Discovery and characterization of LY2784544, a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of JAK2V617F.

Owing to the prevalence of the JAK2V617F mutation in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), its constitutive activity, and ability to recapitulate the MPN phenotype in mouse models, JAK2V617F kinase is an attractive therapeutic target. We report the discovery and initial characterization of the orally bioavailable imidazopyridazine, LY2784544, a potent, selective and ATP-competitive inhibitor of janus kinase 2 (JAK2) tyrosine kinase. LY2784544 was discovered and characterized using a JAK2-inhibition screening assay in tandem with biochemical and cell-based assays. LY2784544 in vitro selectivity for JAK2 was found to be equal or superior to known JAK2 inhibitors. Further studies showed that LY2784544 effectively inhibited JAK2V617F-driven signaling and cell proliferation in Ba/F3 cells (IC50=20 and 55 nM, respectively). In comparison, LY2784544 was much less potent at inhibiting interleukin-3-stimulated wild-type JAK2-mediated signaling and cell proliferation (IC50=1183 and 1309 nM, respectively). In vivo, LY2784544 effectively inhibited STAT5 phosphorylation in Ba/F3-JAK2V617F-GFP (green fluorescent protein) ascitic tumor cells (TED50=12.7 mg/kg) and significantly reduced (P<0.05) Ba/F3-JAK2V617F-GFP tumor burden in the JAK2V617F-induced MPN model (TED50=13.7 mg/kg, twice daily). In contrast, LY2784544 showed no effect on erythroid progenitors, reticulocytes or platelets. These data suggest that LY2784544 has potential for development as a targeted agent against JAK2V617F and may have properties that allow suppression of JAK2V617F-induced MPN pathogenesis while minimizing effects on hematopoietic progenitor cells.

Fingerprinting of signal transduction pathways using a combination of anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitations and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Virtually all known cellular processes involve modulation of cellular signaling pathways via changes in protein phosphorylation. With genomics efforts more than doubling the number of proteins available for analysis, a major challenge will be to identify unknown phosphoproteins as they exist in the normal or diseased intracellular environment. Recent advances in proteomic technology have made it possible to examine changes in protein expression with much greater resolution than was previously possible. In this report, we describe a rapid and reproducible method for identifying phosphoproteins upregulated in response to activation of cell surface receptors. Phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were immunoprecipitated from IFNalpha- or IL2-treated primary human lymphocyte extracts using a novel anti-phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitation technique. This technique takes advantage of differing antibody affinities for epitopes on native versus denatured proteins. Following separation from the immunopellets, phosphoproteins are resolved by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. With this method, we identified known proteins phosphorylated in response to IL2 or IFNalpha using both silver staining and Western blotting for protein detection/identification. The silver-stained immunoprecipitation profile serves as a fingerprint for phosphorylation events that occur in response to cytokine treatment. By merging these techniques with mass spectrometric microsequencing, new capabilities are achieved. It will then be possible to identify novel signaling proteins that are activated in response to a variety of stimuli, including receptor activation, disease progression, etc.

Importance of the MKK6/p38 pathway for interleukin-12-induced STAT4 serine phosphorylation and transcriptional activity.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a key immunoregulatory cytokine that promotes Th1 differentiation and cell-mediated immune responses. The transcription factor STAT4 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 4) is an important element in mediating IL-12 signals, as evidenced by the fact that STAT4(-/-) mice display impaired responsiveness to IL-12 and deficient Th1 differentiation. STAT4 is inducibly phosphorylated on tyrosine and serine in response to IL-12, but the kinase(s) responsible for the latter event is unknown. Here we show that IL-12 induces STAT4 phosphorylation on serine 721 and that mutation of serine 721 interferes with STAT4 transcriptional activity. In addition, we show that mutation of tyrosine 693 abrogates IL-12-induced STAT4 tyrosine phosphorylation and transcriptional activity. Although the site surrounding serine 721 is an optimum consensus sequence for mitogen-activated family of protein kinases (MAPKs)-mediated phosphorylation, we demonstrate that IL-12 does not induce extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation in T and natural killer (NK) cells and that IL-12-induced STAT4 transcriptional activity is not affected by these kinases. Rather, we show that IL-12 induces p38 activation. Moreover, we demonstrate that p38alpha and its upstream activator, MKK6, phosphorylate STAT4 on serine 721, and are required for STAT4 full transcriptional activity induced by IL-12, establishing the MKK6/p38alpha/STAT4 pathway as an important mediator of IL-12 actions. (Blood. 2000;96:1844-1852)

Overlapping and specific functions of Braf and Craf-1 proto-oncogenes during mouse embryogenesis.

