A reporter system for replication-competent gammaretroviruses: the inGluc-MLV-DERSE assay.

Although novel retroviral vectors for use in gene-therapy products are reducing the potential for formation of replication-competent retrovirus (RCR), it remains crucial to screen products for RCR for both research and clinical purposes. For clinical-grade gammaretrovirus-based vectors, RCR screening is achieved by an extended S(+)L(-) or marker-rescue assay, whereas standard methods for replication-competent lentivirus detection are still in development. In this report, we describe a rapid and sensitive method for replication-competent gammaretrovirus detection. We used this assay to detect three members of the gammaretrovirus family and compared the sensitivity of our assay with well-established methods for retrovirus detection, including the extended S(+)L(-) assay. Results presented here demonstrate that this assay should be useful for gene-therapy product testing.

Anti-ADDL antibodies differentially block oligomer binding to hippocampal neurons.

Abeta-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs) are abundant in AD brain, bind to hippocampal neurons and induce deficits in rodent cognition. To further investigate ADDL binding to neurons and identify antibodies that block this association, a panel of anti-Abeta and anti-ADDL antibodies was characterized for their ability to immuno-detect neuronally bound ADDLs and attenuate the binding of ADDLs to neurons. The results showed that anti-Abeta and anti-ADDL antibodies were able to abate ADDLs binding to hippocampal neurons, but to different degrees. Quantitative assessment of binding showed that one antibody, ACU-954 was markedly more effective at blocking ADDL binding than other antibodies assessed. ACU-954 was also found to block ADDL binding to hippocampal slice cultures, attenuate the ADDL-induced loss of dendritic spines and detect "natural ADDLs" in human AD tissue. These results demonstrated that antibodies that bind to and block ADDL binding to neurons can be identified, although their efficacy is conformationally specific since it is not readily apparent or predictable based on the core linear epitope or affinity for monomeric Abeta.

An enhanced and scalable process for the purification of SIV Gag-specific MHC tetramer.

A recently developed method for the identification and quantitation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes involves the use of complexes of biotinylated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and avidin conjugated to a fluorescent reporter group. This complex, dubbed the "tetramer," binds to antigen-specific T lymphocytes in vitro, which can then be sorted and counted by fluorescence-activated flow cytometry to measure immune response. Our research has focused on developing the purification process for preparing tetramer reagent. Our goal was to reengineer a published lab-scale purification process to reduce the number of processing steps and to make the process scalable. In our reengineered process, recombinant MHC alpha chain is isolated from Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies by tangential flow filtration. The purified MHC alpha chain is refolded with beta-2-microglobulin and the target peptide antigen to form the class I MHC. The resulting MHC is purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) and biotinylated enzymatically, and the biotinylated MHC is purified by a second HIC step. The tetramer is prepared by mixing biotinylated MHC with an avidin-fluorophore conjugate. The tetramer is further purified to remove any excess MHC or avidin components. Analysis by flow cytometry confirmed that the tetramers generated by this new process gave bright staining and specific binding to CD3+/CD8+ cells of vaccinated monkeys and led to results that were equivalent to those generated with tetramer produced by the original process.

Interleukin-6 regulation of the human DNA methyltransferase (HDNMT) gene in human erythroleukemia cells.

Methylation of mammalian DNA by the DNA methyltransferase enzyme (dnmt-1) at CpG dinucleotide sequences has been recognized as an important epigenetic control mechanism in regulating the expression of cellular genes (Yen, R. W., Vertino, P. M., Nelkin, B. D., Yu, J. J., el-Deiry, W., Cumaraswamy, A., Lennon, G. G., Trask, B. J., Celano, P., and Baylin, S. B. (1992) Nucleic Acids Res. 20, 2287-2291; Ramchandani, S., Bigey, P., and Szyf, M. (1998) Biol. Chem. 379, 535-5401). Here we show that interleukin (IL)-6 regulates the methyltransferase promoter and resulting enzyme activity, which requires transcriptional activation by the Fli-1 transcription factor (Spyropoulos, D. D., Pharr, P. N., Lavenburg, K. R., Jackers, P., Papas, T. S., Ogawa, M., and Watson, D. K. (1998) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 5643-5652). The data suggest that inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 may exert many epigenetic changes in cells via the regulation of the methyltransferase gene. Furthermore, IL-6 regulation of transcription factors like Fli-1, which can help to direct cells along opposing differentiation pathways, may in fact be reflected in part by their ability to regulate the methylation of cellular genes.

