A new pathway for synthesis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate.

Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns-4,5-P2), a key molecule in the phosphoinositide signalling pathway, was thought to be synthesized exclusively by phosphorylation of PtdIns-4-P at the D-5 position of the inositol ring. The enzymes that produce PtdIns-4,5-P2 in vitro fall into two related subfamilies (type I and type II PtdInsP-5-OH kinases, or PIP(5)Ks) based on their enzymatic properties and sequence similarities'. Here we have reinvestigated the substrate specificities of these enzymes. As expected, the type I enzyme phosphorylates PtdIns-4-P at the D-5 position of the inositol ring. Surprisingly, the type II enzyme, which is abundant in some tissues, phosphorylates PtdIns-5-P at the D-4 position, and thus should be considered as a 4-OH kinase, or PIP(4)K. The earlier error in characterizing the activity of the type II enzyme is due to the presence of contaminating PtdIns-5-P in commercial preparations of PtdIns-4-P. Although PtdIns-5-P was previously thought not to exist in vivo, we find evidence for the presence of this lipid in mammalian fibroblasts, establishing a new pathway for PtdIns-4,5-P2 synthesis.

Conditional inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade by wortmannin. Dependence on signal strength.

Phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase and the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades are activated by many of the same ligands. Several groups have reported involvement of PI 3-kinase in the activation of Erk1 and Erk2, whereas many other groups have shown that activation of Erk1 and Erk2 is not sensitive to inhibitors of PI 3-kinase such as wortmannin. Here we show that wortmannin inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway is cell type- and ligand-specific. Wortmannin blocks platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-dependent activation of Raf-1 and the MAP kinase cascade in Chinese hamster ovary cells, which have few PDGF receptors, but has no significant effect on Erk activation in Swiss 3T3 cells, which have high levels of PDGF receptors. However, wortmannin blocks activation of Erk proteins if Swiss 3T3 cells are stimulated with lower, physiological levels of PDGF. These results suggest that PI 3-kinase is in an efficient pathway for activation of MAP kinase, but that MAP kinase can be stimulated by a redundant pathway when a large number of receptors are activated. We present evidence that a protein kinase C family member downstream of phospholipase Cgamma is involved in the redundant pathway.

Regulatory interactions in the recognition of endocytic sorting signals by AP-2 complexes.

Many plasma membrane proteins destined for endocytosis are concentrated into clathrin-coated pits through the recognition of a tyrosine-based motif in their cytosolic domains by an adaptor (AP-2) complex. The mu2 subunit of isolated AP-2 complexes binds specifically, but rather weakly, to proteins bearing the tyrosine-based signal. We now demonstrate, using peptides with a photoreactive probe, that this binding is strengthened significantly when the AP-2 complex is present in clathrin coats, indicating that there is cooperativity between receptor-AP-2 interactions and coat formation. Phosphoinositides with a phosphate at the D-3 position of the inositol ring, but not other isomers, also increase the affinity of the AP-2 complex for the tyrosine-based motif. AP-2 is the first protein known (in any context) to interact with phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Our findings indicate that receptor recruitment can be coupled to clathrin coat assembly and suggest a mechanism for regulation of membrane traffic by lipid products of phosphoinositide 3-kinases.

Identification of a novel pathway important for proliferation and differentiation of primary erythroid progenitors.

Homodimerization of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPO-R) in response to EPO binding transiently activates the receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase JAK2. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the EPO-R creates "docking sites" for SH2 domain(s) in signaling molecules such as the protein tyrosine phosphatases SH-PTP1 and SH-PTP2, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3 kinase), and STAT5. However, little is known about the specific intracellular signals essential for proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitors. Here we show that an EPO-R containing only one cytosolic (phospho)tyrosine residue, Y479, induces a signal transduction pathway sufficient for proliferation and differentiation of fetal liver progenitors of erythroid colony-forming units from EPO-R(-/-) mice as well as for proliferation of cultured hematopoietic cells. This cascade involves sequential EPO-induced recruitment of PI3 kinase to the EPO-R and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, independent of the Shc/Grb2-adapter pathway and of STAT5. Protein kinase C epsilon may be one of the mediators connecting PI3 kinase with the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade. Our results identify a signaling cascade important in vivo for erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation.

Platelet-derived growth factor-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is regulated by receptor binding of SH2-domain-containing proteins which influence Ras activity.