The three mammalian Raf serine/threonine protein kinases mediate the transduction of proliferative and differentiative signals from cell surface receptors to the nucleus. In vertebrates, Raf signaling has been implicated in the progression of mouse embryos through the two-cell stage and in the induction of posterior mesoderm. However, mouse embryos mutant for each of the Raf genes exhibit no developmental defects before mid-gestation. Here we describe the phenotype of mouse mutants with different combinations of mutant Craf-1 and Braf alleles. Our results show that Raf signaling is indeed indispensable for normal development beyond the blastocyst stage. However, due to a significant redundancy between Craf-1 and Braf, either gene is sufficient for normal development until mid-gestation. The molecular and developmental mechanisms for this redundancy were investigated by monitoring the expression of Raf genes throughout embryogenesis and by biochemical studies in mutant cell lines.

Craf-1 protein kinase is essential for mouse development.

The three mammalian Raf serine/threonine protein kinases mediate the transduction of proliferative and differentiative signals from a variety of cell surface receptors to the nucleus. We report here that Craf-1 is essential for mouse development, as its mutation results in embryonic lethality. Developmental defects are found in mutant placentas as well as in the skin and in the lungs of mutant embryos. Craf-1 mutants also display a generalized growth retardation which is consistent with the ubiquitous expression of Craf-1 and which could be due to the reduced proliferation of mutant cells. Interestingly, the time-point of embryonal death varies depending on the genetic background. This suggests that Craf-1-mediated signaling is affected by genetic background-specific alleles of other genes.

Activation of Raf-1 by interferon gamma and oncostatin M requires expression of the Stat1 transcription factor.

A primary signaling cascade responsible for the expression of cytokine-stimulated immediate early genes involves the activation of the Jak/Stat pathway. In addition to being tyrosine-phosphorylated, several signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stats), including Stat1alpha, Stat3, and Stat4, are phosphorylated on a conserved serine residue, which is a consensus phosphorylation site for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Serine phosphorylation of Stat1alpha is required for maximal transcriptional activation of early response genes by interferon gamma (IFNgamma) as well as the antiviral and antigrowth actions of this cytokine. Incubation of cells with either IFNgamma or oncostatin M (OSM) activates Raf-1, a serine/threonine kinase responsible for the ultimate activation of p42 MAPK. To examine whether any of the signaling components that are required for activation of the Jak/Stat pathway are also necessary for activation of Raf-1 by IFNs and OSM, we examined activation of Raf-1 in cell lines that are deficient in either Stat1alpha or Stat2. Unexpectedly, incubation of Stat1-deficient, but not Stat2-deficient cells with IFNgamma or OSM for 5 min displayed no increase in Raf-1 activity. In peripheral blood lymphocytes Raf-1 was associated with Stat1, and this interaction was disrupted after incubation of cells with IFNgamma. Stat1-negative cells reconstituted with either Stat1alpha or Stat1alpha with a point mutation in the site where it is serine-phosphorylated displayed normal activation of Raf-1 by IFNgamma and OSM. However, activation of Raf-1 was not observed in lines that expressed Stat1alpha containing a mutation in its tyrosine phosphorylation site or in its SH2 domain. These results provide the first example of a novel role of Stat1alpha not as a transcription factor, but as a protein which may function to scaffold signaling components required for activation of the distinct Raf/MEK/MAPK signaling cascade.

Interferon gamma activation of Raf-1 is Jak1-dependent and p21ras-independent.

