Evidence for SH3 domain directed binding and phosphorylation of Sam68 by Src

Sam68 is a 68 kDa protein that associates with and is phosphorylated by the c-Src kinase at mitosis. It contains a KH domain implicated in RNA binding and several proline-rich motifs that resemble known SH3 binding sites. The SH3 domains of c-Src, phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase, phospholipase C-gamma and Grb2 protein (containing two SH3 domains), but not other SH3 domains tested, were capable of binding Sam68 in vitro. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the proline motifs of Sam68 inhibited with different efficiencies the binding of SH3 domains to Sam68 suggesting that the proline motifs of Sam68 function as specific SH3 domain binding sites. Mutation of Sam68 SH3 binding sites further indicated that the SRC SH3 domain mediates binding of Src to unphosphorylated Sam68. Phosphorylation of Sam68 by Src kinase was inhibited when the Src SH3 binding site of Sam68 was mutated or when corresponding peptides were added to in vitro kinase reactions indicating that binding of the Src SH3 domain to a specific site near the amino-terminus of Sam68 (including residues 38 - 45: PPLPHRSR) facilitates phosphorylation of Sam68 by the Src kinase domain. Sam68-based proline peptides had no effect on the phosphorylation of another in vitro substrate of Src, enolase. These results suggest that Src effectively mounts Sam68 through its SH3 domain, possibly as a mechanism to position the kinase domain close to substrate tyrosine residues in the carboxyl-half of the protein.

Receptor tyrosine phosphatase R-PTP-alpha is tyrosine-phosphorylated and associated with the adaptor protein Grb2

Receptor tyrosine phosphatases (R-PTPases) have generated interest because of their suspected involvement in cellular signal transduction. The adaptor protein Grb2 has been implicated in coupling receptor tyrosine kinases to Ras. We report that a ubiquitous R-PTPase, R-PTP-alpha, is tyrosine-phosphorylated and associated in vivo with the Grb2 protein. This association can be reproduced in stably and transiently transfected cells, as well as in vitro using recombinant Grb2 protein. Association requires the presence of an intact SH2 domain in Grb2, as well as tyrosine phosphorylation of R-PTP-alpha. This observation links a receptor tyrosine phosphatase with a key component of a central cellular signalling pathway and provides a basis for addressing R-PTP-alpha function.

GRB2 and phospholipase C-gamma 1 associate with a 36- to 38-kilodalton phosphotyrosine protein after T-cell receptor stimulation

GRB2, a 25-kDa protein comprising a single SH2 domain flanked by two SH3 domains, has been implicated in linking receptor protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) to the Ras pathway by interacting with the guanine nucleotide exchange protein SOS. Previous studies have demonstrated that GRB2 directly interacts with Shc, a proto-oncogene product that is tyrosine phosphorylated upon receptor and nonreceptor PTK activation. In this report, we detected low levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and induced association with GRB2 upon T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. Instead, a prominent 36- to 38-kDa tyrosine phosphoprotein (pp36-38) associated with the SH2 domain of GRB2 and formed a stable complex with GRB2/SOS upon TCR stimulation. Cellular fractionation studies showed that whereas both GRB2 and SOS partitioned to the soluble and particulate fractions, pp36-38 was present exclusively in the particulate fraction. This phosphoprotein had the same apparent mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as the phosphoprotein that associates with phospholipase C-gamma 1 (PLC-gamma 1). Furthermore, following partial immunodepletion of GRB2 and of the associated pp36-38, there was a significant reduction in the amount of the 36-kDa phosphoprotein associated with PLC-gamma 1, suggesting that a trimeric PLC-gamma 1/pp36-38/GRB2 complex could form. In support of this notion, we have also been able to detect low levels of PLC-gamma 1 in GRB2 immunoprecipitates. We suggest that pp36-38 may be a bridging protein, coupling different signalling molecules to cytoplasmic PTKs regulated by the TCR.

The human GRB2 and Drosophila Drk genes can functionally replace the Caenorhabditis elegans cell signaling gene sem-5

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene sem-5 affect cell signaling processes involved in guiding a class of cell migrations and inducing vulval cell fates. The sem-5 sequence encodes a protein comprised almost exclusively of SH2 and SH3 domains (SH, src homology region) that are found together in many signaling proteins and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. A human protein, GRB2, was identified by its ability to associate with the activated human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR). The GRB2 and Sem-5 proteins share an identical architecture of their SH2 and SH3 domains and 58% amino acid sequence identity. Here we demonstrate that GRB2 and a Drosophila sem-5-like gene Drk can specifically rescue sem-5 mutants. We also show that Sem-5, like GRB2, can bind to the activated hEGFR in vitro. We further correlate the abilities of several mutant variants of GRB2 and Sem-5 to bind to the hEGFR in vitro with their abilities to functionally replace sem-5 in vivo. These data indicate that GRB2 and Drk are functional homologues of Sem-5 and demonstrate the high degree of conservation of both structure and function between signaling systems throughout evolution.

