Normal and oncogenic forms of the receptor tyrosine kinase kit.

Kit is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that binds stem cell factor. This receptor ligand combination is important for normal hematopoiesis, as well as pigmentation, gut function, and reproduction. Structurally, Kit has both an extracellular and intracellular region.

PKCdelta plays opposite roles in growth mediated by wild-type Kit and an oncogenic Kit mutant.

The Kit receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for normal hematopoiesis. Mutation of the aspartic acid residue encoded by codon 816 of human c-kit or codon 814 of the murine gene results in an oncogenic form of Kit. Here we investigate the role of protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta) in responses mediated by wild-type murine Kit and the D814Y mutant in a murine mast cell-like line.

Synergistic growth of stem cell factor and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor involves kinase-dependent and -independent contributions from c-Kit.

Stem cell factor (SCF) binds and activates the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit, and this interaction is critical for normal hematopoiesis. SCF also synergizes with a variety of growth factors, including those binding members of the cytokine receptor superfamily. The mechanisms mediating this synergy remain to be defined.

JAK2 contributes to the intrinsic capacity of primary hematopoietic cells to respond to stem cell factor.

Objective: Stem cell factor (SCF) is the ligand for the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Kit. The literature contains conflicting reports regarding the capacity of SCF to activate JAK2. Previous work has addressed this controversial issue using biochemical approaches.

Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase is required for growth of mast cells expressing the kit catalytic domain mutant.

The Kit receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for the growth and development of hematopoietic cells, germ cells, and the interstitial cells of Cajal. Gain-of-function mutations in codon 816 of the catalytic domain of human Kit [codon 814 of murine Kit (mKit)] are found in patients with mastocytosis, leukemia, and germ cell tumors. There are no drugs that inhibit the activity of Kit catalytic domain mutants to a greater extent than wild-type Kit.

Crosstalk between BCR/ABL oncoprotein and CXCR4 signaling through a Src family kinase in human leukemia cells.

Stromal-derived factor (SDF)-1 and its G protein-coupled receptor, CXCR4, regulate stem/progenitor cell migration and retention in the marrow and are required for hematopoiesis. We show here an interaction between CXCR4 and the Src-related kinase, Lyn, in normal progenitors. We demonstrate that CXCR4-dependent stimulation of Lyn is associated with the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase).

Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase contributes to the transformation of hematopoietic cells by the D816V c-Kit mutant.

Stem cell factor (SCF) binds the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit and is critical for normal hematopoiesis. Substitution of valine for aspartic acid 816 (D816V) constitutively actives human c-Kit, and this mutation is found in patients with mastocytosis, leukemia, and germ cell tumors. Immortalized murine progenitor cells (MIHCs) transduced with wild-type c-Kit proliferate in response to SCF, whereas cells expressing D816V c-Kit (MIHC-D816V) are factor-independent and tumorigenic.

Lyn is required for normal stem cell factor-induced proliferation and chemotaxis of primary hematopoietic cells.

Stem cell factor (SCF) binds to c-Kit and is an important mediator of survival, growth, and function of hematopoietic progenitor cells and mast cells. Lyn and other Src family members are activated by SCF and associate with phosphorylated tyrosine residues in the c-Kit juxtamembrane region. However, studies using c-Kit mutants incapable of directly recruiting Src family members suggest this kinase family plays a minimal role in c-Kit stimulus-response coupling mechanisms.

Maturation of erythroid cells and erythroleukemia development are affected by the kinase activity of Lyn.

This study examined the impact of the tyrosine kinase Lyn on erythropoietin-induced intracellular signaling in erythroid cells. In J2E erythroleukemic cells, Lyn coimmunoprecipitated with numerous proteins, including SHP-1, SHP-2, ras-GTPase-activating protein, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 5a, STAT5b, and mitogen-activated protein kinase; however, introduction of a dominant-negative Lyn (Y397F Lyn) inhibited the interaction of Lyn with all of these molecules except SHP-1. Cells containing the dominant-negative Lyn displayed altered intracellular phosphorylation patterns, including mitogen-actiated protein kinase, but not erythropoietin receptor, Janus-activated kinase (JAK) 2, or STAT5.

