Tyrosine Kinase Peptide 3

Rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells contain specific plasma membrane receptors for both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Whereas EGF addition to PC12 cells causes a persistent enhancement of proliferation. NGF addition induces a transient stimulation of growth, followed by growth arrest and neuronal differentiation. Despite these differences in biological response, EGF and NGF share a number of early receptor-mediated responses, which are likely te be related to their effect on cell proliferation. In this paper we show that EGF, but not NGF, is able to stimulate the phosphorylation of membrane proteins. In addition, EGF was able to stimulate phosphorylation of a synthetic peptide (RR-SRC) by PC12 membranes in a concentration-dependent manner. Kinetic analysis of the phosphorylation reaction indicated that EGF increased the Vmax from 13 to 70 pmoles/min/mg protein, while no change was observed in Km. Furthermore, EGF was able to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of angiotensin I and II, to the same extent as RR-SRC. In contrast no effects of NGF on peptide phosphorylation by PC12 membranes were observed. Cross-linking experiments demonstrated the presence of receptors for both NGF and EGF in PC12 membranes.

Site-specific antibodies to pp60src, the transforming protein of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), have been prepared by immunizing rabbits with a chemically synthesized pentadecapeptide corresponding to residues 498-512 (Cys-Trp-Arg-Lys-Asp-Pro-Glu-Glu-Arg-Pro-Thr-Phe-Lys-Tyr-Leu) as deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the Prague C src gene. Antibodies specific for the synthetic peptide were purified from immune sera by affinity chromatography on peptide-bound Sepharose and characterized by a number of immunocytochemical techniques. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses of normal and RSV-transformed cell lines revealed that this peptide antibody identified the authentic viral src gene product. This finding was further supported by indirect immunofluorescence on RSV-transformed rat kidney cells. The anti-peptide antibodies produced dramatic intracellular staining patterns characteristic of the src protein. Although able to immunoprecipitate pp60src, in vitro kinase reactions indicated that, unlike sera from RSV-induced tumor-bearing rabbits, the peptide antibody did not serve as a phosphate acceptor in the immunocomplex. Moreover, immunoprecipitates of pp60src prepared from this site-specific immune reagent were unable to phosphorylate exogenously added casein or the synthetic peptide substrate, Arg-Arg-Leu-Ile-Glu-Asp-Ala-Glu-Tyr-Ala-Ala-Arg-Gly.

The aminoguanide, methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), was shown to stimulate phosphorylation of RR-SRC, a synthetic protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) substrate, and different levels of tyrosyl phosphorylation of endogenous proteins in a sea urchin egg membrane-cortex preparation. Stimulating protein tyrosine kinase activity in the sea urchin egg stimulated intracellular Ca2+ release, because microinjection of 1-5 mM of MGBG into unfertilized eggs triggered a transient rise in intracellular Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) after a brief latent period. Pretreating eggs with PTK-specific inhibitors, genistein or tyrphostin B42, significantly inhibited the MGBG-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. Methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) stimulation of PTK activities in the unfertilized sea urchin egg appeared to trigger Ca2+ release through phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) production. The MGBG-induced Ca2+ response could be suppressed in eggs preloaded with the InsP3 receptor antagonist, heparin, and was reduced in eggs pretreated with U73122, a PLC inhibitor. However, the response was unchanged in eggs treated with nicotinamide, an inhibitor of ADP-ribosyl cyclase, or nifedipine, an inhibitor of nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate activity.