Cell cycle-dependent regulation of SFK, JAK1 and STAT3 signaling by the protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP

Abstract

Janus-activated kinases (JAKs) and Src family kinases (SFKs) and their common substrate signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 are frequently hyperactivated in human cancer contributing to the proliferative drive by promoting G1/S and G2/M progression. Previous studies have established that the protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP can dephosphorylate and inactivate the SFK and JAK protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) to attenuate cytokine signalling in vivo. In this study we determined whether TCPTP regulates SFK and JAK signalling during the cell cycle. We used primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from TCPTP-/- versus +/+ mice, immortalised TCPTP-/- MEFs versus those reconstituted with physiological levels of TCPTP and HeLa cells in which TCPTP protein levels had been suppressed by RNA interference, to establish TCPTP as a negative regulator of SFK, JAK1 and STAT3 signalling during the cell cycle. We found that the progression of TCPTP-deficient MEFs after the G1 restriction point into S-phase was enhanced. We used RNA interference and pharmacological inhibitors to demonstrate that elevated SFK and downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signalling but not JAK1 or STAT3 signalling were required for the enhanced G1/S transition. These results identify TCPTP as a negative regulator of the cell cycle.