Regulation of growth factor-induced signaling by protein-tyrosine-phosphatases

The binding of a growth factor to its specific receptor catalyzes a complex cascade of intracellular signaling events, characterized by changes in the phosphorylation state of many key proteins. Among these phosphorylation events, tyrosine phosphorylation plays a prominent role in the transmission of postreceptor signals. The state of tyrosine phosphorylation is regulated by the actions of protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein-tyrosine-phosphatases (PTPs). Dysregulation of either event can lead to abnormal cellular responses. PTPs generally act to regulate negatively-that is, to turn off-any signals generated by PTKs. However, this is not always the case, as seen by the phosphatase SHP-2, which can either be a positive or negative regulator of signal transduction depending on the particular cellular context. In addition, a novel family of dual specificity phosphatases has been recently discovered. These enzymes are capable of dephosphorylating phosphotyrosine and phosphothreonine/phosphoserine residues, and seem to play a significant role in attenuating the action of MAP kinases. Several themes appear throughout PTP regulation of growth factor signaling, including positive or negative regulation, importance of cell/ tissue type, identity of the receptor activated, and subcellular localization. Although only a handful of PTPs have been identified, the present work done in elucidating their function has revealed their significance in the maintenance of normal physiological responses to growth factors.

Insulin-induced mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) attenuates insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activity: a mechanism for the feedback inhibition of insulin signaling

Insulin signaling involves the transient activation/inactivation of various proteins by a cycle of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. This dynamic process is regulated by the action of protein kinases and protein phosphatases. One family of protein kinases that is important in insulin signaling is the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, whose action is reversed by specific MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs). Insulin stimulation of Hirc B cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor resulted in increased MKP-1 mRNA levels. MKP-1 mRNA increased in a dose-dependent manner to a maximum of 3- to 4-fold over basal levels within 30 min, followed by a gradual return to basal. The mRNA induction did not require the continuous presence of insulin. The induction of MKP-1 protein synthesis followed MKP-1 mRNA induction; MKP-1 protein was maximally expressed after 120 min of insulin stimulation. MKP-1 mRNA induction by insulin required insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity, since overexpression of an altered insulin receptor with impaired intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity prevented mRNA induction. Forskolin, (Bu)2-cAMP, 8-bromo-cAMP, and 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP increased the MKP-1 mRNA content moderately above basal. These agents also augmented the insulin-stimulated expression of MKP-1 mRNA. However, in some cases the increase in MKP-1 mRNA expression was less than additive. Nevertheless, these results indicate that multiple signaling motifs might regulate MKP-1 expression and suggest another mechanism for the attenuation of insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activity by cAMP. Overexpression of MKP-1 in Hirc B cells inhibited both insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activity and MAP kinase-dependent gene transcription. The results of these studies led us to conclude that insulin regulates MKP-1 and strongly suggest that MKP-1 acts as a negative regulator of insulin signaling.

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B complexes with the insulin receptor in vivo and is tyrosine-phosphorylated in the presence of insulin

In response to insulin, protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTPase 1B) dephosphorylates 95- and 160-180-kDa tyrosine phosphorylated (PY) proteins (Kenner, K. A., Anyanwu, E., Olefsky, J. M., and Kusari, J. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 19810-19816). To characterize these proteins, lysates from control and insulin-treated cells expressing catalytically inactive PTPase 1B (CS) were immunoadsorbed and subsequently immunoblotted using various combinations of phosphotyrosine, PTPase 1B, and insulin receptor (IR) antibodies. Anti-PTPase 1B antibodies coprecipitated a 95-kDa PY protein from insulin-stimulated cells, subsequently identified as the IR beta-subunit. Similarly, anti-IR antibodies coprecipitated the 50-kDa PY-PTPase 1B protein from insulin-treated cells. To identify PTPase 1B tyrosine (Tyr) residues that are phosphorylated in response to insulin, three candidate sites (Tyr66, Tyr152, and Tyr153) were replaced with phenylalanine. Replacing Tyr66 or Tyr152 and Tyr153 significantly reduced insulin-stimulated PTPase 1B phosphotyrosine content, as well as its association with the IR. Studies using mutant IRs demonstrated that IR autophosphorylation is necessary for the PTPase 1B-IR interaction. These results suggest that PTPase 1B complexes with the autophosphorylated insulin receptor in intact cells, either directly or within a complex involving additional proteins. The interaction requires multiple tyrosine phosphorylation sites within both the receptor and PTPase 1B.

