. Most of the early proteins were tyrosine phosphorylated. Confocal microscopy showed cytosolic as well as membrane-bound tyrosine phosphorylation in resting cells and an EPO-induced translocation of immunoreactivity to the nucleus. Immunostaining for the transcription factor STAT-5 showed that EPO induced a nuclear translocation of STAT-5. EPO 0.5, 2, and 4 U/ml increased proliferation, an effect that was prevented by incubation with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. We conclude that EPO induces proliferation in EC initially via tyrosine phosphorylation of six distinct proteins, and that the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor STAT-5 is important for the effects of EPO on EC.

Disrupted signaling in a mutant J2E cell line that shows enhanced viability, but does not proliferate or differentiate, with erythropoietin

The immature erythroid J2E cell line proliferates and terminally differentiates following erythropoietin stimulation. In contrast, the mutant J2E-NR clone does not respond to erythropoietin by either proliferating or differentiating. Here we show that erythropoietin can act as a viability factor for both the J2E and J2E-NR lines, indicating that erythropoietin-initiated maturation is separable from the prevention of cell death. The inability of J2E-NR cells to mature in response to erythropoietin was not due to a defect in the erythropoietin receptor sequence, although surface receptor numbers were reduced. Both the receptor and Janus kinase 2 were phosphorylated after erythropoietin stimulation of J2E-NR cells. However, protein interactions with the erythropoietin receptor and Grb2 were restricted in the mutant cells. Subsequent investigation of several other signaling molecules exposed numerous alterations in J2E-NR cells; phosphorylation changes to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, phospholipase Cgamma, p120 GAP, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (p42 and p44) observed in erythropoietin-stimulated J2E cells were not seen in the J2E-NR line. These data indicate that some pathways activated during erythropoietin-induced differentiation may not be essential for the prevention of apoptosis.

Erythropoietin-induced recruitment of Shc via a receptor phosphotyrosine-independent, Jak2-associated pathway

Based on the recently implicated role of Shc as a signaling effector for type I cytokine receptors, factors which mediate the recruitment and phosphorylation of Shc in the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) system have been studied. FDC-P1 cells stably expressing the wild type murine EPOR supported the EPO-induced association of Shc with Jak2 and its rapid tyrosine phosphorylation. However, this did not depend upon the presence of phosphotyrosine sites within the EPOR and was mediated by a mitogenically deficient receptor form (EPOR329) lacking cytoplasmic tyrosine residues. This was shown both by Western blotting of Shc and Jak2 co-immunoprecipitates and through the development of an in vitro assay for cytokine-induced Shc phosphorylation. The direct association of Shc with Jak2 also was observed and was shown to depend upon EPO-exposure and the SH2 subdomain of Shc. Together, these studies indicate that Jak2, in part, may mediate the EPO-induced phosphorylation of Shc.

Reduced activation of RAF-1 and MAP kinase by a fibroblast growth factor receptor mutant deficient in stimulation of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis

Signaling via the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1, flg) was analyzed in Ba/F3 hematopoietic cells expressing either wild-type or a mutant FGF receptor (Y766F) unable to activate phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) and stimulate phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis. Stimulation of cells expressing wild-type or mutant FGFR with acidic FGF (aFGF) caused similar activation of Ras. However, an approximately 3-fold reduced activation of Raf-1 and MAP kinase was observed in aFGF-stimulated cells expressing mutant receptors as compared to cells expressing wild-type FGF receptors. Comparison of phosphopeptide maps of Raf-1 immunoprecipitated from the two cell types activated by either aFGF or the phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) suggests that Raf-1 is phosphorylated by both Ras-dependent and PLC-gamma-dependent mechanisms. In spite of the differential effect on Raf-1 and MAP kinase activation, aFGF stimulated similar proliferation of cells expressing wild-type or mutant receptors indicating that Ras-dependent activation of Raf-1 and MAP kinase is sufficient for transduction of FGFR mitogenic signals. Ras may also activate signal transduction pathways that are complementary or parallel to the MAP kinase pathway to stimulate cell proliferation.

