The Tec family of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases: mammalian Btk, Bmx, Itk, Tec, Txk and homologs in other species.

Cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are enzymes involved in transducing a vast number of signals in metazoans. The importance of the Tec family of kinases was immediately recognized when, in 1993, mutations in the gene encoding Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) were reported to cause the human disease X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). Since then, additional kinases belonging to this family have been isolated, and the availability of full genome sequences allows identification of all members in selected species enabling phylogenetic considerations. Tec kinases are endowed with Pleckstrin homology (PH) and Tec homology (TH) domains and are involved in diverse biological processes related to the control of survival and differentiation fate. Membrane translocation resulting in the activation of Tec kinases with subsequent Ca2+ release seems to be a general feature. However, nuclear translocation may also be of importance. The purpose of this essay is to characterize members of the Tec family and discuss their involvement in signaling. The three-dimensional structure, expression pattern and evolutionary aspects will also be considered.

Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA).

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a heritable immunodeficiency disorder that is caused by a differentiation block leading to almost complete absence of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. The affected protein is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, Bruton's agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase (Btk). Btk along with Tec, Itk, Bmx and Txk belong to a distinct family of protein kinases. These proteins contain five regions; PH, TH, SH3, SH2 and kinase domains. Mutations causing XLA may affect any of these domains. About 380 unique mutations have been identified and are collected in a mutation database, BTKbase. Here, we describe the structure, function, and interactions of the affected signaling molecules in atomic detail.

Rational design and purification of human Bruton's tyrosine kinase SH3-SH2 protein for structure-function studies.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase consisting of N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain followed by Tec homology (TH) domain, Src homology 3 and 2 (SH3 and SH2) domains, and a C-terminal kinase domain. Mutations in the human BTK gene cause the severe immunodeficiency disease X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). The structural and functional basis of several XLA-causing mutations remains unknown, since only the structures of the PH and SH3 domains of human Btk are currently available. In this study, we overexpressed and purified a protein consisting of the SH3 and SH2 domains of human Btk for biochemical and structural analysis. The purified protein was only partially soluble and had a tendency to dimerize, which made it unsuitable for further studies. To overcome the problems of low solubility and dimerization, subdomain interactions were engineered without altering the function of the protein.

Six X-linked agammaglobulinemia-causing missense mutations in the Src homology 2 domain of Bruton's tyrosine kinase: phosphotyrosine-binding and circular dichroism analysis.

Src homology 2 (SH2) domains recognize phosphotyrosine (pY)-containing sequences and thereby mediate their association to ligands. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, in which mutations cause a hereditary immunodeficiency disease, X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). Mutations have been found in all Btk domains, including SH2. We have analyzed the structural and functional effects of six disease-related amino acid substitutions in the SH2 domain: G302E, R307G, Y334S, L358F, Y361C, and H362Q. Also, we present a novel Btk SH2 missense mutation, H362R, leading to classical XLA. Based on circular dichroism analysis, the conformation of five of the XLA mutants studied differs from the native Btk SH2 domain, while mutant R307G is structurally identical. The binding of XLA mutation-containing SH2 domains to pY-Sepharose was reduced, varying between 1 and 13% of that for the native SH2 domain. The solubility of all the mutated proteins was remarkably reduced. SH2 domain mutations were divided into three categories: 1) Functional mutations, which affect residues presumably participating directly in pY binding (R307G); 2) structural mutations that, via conformational change, not only impair pY binding, but severely derange the structure of the SH2 domain and possibly interfere with the overall conformation of the Btk molecule (G302E, Y334S, L358F, and H362Q); and 3) structural-functional mutations, which contain features from both categories above (Y361C).

