3-kinase Activity Research Articles

Subcellular Locations of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Isoforms

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 4-kinase catalyzes the synthesis of PtdIns-4-P, the precursor of an array of lipid second messengers generated by additional phosphorylation by PtdIns-4-P 5-kinase and PtdIns 3-kinase. PtdIns 4-kinase activity is conserved from yeast to higher eukaryotes. Multiple isoforms of mammalian PtdIns 4-kinase have been purified, and the activities have been detected in almost all subcellular locations. We previously reported the cloning and characterization of the first mammalian PtdIns 4-kinase named PI4Kalpha (Wong, K., and Cantley, L. C. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 28878-28884). Alternatively spliced forms of PI4Kalpha have also been identified from several sources including bovine brain (Gehrmann, T., Vereb, G., Schmidt, M., Klix, D., Meyer, H. E., Varsanyi, M., and Heilmeyer, L. M., Jr. (1996) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1311, 53-63). Recently we isolated a distinct human PtdIns 4-kinase gene, named PI4Kbeta, that encodes an enzyme that is wortmannin sensitive (Meyers, R., and Cantley, L. C. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 4384-4390). Here we report the locations of these enzymes and provide evidence for other yet unidentified isoforms present in specific organelles. PI4Kalpha is mostly membrane-bound and located at the endoplasmic reticulum; whereas PI4Kbeta is in the cytosol and also present in the Golgi region. Neither of these isoforms accounts for the major type II PtdIns 4-kinase activity detected in the lysosomes and plasma membrane fraction.

Roles of insulin receptor substrate-1 and Shc on insulin-like growth factor I receptor signaling in early passages of cultured human fibroblasts.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) improves glucose metabolism and growth in patients with leprechaunism. We investigated signal transduction through IGF-I receptor in comparison with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in early passages of cultured skin fibroblasts from a normal subject and a patient with leprechaunism whose insulin receptor tyrosine kinase was almost nonexistent. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) became tyrosine-phosphorylated and bound growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) quickly by IGF-I. The association of Shc with GRB2 by IGF-I was detected by immunoblot with anti-Shc antibody but was hardly visible with antiphosphotyrosine antibody, which was in marked contrast to efficient tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc by EGF. However, the potency of IGF-I for DNA synthesis was far stronger than EGF, which was not parallel with the potency of these growth factors to activate Shc or MAP kinase. Rather, phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity, which was activated by IGF-I about 5- to 10-fold more strongly than EGF, appeared to correlate with mitogenesis. Signal transduction pathways following IGF-I receptor or EGF receptor activation were indistinguishable between the normal subject and the patient. Our results strongly suggest that in human skin fibroblasts, which represent a more physiological cell culture: 1) IRS-1, rather than Shc, is the major tyrosine-phosphorylated protein binding GRB2 in initial phase of IGF-I signaling; 2) mitogenic potency of receptor tyrosine kinases such as IGF-I receptor and EGF receptor may not be determined solely by the amount of Shc-GRB2 complex or the activity of MAP kinase; and 3) in contrast to previous reports, IGF-I and EGF receptor signalings are not defective in leprechaunism.

ADP-ribosylation factor 1-regulated phospholipase D activity is localized at the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles in HL60 cells.

ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), a small GTPase required for vesicle formation, has been identified as an activator of phospholipase D (PLD), thus implying that PLD is localized at intracellular organelles. HL60 cells were prelabelled with [14C]acetate for 72 h and, after disruption, fractionated on a linear sucrose gradient. ARF1-regulated PLD activity in each fraction was assessed by measurement of phosphatidylethanol production. Two peaks of activity were identified, coincident with markers for Golgi/endoplasmic reticulum/granules (endomembranes) and plasma membrane respectively. Analysis of the fractions using exogenous phosphatidylcholine as substrate confirmed the presence of ARF1-dependent PLD activity in endomembranes and plasma membrane, and also identified an additional activity in the cytosol. In formyl-Met-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells, PLD activity as assessed by phosphatidylethanol formation was also associated with both the plasma membrane and endomembranes. Since ARF1-regulated PLD activity requires phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), the distributions of inositol lipids and the kinases responsible for lipid phosphorylation were examined. PIP2 was highly enriched at the plasma membrane, whereas phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), the precursors for PIP2 synthesis, were found predominantly at endomembranes. The distribution of PI 4-kinase and PI4P 5-kinase activities confirmed the plasma membrane as the major site of PIP2 production. However, endomembranes possessed substantial PI 4-kinase activity and some PI4P 5-kinase activity, illustrating the potential for PIP2 synthesis. It is concluded that:(1) ARF1-regulated PLD activity is localized at endomembranes and the plasma membrane, (2) PIP2 is available at both membrane compartments to function as a cofactor for ARF-regulated PLD, and (3) in intact cells, formyl-Met-Leu-Phe stimulates PLD activity at endomembranes as well as plasma membrane.

Aggregation-dependent, integrin-mediated increases in cytoskeletally associated PtdInsP2 (4,5) levels in human platelets are controlled by translocation of PtdIns 4-P 5-kinase C to the cytoskeleton.

Thrombin-stimulated aggregation of human platelets promotes an increase in the phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns 4-P) 5-kinase (PIPkin) activity in the cytoskeleton. This phenomenon is associated with translocation of PIPkin isoform C to the cytoskeleton and with an increase in the amount of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) bound to the cytoskeletal pellet. All three of these effects are prevented if the platelets are not stirred or if RGD-containing peptides are present, demonstrating that they require integrin activation. All three are also abolished by pretreatment with okadaic acid, which also prevents the aggregation-dependent translocation of pp60(c-src) to the cytoskeleton. The results point to the existence of a cytoskeletally associated PtdInsP2 pool under the control of integrin-mediated signals that act via PIPkin C and suggest that a common, okadaic acid-sensitive mechanism may underlie the aggregation-dependent translocation of certain signalling molecules to the platelet cytoskeleton.

The Friedreich's ataxia gene encodes a novel phosphatidylinositol-4- phosphate 5-kinase.

The STM7 gene on chromosome 9 was recently 'excluded' as a candidate for Friedreich's ataxia following the identification of an expanded intronic GAA triplet repeat in the adjacent gene, X25, in patients with the disease. Using RT-PCR, northern and sequence analyses, we now demonstrate that X25 comprises part of the STM7 gene, contributing to at least four splice variants, and report the identification of new coding sequences. Functional analysis of the STM7 recombinant protein corresponding to the reported 2.7-kilobase transcript has demonstrated PtdlnsP 5-kinase activity, supporting the idea that the disease is caused by a defect in the phosphoinositide pathway, possibly affecting vesicular trafficking or synaptic transmission.

Poly-phosphoinositide-mediated messengers in focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

The receptor-mediated poly-phosphoinositide (PI) signalling pathway is known to play an important role in maintaining intracellular calcium homeostasis, which in turn, is critical for mediating neuronal function. In this study, we examined the effects of focal cerebral ischemia induced in rats by temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and both common carotid arteries (CCAs) on this signal transduction pathway. Results indicate that several parts of the pathway are altered, both during the early phase of focal cerebral ischemic insult and after recirculation. Cerebral ischemia induced a decrease in levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP 2) in the ischemic MCA cortex, due partly to stimulated poly-PI hydrolysis and partly to the depletion of ATP required for resynthesis of this substrate. ATP depletion during ischemia was also attributed to a sustained decrease in inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3) levels. On the other hand, the decline in IP 3 3-kinase activity after 30 min of ischemic insult was not related to ATP depletion. During reperfusion upon prolonged ischemic insult, neither IP 3 level nor IP 3 3-kinase activity were able to show recovery after reperfusion, despite that ATP levels recovered by 80%. In situ hybridization studies indicated a decrease in mRNA expression of IP 3 receptor but not IP 3 3-kinase during the initial 4 h of reperfusion after a 45 min ischemic insult. Under this same condition, insulted cortical neurons started to show morphological changes between 4 and 8 h after reperfusion and extensive cell death could be observed by 16 h. Taken together, these results demonstrated early and delayed changes in the poly-PI signalling pathway due to focal cerebral ischemia. These effects are likely to cause impairment in neuronal function and underline the process of cerebral ischemic damage.