Caenorhabditis elegans contains a third polo-like kinase gene.

The Polo family of serine/threonine kinases have been implicated in cell cycle control in a number of diverse organisms. Their localization and biochemical activity suggest that they play an important role in centrosome maturation, G2-to-M phase progression, the promotion of anaphase, and cytokinesis. The Polo family of kinases is distinct from other serine/threonine kinases in that they all contain a polo-box sequence motif in their non-catalytic C-terminal domain. Recently, it was reported that two Polo-related kinases, Plc1 and Plc2, are present in C. elegans. Plc2 has diverged from Plc1 with poor homology within the polo-box sequence and only had 40% amino acid identity with Plc1. We report here the full-length cDNA sequence of another Polo-related kinase from C. elegans. The predicted protein product has greater than 70% amino acid identity with PLK-1/Plc1, and has a highly conserved polo-box domain.

Augmentation of immune responses to HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus DNA vaccines by IL-2/Ig plasmid administration in rhesus monkeys.

The potential utility of plasmid DNA as an HIV-1 vaccination modality currently is an area of active investigation. However, recent studies have raised doubts as to whether plasmid DNA alone will elicit immune responses of sufficient magnitude to protect against pathogenic AIDS virus challenges. We therefore investigated whether DNA vaccine-elicited immune responses in rhesus monkeys could be augmented by using either an IL-2/Ig fusion protein or a plasmid expressing IL-2/Ig. Sixteen monkeys, divided into four experimental groups, were immunized with (i) sham plasmid, (ii) HIV-1 Env 89.6P and simian immunodeficiency virus mac239 Gag DNA vaccines alone, (iii) these DNA vaccines and IL-2/Ig protein, or (iv) these DNA vaccines and IL-2/Ig plasmid. The administration of both IL-2/Ig protein and IL-2/Ig plasmid induced a significant and sustained in vivo activation of peripheral T cells in the vaccinated monkeys. The monkeys that received IL-2/Ig plasmid generated 30-fold higher Env-specific antibody titers and 5-fold higher Gag-specific, tetramer-positive CD8+ T cell levels than the monkeys receiving the DNA vaccines alone. IL-2/Ig protein also augmented the vaccine-elicited immune responses, but less effectively than IL-2/Ig plasmid. Augmentation of the immune responses by IL-2/Ig was evident after the primary immunization and increased with subsequent boost immunizations. These results demonstrate that the administration of IL-2/Ig plasmid can substantially augment vaccine-elicited humoral and cellular immune responses in higher primates.

Macaques infected with cloned simian immunodeficiency virus show recurring nef gene alterations.

We compared nef gene sequences isolated by polymerase chain reaction from peripheral blood lymphocyte DNA of macaques that had been inoculated with either biologically (E11S) or molecularly (clone 8) cloned SIV/Mne. Two samples from each animal obtained either early (weeks 2-8) or late (weeks 21-137) after infection were analyzed. Three substitutions in the predicted Nef amino acid sequence were seen in all animals at the late time point, and two other substitutions were seen in all except one. Two of the common exchanges are located approximately 40 residues apart in the Nef core sequence but are juxtaposed on the tertiary structure as judged by computer modeling using the structure of the HIV Nef core protein as a guide. Most recurrent in vivo changes replaced a residue found in the cloned Nef sequence with one present in a consensus derived by aligning the Nef sequences of the SIV/Sm clade. Recombinant virus containing a macaque-adapted (MA nef) nef on the clone 8 backbone was 3-fold more infectious on SMAGI cells than the original virus. A lymphocyte line infected with SIV-clone 8-MAnef contained a large proportion of cells carrying provirus with defective nef genes. These findings suggest that the nef gene of the cloned SIV/Mne had undergone attenuating mutations during propagation in tissue culture that were "corrected" in vivo.

Sequence diversity of SIV(Mne) Nef in vivo and in vitro.

