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Mol. Cell. Biol., Oct 1995, 5531-5541, Vol 15, No. 10
D Cortez, L Kadlec and AM Pendergast
BCR-ABL is a deregulated tyrosine kinase expressed in Philadelphia
chromosome-positive human leukemias. Prolongation of hematopoietic cell
survival by inhibition of apoptosis has been proposed to be an integral
component of BCR-ABL-induced chronic myelogenous leukemia. BCR-ABL elicits
transformation of both fibroblast and hematopoietic cells and blocks
apoptosis following cytokine deprivation in various factor- dependent
cells. To elucidate the mechanisms whereby BCR-ABL induces transformation
and blocks apoptosis in hematopoietic cells, we examined the biological
effects of expression of a series of BCR-ABL mutants. Single amino acid
substitutions in the GRB2 binding site (Y177F), Src homology 2 domain
(R552L), or an autophosphorylation site in the tyrosine kinase domain
(Y793F) do not diminish the antiapoptotic and transforming properties of
BCR-ABL in hematopoietic cells, although these mutations were previously
shown to drastically reduce the transforming activity of BCR-ABL in
fibroblasts. A BCR-ABL molecule containing all three mutations
(Y177F/R552L/Y793F) exhibits a severe decrease in transforming and
antiapoptotic activities compared with the wild-type BCR-ABL protein in 32D
myeloid progenitor cells. Ras is activated, the SHC adapter protein is
tyrosine phosphorylated and binds GRB2, and myc mRNA levels are increased
following expression of all kinase active BCR-ABL proteins with the
exception of the Y177F/R552L/Y793F BCR-ABL mutant in 32D cells. We propose
that BCR-ABL uses multiple pathways to activate Ras in hematopoietic cells
and that this activation is necessary for the transforming and
antiapoptotic activities of BCR-ABL. However, Ras activation is not
sufficient for BCR-ABL-mediated transformation. A BCR-ABL deletion mutant
(delta 176- 427) that activates Ras and blocks apoptosis but has severely
impaired transforming ability in 32D cells has been identified. These data
suggest that BCR-ABL requires additional signaling components to elicit
tumorigenic growth which are distinct from those required to block
apoptosis.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Structural and signaling requirements for BCR-ABL-mediated transformation and inhibition of apoptosis
Department of Molecular Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
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