Extracellular matrix stimulates production and breakdown of inositol phospholipids.

Adhesion of rat glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) to collagen stimulates production of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and 1,2-diacylglycerol. This process is mediated via beta 1-integrins, and it modulates GEC proliferation. In this study, we address the changes in inositol-lipid turnover induced by GEC adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM). The masses of both phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and IP3, as well as [3H]inositol phosphates, were increased in GEC adherent to collagen, compared with plastic substratum. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP) 5-kinase activity was predominantly membrane associated and was enhanced in GEC on collagen. Phospholipase C (PLC) activity and PLC-gamma 1 protein were increased in membrane fractions of GEC adherent to collagen, compared with plastic. Stable overexpression of PLC-gamma 1 in GEC amplified the effect of ECM on the production of [3H]inositol phosphates. In addition, the PLC-gamma 1 that was membrane associated in collagen-adherent GEC was tyrosine phosphorylated. Thus production of IP3 in GEC adherent to ECM is associated with increased production of PIP2. Moreover, adhesion to ECM increases tyrosine phosphorylation and membrane association of PLC-gamma 1, which may facilitate PIP2 hydrolysis by increasing the catalytic activity of PLC-gamma 1 and the proximity of PLC-gamma 1 and its substrate. Understanding the process of ECM-induced inositol lipid production and breakdown in GEC may provide insights into the regulation of GEC proliferation and differentiated functions in normal conditions and during glomerular injury.

Cloning of cDNAs Encoding Two Isoforms of 68-kDa Type I Phosphatidylinositol4-phosphate 5-Kinase

Accumulating evidence suggests that phosphatidylinositol metabolism is essential for membrane traffic in the cell. Of particular importance, phosphatidylinositol transfer protein and the type I phosphatidylinositol- 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PI4P5K) have been identified as cytosolic components required for ATP-dependent, Ca2+-activated secretion. In order to identify PI4P5K isoforms that may play important roles in regulated insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells, we employed the polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers and screening of a cDNA library of the murine pancreatic beta-cell line MIN6. Two novel cDNAs, designated PI4P5K-Ialpha and PI4P5K-Ibeta, were identified, which contained complete coding sequences encoding 539- or 546-amino acid proteins, respectively. These cDNAs were expressed in mammalian cells with an adenoviral expression vector. Proteins of both isoforms migrated at 68 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and exhibited phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase activity, which was activated by phosphatidic acid, indicating that these proteins were type I isoforms. While these isoforms share a marked amino acid sequence homology in their central portion, the amino- and carboxyl-terminal regions differ significantly. Northern blot analysis depicted that tissue distributions differed between the two isoforms. Molecular identification of type I PI4P5K isoforms in insulin-secreting cells should provide insights into the role of phosphatidylinositol metabolism in regulated exocytosis of insulin-containing large dense core vesicles.

Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor on Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase Activity in Rabbit Corneal Epithelial Cells

We investigated the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity in SV-40 transformed rabbit corneal epithelial cells (RCEC) and in normal corneal epithelial cells grown in primary culture. The enzyme products, 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides, were identified by TLC and by deacylation followed by separation on HPLC. Addition of 30 ng ml −1EGF to 32P-labeled SV-40 transformed or primary epithelial cell cultures, increased the radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP 3) by about 96% over that of control incubations. The growth factor also significantly increased the radioactivity in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P], phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P 2] and phosphatidic acid which was quite similar in the two cell types. The EGF-mediated increase in PIP 3formation in RCEC was dose- and time-dependent. Treatment of RCEC lysate with anti-PI 3-kinase antibody immunoprecipitated proteins that phosphorylated PI, PI(4)P and PI(4,5)P 2to corresponding 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides. Incubation of RCEC with EGF resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in PI 3-kinase activity associated with the immunoprecipitate. Nonionic detergent, Nonidet P-40, strongly inhibited the PI 3-kinase activity in the immunoprecipitate, but it stimulated the PI 4-kinase activity in the cell lysate. Wortmannin, a fungal metabolite, also exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the activity of PI 3-kinase. Analysis of the PI 3-kinase immunoprecipitate by Western blot did not show any increase in concentration of the 85-kDa subunit of PI 3-kinase in EGF-treated cells. However, probing the immunoblot with anti-phosphotyrosine antibody showed a large increase (145%) in phosphorylation of the 85-kDa subunit of the enzyme. It can be concluded from these data that PIP 3and other 3-phosphoinositides exist in RCEC, and that EGF stimulates the production of these lipids by activation of PI 3-kinase, probably by increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the 85-kDa subunit of the enzyme.