We have compared nef gene sequences isolated by PCR from peripheral blood lymphocyte DNA of macaques which had been inoculated with either biologically or molecularly cloned SIV(Mne). Two samples from each animal obtained either early after infection (week 2-8) or after significant CD4+ depletion (week 21-137) were analyzed. Three substitutions in the predicted Nef amino acid sequence were seen in all animals at the late time point, and two more in all but one. Two of the common exchanges are located about 40 residues apart in the Nef core sequence, but are in proximity on the tertiary structure as judged by computer modelling using the structure of the HIV Nef core protein as a guide. Most recurring in vivo changes replaced a residue found in the cloned Nef sequence with one present in a consensus derived by aligning the Nef sequences of the SIVsm/HIV-2 groups. Animals inoculated with virus already containing the "late version" nef gene developed a more aggressive disease. The macaque adapted (MA)nef conferred a threefold higher infectivity to the cloned virus, but had no effects on CD4 downregulation. Propagation of virus with MAnef in tissue culture resulted in the rapid emergence of variants with newly attenuated nef. These findings suggest that the selective pressure on nef in vivo and in vitro are different.

Binding of c-Raf1 kinase to a conserved acidic sequence within the carboxyl-terminal region of the HIV-1 Nef protein.

Nef is a membrane-associated cytoplasmic phosphoprotein that is well conserved among the different human (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and simian immunodeficiency viruses and has important roles in down-regulating the CD4 receptor and modulating T-cell signaling pathways. The ability to modulate T-cell signaling pathways suggests that Nef may physically interact with T-cell signaling proteins. In order to identify Nef binding proteins and map their site(s) of interaction, we targeted a highly conserved acidic sequence at the carboxyl-terminal region of Nef sharing striking similarity with an acidic sequence at the c-Raf1-binding site within the Ras effector region. Here, we used deletion and site-specific mutagenesis to generate mutant Nef proteins fused to bacterial glutathione S-transferase in in vitro precipitation assays and immunoblot analysis to map the specific interaction between the HIV-1LAI Nef and c-Raf1 to a conserved acidic sequence motif containing the core sequence Asp-Asp-X-X-X-Glu (position 174-179). Significantly, we demonstrate that substitution of the nonpolar glycine residue for either or both of the conserved negatively charged aspartic acid residues at positions 174 and 175 in the full-length recombinant Nef protein background completely abrogated binding of c-Raf1 in vitro. In addition, lysates from a permanent CEM T-cell line constitutively expressing the native HIV-1 Nef protein was used to coimmunoprecipitate a stable Nef-c-Raf1 complex, suggesting that molecular interactions between Nef and c-Raf1, an important downstream transducer of cell signaling through the c-Raf1-MAP kinase pathway, occur in vivo. This interaction may account for the Nef-induced perturbations of T-cell signaling and activation pathways in vitro and in vivo.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae susceptibility: effect of inoculum size and beta-lactamase production.

The activities of cefixime, cefpodoxime, cefprozil, cefuroxime, loracarbef, and amoxicillin/clavulanate against 72 clinical isolates of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae were determined by using an agar dilution method. The effects of beta-lactamase production and bacterial inoculum size were investigated. All antimicrobials exhibited a significant inoculum effect, demonstrating the importance of accurately determining inoculum size in the performance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of H. influenzae.

Survival of Burkholderia cepacia on environmental surfaces.

Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia is an important pathogen amongst persons with cystic fibrosis (CF), and evidence suggests that transmission of strains within CF clinics contributes to pulmonary colonization of some patients. In order to optimize preventive strategies, the survival of B. cepacia on various environmental surfaces, including cotton cloth, stainless steel, latex and polyvinylchloride (PVC) tubing, was investigated. For surface inoculation, bacteria were suspended in phosphate buffered saline, sputum from CF patients, or sputum from persons without CF. The results demonstrate that amongst the strains examined, organisms survived significantly (P < 0.001) longer when suspended in sputum from CF patients than in either non-CF sputum or buffered saline. Significant (P < 0.001) differences in survival on the various surfaces were found; survival was greatest on PVC. Significant (P < 0.001) strain-to-strain differences in survival were also demonstrated; patient isolates representing predominant CF centre ribotypes survived longest. These data demonstrate that (1) B. cepacia can survive for long periods in respiratory droplets on environmental surfaces typically found in CF clinics, (2) undefined factors in sputum from patients with CF may contribute to survival of B. cepacia, and (3) strain-to-strain variation in survival time may affect strain transmissibility.