Phosphorylation of a Fes-related protein in response to granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor

Previous work has suggested that a 97-kDa protein (p97) is involved in the signal transduction pathway of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as well as interleukin 3, erythropoietin, and interleukin 2. We have examined the relationship of p97 to the protein tyrosine kinase Fes in the GM-CSF signal transduction pathway in erythroid and myeloid cell lines. GM-CSF stimulation of three different cell lines induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p97 as well as a number of other phosphotyrosylproteins. Although each cell line expressed the proto-oncogene product Fes, antisera specific for Fes did not recognize p97 in immunoblotting experiments. Furthermore, immunodepletion of Fes did not reduce the amount of p97 in GM-CSF-treated cells. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated that p97 and Fes have similar charge to mass ratios, and limited proteolytic mapping of p97 and Fes suggested that these proteins may be related but are not identical. Our studies demonstrate that p97 is not Fes but is probably a Fes-related protein.

Stem cell factor induces phosphorylation of a 200 kDa protein which associates with c-kit

Stem cell factor (SCF) promotes limited proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and is potently synergistic in combination with growth factors such as granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin 3 (IL-3) or erythropoietin (Epo). We have examined tyrosine phosphorylation induced by SCF in the megakaryoblastic cell line Mo7e and found phosphorylation of proteins of 200, 145, 120, 58 and 55 kDa. The dominant phosphotyrosylproteins in SCF treated cells were 200 and 145 kDa. Our studies indicated that the 145 kDa protein was c-kit, the receptor for SCF. Subsequent work was directed towards further characterizing the 200 kDa protein. Surface labeling of Mo7e cells suggested that p200 had an extracellular domain and could be induced to associate with c-kit after stimulation with SCF. The rapid phosphorylation of p200 and its immediate association with c-kit suggest that p200 is potentially a component of the SCF signal transduction pathway.

Staurosporine restores signaling and inhibits interleukin-8-induced chemotactic desensitization

Interleukin 8 (IL-8) is a chemotactic cytokine (chemokine) that plays a key role in the accumulation and activation of neutrophils at inflammatory sites. In this report we demonstrate that homologous chemotactic desensitization occurs upon pretreatment of neutrophils with IL-8 or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and results in the inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis upon subsequent challenge with the same ligand. This homologous chemotactic desensitization could be prevented by pretreating the neutrophils with the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine, indicating that protein kinases may play an essential role. The attenuation of homologous desensitization by staurosporine restored chemotaxis but was not associated with a change in IL-8 receptor expression, affinity or the rate of ligand internalization, indicating that homologous desensitization does not alter ligand-receptor interaction. Using two-dimensional analysis we have shown that IL-8 induced a rapid serine/threonine phosphorylation of a number of neutrophil substrates the most prominent being phosphoprotein 39 (pp39), extracellular signal-related kinase-1, pp55 and pp66. Prior desensitization of neutrophils with IL-8 blocked all subsequent phosphorylation upon rechallenge with IL-8. However, the desensitization was specific for IL-8 since normal phosphorylation of identical substrates was observed in response to FMLP. When neutrophils were pretreated with staurosporine, prior to desensitization, phosphorylation of pp39 was observed upon restimulation with IL-8. Further study revealed that pp55 and pp66 were not phosphorylated in the presence of staurosporine. Thus, homologous desensitization of neutrophils in response to IL-8 does not result from changes in receptor expression, but rather from a staurosporine-sensitive inactivation of subsequent signal transduction. This desensitization is selective since the cells are able to respond to other ligands.

Activated Ki-Ras complements erythropoietin signaling in CTLL-2 cells, inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of a 160-kDa protein

We have previously shown that expression of erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) alone failed to confer EPO responsiveness on the interleukin 2-dependent T-cell line CTLL-2, whereas the introduction of the EPOR into interleukin 3-dependent pro-B-cell lines, such as BAF-B03, allowed the cells to proliferate in response to EPO. Here, we report that additional expression of v-Ki-Ras conferred EPO-dependent growth on CTLL-2 cells expressing the EPOR, with additional formation of a high-affinity EPOR. To investigate possible mechanisms of EPOR downstream signaling induced by v-Ki-Ras expression in these CTLL-2-derived cells, we carried out anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblot analysis of the EPOR complex immunoprecipitated with anti-EPOR antibody from lysates of cells with and without cytokine stimulation, revealing two 160-kDa and 130-kDa phosphotyrosyl proteins. An anti-JAK2 antibody did not react with these proteins, suggesting that they may represent cellular components involved in an EPO-EPOR signaling pathway induced by v-Ki-Ras. Similar phosphotyrosyl proteins were present among Friend erythroleukemia cell lines, in which the Friend virus gp55/EPOR complex on the cell surface constitutively sends signals for cell growth.

