Erythropoietin Receptor In Cells Research Articles

Identification of an Acquired JAK2 Mutation in Polycythemia Vera

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a human clonal hematological disorder. The molecular etiology of the disease has not been identified. PV hematopoietic progenitor cells exhibit hypersensitivity to growth factors and cytokines, suggesting possible abnormalities in protein-tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. By sequencing the entire coding regions of cDNAs of candidate enzymes, we identified a G:C--> T:A point mutation of the JAK2 tyrosine kinase in 20 of 24 PV blood samples but none in 12 normal samples. The mutation has varying degrees of heterozygosity and is apparently acquired. It changes conserved Val(617) to Phe in the pseudokinase domain of JAK2 that is known to have an inhibitory role. The mutant JAK2 has enhanced kinase activity, and when overexpressed together with the erythropoietin receptor in cells, it caused hyperactivation of erythropoietin-induced cell signaling. This gain-of-function mutation of JAK may explain the hypersensitivity of PV progenitor cells to growth factors and cytokines. Our study thus defines a molecular defect of PV.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B participates in the down-regulation of erythropoietin receptor signalling.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the principal hormone regulating the proliferation of erythroid precursors and their differentiation into erythrocytes. Binding of ligand to the cell-surface EPO-R (EPO receptor) induces dimerization and JAK2 (Janus kinase 2)-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor. Less than 1% of the EPO-Rs are displayed on the cell surface; most of the receptor molecules are retained in intracellular compartments, including the ER (endoplasmic reticulum). Using pervanadate (PV) as a potent tool to inhibit cellular PTPs (protein tyrosine phosphatases), we demonstrated previously the accumulation of mature (endoglycosidase H-resistant) tyrosine-phosphorylated EPO-R [Cohen, Altaratz, Zick, Klingmuller and Neumann (1997) Biochem. J. 327, 391-397]. In the present study, we investigated the participation of the ER-associated PTP1B in the dephosphorylation of intracellular EPO-R. We demonstrate tyrosine phosphorylation of EPO-R in BOSC-23T cells co-expressing EPO-R and the 'substrate-trapping' mutant form of PTP1B, PTP1B D181A (referred to as PTP1BD). In vivo interaction between EPO-R and PTP1B suggested that PTP1B dephosphorylates the EPO-R intracellularly. Endoglycosidase H resistance of tyrosine-phosphorylated EPO-R in cells expressing PTP1BD suggested that mature EPO-R is dephosphorylated by PTP1B. Stimulation with EPO of cells co-expressing EPO-R and either PTP1BD or PTP1B resulted in an increase or decrease respectively in phosphotyrosine EPO-R. We thus suggest that PTP1B dephosphorylates EPO-stimulated EPO-R and participates in the down-regulation cascade of EPO-mediated signal transduction.