The effect of c-raf antisense oligonucleotides on growth factor-induced proliferation of hematopoietic cells.

While it is well established that Raf-1 kinase is activated by phosphorylation in growth factor-dependent hematopoietic cell lines stimulated with a variety of hematopoietic growth factors, little is known about the biological effects of Raf-1 activation on normal hematopoietic cells. Therefore, we examined the requirement for Raf-1 in growth factor-regulated proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells using c-faf antisense oligonucleotide. Raf-1 required for the proliferation of growth factor dependent cell lines stimulated by IL-2, IL-3, G-CSF, GM-CSF and EPO that bind to the hematopoietin class of receptors. Raf-1 is also required for the proliferation of cell lines stimulated by growth factors that use the tyrosine kinase containing receptor class, including SLF and CSF-1. In addition, Raf-1 is also required for IL-6, LIF- and OSM-induced proliferation whose receptors share the gp 130 subunit. In contrast to previous results which demonstrated that IL-4 could not activate Raf-1 kinase, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides also inhibited IL-4-induced proliferation of T cell and myeloid cell lines. Using normal hematopoietic cells, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides completely suppressed the colony formation of murine hematopoietic progenitors in response to single growth factors, such as IL-3, CSF-1 or GM-CSF. Further, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides inhibited the growth of murine progenitors stimulated with synergistic combinations of growth factors (required for primitive progenitor growth) including two, three and four factor combinations. In comparison to murine hematopoietic cells, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides also inhibited both IL-3 and GM-CSF-induced colony formation of CD 34+ purified human progenitors. In addition, Raf-1 is required for the synergistic response of CD 34+ human bone marrow progenitors to multiple cytokines; however, this effect was only observed when additional antisense oligonucleotides were added to the cultures at day 7 of a 14 day assay. Finally, Raf-1 is required for the synergistic response of human Mo-7e cells and of normal human fetal liver cells to five factor combinations. Thus, Raf-1 is required to transduce growth factor-induced proliferative signals in factor-dependent progenitor cells lines for all known classes of hematopoietic growth factor receptors, and is required for the growth of normal murine and human bone marrow-derived progenitors.

Detection of Pseudomonas (Burkholderia) cepacia using PCR.

Pseudomonas cepacia colonization of the lung is associated with increased morbidity and mortality for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The lack of a sensitive detection method for Pseudomonas cepacia in CF sputum has resulted in controversy regarding its epidemiology. We designed a PCR method to detect P. cepacia using P. cepacia 16 S rRNA sequences as the amplification target region. The PCR amplification with purified DNA as template yielded the expected 209-bp products from P. cepacia, but not from related Pseudomonas species of medical importance or other bacteria which have been reported to colonize CF patients. In serial dilution experiments as few as 10(2) P. cepacia CFU were detectable. When sputum samples from three CF patients chronically colonized with P. cepacia and P. aeruginosa were analyzed, P. cepacia was detected in all three specimens by PCR, but only in two when selective culture was performed. Our data support the potential role of PCR technology in the rapid, sensitive, and definitive detection of P. cepacia in CF sputum samples, even in the context of concomitant P. aeruginosa colonization.

Raf-1 protein is required for growth factor-induced proliferation of hematopoietic cells.

Raf-1 is a 74-kD serine/threonine kinase located in the cell cytoplasm that is activated by phosphorylation in cells stimulated with a variety of mitogens and growth factors, including hematopoietic growth factors. Using c-raf antisense oligonucleotides to block Raf-1 expression, we have established that Raf-1 is required for hematopoietic growth factor-induced proliferation of murine cell lines stimulated by growth factors whose receptors are members of several different structural classes: (a) the hematopoietin receptor family, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-3, IL-4, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and erythropoietin; (b) the tyrosine kinase receptor class, including Steel factor and CSF-1; and (c) IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor, and oncostatin M, whose receptors include the gp130 receptor subunit. Although results of previous experiments had suggested that IL-4 does not phosphorylate or activate the Raf-1 kinase, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides inhibited IL-4-induced proliferation of both myeloid and T cell lines, and IL-4 activated Raf-1 kinase activity in an IL-4-dependent myeloid cell line. In colony assays, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides completely inhibited colony formation of unseparated normal murine bone marrow cells stimulated with either IL-3 or CSF-1 and partially inhibited cells stimulated with GM-CSF. In addition, c-raf antisense oligonucleotides completely inhibited both IL-3- and GM-CSF-induced colony formation of CD34+ purified human progenitors stimulated with these same growth factors. Thus, Raf-1 is required for growth factor-induced proliferation of leukemic murine progenitor cell lines and normal murine and human bone marrow-derived progenitor cells regardless of the growth factor used to stimulate cell growth.

