Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-associated Protein Research Articles

Presence of a New Conserved Domain in CART1, a Novel Member of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-associated Protein Family, Which Is Expressed in Breast Carcinoma

CART1, a novel human gene, encodes a putative protein exhibiting three main structural domains: first, a cysteine-rich domain located at the amino-terminal part of the protein, which corresponds to an unusual RING finger motif; second, an original cysteine-rich domain located at the core of the protein and constituted by three repeats of an HC3HC3 consensus motif that we designated the CART motif, and which might interact with nucleic acid; third, the carboxyl-terminal part of the CART1 protein corresponds to a TRAF domain known to be involved in protein-protein interactions. Similar association of RING, CART, and TRAF domain was observed in the human CD40-binding protein and in the mouse tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2), both involved in signal transduction mediated by the TNF receptor family and in the developmentally regulated Dictyostelium discoideum DG17 protein. CART1 is specifically expressed by epithelial cells in breast carcinomas and metastases. Moreover, in these malignant cells, the CART1 protein is localized in the nucleus. Altogether, these observations indicate that CART1 may be involved in TNF-related cytokine signal transduction in breast carcinoma.

Physical and functional association of a serine-threonine protein kinase to the cytoplasmic domain of the p80 form of the human tumor necrosis factor receptor in human histiocytic lymphoma U-937 cells.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binds two distinct cell surface receptors designated p60 and p80. Our previous studies indicate that a protein kinase from U-937 cells binds to and phosphorylates the p60 receptor. While the p80 receptor is phosphorylated in vivo, no association of a protein kinase has been described. We employed a fusion protein comprising of glutathione S-transferase and the cytoplasmic domain of the p80 receptor (GST-p80CD) to identify cellular proteins that might associate with this receptor. From 35S- and 32P-labeled cells, a protein of 59 kDa bound specifically to GST-p80CD. In vitro kinase reactions indicated that serine/threonine protein kinase activity associated with GST-p80CD and causes its phosphorylation. Additionally, a 59-kDa phosphoprotein was also identified after kinase reactions of proteins bound to GST-p80CD. This kinase activity required either Mg2+ or Mn2+ for optimal activity, and it phosphorylated myelin basic protein, histone H2B, and also the cytoplasmic domain of the p60 receptor. Treatment of cells with TNF increased the p80 receptor-associated kinase activity by 200%. In summary, our results provide evidence of a novel ligand-activated serine/threonine protein kinase that associates with the cytoplasmic domain of the p80 receptor and causes the phosphorylation of both forms of the TNF receptor. This p80 TNF receptor-associated protein and the associated kinase described here are referred to as p80-TRAP and p80-TRAK, respectively.

Identification of a protein kinase associated with the cytoplasmic domain of the p60 tumor necrosis factor receptor.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been shown to bind two distinct receptors, designated p60 and p80, with high affinity, resulting, within minutes, in phosphorylation of several proteins. The receptors themselves do not exhibit protein kinase activity nor have any associated proteins been identified. We employed the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein system consisting of the cytoplasmic domain of p60 (GST-p60CD delta 1) as a probe to help us identify receptor-associated proteins from human histiocytic lymphoma U-937 cells. We found that a protein of approximately 52 kDa (pp52) bound to GST-p60CD delta 1 from [35S]methionine- and 32P-labeled cells. The associated protein was phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues. Furthermore, we identified serine/threonine kinase activity associated with p60CD delta 1 that required either Mn2+ or Mg2+ for optimal activity. The preferred substrates for this kinase, in addition to p60CD delta 1, included casein and histone H1, but not histone H2B, myelin basic protein, enolase, or the cytoplasmic domain of p80. As was the case in U-937 cells, p60CD delta 1-associated kinase activity was also identified in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells and human foreskin fibroblasts. TNF stimulation of MCF-7 and foreskin fibroblasts for 5-15 min induced approximately 50 and 240% increases in phosphorylation of p60CD delta 1, respectively. Thus, our results provide the first evidence for protein kinase activity that is specifically associated with the cytoplasmic domain of the p60 form of the TNF receptor and causes its phosphorylation. This p60 TNF receptor-associated protein and the associated kinase described here are referred to as p60-TRAP and p60-TRAK, respectively.