BCR-ABL-induced oncogenesis is mediated by direct interaction with the SH2 domain of the GRB-2 adaptor protein

BCR-ABL is a chimeric oncoprotein that exhibits deregulated tyrosine kinase activity and is implicated in the pathogenesis of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive human leukemias. Sequences within the first exon of BCR are required to activate the transforming potential of BCR-ABL. The SH2/SH3 domain-containing GRB-2 protein links tyrosine kinases to Ras signaling. We demonstrate that BCR-ABL exists in a complex with GRB-2 in vivo. Binding of GRB-2 to BCR-ABL is mediated by the direct interaction of the GRB-2 SH2 domain with a phosphorylated tyrosine, Y177, within the BCR first exon. The BCR-ABL-GRB-2 interaction is required for activation of the Ras signaling pathway. Mutation of Y177 to phenylalanine (Y177F) abolishes GRB-2 binding and abrogates BCR-ABL-induced Ras activation. The BCR-ABL (Y177F) mutant is unable to transform primary bone marrow cultures and is impaired in its ability to transform Rat1 fibroblasts. These findings implicate activation of Ras function as an important component in BCR-ABL-mediated transformation and demonstrate that GRB-2 not only functions in normal development and mitogenesis but also plays a role in oncogenesis.

SH3 domains direct cellular localization of signaling molecules

In this study we describe the cellular distribution of the SH2 and SH3 domains of phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) and of the adaptor protein GRB2 following their microinjection into living rat embryo fibroblasts. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, we show that a truncated protein composed of the SH2 and SH3 domains of PLC-gamma was localized to the actin cytoskeleton. A similar localization pattern was observed when only the SH3 domain of PLC-gamma was microinjected. In contrast, a truncated protein composed of only the SH2 domains of PLC-gamma exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. Microinjected GRB2 protein was localized primarily to membrane ruffles, as was GRB2 protein containing SH2 loss-of-function point mutations. Hence, the localization of GRB2 to membrane ruffles does not require interaction with tyrosine-phosphorylated moieties. However, GRB2 proteins with SH3 loss-of-function point mutations exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. These results indicate that SH3 domains are responsible for the targeting of signaling molecules to specific subcellular locations.

The function of GRB2 in linking the insulin receptor to Ras signaling pathways

Insulin-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases [ERKs, also known as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases] is mediated by Ras. Insulin activates Ras primarily by increasing the rate of guanine nucleotide-releasing activity. Here, we show that insulin-induced activation of ERKs was enhanced by stable overexpression of growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) but not by overexpression of GRB2 proteins with point mutations in the Src homology 2 and 3 domains. Moreover, a dominant negative form of Ras (with Ser17 substituted with Asn) blocked insulin-induced activation of ERKs in cells that overexpressed GRB2. GRB2 overexpression led to increased formation of a complex between the guanine nucleotide-releasing factor Sos (the product of the mammalian homolog of son of sevenless gene) and GRB2. In response to insulin stimulation, this complex bound to tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 (insulin receptor substrate-1) and Shc. In contrast to the activated epidermal growth factor receptor that binds the GRB2-Sos complex directly, activation of the insulin receptor results in the interaction of GRB2-Sos with IRS-1 and Shc, thus linking the insulin receptor to Ras signaling pathways.

Guanine-nucleotide-releasing factor hSos1 binds to Grb2 and links receptor tyrosine kinases to Ras signalling

Many of the actions of receptor tyrosine kinases are mediated by the protein Ras, including the activation of various downstream serine/threonine kinases and the stimulation of growth and differentiation. The human protein Grb2 binds to ligand-activated growth factor receptors and downstream effector proteins through its Src-homology (SH) domains SH2 and SH3, respectively, and like its homologue from Caenorhabditis elegans, Sem-5, apparently forms part of a highly conserved pathway by which these receptors can control Ras activity. Here we show that the SH3 domains of Grb2 bind to the carboxy-terminal part of hSos1, the human homologue of the Drosophila guanine-nucleotide-releasing factor for Ras, which is essential for control of Ras activity by epidermal growth factor receptor and sevenless. Moreover, a synthetic 10-amino-acid peptide containing the sequence PPVPPR specifically blocks the interaction. These results indicate that the Grb2/hSos1 complex couples activated EGF receptor to Ras signalling.

