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Radiolabeling and Quantification of Cellular Levels of Phosphoinositides by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-coupled Flow Scintillation
Published on: January 6, 2016
Phosphatidylinositol kinases and cell transformation
L Cantley1, M Whitman, D R Kaplan
1Department of Physiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
Abstract:
Products of phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover have recently been implicated as regulators of cell growth and differentiation. Transformation of cells in culture by infection with certain viruses (Rous sarcoma virus, Kirsten sarcoma virus, and polyoma virus) or by transfection with the oncogenes carried by these viruses affect the steady-state level of intermediates in the PI turnover pathway. In addition, immunoprecipitates of the transforming gene products of Rous sarcoma virus and polyoma virus contain activities of certain enzymes in the PI turnover pathway. We have previously reported that polyoma middle T immunoprecipitates can catalyze phosphorylation of PI to phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP). This activity is not intrinsic to middle T or pp60c-src but is due to a cellular enzyme that specifically associates with the middle T/pp60c-src complex. The PI kinase is found in immunoprecipitates of the middle t protein from polyoma viruses that are capable of cell transformation but does not associate with mutants of middle t defective in transformation, suggesting that this association may be important for transformation. Two PI kinases from fibroblasts (type I and type II) that are separable by anion exchange chromatography have been partially purified and characterized. These enzymes differ in their Km for ATP as well as their Ki for adenosine and ADP. Only the type I PI kinase specifically associates with the transformation-competent mutants of middle T.
Insights
Viral oncogenes regulate cell growth by altering phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover. A specific PI kinase associates with viral middle T oncoproteins, suggesting a role in cell transformation.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Oncology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover products regulate cell growth and differentiation.
- Viral oncogenes and transforming proteins alter PI turnover pathways.
- Polyoma middle T oncoprotein complexes with cellular enzymes.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of PI turnover in viral transformation.
- Identify cellular enzymes associated with viral oncoproteins.
- Characterize PI kinases involved in cell transformation.
Main Methods:
- Cell culture and viral infection/transfection.
- Immunoprecipitation of viral oncoproteins.
- Enzyme assays for PI kinase activity.
- Anion exchange chromatography for enzyme purification.
Main Results:
- Viral transformation affects PI turnover intermediates.
- Polyoma middle T immunoprecipitates show PI kinase activity.
- A specific type I PI kinase associates with transformation-competent middle T mutants.
- Two PI kinases (Type I and II) with different kinetic properties were identified.
Conclusions:
- The association of PI kinase with viral middle T oncoproteins is crucial for cell transformation.
- Type I PI kinase is specifically implicated in the transformation process.
- Viral oncogenes utilize cellular PI kinases to modulate cell growth and differentiation.
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