Signal transduction through the interferongamma (IFNgamma) receptor involves the formation of a ligand-dependent multimolecular association of receptor chains (alpha and beta), Janus tyrosine kinases (Jak1 and Jak2), and the transcription factor (signal transducers and activators of transcription 1alpha (STAT1alpha)) in addition to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Interactions between components of the Jak/STAT cascade and the p21(ras)/Raf-1/MAPK cascade are unexplored. Treatment of HeLa cells with IFNgamma resulted in the rapid and transient activation of Raf-1 and MAPK. Parallel activation of cells resulted in essentially no enhancement of p21(ras) activation despite marked enhancement after treatment with epidermal growth factor. In HeLa (E1C3) and fibrosarcoma (U4A) cell lines, both of which are deficient in Jak1 kinase, Raf-1 activation by IFNgamma was absent. Reconstitution of Raf-1 activity was observed only with kinase active Jak1 in both cell lines. In COS cells, transient expression of wild type or kinase-inactive Jak1 coimmunoprecipitated with Raf-1, but activation of Raf-1 activity was only observed in cells expressing kinase-active Jak1. These observations suggest that a kinase-active Jak1 is required for IFNgamma activation of Raf-1 that is p21(ras)-independent.

Antiproliferative action of interferon-alpha requires components of T-cell-receptor signalling.

Signal transduction through both cytokine and lymphocyte antigen receptors shares some common pathways by which they initiate cellular responses, such as activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(s). However, other signalling components appear to be uniquely coupled to each receptor. For example, the interferon receptors transduce regulatory signals through the JAK/STAT pathway, resulting in an inhibition of growth and of antiviral effects, whereas this pathway apparently plays no role in T-cell-receptor (TCR)-dependent gene expression. Conversely, signal transduction through the TCR requires the tyrosine kinases Lck and ZAP-70 and the tyrosine phosphatase CD45. Here we show that, unexpectedly, transmission of growth-inhibitory signals by interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in T cells requires the expression and association of CD45, Lck and ZAP-70 with the IFN-alpha-receptor signalling complex.

Folding of the glucocorticoid receptor by the heat shock protein (hsp) 90-based chaperone machinery. The role of p23 is to stabilize receptor.hsp90 heterocomplexes formed by hsp90.p60.hsp70.

In cytosols from animal and plant cells, the abundant heat shock protein hsp90 is associated with several proteins that act together to assemble steroid receptors into receptor.hsp90 heterocomplexes. We have reconstituted a minimal receptor.hsp90 assembly system containing four required components, hsp90, hsp70, p60, and p23 (Dittmar, K. D., Hutchison, K. A., Owens-Grillo, J. K., and Pratt, W. B. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 12833-12839). We have shown that hsp90, p60, and hsp70 are sufficient for carrying out the folding change that converts the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) hormone binding domain (HBD) from a non-steroid binding to a steroid binding conformation, but to form stable GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes, p23 must also be present in the incubation mix (Dittmar, K. D., and Pratt, W. B. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 13047-13054). In this work, we show that addition of p23 to native GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes immunoadsorbed from L cell cytosol or to GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes prepared with the minimal (hsp90.p60.hsp70) assembly system inhibits both receptor heterocomplex disassembly and loss of steroid binding activity. p23 stabilizes the GR.hsp90 heterocomplex in a dynamic and ATP-independent manner. In contrast to hsp90 that is bound to the GR, free hsp90 binds p23 in an ATP-dependent manner, and hsp90 in the hsp90.p60.hsp70 heterocomplex is in a conformation that does not bind p23 at all. The effect of p23 in the minimal GR heterocomplex assembly system is to stabilize GR.hsp90 heterocomplexes once they are formed and it does not appear to affect the rate of heterocomplex assembly. Molybdate has the same ability as p23 to stabilize GR heterocomplexes with mammalian hsp90, but GR heterocomplexes with plant hsp90 are stabilized by p23 and not by molybdate. We propose that incubation of the GR with hsp90.p60.hsp70 forms a GR.hsp90 heterocomplex in which hsp90 is in an ATP-dependent conformation. The ATP-dependent conformation of hsp90 is required for the hormone binding domain to have a steroid binding site, and binding of p23 to that state of hsp90 stabilizes the GR.hsp90 heterocomplex to inactivation and disassembly.