Construction of an ori cassette for adapting shuttle vectors for use in Haemophilus influenzae.

An ori (origin of DNA replication) cassette, pORC, containing the P15a ori and the kanamycin-resistance-encoding gene from Tn5, was constructed. The cassette was used to convert an Escherichia coli promoter selection vector, which gene from Tn5, was constructed. The cassette was used to convert an Escherichia coli promoter selection vector, which contains a promoterless chloramphenicol (Cm) acetyltransferase-encoding gene (cat) downstream from a multiple cloning site (MCS) [Brosius and Lupski, Methods Enzymol. 153 (1987) 54-68], to an E. coli-Haemophilus influenzae shuttle vector. The shuttle vector, pQL1, was shown to transform E. coli and H. influenzae efficiently. H. influenzae promoters were cloned into pQL1 by ligation of Sau3A-digested H. influenzae chromosomal fragments. Selection and semiquantitative analysis of promoter strength were performed on agar plates containing different concentrations of Cm. With the use of pQL1, H. influenzae gene regulation can now be studied in either H. influenzae or E. coli. In addition, elements of pORC can be used to convert other specialized E. coli vectors to E. coli-H. influenzae shuttle vectors.

Mechanism of inhibition of Raf-1 by protein kinase A.

The cytoplasmic Raf-1 kinase is essential for mitogenic signalling by growth factors, which couple to tyrosine kinases, and by tumor-promoting phorbol esters such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which activate protein kinase C (PKC). Signalling by the Raf-1 kinase can be blocked by activation of the cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). The molecular mechanism of this inhibition is not precisely known but has been suggested to involve attenuation of Raf-1 binding to Ras. Using purified proteins, we show that in addition to weakening the interaction of Raf-1 with Ras, PKA can inhibit Raf-1 function directly via phosphorylation of the Raf-1 kinase domain. Phosphorylation by PKA interferes with the activation of Raf-1 by either PKC alpha or the tyrosine kinase Lck and even can downregulate the kinase activity of Raf-1 previously activated by PKC alpha or amino-terminal truncation. This type of inhibition can be dissociated from the ability of Raf-1 to associate with Ras, since (i) the isolated Raf-1 kinase domain, which lacks the Ras binding domain, is still susceptible to inhibition by PKA, (ii) phosphorylation of Raf-1 by PKC alpha alleviates the PKA-induced reduction of Ras binding but does not prevent the downregulation of Raf-1 kinase activity by PKA and (iii) cAMP agonists antagonize transformation by v-Raf, which is Ras independent.

Enzymatic characteristics of the c-Raf-1 protein kinase.

The c-Raf-1 protein kinase plays a central role in the mitogenic response of cells to growth factors, cytokines, and many oncogenes. Despite the critical importance of this enzyme, very little is known of its biochemical properties or mechanisms of regulation. In these experiments, we used the only candidate physiologic substrate identified as yet for c-Raf-1, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK), to examine enzymatic characteristics and candidate modulators of c-Raf-1, c-Raf-1 was purified from Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus encoding a histidine-tagged c-Raf-1. The Km values of c-Raf-1 for ATP and MAPKK were 11.6 microM and 0.8 microM, respectively, and the stoichiometry of phosphorylation of MAPKK by c-Raf-1 was 1.67 mol of phosphate per mol of MAPKK. In contrast to prior reports, Mg2+ was the preferred cation at Mg2+ and Mn2+ concentrations > 5 mM. c-Raf-1 substrate specificity was extremely restricted, consistent with the identification of only one candidate physiologic substrate to date and highlighting the necessity of using MAPKK rather than artificial substrates in c-Raf-1 activity assays. Of multiple potential substrates tested, the only one phosphorylated to > 20% of the level of MAPKK phosphorylation was myelin basic protein (22%). Heat-denatured MAPKK was phosphorylated at only 2% the level of native MAPKK, indicating that the restricted substrate specificity may be due to tertiary-structural requirements. We also examined whether c-Raf-1 activity is modulated by lipid binding to the cysteine finger region in its regulatory domain. Of multiple mitogen-stimulated or cell-membrane lipids tested, only phosphatidylserine and diacylglycerol in the presence of Ca2+ (2.5 mM) increased c-Raf-1 kinase activity significantly (1.5-fold). The increase is probably not of physiologic significance because it was about two orders of magnitude less than the stimulation of protein kinase C by these lipids. On gel-filtration chromatography, the peak of c-Raf-1 kinase activity and immunoreactivity eluted at a predicted molecular mass of > 150 kDa, suggesting that active c-Raf-1 (but not inactive c-Raf-1) exists as a multimeric complex. This complex may not include p21ras, however, because immunoreactive p21ras was not identified in the active fractions.