Erythropoietin increases the radioresistance of a clonal hematopoietic progenitor cell line expressing a transgene for the erythropoietin receptor

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a serum glycoprotein growth factor required for the survival, proliferation and differentiation of committed erythroid progenitor cells. In the present study, we sought to determine whether the action of Epo via its receptor is also implicated in the repair of radiation-induced cell damage. Overexpression of the Epo receptor (Epo-R) was achieved as a result of transfection of the 32D cl 3 clonal hematopoietic cell line. These clonal lines allowed us to investigate the effects of Epo on the radiation sensitivity in vitro of a clonal murine hematopoietic progenitor cell line. Low level expression of Epo-R on many hematopoietic cell types was thus circumvented. Ligand binding of Epo resulted in increased radioresistance of 32D cl 3 subclonal lines expressing the Epo-R transgene. The D0 of 32D Epo-R cells at 1.49 Gy/min was 1.33 Gy and n was 1.39. The D0 of parental clonal cell line 32D cl 3 cells at 1.49 Gy/min was 1.36 Gy and n was 1.39. In contrast, at the low dose rate of 0.0595 Gy/min, the D0 of 32D Epo-R cells was 2.0 Gy and n was 1.24, while parental clonal line 32D cl 3 showed a D0 of 1.35 Gy and n was 1.39. The increased radioresistance was statistically significant at low dose rate (p < 0.05). Combined exposure to Epo and interleukin 3 (IL-3) increased proliferation of 32D Epo-R cells but did not induce a detectable further increase in radioresistance. Temporal dissociation between growth factor-activated tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular substrates, and the radioprotective effect was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ligand-induced activation of chimeric receptors between the erythropoietin receptor and receptor tyrosine kinases

Ligand-induced dimerization is a key step in the activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, including the epidermal growth factor receptor, stem cell factor receptor (c-kit), and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (c-fms). The erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), a member of the cytokine receptor family, contains no kinase motif and its activation mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that chimeric receptors carrying the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor or c-kit linked to the cytoplasmic domain of the EPOR, transmitted epidermal growth factor or stem cell factor-dependent proliferation signals in an interleukin 3-dependent cell line. The chimeric receptors as well as the wild-type EPOR also mediated the ligand-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a set of similar proteins. Moreover, erythropoietin triggered mitogenic signals of chimeric receptors carrying the extracellular domain of the EPOR linked to the tyrosine kinase of c-fms. These data demonstrate the interchangeability of domains between two distinct receptor families and suggest that ligand-induced dimerization is a key step in activating the EPOR.

Interleukin 11: an overview

Interleukin (IL)-11 is a bone marrow fibroblast derived cytokine with a wide spectrum of in vitro biological activities in the hematopoietic, lymphopoietic, hepatic, adipose, neuronal and osteoclast systems, either alone or in synergy with other hematopoietic growth factors. In vivo administration of IL-11 in mice, rats and nonhuman primates has demonstrated the thrombopoietic effects of this cytokine. The expression of the human IL-11 gene, which is localized at 19q13.3-13.4, can be controlled at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Initial biochemical characterization has identified a 151 kD protein as the potential IL-11 binding subunit of the receptor complex. Like other cytokines such as IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin M (ONC) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), IL-11 has been shown to utilize IL-6 signal transducer, gp130. Because of the overlapping biological activities, the similarities in the predicted tertiary structures, and the sharing of common signal transducer protein, we have compared the signal transduction pathways mediated by these cytokines in various cell types. Studies of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, primary response gene expression and signaling molecules known to be important in transducing mitogenic signals have suggested that there are convergent and divergent points along the signal transduction pathways utilized by IL-11, IL-6, LIF and ONC. These observations may explain the biological pleiotropy and redundancy of this group of cytokines.