Beta interferon and oncostatin M activate Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase through a JAK1-dependent pathway.

Activation of early response genes by interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines requires tyrosine phosphorylation of a family of transcription factors termed signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stats). The Janus family of tyrosine kinases (Jak1, Jak2, Jak3, and Tyk2) is required for cytokine-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and dimerization of the Stat proteins. In order for IFNs to stimulate maximal expression of Stat1alpha-regulated genes, phosphorylation of a serine residue in the carboxy terminus by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is also required. In HeLa cells, both IFN-beta and oncostatin M (OSM) stimulated MAPK and Raf-1 enzyme activity, in addition to Stat1 and Stat3 tyrosine phosphorylation. OSM stimulation of Raf-1 correlated with GTP loading of Ras, whereas IFN-beta activation of Raf-1 was Ras independent. IFN-beta- and OSM-induced Raf-1 activity could be coimmunoprecipitated with either Jak1 or Tyk2. Furthermore, HeLa cells lacking Jak1 displayed no activation of STAT1alpha, STAT3, and Raf-1 by IFN-beta or OSM and also demonstrated no increase in the relative level of GTP-bound p21ras in response to OSM. The requirement for Jak1 for IFN-beta- and OSM-induced activation of Raf-1 was also seen in Jak1-deficient U4A fibrosarcoma cells. Interestingly, basal MAPK, but not Raf-1, activity was constitutively enhanced in Jak1-deficient HeLa cells. Transient expression of Jak1 in both Jak-deficient HeLa cells and U4A cells reconstituted the ability of IFN-beta and OSM to activate Raf-1 and decreased the basal activity of MAPK, while expression of a kinase-inactive form of the protein showed no effect. Moreover, U4A cells selected for stable expression of Jak1, or COS cells transiently expressing Jak1 or Tyk2 but not Jak3, exhibited enhanced Raf-1 activity. Therefore, it appears that Jak1 is required for Raf-1 activation by both IFN-beta and OSM. These results provide evidence for a link between the Jaks and the Raf/MAPK signaling pathways.

The hsp90-binding antibiotic geldanamycin decreases Raf levels and epidermal growth factor signaling without disrupting formation of signaling complexes or reducing the specific enzymatic activity of Raf kinase.

We have expressed the mitogenic signaling proteins Src, Ras, Raf-1, Mek (MAP kinase kinase), and Erk (MAP kinase) in baculovirus-infected Sf9 insect cells in order to study a potential role for the chaperone hsp90 in formation of multiprotein complexes. One such complex obtained by immunoadsorption with anti-Ras antibody of cytosol prepared from cells simultaneously expressing Ras, Raf, Mek, and Erk contained Ras, Raf, and Erk. To detect directly the protein-protein interactions involved in forming multiprotein complexes, we combined cytosols from single infections in vitro in all possible combinations of protein pairs. We detected complexes between Ras.Raf, Ras.Src, Raf.Mek, and Raf.Src, but no complex containing Erk was obtained by mixing cytosols. Thus, cellular factors appear to be required for assembly of the Erk-containing multiprotein complex. One cellular factor thought to be involved in signaling protein complex formation is the chaperone hsp90, and we show that Src, Raf, and Mek are each complexed with insect hsp90. Treatment of Sf9 cells with geldanamycin, a benzoquinone ansamycin that binds to hsp90 and disrupts its function, did not decrease coadsorption of either Raf or Erk with Ras, although it did decrease the level of cytosolic Raf. To study geldanamycin action, we treated rat 3Y1 fibroblasts expressing v-Raf and showed that the antibiotic blocked assembly of Raf.hsp90 complexes at an intermediate stage of assembly where Raf is still bound to the p60 and hsp70 components of the assembly mechanism. As in Sf9 cells, Raf levels decline with geldanamycin treatment of 3Y1 cells. To determine if geldanamycin affects mitogenic response, we treated HeLa cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and showed that geldanamycin treatment decreased EGF signaling and decreased the level of Raf protein without affecting the EGF-mediated increase in Raf kinase activity. We conclude that hsp90 is not required for forming complexes between the mitogenic signaling proteins or for Raf kinase activity and that EGF signaling is decreased indirectly by geldanamycin because the antibiotic increases degradation of Raf and perhaps other components of the signaling pathway.

