Phosphorylation of slit diaphragm proteins NEPHRIN and NEPH1 upon binding of HGF promotes podocyte repair.

Phosphorylation (activation) and dephosphorylation (deactivation) of the slit diaphragm proteins NEPHRIN and NEPH1 are critical for maintaining the kidney epithelial podocyte actin cytoskeleton and, therefore, proper glomerular filtration. However, the mechanisms underlying these events remain largely unknown. Here we show that NEPHRIN and NEPH1 are novel receptor proteins for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and can be phosphorylated independently of the mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor in a ligand-dependent fashion through engagement of their extracellular domains by HGF.

EGFR-activated Src family kinases maintain GAB1-SHP2 complexes distal from EGFR.

Complexes of signaling proteins that are nucleated upon activation of receptor tyrosine kinases are dynamic macromolecular assemblies held together by interactions, such as the recognition of phosphotyrosines by Src homology 2 (SH2) domains. We predicted that reversible binding and phosphatase activity enable dynamic regulation of these protein complexes, which could affect signal transduction. We explored how dynamics in the interactions among the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), GRB2-associated binder protein 1 (GAB1), and SH2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) affected EGFR signaling output, specifically SHP2 binding to tyrosine-phosphorylated GAB1, which relieves the autoinhibition of SHP2.

Multivariate signaling regulation by SHP2 differentially controls proliferation and therapeutic response in glioma cells.

Information from multiple signaling axes is integrated in the determination of cellular phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate this aspect of cellular decision making in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells by investigating the multivariate signaling regulatory functions of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 (also known as PTPN11). Specifically, we demonstrate that the ability of SHP2 to simultaneously drive ERK1/2 and antagonize STAT3 pathway activities produces qualitatively different effects on the phenotypes of proliferation and resistance to EGFR and c-MET co-inhibition.

Computational analysis of the regulation of EGFR by protein tyrosine phosphatases.

The tyrosine phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) initiates numerous cell signaling pathways. Although EGFR phosphorylation levels are ultimately determined by the balance of receptor kinase and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activities, the kinetics of EGFR dephosphorylation are not well understood. Previous models of EGFR signaling have generally neglected PTP activity or computed PTP activity by considering data that do not fully reveal the kinetics and compartmentalization of EGFR dephosphorylation.