Sphingosine enhances phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase activity in rabbit platelets.

The modulating effect of sphingosine on the metabolism of inositol phospholipids was investigated using rabbit platelets. When [3H]arachidonic acid- or [3H]inositol-labeled platelets were incubated at 37 degrees C with sphingosine, the radioactivity of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) fraction obtained on TLC decreased time-dependently up to 5 min, and phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) increased concomitantly, though neither arachidonic acid nor 1,2-diacylglycerol was formed. The effect of sphingosine was dose-dependent, the maximum effect being observed at 20 microM. Treatment with a sphingosine derivative, sphingosine-1-phosphate (Sph-1-P) or N-hexanoyl-sphingosine (C6-ceramide), did not result in an increase in PIP. The increased radioactivity of PIP with sphingosine was attributable to an increase in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, but not phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Furthermore, wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI 3-kinase, did not affect the modulating effect of sphingosine at 100 nM, at which the enzyme is known to be completely inhibited. The activity of PI 4-kinase in the platelet lysate was increased by sphingosine but not by Sph-1-P. These results suggest that sphingosine enhances the activity of PI 4-kinase and thereby contributes to the regulation of inositol phospholipid metabolism.

A Peptide-based Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase Inhibitor Specifically Enhances Insulin Receptor Function in Intact Cells

3S-peptide-I is a synthetic tris-sulfotyrosyl dodecapeptide corresponding to the major site of insulin receptor autophosphorylation that potently inhibits dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor in a cell-free system and in digitonin-permeabilized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells overexpressing the human insulin receptors (CHO/HIRc cells) (Liotta, A. S., Kole, H. K., Fales, H. M., Roth, J., and Bernier, M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 22996-23001). In the present study, we found that 3S-peptide-I was not capable of inhibiting dephosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors in digitonin-permeabilized CHO cells that overexpress human EGF receptors (CHO/EGF-R cells). Moreover, the addition of a N-stearyl derivative of 3S-peptide-I to intact CHO/HIRc cells caused a concentration-dependent increase in insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, with a maximum effect (approximately 2.7-fold) at 50 microM. In contrast, ligand-stimulated EGF receptor phosphorylation in CHO/EGF-R cells was not affected by the presence of stearyl 3S-peptide-I. Furthermore, treatment of CHO/HIRc cells with this N-stearyl peptide led to a significant enhancement of the insulin-induced association of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity with insulin receptor substrate 1 and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. However, stearyl 3S-peptide-I had no effect on the EGF-stimulated activation of PI-3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase in CHO/EGF-R cells. These data indicate that this tris-sulfotyrosyl dodecapeptide selectively enhances insulin signal transduction by specifically inhibiting dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor in intact cells.

A common amino acid polymorphism in insulin receptor substrate-1 causes impaired insulin signaling. Evidence from transfection studies.