Binding of immunophilins to the 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90) via a tetratricopeptide repeat domain is a conserved protein interaction in plants.

In animal cell lysates, multiprotein complexes containing hsp90, hsp70, p60, p23, and several immunophilins can assemble steroid receptors and oncogenic protein kinases, such as v-Src and v-Raf, into heterocomplexes that contain hsp90 and either immunophilins or, in the case of protein kinases, p50. The complexes with hsp90 are required for the proper functioning of these signal transduction systems. Wheat germ lysate contains a similar protein folding activity that forms functional steroid receptor complexes with hsp90, but not all the components of this system have been identified. The plant chaperone system has conserved interactions with animal chaperones in that wheat hsp70 functions in the rabbit reticulocyte lysate heterocomplex assembly system and human p23 functions in the wheat germ lysate. Here, we ask if wheat germ lysate also contains immunophilins of the FK506-binding class (FKBPs) that bind to the hsp90 component of the chaperone complex via tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains. To demonstrate the plant heterocomplex, we add purified mammalian p23, preadsorbed with the JJ3 antibody to protein A-Sepharose, to wheat germ lysate and allow ATP-dependent formation of an animal p23. plant hsp90 complex. The complex is then washed and incubated with the radiolabeled immunosuppressant drug [3H]FK506, which binds in a specific manner to a coimmunoadsorbed plant FKBP. Binding of the plant FKBP to plant hsp90 is prevented by adding to wheat germ lysate a purified fragment containing the TPR domains of human cyclophilin-40. Geldanamycin, a benzoquinone ansamycin that binds to animal hsp90s and prevents their chaperone activity, binds in a temperature-dependent manner to wheat hsp90 to block formation of the p23.hsp90.FKBP heterocomplex. These data show that immunophilin binding to hsp90 via TPR domains is conserved in the plant kingdom as well as in the animal kingdom and that geldanamycin will be an important tool for the study of hsp90-mediated protein chaperoning in plant cells.

Association of a p95 Vav-containing signaling complex with the FcepsilonRI gamma chain in the RBL-2H3 mast cell line. Evidence for a constitutive in vivo association of Vav with Grb2, Raf-1, and ERK2 in an active complex.

Aggregation of the high affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI) on the mucosal mast cell line, RBL-2H3, results in the rapid and persistent tyrosine phosphorylation of Vav. Immunoprecipitation of Vav from activated cells revealed co-immunoprecipitated phosphoproteins of molecular weights identical to the FcepsilonRI beta and gamma chains, and the former was reactive with antibody to the FcepsilonRI beta chain. Conversely, Western blots revealed the presence of p95 Vav in FcepsilonRI immunoprecipitates. The association of Vav and of Grb2 with the receptor was found to be regulated by aggregation of the receptor, and the interaction of Vav with the FcepsilonRI was localized to the gamma chain. To gain insight on the signaling pathway in which Vav participates, we investigated the in vivo associations of Vav with other molecules. A reducible chemical cross-linking agent was used to covalently maintain protein interactions under nonreducing conditions. A fraction of Vav increased in mass to form a complex of >300 kDa in molecular mass. Under reducing conditions the cross-linked Vav immunoprecipitates showed the presence of Grb2, Raf-1, and p42(mapk) (ERK2). In vitro kinase assays of Raf-1 activity associated with Vav revealed that this complex had an activity greater than that of Raf-1 derived from nonactivated cells, and aggregation of the FcepsilonRI did not modulate this activity. In contrast, aggregation of the FcepsilonRI increased the total Raf-1 activity by 2-5-fold. These results demonstrate that Vav associates constitutively with components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway to form an active multimeric signaling complex whose in vivo activity and associations may be directed by aggregation of the FcepsilonRI. The findings of this study may also be relevant to other members of the immune recognition receptor family that share the T-cell antigen receptor zeta/gamma chains.

