A native 170,000 epidermal growth factor receptor-kinase complex from shed plasma membrane vesicles

A method is presented for the preparation of a "native" epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-kinase complex of molecular weight 170,000 from A-431 cells. Although this receptor complex is capable of binding EGF, noncovalently, in quantities similar to the previously isolated 150,000 complex (Cohen, S., Carpenter, G., and King, L., Jr. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 4834-4842), the 170,000 preparation has 5 to 10 times the intrinsic kinase activity (autophosphorylation). However, the 170,000 kinase activity toward other proteins is lower than that of the 150,000 preparation. Both the 170,000 and 150,000 kinase activities are enhanced by EGF. The 170,000 and 150,000 proteins are also capable of forming covalent linkages to 125I-EGF, and each is precipitated by antisera directed against the 170,000 protein. We suggest the 150,000 protein is a proteolytic degradation product of the 170,000 protein. The EGF-enhanced kinase activity of the 170,000 preparation remains associated with the 125I-EGF-binding activity following EGF affinity chromatography, electrophoresis in nondenaturing gels, or immunoprecipitation with antisera directed against the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel-purified 170,000 protein. These results indicate that the receptor, kinase, and substrate domains are linked, possibly covalently.