Tec Family Of Tyrosine Kinases Research Articles

Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Is Required for CD28 But Not CD3 Regulation of the TEC Family Tyrosine Kinase EMT/ITK/TSK: Functional and Physical Interaction of EMT with Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase

Ligation of the TCR or CD28 induces activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), the TEC family protein tyrosine kinase, EMT/ITK/TSK (EMT), and the SRC family tyrosine kinase, LCK. LCK is required for the activation and phosphorylation of EMT induced by ligation of the TCR or CD28 placing LCK upstream of EMT in T cell signaling cascades. We report herein that inhibition of PI3K activity with the specific inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin markedly decreased EMT activation induced by CD28 cross-linking but not by CD3 cross-linking. Further, inhibition of PI3K markedly decreased EMT in vitro autokinase activity induced by activated LCK. In contrast, PI3K inhibitors did not alter CD28 or CD3 cross-linking or LCK-induced EMT phosphorylation. Consistent with the requirement of PI3K activity for CD28 but not CD3-induced stimulation of the EMT in vitro autokinase activity, a small but significant portion of cellular EMT associates with PI3K following CD28 cross-linking but not following CD3 cross-linking. CD28-induced association of EMT with PI3K also requires functional expression of LCK. Fusion proteins containing the SRC homology 2 domain of EMT interact with PI3K or a PI3K-associated molecule in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner. Taken together, the data suggest that EMT is differentially regulated and recruited to different signaling complexes following ligation of CD28 or the TCR complex, perhaps contributing to the disparate roles that EMT appears to play downstream of CD28 and the TCR.

CD2-mediated activation of the Tec-family tyrosine kinase ITK is controlled by proline-rich stretch-4 of the CD2 cytoplasmic tail.

Ligation of the CD2 co-stimulatory receptor on human T lymphocytes induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the Tec-family tyrosine kinase, ITK. To examine whether any of several proline-rich (PR) stretches of the CD2 cytoplasmic tail are necessary for ITK activation we introduced wild-type and mutated versions of rat CD2, each missing at least one PR stretch of the tail, into human Jurkat T leukemia cells. The influence of cytoplasmic tail mutations was then studied following stimulation of transfectants with the rat CD2 mAb pair, OX54/OX55. As predicted, wild-type rat CD2 was able to activate ITK in Jurkat cells. In addition, a truncation mutant, lacking the most membrane-distal PR stretch, PR6, was able to activate ITK. By contrast, all other studied truncation mutants, each of which is missing at least PR4-PR6, were unable to induce ITK activation. Of deletion mutants, deletion of the membrane-proximal PR stretches, PR1-PR3, did not impair rat CD2-mediated ITK activation. However, additional deletion of PR4 from a tail missing PR1 and PR2, deletion of PR2 and PR4, and deletion of PR4 alone from rat CD2 abrogated an ability to activate ITK. Thus, these results identify PR4 as an element of the CD2 tail that is required for activation of ITK. Furthermore, we show that, unlike wild-type rat CD2, PR4-deleted rat CD2 is unable to induce IL-2 secretion from Jurkat cells. This is consistent with the view that PR4-mediated activation of ITK is important for downstream signaling events induced by CD2 co-stimulation.

T cell receptor-initiated calcium release is uncoupled from capacitative calcium entry in Itk-deficient T cells.

Itk, a Tec family tyrosine kinase, plays an important but as yet undefined role in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Here we show that T cells from Itk-deficient mice have a TCR-proximal signaling defect, resulting in defective interleukin 2 secretion. Upon TCR stimulation, Itk-/- T cells release normal amounts of calcium from intracellular stores, but fail to open plasma membrane calcium channels. Since thapsigargin-induced store depletion triggers normal calcium entry in Itk-/- T cells, an impaired biochemical link between store depletion and channel opening is unlikely to be responsible for this defect. Biochemical studies indicate that TCR-induced inositol 1,4,5 tris-phosphate (IP3) generation and phospholipase C gamma1 tyrosine phosphorylation are substantially reduced in Itk-/- T cells. In contrast, TCR-zeta and ZAP-70 are phosphorylated normally, suggesting that Itk functions downstream of, or in parallel to, ZAP-70 to facilitate TCR-induced IP3 production. These findings support a model in which quantitative differences in cytosolic IP3 trigger distinct responses, and in which only high concentrations of IP3 trigger the influx of extracellular calcium.

Efficient CD28 signalling leads to increases in the kinase activities of the TEC family tyrosine kinase EMT/ITK/TSK and the SRC family tyrosine kinase LCK.