Erythropoietin induces the association of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase with a tyrosine-phosphorylated protein complex containing the erythropoietin receptor

Stimulation of sensitive cells with erythropoietin results in rapid induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Other than tyrosine phosphorylation of one chain of the erythropoietin receptor, the identities of the remaining tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins are undefined. In this report, we demonstrate that the stimulation of the erythropoietin-sensitive human UT7 cells by erythropoietin rapidly resulted in the appearance of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates. Erythropoietin action was rapid, detectable after as early as 1 min stimulation, transient, returning to control level after 30 min stimulation and was observed using the erythropoietin concentrations able to stimulate the cell proliferation. Anti-(phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) antibodies specifically immunoprecipitated 125I-erythropoietin bound to its receptor, strongly suggesting that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase associated with a protein complex containing the activated erythropoietin receptor. To confirm this result, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase was immunoprecipitated from erythropoietin-stimulated cells using mild conditions followed by Western analysis using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Five tyrosine phosphorylated proteins were revealed: the cloned chain of the erythropoietin receptor, the regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and three unidentified proteins of 111, 97 and 64 kDa. None of these tyrosine phosphorylated proteins was detected in anti-(phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) immunoprecipitates from unstimulated cells. Thus, our results show that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase associates with a tyrosine-phosphorylated protein complex containing the activated erythropoietin receptor.

Interleukin-2 induces tyrosine phosphorylation of the vav proto-oncogene product in human T cells: lack of requirement for the tyrosine kinase lck

The haematopoietic protein, p95vav, has been shown to be a tyrosine kinase substrate and to have tyrosine kinase-modulated guanine-nucleotide-releasing-factor activity. This implies a function in the control of ras or ras-like proteins. Because ras activation has been shown to be a downstream event following stimulation of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor, we investigated the possibility that vav was involved in IL-2 signal transduction pathways, using human T cells as a model. We found rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of vav in response to IL-2 within 1 min, with maximum increase of phosphorylation of 5-fold occurring by 5 min after treatment in normal human T cells. IL-2 stimulation of the human T-cell line YT and a subclone of the YT cell line (YTlck-) that does not express message for the src-family kinase p56lck also results in a rapid rate of tyrosine phosphorylation of vav of more than 5-fold by 5 min. These results suggest that vav may play an important role in IL-2-stimulated signal transduction and that there is not a strict requirement for the tyrosine kinase p56lck.

Signal transduction in the erythropoietin receptor system

Developing erythroid cells require the glycoprotein hormone, erythropoietin (EPO) as an activator of the rapid proliferation of early proerythroblasts (colony forming units-erythroid [CFU-e]), and subsequently as an activator of late erythroid gene expression. Activation of these growth and differentiation events proceeds from the binding of EPO at its transmembrane receptor (Class I cytokine receptor), to the engagement of a complex set of signaling pathways. Studies of reconstituted activities of the cloned EPO receptor in transfected hematopoietic cell lines have served well in identifying receptor domains and downstream mediators involved in proliferative signaling. Extracellular domains have been defined which contribute to ligand binding, receptor processing and transport, and possible dimerization. Cytosolic regions have been delineated which mediate induced mitogenesis, early gene transcription, activated protein tyrosine phosphorylation, down modulation of EPO- and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-induced proliferation, and direct association with PI3- and JAK-2 kinases. These newly defined properties begin to align the EPO receptor mechanistically with growth factor receptors (GFR) which encode, or likewise associate with, regulated protein tyrosine kinases including the Class II cytokine receptors for interferons alpha/beta and gamma. An improved understanding of factors which mediate EPO-induced late erythroid gene activation also is emerging. These factors and pathways may be distinct from those associated with EPO-induced proliferation and may involve induced increases in cellular Ca++, cAMP and arachidonic acid, as well as the modulation of GATA-1, and/or SCL. Attributes of model systems used in studies of the role of EPO in late erythroid differentiation also are considered.

The functional form of the erythropoietin receptor is a 78-kDa protein: correlation with cell surface expression, endocytosis, and phosphorylation

An abundant 70- to 78-kDa form of the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) was observed in HC-D57 murine erythroleukemia cells deprived of erythropoietin (EPO). In contrast to the 64- and 66-kDa EPOR proteins, these high molecular mass forms of EPOR (hmm-EPOR) correlated well with the number of binding sites and endocytosis of EPO. The hypothesis that hmm-EPOR are more highly glycosylated forms of the EPOR, appear on the cell surface, and represent at least one component of the biologically active EPOR was tested. Consistent findings were as follows. (i) Only hmm-EPOR increased following withdrawal of EPO from HC-D57 cells, correlating with a 10-fold increase in binding of 125I-labeled EPO. In addition, the EPO-dependent downregulation of 125I-EPO binding and disappearance of hmm-EPOR occurred in parallel while the amount of 66-kDa EPOR did not change. (ii) The 78-kDa EPOR was detected in COS cells expressing EPOR cDNA. (iii) Probing of the intact surface of these cells with anti-NH2-terminal antibody recovered only the 78-kDa EPOR. (iv) Enzymatic deglycosylation and dephosphorylation showed that hmm-EPOR apparently resulted from additional N-linked glycosylation of a 62-kDa EPOR. (v) The hmm-EPOR turnover in HC-D57 cells was accelerated 12-fold in the presence of EPO (half-life changed from 3 hr to 15 min). (vi) Anti-phosphotyrosine antiserum detected an EPO-dependent phosphorylation of the 78-kDa EPOR. The kinetics of tyrosine phosphorylation of a 97-kDa protein correlated with the occupancy and internalization of hmm-EPOR. In summary, we suggest that the 78-kDa EPOR is directly involved in the initial biological actions of EPO.