Insulin receptor substrates-1 (IRS-1) is the major cytoplasmic substrate of the insulin and IGF-1 receptors. Recent studies have identified multiple sequence variants of IRS-1, especially in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In the present study, we have examined insulin-stimulated processes in 32D(IR) cells, a myeloid progenitor cell stably overexpressing the insulin receptor, transfected with wild-type human-IRS-1 or the most common human variant of IRS-1 in which glycine 972 is replaced by arginine. As compared to wild-type IRS-1, insulin stimulation of cells transfected with mutant IRS-1 exhibited a 32% decrease in incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA (P = 0.002), a 36% decrease in IRS-1 associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity (P = 0.004) and a 25% decrease in binding of the p85 regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase to IRS-1 (P = 0.002). There was also a tendency for a decrease in Grb2 binding to IRS-1 and insulin-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, however, these were not statistically significant. The changes occurred with no change in insulin receptor or IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. These data indicate that the mutation in codon 972 in IRS-1 impairs insulin-stimulated signaling, especially along the PI 3-kinase pathway, and may contribute to insulin resistance in normal and diabetic populations.

Chromaffin granule-associated phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase activity is required for stimulated secretion.

Permeabilized bovine adrenal chromaffin cells have been used to characterize the MgATP requirement of processes preceding exocytosis. Incubation of primary cultures with the membrane-permeable phenylarsine oxide (PAO) at 20 microM inhibited the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and completely blocked secretion. This block could be reversed by addition of 2,3-dimercaptopropanol to the permeabilized cells. Simultaneous addition of [gamma32P]ATP and 2,3-dimercaptopropanol permitted a comparison between recovery of secretion and phosphorylation of intracellular components. Recovery of secretion closely correlated with phosphorylation of PtdIns and PtdIns4P. Subcellular fractionation of permeabilized cells after recovery of secretion revealed that the majority of newly phosphorylated PtdIns4P was localized on the chromaffin granules. In accordance with these results, PtdIns 4-kinase activity was found in protein extracts of permeabilized cells as well as associated with purified chromaffin granules, sensitive in both cases to PAO. Additionally, PtdIns 4-kinase activity in these two assays was inhibited by quercetin. In permeabilized cells, quercetin decreased the levels of labeled PtdIns4P and Ptdlns(4,5)P2 and inhibited secretion. Our data suggest that a chromaffin granule-associated PtdIns 4-kinase acts in the priming of exocytosis.

Cloning, Expression, and Localization of 230-kDa Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase

A phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4-kinase cDNA was cloned from a rat brain cDNA library. This cDNA encoded a protein of 2041 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 231,317. The deduced amino acid sequence shared the identity of 52.3 and 34.4% in the presumed catalytic domain with two yeast PI 4-kinases, STT4 and PIK1, respectively, and showed 31.7% identity to p110alpha subunit of rat PI 3-kinase in the same domain. In addition, a 3' half coding region of the present cDNA was 89.6% identical to and its deduced amino acid sequence was 98.2% identical to the sequence for P14Kalpha, a recently reported human PI 4-kinase of type II, suggesting that P14Kalpha is an alternative form of the present PI 4-kinase molecule. The present cDNA contained sequences encoding the ankyrin repeat domain, lipid kinase unique domain, pleckstrin homology domain, presumed lipid kinase/protein kinase homology domain, proline-rich region, and SH3 domain. By examining PI kinase activity in transfected COS-7 cells using the epitope tag immunoprecipitation as well as the conventional way, the product phosphatidylinositol phosphate was identified as phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate but not phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. This PI 4-kinase activity was markedly enhanced in the presence of Triton X-100 but relatively insensitive to inhibition by adenosine. By epitope tag immunohistochemistry, the immunoreactivity for this PI 4-kinase molecule was largely localized in close association with the membranes of the Golgi vesicles and vacuoles. By in situ hybridization analysis, the expression of mRNA for this PI 4-kinase was evident throughout the gray matter of entire brain with higher expression intensity in fetal brain. These data imply that this novel PI 4-kinase is involved in some processes essential to neuronal differentiation and maturation including the synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity.

Physical association of the small GTPase Rho with a 68-kDa phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase in Swiss 3T3 cells.

