guanosine-5--o-(3-thiotriphosphate) and Cell-Transformation--Neoplastic

Palmitoylation of alpha-subunits in heterotrimeric G proteins has become a research object of growing attention. Following our recent report on the acylation of the mono-palmitoylated Galpha(12) [Ponimaskin et al., FEBS Lett. 429 (1998) 370-374], we report here on the identification of three palmitoylation sites in the second member of the G(12) family, Galpha(13), and on the biological significance of fatty acids on the particular sites. Using mutants of alpha(13) in which the potentially palmitoylated cysteine residues (Cys) were replaced by serine residues, we find that Cys-14, Cys-18 and Cys-37 all serve as palmitoylation sites, and that the mutants lacking fatty acids are functionally defective. The following biological functions of Galpha(13) were found to be inhibited: coupling to the PAR1 thrombin receptor, cell transformation and actin stress fiber formation. Results from established assays for the above functions with a series of mutants, including derivatives of the constitutively active mutant Galpha(13)Q226L, revealed a graded inhibitory response on the above mentioned parameters. As a rule, it appears that palmitoylation of the N-proximal sites (e.g. Cys-14 and Cys-18) contributes more effectively to biological function than of the acylation site located more internally (Cys-37). However, the mutant with Cys-37 replaced by serine is more severely inhibited in stress fiber formation (80%) than in cell transformation (50%), pointing to the possibility of a differential involvement of the three palmitoylation sites in Galpha(13).

Topics: Actins; Acylation; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acid Substitution; Animals; Binding Sites; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cysteine; Cytoskeleton; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Palmitic Acid; Protein Binding; Rats; Receptor, PAR-1; Receptors, Thrombin; rho GTP-Binding Proteins; Signal Transduction; Transfection; Tumor Stem Cell Assay

Cdc42Hs is a small GTPase of the Rho-subfamily, which regulates signaling pathways that influence cell morphology and polarity, cell-cycle progression and transcription. An essential role for Cdc42Hs in cell growth regulation has been suggested by the finding that the Dbl oncoprotein is an upstream activator-a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF)-for Cdc42Hs, and that activated mutants of the closely related GTPases Rac and Rho are transforming. As we were unable to obtain significant over-expression of GTPase-defective Cdc42Hs mutants, we have generated a mutant, Cdc42Hs(F28L), which can undergo spontaneous GTP-GDP exchange while maintaining full GTPase activity, and thus should exhibit functional activities normally imparted by Dbl. In cultured fibroblasts, Cdc42Hs(F28L) activated the c-Jun kinase (JNK1) and stimulated filopodia formation. Cells stably expressing Cdc42Hs(F28L) also exhibited several hallmarks of transformation-reduced contact inhibition, lower dependence on serum for growth, and anchorage-independent growth. Our findings indicate that Cdc42Hs plays a role in cell proliferation, and is a likely physiological mediator of Dbl-induced transformation.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; Animals; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; Cell Cycle Proteins; Cell Division; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Enzyme Activation; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Diphosphate; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Mice; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Mutation

Rho-like GTPases have been implicated in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton which controls the morphology, adhesion and motility of cells. Like Ras proteins, they become activated when bound GDP is exchanged for GTP, a process catalysed by GDP-dissociation stimulator (GDS) proteins. Several GDS proteins specific for Rho-like GTPases have been identified. Most of these contain a conserved catalytic domain, the DBL-homology (DH) domain, and activate Cdc42 or Rho but not Rac. We have isolated the invasion-inducing Tiam1 gene, which also encodes a protein with a DH domain. Here we show that Tiam1 is a GDS protein for Rho-like GTPases in vitro. In fibroblasts, Tiam1 induces a similar phenotype as constitutively activated (V12)Rac1, including membrane ruffling, and this is inhibited by dominant negative (N17)Rac1. Moreover, T-lymphoma cells expressing V12Rac1 become invasive, indicating that the Tiam1-Rac signalling pathway could be operating in the invasion and metastasis of tumour cells.

Topics: 3T3 Cells; Animals; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Fibroblasts; Glutathione Transferase; GTP Phosphohydrolases; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Diphosphate; Mice; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Proteins; rac GTP-Binding Proteins; rap GTP-Binding Proteins; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; T-Lymphoma Invasion and Metastasis-inducing Protein 1; Transfection; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Previously it was reported that transformation of NIH 3T3 fibroblast by the Ha-ras, v-src, v-fms, and A-raf oncogenes decreased the stimulatory effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 'TPA'), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), on the phosphorylation of an endogenous 80 kDa substrate and on 86Rb uptake [Wolfman, Wingrove, Blackshear & Macara (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 16546-16552], as well as on sphingomyelin synthesis [Kiss, Rapp & Anderson (1988) FEBS Lett. 240, 221-226]. Here, we investigated how transformation affects the PMA-stimulated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn), a recently characterized mechanism which may contribute to the generation of the second messengers phosphatidic acid and 1,2-diacylglycerol. The effects of PMA were compared with those of bryostatin, a non-tumour-promoter activator of PKC. Transformation of NIH 3T3 cells with Ha-ras, v-raf, or A-raf enhanced the stimulatory effect of PMA on the phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of PtdEtn. On the other hand, the effects of bryostatin on PtdEtn hydrolysis were only slightly increased, if at all, in cells transformed with these oncogenes. In crude membrane preparations isolated from these transformed cells, PMA, but not bryostatin, enhanced the combined stimulatory effects of ATP and the GTP analogue guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate on phospholipase D-mediated PtdEtn hydrolysis. The PKC inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine inhibited the stimulatory effect of PMA only in intact cells. These results indicate that transformation of cells by certain oncogenes differentially affects phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of PtdEtn induced by PMA and bryostatin, suggesting that the action of PMA might involve two different mechanisms.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Bryostatins; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Genes, ras; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Lactones; Macrolides; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Oncogene Proteins v-raf; Oncogenes; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Phospholipase D; Protein Kinase C; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; Rubidium; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