Truncated erythropoietin receptor causes dominantly inherited benign human erythrocytosis

Erythropoietin regulates the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells. Its effect is mediated by the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), a member of a large family of cytokine receptors. The EPOR gene has recently been cloned, sequenced, and characterized. As shown experimentally, its intracellular C-terminal part contains a domain exerting negative control on erythropoiesis. Here we describe a G to A transition in nucleotide 6002 of the EPOR gene that converts a TGG codon for tryptophan into a TAG stop codon, predicting the truncation of the 70 C-terminal amino acids of the EPOR molecule. The mutation occurs in heterozygous form in the germ-line DNA of members of a large kindred in which primary erythrocytosis is segregating as a mild autosomal dominant trait. The mutation cosegregates with the disease phenotype in all 29 affected family members studied; it occurs in no unaffected family members or unrelated controls. This appears to be an example of a human condition caused by an EPOR mutation. Striking similarities exist between the human phenotype described here and phenotypes of cell lines expressing similarly truncated EPOR molecules produced experimentally. By analogy with these in vitro studies, one can hypothesize that the truncated EPOR molecules are activated by suppression of phosphorylation leading to loss of the down-modulation exerted by intact EPOR molecules. Experimental modifications of the EPOR gene may eventually have therapeutic applications.

Growth suppression of Friend virus-transformed erythroleukemia cells by p53 protein is accompanied by hemoglobin production and is sensitive to erythropoietin

The murine allele temperature-sensitive (ts) p53Val-135 encodes a ts p53 protein that behaves as a mutant polypeptide at 37 degrees C and as a wild-type polypeptide at 32 degrees C. This ts allele was introduced into the p53 nonproducer Friend erythroleukemia cell line DP16-1. The DP16-1 cell line was derived from the spleen cells of a mouse infected with the polycythemia strain of Friend virus, and like other erythroleukemia cell lines transformed by this virus, it grows independently of erythropoietin, likely because of expression of the viral gp55 protein which binds to and activates the erythropoietin receptor. When incubated at 32 degrees C, DP16-1 cells expressing ts p53Val-135 protein, arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, rapidly lost viability and expressed hemoglobin, a marker of erythroid differentiation. Erythropoietin had a striking effect on p53Val-135-expressing cells at 32 degrees C by prolonging their survival and diminishing the extent of hemoglobin production. This response to erythropoietin was not accompanied by down-regulation of viral gp55 protein.

Growth suppression of Friend virus-transformed erythroleukemia cells by p53 protein is accompanied by hemoglobin production and is sensitive to erythropoietin

The murine allele temperature-sensitive (ts) p53Val-135 encodes a ts p53 protein that behaves as a mutant polypeptide at 37 degrees C and as a wild-type polypeptide at 32 degrees C. This ts allele was introduced into the p53 nonproducer Friend erythroleukemia cell line DP16-1. The DP16-1 cell line was derived from the spleen cells of a mouse infected with the polycythemia strain of Friend virus, and like other erythroleukemia cell lines transformed by this virus, it grows independently of erythropoietin, likely because of expression of the viral gp55 protein which binds to and activates the erythropoietin receptor. When incubated at 32 degrees C, DP16-1 cells expressing ts p53Val-135 protein, arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, rapidly lost viability and expressed hemoglobin, a marker of erythroid differentiation. Erythropoietin had a striking effect on p53Val-135-expressing cells at 32 degrees C by prolonging their survival and diminishing the extent of hemoglobin production. This response to erythropoietin was not accompanied by down-regulation of viral gp55 protein.