Heat stress protects the perfused rabbit heart from complement-mediated injury.

We determined if heat stress induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 modulates complement activation in an experimental model of xenograft rejection. Male New Zealand White rabbits were heat stressed (core body temperature to 42 degrees C for 15 min; n = 9). Control rabbits (n = 13) were not exposed to heat stress. Hearts were removed 18 h later and perfused by the Langendorff method. After equilibration, human plasma (source of human complement) was added to the perfusion medium. Hemodynamic variables recorded during perfusion with human plasma were improved in hearts from heat-stressed animals compared with control hearts. Assembly of the soluble membrane attack complex was reduced in the interstitial fluid effluent from the heat-stressed hearts. Electron microscopic evidence of ultrastructural changes was attenuated in the hearts from heat-stressed rabbits. Myocardial tissue from heat-stressed animals exhibited an increase in inducible HSP 70 that was virtually absent in the hearts of control rabbits. Previous whole body hyperthermia protects the rabbit heart against the detrimental effects of heterologous plasma, suggesting that heat-stress induction of HSP 70 limits the extent of complement activation by a discordant vascularized tissue (xenograft). Induction of heat stress proteins by the donor organ might be an important mechanism affecting the outcome of xenograft transplants.

Ability of various members of the hsp70 family of chaperones to promote assembly of the glucocorticoid receptor into a functional heterocomplex with hsp90.

To be in a conformation that binds steroid, the hormone-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) must be bound to the 90 kDa heat shock protein (hsp90). Rabbit reticulocyte lysate contains a protein chaperone system that assembles the receptor into a heterocomplex with hsp90 and converts it from a non-steroid-binding to a steroid-binding form. Assembly of the GR-hsp90 heterocomplex requires hsp70, and in this work we examine the activities of four members of the hsp70 protein family in GR-hsp90 heterocomplex assembly. Rabbit reticulocyte lysate was depleted of hsp70 by passing it through a column of ATP agarose, resulting in the inactivation of its GR-hsp90 heterocomplex assembly activity. Addition of purified animal (mouse) or plant (wheat germ) hsp70 to the hsp70-depleted lysate permits assembly of a GR-hsp90 heterocomplex with a high affinity steroid binding site. However, purified hsp70 homologues from bacteria (DnaK) or the endoplasmic reticulum (BiP) do not promote heterocomplex formation, despite the fact that both DnaK and BiP bind to the GR in the assay system. When added to whole (i.e. hsp70-containing) reticulocyte lysate, DnaK and BiP inhibit GR-hsp90 heterocomplex assembly. Wheat germ lysate forms a heterocomplex between mouse GR and plant hsp90, but the addition of purified rabbit hsp70 to the wheat germ lysate does not increase the amount of receptor-wheat hsp90 complex produced, despite the fact that the rabbit hsp70 binds to the GR when it is added to the wheat chaperone system. The conclusion is that binding of hsp70 to receptors does not necessarily reflect a physiologically meaningful interaction. When native receptor heterocomplexes isolated from cytosols contain hsp70, it is likely that the hsp70-bound receptors represent a minority of receptors that have not yet proceeded fully through the receptor heterocomplex assembly process, which includes the dissociation of hsp70 after the binding of hsp90.

Use of the thiol-specific derivatizing agent N-iodoacetyl-3-[125I]iodotyrosine to demonstrate conformational differences between the unbound and hsp90-bound glucocorticoid receptor hormone binding domain.