Oncogene activation of HIV-LTR-driven expression via the NF-kappa B binding sites.

The Raf-1 proto-oncogene product is a highly regulated serine/threonine kinase that functions in signal transduction downstream from growth factor receptors and upstream from nuclear proto-oncogene products. Using a transient cotransfection assay we have found that activated Raf-1 activates expression from the HIV-LTR. Analysis of a series of 5' deletion and point mutations revealed the NF-kappa B motifs as the Raf-responsive element in the HIV-LTR. Moreover, Raf-BXB activated expression from heterologous promoters driven by the HIV NF-kappa B binding sites. In addition to Raf, we show that v-Src, v-H-Ras and v-Mos activate HIV-LTR expression through the NF-kappa B binding sites and v-H-Ras-induced HIV-LTR expression is mediated by Raf-1. These findings may have implications for the involvement of the cellular homologues of these oncogenes in the switch from latent to productive infection by HIV in response to T-cell activation.

Identification of the major phosphorylation sites of the Raf-1 kinase.

Treatment of cells with various growth factors and mitogens results in the rapid hyperphosphorylation and activation of the Raf-1 kinase. To determine if phosphorylation events affect Raf-1 activity, we have initiated experiments to identify the phosphorylation sites of Raf-1. In this report, we find that Ser43, Ser259, and Ser621 are the major sites of Raf-1 which are phosphorylated in mammalian cells and in Sf9 insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus encoding human Raf-1. Mutant Raf-1 proteins lacking kinase activity are also phosphorylated on these sites in vivo, indicating that these phosphorylation events are not a consequence of autophosphorylation. Furthermore, we find that Thr268 is the predominant Raf-1 residue phosphorylated in in vitro autokinase assays. In addition, we have examined the biochemical activity of baculovirus-expressed Raf-1 proteins containing mutations at these phosphorylation sites. In in vitro protein kinase assays Ser259 mutant proteins were 2-fold more active than wild-type Raf-1 and Ser621 mutant proteins were inactive as kinases. Analysis of the residues surrounding Ser259 and Ser621 indicates that RSXSXP may be a consensus sequence for the kinase responsible for phosphorylation of Raf-1 at these sites. Interestingly, these RSXSXP sequences are completely conserved throughout evolution in all Raf family members.

Protein kinase C alpha activates RAF-1 by direct phosphorylation.

The kinase Raf-1 can be activated by treatment of cells with mitogens and by the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (reviewed in refs 1,2). Activated Raf-1 triggers a protein kinase cascade by direct phosphorylation of MAP kinase kinase, resulting in phosphorylation of ternary complex factor and Jun by MAP kinase. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism and biological consequences of PKC alpha-mediated Raf-1 activation in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. PKC alpha directly phosphorylates and activates Raf-1 both in vitro and in vivo. PKC alpha induces Raf-1 phosphorylation at several sites, including a serine residue at position 499. Mutation of serine at this position or at residue 259 does not abrogate Raf-1 stimulation by a combination of Ras plus the src tyrosine kinase Lck, but severely impedes Raf-1 activation by PKC alpha. Consistent with such a direct interaction is the observation that Raf-1 and PKC alpha cooperate in the transformation of NIH3T3 cells. The Ser499 phosphorylation site is necessary for this synergism.