Optimal T cell activation requires crosslinking of the T cell receptor (TCR) concurrently with an accessory receptor, most efficiently CD28. Crosslinking of CD28 leads to increased interleukin 2 (IL2) production, inhibition of anergy and prevention of programmed cell death. Crosslinking of CD28 leads to rapid increases in tyrosine phosphorylation of specific intracellular substrates including CD28 itself. Since CD28 does not encode an intrinsic tyrosine kinase domain, CD28 must activate an intracellular tyrosine kinase(s). Indeed, crosslinking of CD28 increases the activity of the intracellular tyrosine kinases EMT/ITK and LCK. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and GRB2 binding site in CD28 is dispensable for optimal IL2 production in Jurkat T cells. We demonstrate herein that murine Y170 (equivalent to human Y173) in CD28 is also dispensable for activation of the SRC family tyrosine kinase LCK and the TEC family tyrosine kinase EMT/ITK. In contrast, the distal three tyrosines in CD28 are required for optimal IL2 production as well as for optimal activation of the LCK and EMT/ITK tyrosine kinases. The distal three tyrosines of CD28, however, are not required for recruitment of PI3K to CD28. Furthermore, PI3K is recruited to CD28 in JCaM1 cells which lack LCK and in which EMT/ITK is not activated by ligation of CD28. Thus optimal activation of LCK or EMT/ITK is not obligatory for recruitment of PI3K to CD28 and thus is also not required for tyrosine phosphorylation of the YMNM motif in CD28. Taken together the data indicate that the distal three tyrosines in CD28 are integral to the activation of LCK and EMT/ITK and for subsequent IL2 production.

Tec-family non-receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in zebrafish kidney.

Tec-family non-receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in zebrafish kidney.

Solution structure of the SH3 domain from Bruton's tyrosine kinase.

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a heritable immunodeficiency caused by mutations in the gene coding for Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Btk belongs to the Tec family of tyrosine kinases. Each member of the family contains five regions and mutations causing XLA have been isolated in all five regions. We have determined the solution structure of the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of Btk using two- and three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on natural abundance and 15N-labeled protein material. The structure determination is complemented by investigation of backbone dynamics based on 15N NMR relaxation. The Btk SH3 forms a well-defined structure and shows the typical SH3 topology of two short antiparallel beta-sheets packed almost perpendicular to each other in a sandwich-like fold. The N- and C-termini are more flexible as are peptide fragments in the RT and n-Src loops. The studied Btk SH3 fragment adopts two slowly interconverting conformations with a relative concentration ratio of 7:1. The overall fold of the minor form is similar to that of the major form, as judged on the basis of observed NOE connectivities and small chemical shift differences. A tryptophan (W251) ring flip is the favored mechanism for interconversion, although other possibilities cannot be excluded. The side chain of Y223, which becomes autophosphorylated upon activation of Btk, is exposed within the potential SH3 ligand binding site. Finally, we compare the present Btk SH3 structure with other SH3 structures.

Src-induced activation of inducible T cell kinase (ITK) requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and the Pleckstrin homology domain of inducible T cell kinase.

The Tec family of tyrosine kinases are involved in signals emanating from cytokine receptors, antigen receptors, and other lymphoid cell surface receptors. One family member, ITK (inducible T cell kinase), is involved in T cell activation and can be activated by the T cell receptor and the CD28 cell surface receptor. This stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of ITK can be mimicked by the Src family kinase Lck. We have explored the mechanism of this requirement for Src family kinases in the activation of ITK. We found that coexpression of ITK and Src results in increased membrane association, tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of ITK, which could be blocked by inhibitors of the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) as well as overexpression of the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase. Removal of the Pleckstrin homology domain (PH) of ITK resulted in a kinase that could no longer be induced to localize to the membrane or be activated by Src. The PH of ITK was also able to bind inositol phosphates phosphorylated at the D3 position. Membrane targeting of ITK without the PH recovered its ability to be activated by Src. These results suggest that ITK can be activated by a combination of Src and PI 3-kinase.

Lck Phosphorylates the Activation Loop Tyrosine of the Itk Kinase Domain and Activates Itk Kinase Activity

The Tec family tyrosine kinase Itk has been implicated in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, yet its precise role and mechanism of activation remain undefined. To investigate these issues, we examined the biochemical response of Itk to TCR stimulation. We found that Itk is tyrosine-phosphorylated after TCR cross-linking and that this phosphorylation depends on the presence of functional Lck. To determine if this Lck dependence results from direct phosphorylation of Itk by Lck, we generated recombinant Itk and Lck using a baculovirus expression system and used these proteins in subsequent biochemical analyses. We found that Lck phosphorylates Itk upon co-expression in insect cells and, further, that this phosphorylation of Itk results in increased Itk in vitro kinase activity. The major site of Lck phosphorylation on Itk was mapped to the conserved tyrosine (Tyr511) in the activation loop of the Itk kinase domain. Substitution of this tyrosine with phenylalanine abolishes Itk kinase activity in insect cells, indicating that phosphorylation at this site plays a critical role in regulating Itk function.