Early signaling pathways activated by c-Kit in hematopoietic cells.

c-Kit is a receptor tyrosine kinase that binds stem cell factor (SCF). Structurally, c-Kit contains five immunoglobulin-like domains extracellularly and a catalytic domain divided into two regions by a 77 amino acid insert intracellularly. Studies in white spotting and steel mice have shown that functional SCF and c-Kit are critical in the survival and development of stem cells involved in hematopoiesis, pigmentation and reproduction.

Signaling via Src family kinases is required for normal internalization of the receptor c-Kit.

Stem cell factor (SCF) exerts its biological effects by binding to a specific receptor, the tyrosine kinase c-Kit, which is expressed on the cell surface. Although normal cellular trafficking of growth factor receptors may play a critical role in the modulation of receptor function, the mechanisms that regulate the distribution of c-Kit on the cell surface and the internalization of c-Kit have not been fully defined. We investigated whether signal transduction via Src family kinases is required for normal c-Kit trafficking.

Lyn is activated during late G1 of stem-cell-factor-induced cell cycle progression in haemopoietic cells.

Stem cell factor (SCF) binds the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit and is critical in haemopoiesis. Recently we found that the Src family member Lyn is highly expressed in SCF-responsive cells, associates with c-Kit and is activated within minutes of the addition of SCF. Here we show that SCF activates Lyn a second time, hours later, during SCF-induced cell cycle progression.

Lck associates with and is activated by Kit in a small cell lung cancer cell line: inhibition of SCF-mediated growth by the Src family kinase inhibitor PP1.

At least 70% of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) express the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). In an effort to define the signal transduction pathways activated by Kit in SCLC, we focused on Src family kinases and, in particular, Lck, a Src-related tyrosine kinase that is expressed in hemopoietic cells and certain tumors, including SCLC. SCF treatment of the H526 cell line induced a physical association between Kit and Lck that, in vitro, was dependent on phosphorylation of the juxtamembrane domain of Kit.

Stem cell factor, the JAK-STAT pathway and signal transduction.

Recent work has demonstrated the importance of Janus family kinases (JAKs) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in the stimulus-response coupling of receptors lacking intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. In particular, the JAK-STAT pathway appears critical in signal transduction by interferon as well as numerous hematopoietic growth factors interacting with members of the hemapoietin receptor superfamily. Although ligands that interact with receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), have been shown to induce increases in phosphorylation of both JAKs and STATs, little is known about activation of this pathway by stem cell factor (SCF).

Stat1 associates with c-kit and is activated in response to stem cell factor.

Interaction of stem cell factor (SCF), a haematopoietic growth factor, with the receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit leads to autophosphorylation of c-kit as well as tyrosine phosphorylation of various substrates. Little is known about the role of the JAK/STAT pathway in signal transduction via receptor tyrosine kinases, although this pathway has been well characterized in cytokine receptor signal transduction. We recently found that the Janus kinase Jak2 associates with c-kit and that SCF induces rapid and transient phosphorylation of Jak2.

Lyn associates with the juxtamembrane region of c-Kit and is activated by stem cell factor in hematopoietic cell lines and normal progenitor cells.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine critical for normal hematopoiesis. The receptor for SCF is c-Kit, a receptor tyrosine kinase. Our laboratory is interested in delineating critical components of the SCF signal transduction pathway in hematopoietic tissue.

The Csk-like proteins Lsk, Hyl, and Matk represent the same Csk homologous kinase (Chk) and are regulated by stem cell factor in the megakaryoblastic cell line MO7e.