Upon binding of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), the PDGF beta receptor (PDGFR) undergoes autophosphorylation on distinct tyrosine residues and binds several SH2-domain-containing signal relay enzymes, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phospholipase C gamma (PLC gamma), the GTPase-activating protein of Ras (RasGAP), and the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2. In this study, we have investigated whether PDGF-dependent PI3K activation is affected by the other proteins that associate with the PDGFR. We constructed and characterized a series of PDGFR mutants which contain binding sites for PI3K as well as one additional protein, either RasGAP, SHP-2, or PLC gamma. While all of the receptors had wild-type levels of PDGF-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity and associated with comparable amounts of PI3K activity, their abilities to trigger accumulation of PI3K products in vivo differed dramatically. The wild-type receptor, as well as receptors that recruited PI3K or PI3K and SHP-2, were all capable of fully activating PI3K. In contrast, receptors that associated with PI3K and RasGAP or PI3K and PLC gamma displayed a greatly reduced ability to stimulate production of PI3K products. When this series of receptors was tested for their ability to activate Ras, we observed a strong positive correlation between Ras activation and PI3K activation. Further investigation of the relationship between Ras and PI3K indicated that Ras was upstream of PI3K. Thus, activation of PI3K requires not only binding of PI3K to the tyrosine-phosphorylated PDGFR but accumulation of GTP-bound Ras as well. Furthermore, PLC gamma and RasGAP negatively modulate PDGF-dependent PI3K activation. Finally, PDGF-stimulated signal relay can be regulated by altering the ratio of SH2-domain-containing enzymes that are recruited to the PDGFR.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibition spares actin assembly in activating platelets but reverses platelet aggregation.

Platelet stimulation by thrombin leads to the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3K) and to the production of the D3 phosphoinositides, phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (PdtIns-3,4P2) and 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PdtIns-3,4,5-P3). Because changes in the levels of these phosphoinositides correlate with the kinetics of actin assembly, they have been proposed to mediate actin assembly, causing cell shape changes. Wortmannin and LY294002, two unrelated inhibitors of PI 3-K, were used to investigate the role of PI 3-K in platelet actin assembly and aggregation. Both PI 3-K inhibitors abrogated the production of PdtIns-3,4-P2 and PdtIns-3,4,5-P3 in thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP)-stimulated cells. However, neither wortmannin nor LY294002 altered the kinetics of actin assembly or the exposure of nucleation sites in TRAP-stimulated cells. In contrast, PI 3-K inhibitors showed a specific inhibitory pattern of cell aggregation, characterized by a primary phase of aggregation followed by progressive disaggregation. Flow cytometry analysis with the PAC1 monoclonal antibody or with FITC-labeled fibrinogen indicated that wortmannin inhibited the maintenance of the platelet integrin GPIIb-IIIa in its active state. Wortmannin also inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, platelet aggregation induced by the binding of the monoclonal antibodies P256 and LIBS-6 to GPIIb-IIIa. LIBS Fab-induced aggregation also led to the production of PdtIns-3,4-P2. Platelet secretion, as evidenced by the release of preloaded 14C-5-hydroxy-tryptamine secretion or P-selectin up-regulation, was not affected by PI 3-K inhibition. These results demonstrate that the generation of D3 phosphoinositides is not required for actin assembly in TRAP-activated platelets. However, PI 3-K stimulation is necessary for prolonged GPIIb-IIIa activation and irreversible platelet aggregation. PI 3-K stimulation downstream of GPIIb-IIIa engagement may provide positive feedback required to sustain active GPIIb-IIIa.

T-cell antigen CD28 interacts with the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by a cytoplasmic Tyr(P)-Met-Xaa-Met motif.

The T-cell antigen CD28 provides a costimulatory signal that is required for T-cell proliferation. T-cell receptor zeta/CD3 engagement without CD28 ligation leads to a state of nonresponsiveness/anergy, thereby implicating CD28 in the control of peripheral tolerance to foreign antigens or tumors. A key unresolved question has concerned the mechanism by which CD28 generates intracellular signals. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is a lipid kinase with Src-homology 2 (SH2) domain(s) that binds to the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R), an interaction that is essential for signaling by growth factor. In this study, we demonstrate that CD28 binds to PI 3-kinase by means of a Y(P)MXM motif within its cytoplasmic tail. CD28-associated PI 3-kinase was detected by lipid kinase and HPLC analysis as well as by reconstitution experiments with baculoviral-expressed p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase. CD28 bound directly to the p85 subunit without the need for the associated p110 subunit. Site-directed mutagenesis and peptide competition analysis using Y(P)-MXM-containing peptides showed that PI 3-kinase bound to a Y(P)MXM motif within the CD28 cytoplasmic tail (residues 191-194). Mutation of the Y191 within the motif resulted in a complete loss of binding, while mutation of M194 caused partial loss of binding. Binding analysis showed that the CD28 Y(P)-MXM motif bound to the p85 C- and N-terminal SH2 domains with an affinity comparable to that observed for PDGF-R and insulin receptor substrate 1. In terms of signaling, CD28 ligation induced a dramatic increase in the recruitment and association of PI 3-kinase with the receptor. CD28 is likely to use PI 3-kinase as the second signal leading to T-cell proliferation, an event with implications for anergy and peripheral T-cell tolerance.

Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase activation induced upon Fc gamma RIIIA-ligand interaction.

Induced activation of protein tyrosine kinase(s) is a central event in signal transduction mediated via the low affinity receptor for IgG (Fc gamma RIIIA, CD16) in natural killer (NK) cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation may affect the function of several protein directly, or indirectly by inducing their association with other tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. Here, we report that Fc gamma RIII stimulation induces activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase in NK cells. Phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates from Fc gamma RIII-stimulated NK cells contain PI-kinase activity and PI-3 kinase can be directly precipitated from them. Conversely, a series of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins is coprecipitated with PI-3 kinase from the stimulated, but not from control cells. Analogous results obtained using Jurkat T cells expressing transfected Fc gamma RIIIA alpha ligand binding chain in association with gamma 2 or zeta 2 homodimers indicate that both complexes transduce this effect, although the Fc gamma RIIIA-zeta 2 complexes do so with greater efficiency. Accumulation of phosphoinositide D3 phosphorylated products in stimulated cells confirms PI-3 kinase activation, indicating the participation of this enzyme in Fc gamma RIIIA-mediated signal transduction.

A tightly associated serine/threonine protein kinase regulates phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity.

We identified a serine/threonine protein kinase that is associated with and phosphorylates phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PtdIns 3-kinase). The serine kinase phosphorylates both the 85- and 110-kDa subunits of PtdIns 3-kinase and purifies with it from rat liver and immunoprecipitates with antibodies raised to the 85-kDa subunit. Tryptic phosphopeptide maps indicate that p85 from polyomavirus middle T-transformed cells is phosphorylated in vivo at three sites phosphorylated in vitro by the associated serine kinase. The 85-kDa subunit of PtdIns 3-kinase is phosphorylated in vitro on serine at a stoichiometry of approximately 1 mol of phosphate per mol of p85. This phosphorylation results in a three- to sevenfold decrease in PtdIns 3-kinase activity. Dephosphorylation with protein phosphatase 2A reverses the inhibition. This suggests that the association of protein phosphatase 2A with middle T antigen may function to activate PtdIns 3-kinase.

Purification and characterization of phosphoinositide 3-kinase from rat liver.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase was purified 27,000-fold from rat liver. The enzyme was purified by acid precipitation of the cytosol followed by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, S-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, Mono-Q, and Mono-S columns. When analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified phosphoinositide 3-kinase preparation contained an 85-kDa protein and a protein doublet of approximately 110 kDa. The 85- and 110-kDa proteins focus together on native isoelectric focusing gels and are cross-linked by dithiobis(succinylamide propionate), showing that the 110- and 85-kDa proteins are a complex. The apparent size of the native enzyme, as determined by gel filtration, is 190 kDa. The 85-kDa subunit is the same protein previously shown to associate with polyoma virus middle T antigen and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (Kaplan, D. R., Whitman, M., Schaffhausen, B., Pallas, D. C., White, M., Cantley, L., and Roberts, T. M. (1987) Cell 50, 1021-1029). The two proteins co-migrate on two-dimensional gels; and, using a Western blotting procedure, 32P-labeled middle T antigen specifically blots the 85-kDa protein. The purified enzyme phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. The apparent Km values for ATP were found to be 60 microM with phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate as the substrate. The apparent Km for phosphatidyinositol is 60 microM, for phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate is 9 microM, and for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate is 4 microM. The maximum specific activity using phosphatidylinositol as the substrate is 0.8 mumol/mg/min. The enzyme requires Mg2+ with an optimum of 5 mM. Substitution of Mn2+ for Mg2+ results in only approximately 10% of the Mg2(+)-dependent activity. Physiological calcium concentrations have no effect on the enzyme activity. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase has a broad pH optimum around 7.

High level expression of interleukin-1 beta in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain for use in a controlled bioreactor.

A recombinant bacterial strain for the large scale production of human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) was constructed. The lambda Pr and the tryptophan systems were compared for efficiency of transcription and regulation. The efficiency of IL-1 protein production from these constructs was analyzed. Enhanced protein synthesis was achieved by the fusion of lambda Pr promoter sequences with trp leader sequences which included the trp RBS. A strain (JM101) was selected for use as a host and tested in a one liter bioreactor. A growth and induction regimen was established for use in bioreactors which results in the accumulation of 0.75-0.95 g l-1 of recombinant IL-1.