Phorbol ester-mediated protein kinase C interaction with wild-type and COOH-terminal truncated insulin receptors.

Recent studies have documented direct interactions between 14-3-3 proteins and several oncogene and proto-oncogene products involved in signal transduction pathways. Studies on the effects of 14-3-3 proteins on protein kinase C (PKC) activity in vitro have reported conflicting results, and previous attempts to demonstrate a direct association between PKC and 14-3-3 were unsuccessful. Here, we examined potential physical and functional interactions between PKC theta, a Ca(2+)-independent PKC enzyme which is expressed selectively in T lymphocytes, and the 14-3-3 tau isoform in vitro and in intact T cells. PKC theta and 14-3-3 tau coimmunoprecipitated from Jurkat T cells, and recombinant 14-3-3 tau interacted directly with purified PKC theta in vitro. Transient overexpression of 14-3-3 tau suppressed stimulation of the interleukin 2 (IL-2) promoter mediated by cotransfected wild-type or constitutively active PKC theta, as well as by endogenous PKC in ionomycin- and/or phorbol ester-stimulated cells. This did not represent a general inhibition of activation events, since PKC-independent (but Ca(2+)-dependent) activation of an IL-4 promoter element was not inhibited by 14-3-3 tau under similar conditions. Overexpression of wild-type 14-3-3 tau also inhibited phorbol ester-induced PKC theta translocation from the cytosol to the membrane in Jurkat cells, while a membrane-targeted form of 14-3-3 tau caused increased localization of PKC theta in the particulate fraction in unstimulated cells. Membrane-targeted 14-3-3 tau was more effective than wild-type 14-3-3 tau in suppressing PKC theta-dependent IL-2 promoter activity, suggesting that 14-3-3 tau inhibits the function of PKC theta not only by preventing its translocation to the membrane but also by associating with it. The interaction between 14-3-3 and PKC theta may represent an important general mechanism for regulating PKC-dependent signals and, more specifically, PKC theta-mediated functions during T-cell activation.

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Identification of serines-967/968 in the juxtamembrane region of the insulin receptor as insulin-stimulated phosphorylation sites

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2980471 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 298 (2) ◽

pp. 471-477 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

F Liu ◽

R A Roth

Keyword(s):

Protein Kinase C ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Insulin Receptor ◽

Kinase Activity ◽

Insulin Receptors ◽

Wild Type ◽

Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase ◽

Juxtamembrane Region ◽

Kinase C ◽

Mutant Receptors

A line of Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing protein kinase C alpha was transfected with cDNAs encoding either the wild-type human insulin receptor or one of two mutant insulin receptors with either Ser-967 and -968 or -974 and -976 in the juxtamembrane region changed to alanine. Both mutant receptors exhibited normal insulin-activated tyrosine kinase activity as assessed by either autophosphorylation or insulin-stimulated increases in anti-phosphotyrosine-precipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The wild-type and mutant insulin receptors were also examined for serine and threonine phosphorylation in response to insulin and activation of protein kinase C. To visualize Ser/Thr-phosphorylation sites of the receptor better in response to insulin, the receptor from in vivo-labelled insulin-treated cells was first treated with a tyrosine-specific phosphatase to remove all tyrosine phosphorylation. Phosphopeptides from the three receptors were analysed by high-percentage polyacrylamide/urea gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional t.l.c. The mutant receptor lacking Ser-967 and -968 but not the mutant lacking Ser-974 and -976 was found to be missing phosphorylated peptides in response to insulin and, to a lesser extent, after activation of protein kinase C. However, the insulin-stimulated increase in anti-phosphotyrosine-precipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase was inhibited to the same extent by activation of protein kinase C in cells expressing the two mutant receptors as in cells expressing the wild-type receptor. These results indicate that these four serine residues in the juxtamembrane region are not major regulatory sites of the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor by protein kinase C, although Ser-967 and/or -968 appear to be phosphorylated in response to insulin.

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