The stable GTP analog, guanosine 5'-(3-O-thiotriphosphate), GTP gamma S, stimulated both inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) and choline generation by NIH 3T3 cell membranes. Choline generation was stimulated by GTP gamma S over the dose range for activation of GTP-binding proteins. Membranes from control and c-Ha-ras- or c-Ha-ras(61 leu)-transformed cells did not differ in the extent to which GTP gamma S stimulated InsP3 or choline formation despite 5-10 fold over expression of Ras in the transformed cells. Unlike GTP gamma S, GTP did not stimulate phospholipid hydrolysis, even in membranes from cells expressing Ras61leu, a mutant protein having reduced GTPase activity. Thus there is G protein regulation of both phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D and polyphosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in NIH 3T3 cell membranes. However, the lack of difference in GTP gamma S-stimulated phospholipid metabolism between control and ras-transformed cell membranes suggests that Ras does not function as the G protein(s) that directly regulate either phospholipase.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Cell Line, Transformed; Cell Membrane; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Enzyme Activation; Genes, ras; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Inositol Phosphates; Mice; Phosphatidylcholines; Phospholipase D; Transfection; Type C Phospholipases

Mutational replacement of glutamine-227 with a leucine residue in the GTP-binding domain of the alpha subunit of GS (Q227L alpha S) reduces its ability to hydrolyse GTP and causes constitutive activation of the mutant protein. Expression in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts of Q227L alpha S caused markedly increased basal adenylyl cyclase activity, enhanced intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation and increased mitogenic sensitivity in response to forskolin and the potent phosphodiesterase inhibitor Ro 20-1724. These results support a role for cAMP in the regulation of cell proliferation, and suggest that alterations in a G protein can directly modify the ability of cells to respond mitogenically to extracellular factors.

Topics: Adenylyl Cyclases; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Cyclic AMP; Enzyme Activation; Glutamine; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Triphosphate; Hydrolysis; Immunoblotting; Leucine; Mitogens; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Thionucleotides; Transfection

To identify the role of ras oncogene and p21 in the coupling mechanism of GTP-binding proteins to adenylate cyclase, we used v-Ki-ras transformed NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells. In the previous study, we investigated that NaF, cholera toxin and forskolin remarkably enhanced the adenylate cyclase activity in transformed cells compared to normal NIH/3T3 cells. In the present study, adenylate cyclase was more enhanced by GTP gamma S in transformed cells than in normal cells. It was considered that p21 plays enhancing role in coupling of GTP-binding proteins to adenylate cyclase. Further, as measured by the degree of [32P] ADP-ribosylation of GTP-binding proteins by cholera toxin and pertussis toxin respectively, the amount of Gs (46 kDa) was almost equal in both cells, while the amount of Gi (41 kDa) in transformant was about one third of that in normal cells. This difference seems to be reflected in either the biological situations or the quantities of Gi. Our data suggest that v-Ki-ras transformation resulted in the decrease of Gi protein so that the inhibitory regulation on adenylate cyclase relatively becomes low and then stimulatory influence of Gs seems to be enhanced.

Topics: Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; Adenylyl Cyclases; Animals; Cell Line; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Fibroblasts; Genes, ras; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Triphosphate; Kinetics; Mice; Molecular Weight; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); Thionucleotides

An Ala-to-Thr substitution at position 59 activates the transforming properties of the p21ras protein without impairment of GTPase activity, a biochemical alteration associated with other activating mutations. To investigate the basis for the transforming properties of the Thr-59 mutant, we characterized guanine nucleotide release. This reaction exhibited a slow rate and stringent temperature requirements. To further dissect the release reaction, we used monoclonal antibodies directed against different epitopes of the p21 molecule. One monoclonal specifically interfered with nucleotide release, while others which recognized different regions of the molecule blocked nucleotide binding. Mutants with the Thr-59 substitution exhibited a three- to ninefold-higher rate of GDP and GTP release than normal p21 or mutants with other activating lesions. This alteration in the Thr-59 mutant would have the effect of increasing its rate of nucleotide exchange. In an intracellular environment with a high GTP/GDP ratio, this would favor the association of GTP with the Thr-59 mutant. Consistent with knowledge of known G-regulatory proteins, these findings support a model in which the p21-GTP complex is the biologically active form of the p21 protein.

Topics: Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Escherichia coli; Genes, Viral; Guanine Nucleotides; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Diphosphate; Guanosine Triphosphate; Kinetics; Plasmids; Proto-Oncogenes; Retroviridae; Thionucleotides