The SH2/SH3 domain-containing protein GRB2 interacts with tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS1 and Shc: implications for insulin control of ras signalling

GRB2, a small protein comprising one SH2 domain and two SH3 domains, represents the human homologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans protein, sem-5. Both GRB2 and sem-5 have been implicated in a highly conserved mechanism that regulates p21ras signalling by receptor tyrosine kinases. In this report we show that in response to insulin, GRB2 forms a stable complex with two tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. One protein is the major insulin receptor substrate IRS-1 and the second is the SH2 domain-containing oncogenic protein, Shc. The interactions between GRB2 and these two proteins require ligand activation of the insulin receptor and are mediated by the binding of the SH2 domain of GRB2 to phosphotyrosines on both IRS-1 and Shc. Although GRB2 associates with IRS-1 and Shc, it is not tyrosine-phosphorylated after insulin stimulation, implying that GRB2 is not a substrate for the insulin receptor. Furthermore, we have identified a short sequence motif (YV/IN) present in IRS-1, EGFR and Shc, which specifically binds the SH2 domain of GRB2 with high affinity. Interestingly, both GRB2 and phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI-3) kinase can simultaneously bind distinct tyrosine phosphorylated regions on the same IRS-1 molecule, suggesting a mechanism whereby IRS-1 could provide the core for a large signalling complex. We propose a model whereby insulin stimulation leads to formation of multiple protein--protein interactions between GRB2 and the two targets IRS-1 and Shc. These interactions may play a crucial role in activation of p21ras and the control of downstream effector molecules.

Association of the Shc and Grb2/Sem5 SH2-containing proteins is implicated in activation of the Ras pathway by tyrosine kinases

The mammalian shc gene encodes two overlapping, widely expressed proteins of 46 and 52K, with a carboxy-terminal SH2 domain that binds activated growth factor receptors, and a more amino-terminal glycine/proline-rich region. These shc gene products (Shc) are transforming when overexpressed in fibroblasts. Shc proteins become phosphorylated on tyrosine in cells stimulated with a variety of growth factors, and in cells transformed by v-src (ref. 2), suggesting that they are tyrosine kinase targets that control a mitogenic signalling pathway. Here we report that tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc proteins form a specific complex with a non-phosphorylated 23K polypeptide encoded by the grb2/sem-5 gene. The grb2/sem-5 gene product itself contains an SH2 domain, which mediates binding to Shc, and is implicated in activation of the Ras guanine nucleotide-binding protein by tyrosine kinases in both Caenorhabditis elegans and mammalian cells. Consistent with a role in signalling through Ras, shc overexpression induced Ras-dependent neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. These results suggest that Shc tyrosine phosphorylation can couple tyrosine kinases to Grb2/Sem-5, through formation of a Shc-Grb2/Sem-5 complex, and thereby regulate the mammalian Ras signalling pathway.

Inhibition of electrical coupling in pairs of murine pancreatic acinar cells by OAG and isolated protein kinase C

Gap junctional coupling was studied in pairs of murine pancreatic acinar cells using the double whole-cell patch-clamp technique. During stable electrical coupling, addition of OAG (1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol) induced a progressive reduction of the junctional conductance to the detectable limit (approximately 3 pS). Prior to complete electrical uncoupling, various discrete single channel conductances between 20 and 100 pS could be observed. Polymyxin B, a potent inhibitor of the protein kinase C (PKC) system, completely suppressed OAG-stimulated electrical uncoupling. Dialysis of cell pairs with solutions containing PKC, isolated from rat brain, also caused electrical uncoupling. The presence of 0.1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 5 mM ATP in the pipette solution, which serves to stabilize the junctional conductance, did not suppress the effects of OAG or isolated PKC. We conclude that an increase of protein kinase C activity leads to the closure of gap junction channels, presumably via a PKC-dependent phosphorylation of the junctional peptide, and that this mechanism is dominant over cAMP-dependent upregulatory effects in the experimental time range (less than or equal to 1 hr). A correlation of the observed single channel conductances with the appearance of channel subconductance states or various channel populations is discussed.