Our previous work showed that post-translationally modified Rho in its GTP-bound state stimulated phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K) activity in mouse fibroblast lysates. To investigate whether Rho physically interacts with PIP5K, we incubated immobilized Rho-GST with Swiss 3T3 cell lysates and tested for retained PIP5K activity. Rho-GST, but not Ras-GST or GST alone, bound significant PIP5K activity. The binding of PIP5K was independent of whether Rho was in a GTP- or GDP-bound state. An antibody against a 68-kDa human erythrocyte type I PIP5K recognized a single 68-kDa protein eluted from Rho-GST column. The Rho-associated PIP5K responded to phosphatidic acid differentially from the erythrocyte type I PIP5K, suggesting that it could be a distinct isoform not reported previously. Rho co-immunoprecipitated with the 68-kDa PIP5K from Swiss 3T3 lysates, demonstrating that endogenous Rho also interacts with PIP5K. ADP-ribosylation of Rho with C3 exoenzyme enhanced PIP5K binding by approximately eightfold, consistent with the ADP-ribosylated Rho functioning as a dominant negative inhibitor. These results demonstrate that Rho physically interacts with a 68-kDa PIP5K, although whether the association is direct or indirect is unknown.

Relationship between type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase activity and protein tyrosine phosphorylation in membranes from normal and sickle red cells.

To assess the origin of the previously reported higher type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PtdIns 4-kinase) activity of sickle-red-cell membranes [Rhoda-Hardy-Dessources, M.D., de Neef, R.S., Mérault, G.& Giraud, F. (1993) Biochim. Biophs. Acta 1181, 90-96], we have investigated the possible involvement of protein kinase C and tyrosine kinases in the regulation of the lipid kinase activity. Both protein kinase activities were found to be markedly higher in membranes from the pathological cells. When isolated normal-red-cell or sickle-red-cell membranes were assayed, phosphatidylinositol phosphorylation activity was not significantly modified after phorbol ester modulation of protein kinase C. In contrast, stimulation (with sodium orthovanadate) or inhibiton (by tyrphostin) of tyrosine phosphorylation led respectively, to increased or decreased PtdIns 4-kinase activity in membranes from both cell types. Moreover, immunoprecipitations of membrane extracts from normal and sickle red cells types with anti-PtdIns 4-kinase antibody 4C5G, followed by immunoblotting with an anti-phosphotyrosine Ig, revealed a 56-kDa band migrating with PtdIns 4-kinase activity. Taken together, these findings indicate that PtdIns 4-Kinase in red blood cells is a phosphotyrosine-containing protein and could be regulated by a mechanism involving tyrosine phosphorylation, and the increase in PtdIns 4-Kinase activity of sickle-red-cell membranes is at least in part mediated by their intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity.

Characterization of a soluble adrenal phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase reveals wortmannin sensitivity of type III phosphatidylinositol kinases.

Phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) by PtdIns 4-kinases is the first step in the synthesis of polyphosphoinositides, the lipid precursors of intracellular signaling molecules. We have recently identified a cytosolic PtdIns 4-kinase (cPI4K) in the bovine adrenal cortex that is distinguished from previously known PtdIns 4-kinases by its sensitivity to the PtdIns 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin (WT). The present study has further characterized this soluble enzyme and compared its properties to those of the membrane-bound, type II PtdIns 4-kinase activity of the adrenal cortex and the type III enzyme of bovine brain. The enzymatic activity of adrenal cPI4K was inhibited not only by WT (IC50 approximately 50 nM) but also by LY-294002 (IC50 approximately 100 microM), another inhibitor of PtdIns 3-kinase, and neither compound affected type II PtdIns 4-kinase at concentrations that inhibited cPI4K. In contrast to the type II enzyme, cPI4K had a significantly higher Km for ATP, was relatively insensitive to inhibition by adenosine (Ki approximately 800 microM vs approximately 40 microM), had lower affinity for PtdIns, and was not inhibited by Ca2+ ions. These properties identify the WT-sensitive adrenal cPI4K as a type III PtdIns 4-kinase that is distinct from the tightly membrane-bound, Ca2+- and adenosine-sensitive, type II PtdIns 4-kinase. The type III PtdIns 4-kinase prepared from bovine brain exhibited similar kinetic parameters as the adrenal cPI4K, and was also inhibited by WT with an IC50 of 30-50 nM. Since WT inhibits the synthesis of agonist-regulated phosphoinositide pools in intact cells at micromolar concentrations, these findings indicated that type III rather than type II PtdIns 4-kinases are responsible for the maintenance of the precursor phospholipids required for intracellular signaling through the inositol phosphate/Ca2+ pathway.