The hormone binding domain (HBD) of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) contains five cysteine residues, with three of them being spaced close to one another in the steroid binding pocket. The HBD also contains the contact region for the chaperone protein hsp90, which must be bound to the GR for it to have a steroid binding conformation. Binding of hsp90 to the receptor through its HBD inactivates the DNA binding domain (DBD). The DBD contains a number of cysteines essential to its DNA binding activity. Here, we assess the effects of hsp90 binding on the accessibility of cysteine residues in both the HBD and DBD to derivatization by a thiol-specific reagent. We report that N-iodoacetyltyrosine (IAT) inactivates steroid binding activity of the immunopurified, untransformed GR.hsp90 complex in a manner that is prevented by the sulfhydryl reagents cysteine and dithiothreitol but is not reversed by them. The 125I-labeled IAT derivative N-iodoacetyl-3-[125I]iodotyrosine ([125I]IAIT) covalently labels the immunopurified, hsp90-bound receptor in a thiol-specific manner. Dissociation of hsp90 leads to an approximately 2-fold increase in [125I]IAIT labeling of the full-length, 100-kDa GR. The increase in thiol labeling is related to the presence of hsp90 because it is blocked by molybdate, which prevents hsp90 dissociation. Cleavage of the [125I]IAIT-labeled receptor with trypsin yields a 15-kDa labeled fragment containing the DBD and a 30-kDa labeled fragment containing all of the cysteines in the HBD and the contact region for hsp90. Dissociation of hsp90 from the GR results in a 2.3-fold increase in [125I]IAIT labeling of the 15-kDa fragment and a 50% decrease in labeling of the 30-kDa fragment. These data are consistent with the proposal that dissociation of hsp90 from the GR produces a conformational change in the HBD such that some of the thiols that are exposed in the GR*hsp90 complex become buried and are no longer accessible to the [125I]IAIT probe. In contrast, binding of the GR to hsp90 restricts access of cysteines in the DBD to this small thiol-derivatizing agent, a restriction that is relieved as a result of unmasking or conformational change accompanying hsp90 dissociation.

Preassociation of STAT1 with STAT2 and STAT3 in separate signalling complexes prior to cytokine stimulation.

A variety of cytokines and growth factors act through an induction of gene expression mediated by a family of latent transcription factors called STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) proteins. Ligand-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the STATs promotes their homodimer and heterodimer formation and subsequent nuclear translocation. We demonstrate here that STAT protein heterocomplexes exist prior to cytokine treatment. When unstimulated HeLa cells are ruptured in hypotonic buffer without salt or detergent, immunoadsorption of either STAT1 or STAT2 from the resulting cytosol yields coimmunoadsorption of the other STAT protein. Similarly, STAT1-STAT3 heterocomplexes are coimmunoadsorbed from hypotonic cytosol. STAT1 and STAT2 or STAT1 and STAT3 translated in reticulocyte lysate spontaneously form heterocomplexes when the translation lysates are mixed at 0 degrees C. Our data suggest that interferon-alpha /beta-induced tyrosine phosphorylation increases the stability of a preexisting, latent, STAT1-STAT2 signaling complex. Newly translated STAT1 binds in equilibrium fashion to STAT2 and STAT3, but we show that STAT2 and STAT3 exist in separate heterocomplexes with STAT1, consistent with a model in which STAT1 contains a common binding site for other STAT proteins.

Animal and plant cell lysates share a conserved chaperone system that assembles the glucocorticoid receptor into a functional heterocomplex with hsp90.

The hormone-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor must be bound to heat shock protein (hsp) 90 for it to have a high-affinity steroid-binding conformation. Cell-free assembly of a glucocorticoid receptor-hsp90 heterocomplex is brought about in reticulocyte lysate by a preformed protein-folding complex containing hsp90, hsp70, and other proteins [Hutchison, K.A., Dittmar, K. D., & Pratt, W.B. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27894-27899]. In this "foldosome" system, hsp70 is required for assembly of the receptor-hsp90 complex and concomitant activation of steroid-binding activity [Hutchison, K.A., Dittmar, K.D., Czar, M.J., & Pratt, W.B. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 22157-22161]. All previous experiments involving cell-free assembly of both receptor-hsp90 and protein kinase-hsp90 heterocomplexes have been carried out with the protein-folding system in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. In this work, we show that concentrated lysates of receptor-free mouse (L cells) and insect (Sf9) cells and also a plant (wheat germ) lysate fold the immunopurified glucocorticoid receptor into a functional (i.e., steroid binding) heterocomplex with hsp90. Receptor heterocomplex formation in animal lysates and in the plant lysate are not identical in that the dynamics of complex assembly are different, but both systems produce a functional complex that binds steroid. Also, in contrast to animal and insect complexes, receptor-plant hsp90 complexes are not stabilized by molybdate. When added to the other lysate, purified plant and animal hsp90s show partial complementarity, in that a receptor-hsp90 complex is formed but the receptor is not converted to the steroid-binding conformation. When added to rabbit reticulocyte lysate that has been depleted of endogenous hsp70, purified wheat germ and mouse hsp70's are equally active in promoting both assembly of receptor-hsp90 heterocomplexes and conversion of receptor to the steroid-binding conformation. Thus, hsp70 from the plant kingdom has conserved the ability to interact functionally with chaperone proteins of the animal kingdom to cooperate in protein folding as evidenced by formation of a functional receptor-hsp90 heterocomplex.

