Characterization of a membrane-associated phosphotyrosyl protein phosphatase from the A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cell line

Decreased tyrosine phosphorylation in tumour cells resistant to FCE 24517 (tallimustine)

Resistance to FCE 24517 is not related to the emergence of any of the most frequently observed phenotypes. We have found that two resistant cell lines (L1210/24517 murine leukaemia and LoVo/24517 human colon adenocarcinoma) present congenital modifications in tyrosyl phosphatase and kinase activities. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of FCE 24517 is increased in combination with a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor and decreased in combination with protein kinase inhibitors, this being in agreement with the hypothesis that the activity of this drug is strictly dependent on the presence of tyrosine phosphorylated protein(s).

Fluoride increases tyrosine kinase activity in osteoblast-like cells: regulatory role for the stimulation of cell proliferation and Pi transport across the plasma membrane

Fluoride is one of the most effective agents for the treatment of vertebral osteoporosis because of its ability to increase osteoblast proliferation. The present study further investigates the role of protein tyrosine phosphorylation previously suggested to mediate the mitogenic effect of fluoride on bone-forming cells. The activity of the plasma membrane Na-coupled Pi transport system was monitored to assess the relationship between alterations in tyrosine phosphorylation and osteoblast activity induced by fluoride. The results indicate that vanadate, a selective inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatase, mimicked the stimulatory effect of fluoride on Pi transport. The change in Pi transport induced by fluoride was dose dependently inhibited by genistein, a potent inhibitor of tyrosine kinase. Genistein also inhibited the change in cell proliferation induced by fluoride. Associated with these observations, tyrosine phosphorylation activity was significantly increased in subcellular fractions isolated from UMR-106 cells treated with fluoride as compared with those isolated from vehicle-treated cells. This change in tyrosine phosphorylation activity was markedly blunted when genistein was added to the kinase assay buffer. It was not associated with any alteration in specific tyrosine phosphatase activity. There was also no evidence of a direct effect of fluoride on tyrosine phosphatase activity in isolated plasma membrane of UMR-106 cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that fluoride enhances protein tyrosine phosphorylation in osteoblast-like cells by enhancing tyrosine kinase activity. The results further support the hypothesis that this signal transduction mechanism is involved in the osteogenic effects of fluoride.

Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase by PD153035 in human A431 tumors in athymic nude mice

PD153035 is a potent (Ki = 6 pm) and specific inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor tyrosine kinase that suppresses tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor in A431 cells at nanomolar concentrations in cell culture. We have examined the pharmacokinetics of this compound and its ability to rapidly suppress phosphorylation of the EGF receptor in A431 human epidermoid tumors grown as xenografts in immunodeficient nude mice. Following a single i.p. dose of 80 mg/kg, the drug levels in the plasma and tumor rose to 50 and 22 microM within 15 minutes. While the plasma levels of PD153035 fell below 1 microM by 3 hours, in the tumors it remained at micromolar concentrations for at least 12 hours. The tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor was rapidly suppressed by 80-90% in the tumors. However receptor phosphorylation returned to control levels after 3 hours despite the continued presence of the drug at concentrations which, based on previous in vitro results, were predicted to maintain inhibition. EGF-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity in tumor extracts was decreased and recovered in parallel with the effects of PD153035 on receptor phosphorylation though the activity had reached only about half of the control activity after three hours. These results demonstrate the potential for using small molecule inhibitors to inhibit the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase in vivo, though a fair evaluation of their potential anti-cancer activity will have to wait for solutions to problems with sustained delivery which may allow us to maintain suppression of EGF receptor phosphorylation.

Adaptation of EGF receptor signal transduction to three-dimensional culture conditions: changes in surface receptor expression and protein tyrosine phosphorylation

A431 cells grown as three-dimensional spheroids show growth stimulation in response to nanomolar concentrations of EGF in contrast to monolayer cultures that show inhibition. In investigating the alterations in EGF signal transduction that underlie this modification of the proliferative response, we have compared the expression of EGF receptors on A431 cells under these conditions and related our findings to tyrosine phosphorylation and the growth response. EGF receptors were measured by 125I-EGF binding to trypsin-dispersed cells. Unexpectedly, dispersion of the monolayers caused an 80% decrease in surface EGF receptor, although, after dispersion, EGF receptor was digested by trypsin with a half-life of 69 +/- 32 min. No evidence for a comparable loss of cellular EGF receptor was seen on trypsin dispersion of spheroids. After allowing for this effect, we found that the receptor density on nondispersed monolayers (5 x 10(6) per cell) was twentyfold greater than that on spheroids (0.25 x 10(6) per cell). EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was confined to the outermost cells of the spheroid, although the presence of surface-expressed EGF binding sites could be demonstrated throughout the structure and the number of EGF receptors/cell on dispersed spheroid cells showed a single distribution peak by flow cytometry, with no evidence for more than one population. Using RCM-lysozyme as a substrate, tyrosine phosphatase activity in spheroids lay within the range observed in monolayer cultures. Autophosphorylation of the EGF receptor following EGF stimulation in monolayer cultures of A431 cells rose rapidly in the first 10 seconds and then slowly increased for at least 3 h. In spheroids, it reached a maximum within 10 seconds and then declined over 3 h. Since the microenvironment within a tumor resembles that in a spheroid, a similar reduction in surface EGF receptor expression may be expected in tumors relative to monolayer cultures, together with corresponding growth stimulation in response to EGF.

Inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in HER14 cells by melittin and Ca2+ ionophore A23187

We investigated the effect of melittin and Ca2+ ionophore A23187 on protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in HER14 cells (NIH-3T3 cells transfected with human epidermal growth factor 'EGF' receptor). Cell fractions were used to measure protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in vitro using 32P-labeled poly(Glu/Tyr) (4:1) peptide as a substrate. Treatment of HER14 cells with melittin or with A23187, inhibited protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in the cell sonicate and homogenate, as well as in cytosolic and particulate fractions of these cells. The inhibitory effect of both drugs was prevented by preincubating cells with EGTA (ethyleneglycolbis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid). The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin enhanced the inhibitory effect of A23187, but not that of melittin. Addition of arachidonic acid to the cells partially prevented the inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity by melittin or A23187. Preexposure of cells to EGF enhanced the inhibitory effect of melittin--but not that of A23187. Addition of CaCl2, or MgCl2 to the cell homogenate inhibited protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. These results show that protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in HER14 cells is inhibited by melittin and Ca2+ ionophore A23187 through a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism, and is regulated by arachidonic acid metabolism and EGF receptor activation.

Characterization of N omega-phosphoarginine hydrolase from rat liver

N omega-Phosphoarginine hydrolase from rat liver hydrolyzed N omega-phosphoarginine into arginine and inorganic phosphate, whereas it did not release inorganic phosphate from 19 other phosphorylated compounds containing a N-P bond, an O-P bond or a C-P bond. In addition, it was not able to transfer the phosphoryl moiety from N omega-phosphoarginine to ADP. These results indicated that this enzyme was distinct from both phosphoamidase and arginine kinase. Its properties were as follows: thiol compounds were essential for its activity; it was stimulated by 1.5-2-fold in the presence of 0.001% Lubrol, Tween 20, poly(oxyethylene) 9-lauryl ether and Nonidet P-40, while 0.004% sodium lauryl sulfate inhibited the activity completely; concentrations of sodium molybdate and sodium vanadate necessary for 50% inhibition were 7 microM and 12 microM, respectively; some proteins stimulated the activity, while lysophosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid suppressed the activity even in the presence of poly(oxyethylene) 9-lauryl ether.

Importance of tyrosine phosphatases in the effects of cell-cell contact and microenvironments on EGF-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation

We have compared the EGF responses of A431 cells when grown as monolayers at a variety of cell densities or as multicellular spheroids in order to investigate the effects of cell contact and 3-dimensional structure on signal transduction. Proliferation of the A431 squamous carcinoma cell line grown in our laboratory was unaffected by EGF when grown in monolayer culture. As 3-dimensional, multicellular spheroids, however, growth was stimulated by EGF. The maximum volume attainable in the presence of EGF was more than 30 times that in its absence. EGF-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation was compared under these conditions by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. In initial experiments using published procedures, tyrosine phosphorylation was density-dependent in monolayers and undetectable in spheroids. However, the density-dependence was abolished by the addition of high concentrations of protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors (1 mM Zn++ and VO4(3)-). The density dependence of EGF-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation in monolayers was, therefore, largely the result of changes in phosphatase activity rather than kinase. Using high concentrations of phosphatase inhibitors, phosphotyrosine was clearly visible by immunohistochemistry in the outermost cells of spheroids, but it was still not visible in the spheroid center. The lack of response within the spheroid was not related to the presence of EGF receptor nor diffusion of EGF. In companion experiments, we showed that staining for EGF receptor was present homogeneously throughout the spheroid and that EGF penetrated to its center under the conditions of the experiment. Thus, although an increase in tyrosine phosphatase activity was a major factor affecting tyrosine phosphorylation in the outer cells, other factors were important in the inner cells. We concluded that an increase of tyrosine phosphatase activity was the most important component of the adaptation of the EGF signal transduction system to high cell density in monolayer cultures. In spheroids, tyrosine phosphatases are also enhanced, but other factors, such as autocrine synthesis of TGF-alpha and possibly the cellular distribution of EGF receptors and cell shape, play a role.

Relationship between phosphoinositide kinase activities and protein tyrosine phosphorylation in plasma membranes from A431 cells

Production of PtdIns(4)P and PtdIns(4,5)P2 by plasma-membrane preparations from A431 cells was selectively stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the presence of Na3VO4. Na3VO4 itself mimicked this effect, which was overcome after treatment by a specific phosphotyrosyl phosphatase isolated from A431 cells. PtdIns and PtdIns(4)P kinase activities were present in phosphotyrosyl-proteins isolated from EGF- and/or Na3VO4-stimulated A431 cells by immunoaffinity using an anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. These data suggest for the first time an EGF-dependent regulation of PtdIns 4-kinase and PtdIns(4)P 5-kinase activities by a mechanism involving a tyrosine-phosphorylation process.