Different sensitivity to wortmannin of two vacuolar sorting signals indicates the presence of distinct sorting machineries in tobacco cells.

Vacuolar matrix proteins in plant cells are sorted from the secretory pathway to the vacuoles at the Golgi apparatus. Previously, we reported that the NH2-terminal propeptide (NTPP) of the sporamin precursor and the COOH-terminal propeptide (CTPP) of the barley lectin precursor contain information for vacuolar sorting. To analyze whether these propeptides are interchangeable, we expressed constructs consisting of wild-type or mutated NTPP with the mature part of barley lectin and sporamin with CTPP and mutated NTPP in tobacco BY-2 cells. The vacuolar localization of these constructs indicated that the signals were interchangeable. We next analyzed the effect of wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of mammalian phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase on vacuolar delivery by NTPP and CTPP in tobacco cells. Pulse-chase analysis indicated that 33 microM wortmannin caused almost complete inhibition of CTPP-mediated transport to the vacuoles, while NTPP-mediated transport displayed almost no sensitivity to wortmannin at this concentration. This indicates that there are at least two different mechanisms for vacuolar sorting in tobacco cells, and the CTPP-mediated pathway is sensitive to wortmannin. We compared the dose dependencies of wortmannin on the inhibition of CTPP-mediated vacuolar delivery of proteins and on the inhibition of the synthesis of phospholipids in tobacco cells. Wortmannin inhibited PI 3- and PI 4-kinase activities and phospholipid synthesis. Missorting caused by wortmannin displays a dose dependency that is similar to the dose dependency for the inhibition of synthesis of PI 4-phosphate and major phospholipids. This is different, however, than the inhibition of synthesis of PI 3-phosphate. Thus, the synthesis of phospholipids could be involved in CTPP-mediated vacuolar transport.

The Rapamycin and FKBP12 Target (RAFT) Displays Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Activity

The immunosuppressant rapamycin prevents cell cycle progression in several mammalian cell lines and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In mammalian cells, rapamycin binds to the small FK506-binding protein, FKBP12, allowing the drug-receptor complex to interact with the 289-kDa RAFT1/FRAP proteins. These proteins, along with their yeast homologs, TOR1/DRR1 and TOR2/DRR2, contain a C-terminal domain with amino acid homology to several phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4- and 3-kinases. However, no direct demonstration of kinase activity for this family of proteins has been reported. We now show that RAFT1, immunoprecipitated from rat brain and MG63 and HEK293 cells, contains PI 4-kinase activity and that rapamycin-FKBP12 has no effect on this activity. Thus, it is likely that, in vivo, rapamycin does not directly inhibit the PI 4-kinase activity and affects the RAFT1/FRAP protein through another mechanism.

The cloning and sequence of the C isoform of PtdIns4P 5-kinase.

In this study we describe the purification and sequencing of the C isoform of platelet PtdIns4P 5-kinase. Subsequently a cDNA was isolated from a human circulating-leucocyte library, which when sequenced was shown to contain all of the peptides identified in the purified protein. In addition, expression of this cDNA in bacteria led to the production of a protein which was recognized by specific monoclonal antibodies raised to the bovine brain enzyme [Brooksbank, Hutchings, Butcher, Irvine and Divecha (1993) Biochem. J. 291, 77-82] and also led to the appearance of PtdIns4P 5-kinase activity in the bacterial lysates. Interestingly, the cDNA showed no similarity to any of the previously cloned inositide kinases. A search of the DNA databases showed that two proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae shared close similarity to this enzyme, one of which, the mss4 gene product, has been implicated in the yeast inositol lipid pathway. These data suggest that the PtdIns4P 5-kinases are a new family of inositide kinases unrelated to the previously cloned phosphoinositide 3/4-kinases.