The 23-kDa acidic protein in reticulocyte lysate is the weakly bound component of the hsp foldosome that is required for assembly of the glucocorticoid receptor into a functional heterocomplex with hsp90.

The heat shock proteins hsp90 and hsp70 have been immunopurified from rabbit reticulocyte lysate in a multiprotein complex that acts as a self-sufficient protein folding machine. This immunopurified "foldosome" directs the assembly of the glucocorticoid receptor-hsp90 complex and refolds the receptor to the steroid binding state (Hutchison, K.A., Dittmar, K.D., and Pratt, W.B. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27894-27899). Extensive washing of the immunoadsorbed foldosome eliminates a weakly bound component required for receptor heterocomplex assembly and folding. This protein factor is contained in a Centricon C-100 filtrate of lysate which reconstitutes the receptor activating activity of the washed foldosome. This hsp90-associated protein folding system is present in both animal and plant cells, and the Centricon C-100 fraction of rabbit reticulocyte lysate potentiates receptor folding directed by wheat germ lysate. We have used this ability to stimulate wheat germ lysate-directing folding of the glucocorticoid receptor as a rapid assay for the factor. We demonstrate that the activity segregates with the 23-kDa acidic protein component of the hsp90 foldosome when rabbit reticulocyte lysate is fractionated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. Immunoadsorption of the Centricon C-100 filtrate with a monoclonal antibody against p23 eliminates its ability to stimulate the wheat germ heterocomplex assembly/receptor folding system, and the activity is replaced by purified, bacterially expressed p23. Immunodepletion of p23 also eliminates the ability of the Centricon C-100 filtrate to reconstitute receptor activating activity of the washed foldosome and addition of purified, bacterially expressed p23 restores its activity, confirming that p23 is the weakly bound component of the foldosome complex required for refolding of the receptor to the steroid binding conformation.

The native v-Raf.hsp90.p50 heterocomplex contains a novel immunophilin of the FK506 binding class.

We have recently reported that v-Raf forms a native heterocomplex with rat heat shock protein (hsp) 90 and a 50-kDa phosphoprotein (p50) in stably transfected 3Y1 fibroblasts (Stancato, L. F., Chow, Y-H., Hutchison, K. A., Perdew, G. H., Jove, R., and Pratt, W. B. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 21711-21716). Several members of the nuclear receptor family exist in heterocomplexes containing hsp90 and various members of the immunophilin protein family, including hsp56, an immunophilin of the FK506 binding class (Pratt, W. B. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 21455-21458). In this work, we have asked if Raf is also associated with an immunophilin. We have immunoadsorbed v-Raf from stably transfected rat 3Y1 fibroblasts and show that the immunoadsorbed v-Raf.hsp90.p50 heterocomplex binds the immunosuppressant drug [3H]FK506. The binding is of high affinity (KD 82 nM) and specific in the sense that it is competed by nonradioactive FK506 and rapamycin but not by cyclosporin A. The [3H]FK506 binding activity is eliminated when the heterocomplex proteins are dissociated from v-Raf. Using the 22W mutant of c-Raf in which the NH2-terminal half has been deleted, we show that the catalytic domain of the kinase is sufficient for the immunophilin association. We have shown that hsp90 and p50 do not bind FK506, and the v-Raf heterocomplex does not contain any of the established FK506-binding proteins. Thus, we propose that Raf is associated with a novel immunophilin.