A novel potential effector of M-Ras and p21 Ras negatively regulates p21 Ras-mediated gene induction and cell growth.

Here, we report the identification and characterization of a new member of the RalGDS-family, which is widely expressed and interacts strongly and selectively with the GTP-bound forms of M-Ras and p21 Ras. This Ras pathway modulator (RPM), also termed RGL3, exhibited Ras-binding and catalytic domains typical of the RalGDS-family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors, and was most similar to Rlf (RalGDS-like factor), but was distinguished by a unique proline-rich region with multiple candidate SH3-domain binding sites. RPM/RGL3 resembled AF-6 and Nore1 in interacting strongly with constitutively active M-Ras and p21 Ras. In contrast to Rlf, transiently expressed RPM/RGL3 did not activate an Elk-1-inducible reporter gene alone or in combination with activated p21 Ras, but strongly inhibited induction of this reporter gene by co-expression of activated H-Ras or MEKK-1. This inhibitory effect was independent of the Ras binding domain and required a second signal provided by p21 Ras or MEKK-1, but not Raf-1 or M-Ras. Expression of RPM/RGL3 also strongly inhibited cell growth of fibroblasts transformed by an activated Src Y527F. Thus, RPM/RGL3 is a novel potential effector of both p21 Ras and M-Ras with the novel function of negatively regulating Elk-1-dependent gene induction downstream of p21 Ras or MEKK-1.

M-Ras, a widely expressed 29-kD homologue of p21 Ras: expression of a constitutively active mutant results in factor-independent growth of an interleukin-3-dependent cell line.

M-Ras, a recently identified homologue of p21 Ras, is widely expressed, with levels of the 29-kD protein in spleen, thymus, and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts equaling or exceeding those of p21 Ras. A G22V mutant of M-Ras was constitutively active and its expression in an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent mast cell/megakaryocyte cell line resulted in increased survival in the absence of IL-3, increased growth in IL-4, and, at high expression levels, in factor-independent growth. Expression of M-Ras G22V, however, had a negative effect on growth in the presence of IL-3, suggesting that M-Ras has both positive and negative effects on growth. Expression of M-Ras G22V in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts resulted in morphological transformation and growth to higher cell densities. M-Ras G22V induced activation of the c-fos promoter, and bound weakly to the Ras-binding domains of Raf-1 and RalGDS. Expression of a mutant of M-Ras G22V that was no longer membrane-bound partially inhibited (40%) activation of the c-fos promoter by N-Ras Q61K, suggesting that M-Ras shared some, but not all, of the effectors of N-Ras. An S27N mutant of M-Ras, like the analogous H-Ras S17N mutant, was a dominant inhibitor of activation of the c-fos promoter by constitutively active Src Y527F, suggesting that M-Ras and p21 Ras shared guanine nucleotide exchange factors and are likely to be activated in parallel. Moreover, M-Ras was recognized by the monoclonal anti-Ras antibody Y13-259, commonly used to study the function and activity of p21 Ras. Mammalian M-Ras and a Caenorhabditis elegans orthologue exhibit conserved structural features, and these are likely to mediate activation of distinctive signaling paths that function in parallel to those downstream of p21 Ras.

Human mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) is a highly conserved c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) activated by environmental stresses and physiological stimuli.

We report the cloning of a novel human activator of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7). The mRNA for MKK7 is widely expressed in humans and mice and encodes a 47-kDa protein (419 amino acids), as determined by immunoblotting endogenous MKK7 with an antibody raised against its N terminus. The kinase domain of MKK7 is closely related to a Drosophila JNK kinase dHep (69% identity) and to a newly identified ortholog from Caenorhabditis elegans (54% identity), and was more distantly related to MKK4, MKK3, and MKK6. MKK7 phosphorylated and activated JNK1 but failed to activate p38 MAPK in co-expression studies. In hematopoietic cells, endogenous MKK7 was activated by treatment with the growth factor interleukin-3 (but not interleukin-4), or by ligation of CD40, the B-cell antigen receptor, or the receptor for the Fc fragment of immunoglobulin. MKK7 was also activated when cells were exposed to heat, UV irradiation, anisomycin, hyperosmolarity or the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Co-expression of constitutively active mutants of RAS, RAC, or CDC42 in HeLa epithelial cells or of RAC or CDC42 in Ba/F3 factor-dependent hematopoietic cells also activated MKK7, suggesting that MKK7 will be involved in many physiological pathways.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of receptor beta subunits and common substrates in response to interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

The receptors for interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) consist of two polypeptides each belonging to a new class of molecules referred to as the hemopoietin receptor family. When expressed alone, receptor polypeptides of this family often bind their respective factors with lower affinity than the receptors identified in whole cells. Despite the lack of structural evidence for any enzymatic activity of the receptor polypeptides, both IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple intracellular substrates. We investigated IL-3 and GM-CSF receptor structure and signaling in a myeloid cell line, FDC-P1, which is dependent on either IL-3 or GM-CSF for growth. Antiphosphotyrosine antibodies were used to immunoprecipitate tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins from 32P-labeled cells or to probe immunoblots. Both IL-3 and GM-CSF stimulated the phosphorylation of a similar pattern of polypeptides on tyrosine. One tyrosine phosphorylated polypeptide migrated with M(r) = 135,000 and increased to 150,000 over a period of 10 min following stimulation of cells with IL-3 or GM-CSF. The M(r) = 135,000-150,000 polypeptide phosphorylated in response to IL-3 was shown to be primarily the Aic-2A polypeptide, the low affinity IL-3 receptor. Phosphatase treatment showed that the dramatic IL-3-induced shift in apparent molecular weight from M(r) = 125,000 in unstimulated cells was entirely due to phosphorylation. The closely related receptor, Aic-2B, was also tyrosine phosphorylated in response to IL-3, although to a lesser extent than Aic-2A. Treatment with GM-CSF resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of the Aic-2B polypeptide exclusively. It was intriguing that GM-CSF treatment did affect the mobility of the Aic-2A polypeptide on polyacrylamide gels. Together, these results suggest that the Aic-2A polypeptide is part of the IL-3 receptor complex, but not the GM-CSF receptor. In contrast, the Aic-2B polypeptide is a component of the GM-CSF receptor, but it can also be utilized in an IL-3 receptor.