Recently, the cDNAs for Lsk, Matk and Hyl, three Csk-related protein tyrosine kinases, have been cloned. We have examined the relationship of Lsk, Matk and Hyl, and found that the gene for each of these proteins is localized to the same region of human chromosome 19. Further, the proteins encoded by Lsk and Matk cDNAs are immunologically similar.

Raf-1 protein is required for growth factor-induced proliferation of primitive hematopoietic progenitors stimulated with synergistic combinations of cytokines.

Raf-1 is a serine/threonine kinase that has been identified as a component of growth factor-activated signal transduction pathways, and is required for growth factor-induced proliferation of leukemic cell lines and colony formation of hematopoietic progenitors stimulated with single colony-stimulating factors, which promote the growth of committed hematopoietic progenitor cells. However, it is known that the most primitive progenitors in the bone marrow require stimulation with multiple cytokines to promote cell growth. We have determined that c-raf antisense oligonucleotides inhibit the growth of murine lineage-negative progenitors stimulated with two-, three- and four-factor combinations of growth factors, including GM-CSF + interleukin (IL)- 1, IL-3 + steel factor (SLF), IL-3 + IL-11 + SLF and IL-3 + IL-11 + SLF + G-CSF.

JAK2 is associated with the c-kit proto-oncogene product and is phosphorylated in response to stem cell factor.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that interacts with the receptor tyrosine kinase, c-kit. We have found that SCF-stimulates rapid and transient tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 in human and murine cell lines, as well as in normal human progenitor cells. JAK2 and c-kit were associated in unstimulated cells with further recruitment of JAK2 to the c-kit receptor complex after SCF stimulation.

JAK2 is constitutively associated with c-Kit and is phosphorylated in response to stem cell factor.

Stem cell factor (SCF) interacts with the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit and has potent effects on hematopoiesis. We have examined the role of JAK2 in the SCF signal transduction pathway. JAK2 and c-Kit were constitutively associated, and treatment with SCF resulted in rapid and transient tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2.

The effect of c-raf antisense oligonucleotides on growth factor-induced proliferation of hematopoietic cells.

While it is well established that Raf-1 kinase is activated by phosphorylation in growth factor-dependent hematopoietic cell lines stimulated with a variety of hematopoietic growth factors, little is known about the biological effects of Raf-1 activation on normal hematopoietic cells. Therefore, we examined the requirement for Raf-1 in growth factor-regulated proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells using c-faf antisense oligonucleotide. Raf-1 required for the proliferation of growth factor dependent cell lines stimulated by IL-2, IL-3, G-CSF, GM-CSF and EPO that bind to the hematopoietin class of receptors.

Thrombopoietin induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the Janus kinase, JAK2.

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a recently characterized growth and differentiation factor for megakaryocytes and platelets that exerts its effects via the receptor, c-MpI. This receptor is a member of the hematopoietin receptor superfamily and is essential for megakaryocyte maturation; however, the molecular mechanisms of TPO and c-MpI action have not been elucidated. Recently, the Janus kinases have emerged as important elements in signaling via this family of receptors.

Regulation of JAK3 expression in human monocytes: phosphorylation in response to interleukins 2, 4, and 7.

The Janus family of kinases (JAKs) has been shown to be involved in the signal transduction of a number of cytokine receptors. Recently, we have cloned a novel JAK family member, JAK3, that is expressed in natural killer and activated T cells and is coupled functionally and physically to the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor in these cells. Here we report that JAK3 was expressed at low but detectable levels in human monocytes.

Phosphorylation of a Fes-related protein in response to granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor.

Previous work has suggested that a 97-kDa protein (p97) is involved in the signal transduction pathway of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as well as interleukin 3, erythropoietin, and interleukin 2. We have examined the relationship of p97 to the protein tyrosine kinase Fes in the GM-CSF signal transduction pathway in erythroid and myeloid cell lines. GM-CSF stimulation of three different cell lines induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p97 as well as a number of other phosphotyrosylproteins.