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B is a negative regulator of insulin- and insulin-like growth factor-I-stimulated signaling

To understand the physiological role of protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTPase 1B) in insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) signaling, we established clonal cell lines overexpressing wild type or inactive mutant (C215S) PTPase 1B in cells overexpressing insulin (Hirc) or IGF-I (CIGFR) receptors. PTPase 1B overexpression in transfected cells was verified by immunoblot analysis with a monoclonal PTPase 1B antibody. Subfractionation of parental cells demonstrated that greater than 90% of PTPase activity was localized in the Triton X-100-soluble particulate (P1) cell fraction. PTPase activity in the P1 fraction of cells overexpressing wild type PTPase 1B was 3-6-fold higher than parental cells but was unaltered in all fractions from C215S PTPase 1B-containing cells. The overexpression of wild type and C215S PTPase 1B had no effects on intrinsic receptor kinase activity, growth rate, or general cell morphology. The effects of PTPase 1B overexpression on cellular protein tyrosine phosphorylation were examined by anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblot analysis. No differences were apparent under basal conditions, but hormone-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation and/or insulin receptor substrate tyrosine phosphorylation were inhibited in cells overexpressing wild type PTPase 1B and increased in cells expressing mutant PTPase 1B, in comparison with parental cells. Metabolic signaling, assessed by ligand-stimulated [14C]glucose incorporation into glycogen, was also inhibited in cells overexpressing active PTPase 1B and enhanced in cells containing C215S PTPase 1B. These data strongly suggest that PTPase 1B acts as a negative regulator of insulin and IGF-I signaling.

cDNA sequence analysis of the human brain insulin receptor

Brain tissue mRNA was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with eight overlapping sets of primers that span the cDNA coding sequence for the human placental insulin receptor. Only the A isoform (lacking exon 11) of the receptor was detected. No difference was found in the predicted amino acid sequence of brain derived insulin receptor cDNA compared with the receptor from human placenta. A silent polymorphism was detected at nucleotide position 1698 (amino acid 523), confirming that mRNA corresponding to both alleles of the human brain receptor was sequenced. Our findings indicate that the unique glycosylation properties of brain insulin receptors do not stem from differences in primary structure, but rather are due to tissue-specific differences in post-translational processing.

Skeletal muscle protein tyrosine phosphatase activity and tyrosine phosphatase 1B protein content are associated with insulin action and resistance

Particulate and cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity was measured in skeletal muscle from 15 insulin-sensitive subjects and 5 insulin-resistant nondiabetic subjects, as well as 18 subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Approximately 90% of total PTPase activity resided in the particulate fraction. In comparison with lean nondiabetic subjects, particulate PTPase activity was reduced 21% (P < 0.05) and 22% (P < 0.005) in obese nondiabetic and NIDDM subjects, respectively. PTPase1B protein levels were likewise decreased by 38% in NIDDM subjects (P < 0.05). During hyperinsulinemic glucose clamps, glucose disposal rates (GDR) increased approximately sixfold in lean control and twofold in NIDDM subjects, while particulate PTPase activity did not change. However, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) existed between particulate PTPase activity and insulin-stimulated GDR. In five obese NIDDM subjects, weight loss of approximately 10% body wt resulted in a significant and corresponding increase in both particulate PTPase activity and insulin-stimulated GDR. These findings indicate that skeletal muscle particulate PTPase activity and PTPase1B protein content reflect in vivo insulin sensitivity and are reduced in insulin resistant states. We conclude that skeletal muscle PTPase activity is involved in the chronic, but not acute regulation of insulin action, and that the decreased enzyme activity may have a role in the insulin resistance of obesity and NIDDM.

Regulation of protein tyrosine phosphatases by insulin and insulin-like growth factor I

In this study, we have examined the effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I on protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity in rat L6 skeletal muscle cells. Under basal conditions, about 85% of total cellular PTPase activity was associated with the particulate (Triton X-100-soluble) fraction. Incubation of the cells with 100 nM insulin or IGF-I significantly increased particulate PTPase activity (p < 0.005) without altering activity in the supernatant or Triton X-100-insoluble fractions. Dose responses studies suggested that the effect of each hormone was mediated through its own receptor. PTPase activity was regulated by both acute and chronic insulin and IGF-I treatment. Maximal stimulation by both ligands occurred at 32 h and then declined. By using an antibody and a cDNA specific for PTPase1B, we found that the chronic stimulation of PTPase activity was accompanied by enhanced expression of PTPase1B mRNA and protein. Maximal induction of PTPase1B mRNA and protein by insulin and IGF-I occurred at 12 and 24 h, respectively. Based on these data, it can be suggested that ligand-stimulated PTPase activity might oppose tyrosine kinase-mediated insulin or IGF-I signal transmission and thus desensitize cells to long-term action by insulin and IGF-I. However, it is also possible that PTPase act as positive mediators of insulin and IGF-I action.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factors stimulate in vivo receptor autophosphorylation and tyrosine phosphorylation of a 70K substrate in cultured fetal chick neurons

Insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been shown to regulate neuronal growth and differentiation. To investigate the possible role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the neurotrophic actions of these peptides, we examined the effects of insulin, IGF-I, and IGF-II on tyrosine phosphorylation in cultured fetal chick neurons. Tyrosine phosphorylation was detected by immunoblot analysis using antiphosphotyrosine antibodies. Under basal conditions five major phosphoproteins (170K, 140K, 115K, 103K, and 44K) and a number of minor proteins were detected by three separate antisera. In response to insulin, IGF-I, or IGF-II, an 87K membrane-associated protein (pp87) became phosphorylated on tyrosine in a rapid, dose-dependent manner. The Mr of pp87 was identical to that of the insulin and IGF-I receptor beta-subunits. Comparison of the dose-response curves for pp87 phosphorylation by insulin and IGF-I suggests that each peptide stimulated autophosphorylation of its own receptor beta-subunit. The maximal response obtained with IGF-I was approximately 10-fold higher than that obtained with insulin (3- to 5-fold), consistent with the larger number of IGF-I receptors in these cells. The maximal response obtained with IGF-II was 4- to 7-fold higher than that with insulin, suggesting that it acts through the insulin receptor as well. Tyrosine that IGF-II acts through the insulin receptor as well. Tyrosine phosphorylation of other proteins by the activated receptor kinases was not detected in neurons cultured for 5 days, however neurons cultured for only several h contained a predominant 70K protein (pp70) that was phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to all three hormones. Tyrosine phosphorylation of pp70 was maximal after 2-5 h in culture and was undetectable in neurons cultured longer than 24 h. The time course and dose dependence of pp70 phosphorylation in response to hormone paralleled that of insulin and IGF-I receptor autophosphorylation. These results demonstrate that both insulin and IGF-I receptors are active tyrosine kinases in fetal neurons, and that pp70 represents a potential endogenous substrate for the insulin and IGF-I receptor kinases. The transient phosphorylation of pp70 may be involved in the neurotrophic effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factors.

Regulation of protein phosphorylation by insulin and insulin-like growth factors in cultured fetal neurons

The pathways depicted in Figure 1 summarize the data discussed in this article. In neurons, the binding of insulin and IGF-I to their respective receptors triggers autophosphorylation of the receptor beta-subunits. IGF-II binds to both neuronal insulin and IGF-I receptors and can stimulate autophosphorylation of either receptor type. In addition to enhancing insulin and IGF-I receptor autophosphorylation, all 3 peptides stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 70 kDa protein with a similar time course and dose response to receptor phosphorylation. The identity of pp70 is unknown, although the close temporal relationship between pp70 phosphorylation and neurite outgrowth suggests a potential role for this protein. Subsequent to these very early events, two neuronal serine kinases are activated by insulin. One has S6 kinase activity and may represent either the pp90rsk or pp70 class of S6 kinases. Since S6 kinases are activated by direct phosphorylation rather than by second messengers, it is likely that a neuronal S6 kinase kinase exists. The activation of S6 kinase is likely to mediate insulin's effects on neuronal protein synthesis or other growth-related processes. The second serine kinase that is activated by insulin is PKC epsilon. This enzyme is largely restricted to the nervous system, so this signalling pathway may be neuronal-specific. The mechanism of activation of PKC epsilon is unknown, although preliminary data suggests that enhanced phosphorylation of the enzyme is involved. Studies are currently underway to investigate the potential role of diacylglycerol, a potential second messenger generated from either phosphotidylinositol or phosphotidylcholine hydrolysis, in the activation of PKC epsilon by insulin.

Expression of the poly(A)-binding protein during development of Xenopus laevis

We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding the poly(A)-binding protein of Xenopus laevis oocytes. Polyclonal antiserum was raised against a fusion protein encoding 185 amino acids of the Xenopus poly(A)-binding protein. This antiserum localizes the poly(A)-binding protein to subcellular sites associated with protein synthesis; in the retina, immunoreactive protein is detected in the synthetically active inner segment of the photoreceptor but not in the transductive outer segment. Transcripts encoding the poly(A)-binding protein are present in oocytes, although no protein is detected on protein blots. In contrast, the levels of both transcripts and protein increase in development, which correlates with the observed increase in total poly(A) during Xenopus embryogenesis (N. Sagata, K. Shiokawa, and K. Yamana, Dev. Biol. 77:431-448, 1980).