Redistribution of Bruton's tyrosine kinase by activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Rho-family GTPases.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a member of the Tec family of protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) characterized by an N-terminal pleckstrin homology domain (PH) thought to directly interact with phosphoinositides. We report here that wild-type (wt) and also a gain-of-function mutant of Btk are redistributed following a wide range of receptor-mediated stimuli through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) activation. Employing chimeric Btk with green fluorescent protein in transient transfections resulted in Btk translocation to the cytoplasmic membrane of live cells through various forms of upstream PI 3-K activation. The redistribution was blocked by pharmacological and biological inhibitors of PI 3-K. A gain-of-function mutant of Btk was found to be a potent inducer of lamellipodia and/or membrane ruffle formation. In the presence of constitutively active forms of Rac1 and Cdc42, Btk is co-localized with actin in these regions. Formation of the membrane structures was blocked by the dominant negative form of N17-Rac1. Therefore, Btk forms a link between a vast number of cell surface receptors activating PI 3-K and certain members of the Rho-family of small GTPases. In the chicken B cell line, DT40, cells lacking Btk differed from wt cells in the actin pattern and showed decreased capacity to form aggregates, further suggesting that cytoskeletal regulation mediated by Btk may be of physiological relevance.

Solution structure of the SH3 domain from Bruton's tyrosine kinase.

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a heritable immunodeficiency caused by mutations in the gene coding for Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Btk belongs to the Tec family of tyrosine kinases. Each member of the family contains five regions and mutations causing XLA have been isolated in all five regions. We have determined the solution structure of the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of Btk using two- and three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on natural abundance and 15N-labeled protein material. The structure determination is complemented by investigation of backbone dynamics based on 15N NMR relaxation. The Btk SH3 forms a well-defined structure and shows the typical SH3 topology of two short antiparallel beta-sheets packed almost perpendicular to each other in a sandwich-like fold. The N- and C-termini are more flexible as are peptide fragments in the RT and n-Src loops. The studied Btk SH3 fragment adopts two slowly interconverting conformations with a relative concentration ratio of 7:1. The overall fold of the minor form is similar to that of the major form, as judged on the basis of observed NOE connectivities and small chemical shift differences. A tryptophan (W251) ring flip is the favored mechanism for interconversion, although other possibilities cannot be excluded. The side chain of Y223, which becomes autophosphorylated upon activation of Btk, is exposed within the potential SH3 ligand binding site. Finally, we compare the present Btk SH3 structure with other SH3 structures.

Missense mutations affecting a conserved cysteine pair in the TH domain of Btk.

Tec family protein tyrosine kinases have in their N-terminus two domains. The PH domain is followed by Tec homology (TH) domain, which consists of two motifs. The first pattern, Btk motif, is also present in some Ras GAP molecules. C-terminal half of the TH domain, a proline-rich region, has been shown to bind to SH3 domains. Mutations in Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) belonging to the Tec family cause X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) due to developmental arrest of B cells. Here we present the first missense mutations in the TH domain. The substitutions affect a conserved pair of cysteines, residues 154 and 155, involved in Zn2+ binding and thereby the mutations alter protein folding and stability.

BTK, the tyrosine kinase affected in X-linked agammaglobulinemia.

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a heritable immunodeficiency disorder that is caused by a differentiation block leading to almost complete absence of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. The affected protein is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, Bruton's agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase (Btk). Btk along with Tec, Itk and Bmx belong to a distinct family of protein kinases. These proteins contain five regions; PH, TH, SH3, SH2 and kinase domains. Mutations causing XLA may affect any of these domains. About 200 unique mutations have been identified and are collected in a mutation database, BTKbase. Here, we describle, the structure, function, and interactions of the affected signaling molecules in atomic detail.

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA): a genetic tyrosine kinase (Btk) disease.

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a heritable immunodeficiency disease caused by a differentiation abnormality, resulting in the virtual absence of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. The affected gene encodes a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, Bruton's agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase, designated Btk. Btk and the other family members, Tec, ltk and Bmx, contain five regions, four of which are common structural and functional modules that are found in other signaling proteins. Mutations affect all domains of the gene, but amino acid substitutions seem to be confined to certain regions. More than 150 unique mutations have been identified and are collected in a mutation database, BTKbase. Here we discuss the three-dimensional structural implications of such mutations and their putative functional role. Of special interest are mutations affecting the pleckstrin homology domain, as Btk is the only disease-associated protein so far reported to carry mutations in this particular module.