The EMT/ITK/TSK (EMT) tyrosine kinase is activated during TCR signaling: LCK is required for optimal activation of EMT.

Functional T lymphocyte activation requires concurrent stimulation of the TCR complex and an accessory molecule, most frequently CD28. We have previously demonstrated that the TEC family tyrosine kinase EMT/ITK/TSK (EMT) is activated following cross-linking of CD28. We demonstrate herein that cross-linking of the CD3 component of the TCR complex also leads to EMT activation as indicated by a rapid and transient increase in EMT tyrosine phosphorylation and kinase activity in anti-EMT immunoprecipitates. However, although concurrent cross-linking of the TCR and CD28 results in a marked increase in production of the T cell growth factor IL-2, it does not result in a significant alteration in the magnitude or duration of EMT activation. Somatic cell mutants of the Jurkat T cell line, which lack the SRC family kinase LCK (JCaM1.6), fail to produce IL-2 when stimulated through the TCR complex. EMT activation, as evidenced by increased EMT tyrosine phosphorylation and EMT-associated kinase activity, was also greatly reduced following stimulation of the TCR in the JCaM1.6 Jurkat T cell mutants that lack LCK. In support of a role for LCK in EMT activation, reconstitution of the LCK-negative Jurkat T cell line by enforced expression of LCK restored TCR-mediated EMT activation. Taken together, the data indicate that the EMT tyrosine kinase is activated following cross-linking of the TCR, a process in which LCK likely plays an important role.

Functional LCK Is Required for Optimal CD28-mediated Activation of the TEC Family Tyrosine Kinase EMT/ITK

Activation of CD28 on T lymphocytes initiates a cascade of intracellular events, which in concert with activation of the T cell receptor, culminates in production of cytokines and a functional immune response. One of the earliest biochemical changes observed following stimulation of CD28 is tyrosine phosphorylation. We have demonstrated that both the LCK and the EMT/ITK/TSK (EMT) intracellular tyrosine kinases are activated following cross-linking of CD28. Utilizing somatic cell mutants lacking LCK, we demonstrate that functional LCK is required for CD28-induced activation of EMT as evidenced by increased tyrosine phosphorylation and kinase activity. In support of a role for LCK in EMT activation, reconstitution of a LCK-negative Jurkat T cell line by transfection with normal LCK recreates CD28-mediated EMT activation. Furthermore, co-transfection of LCK and EMT into COS-7 cells showed that EMT becomes phosphorylated in the presence of LCK. In addition, increases in EMT association with CD28 were eliminated in a LCK-negative Jurkat cell line, but were restored following transfection of wild type LCK. The data are most compatible with a model in which LCK, either directly or indirectly, initiates EMT activation and association with CD28 following ligation of CD28.

85. Molecular and biological characteristics of a potentially novel human gastric tumor antigen

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is among the early signaling events in polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) responses to chemoattractant stimulation. We previously showed that tyrosine phosphorylation might serve as the downstream signaling for the modulation of PMN transmigration by CD47. Here, we further investigated the role of various tyrosine kinases in PMN transmigration and identified the potential tyrosine kinases serving as CD47-mediated signaling downstream. We observed that PMN transmigration was significantly enhanced by Src family kinase inhibitors PP1 and PP2 as well as Syk tyrosine kinase inhibitor piceatannol, suggesting that these kinases have negative regulatory roles in PMN chemotaxis. In contrast, PMN chemotaxis was reduced by LFM-A13, an inhibitor of the Tec family tyrosine kinase Btk (Bruton's tyrosine kinase). LFM-A13 also dose-dependently inhibited N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP)-induced PMN intracellular [Ca2+] increase. Since LFM-A13 significantly enhanced PMN chemokinesis while other inhibitors had no effect, the inhibition of PMN chemotaxis by LFM-A13 might be due to the promotion of random cell migration. Among the other inhibitors we tested, AG126 significantly inhibited PMN transmigration while the MAP kinase inhibitors SB20358 and PD98059 showed an enhancing effect. No effect of herbimycin A, erbstatin analog, lavendustin A or AG490 on PMN transmigration was observed. Treatment with PP1, PP2 or piceatannol all partially reversed the delay of PMN transmigration caused by inhibitory anti-CD47 antibody. In summary, our results demonstrate distinct roles of different tyrosine kinases in regulating PMN chemotaxis and suggest Src and/or Syk kinases are likely involved in CD47-mediated downstream signaling.