Phospholipase C(epsilon): a novel Ras effector

EMBO J. 2001 Feb 15;20(4):743-54. doi: 10.1093/emboj/20.4.743.

Abstract

Three classes of mammalian phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have been characterized, PLCbeta, PLCgamma and PLCdelta, that are differentially regulated by heterotrimeric G-proteins, tyrosine kinases and calcium. Here we describe a fourth class, PLCepsilon, that in addition to conserved PLC domains, contains a GTP exchange factor (GRF CDC25) domain and two C-terminal Ras-binding (RA) domains, RA1 and RA2. The RA2 domain binds H-Ras in a GTP-dependent manner, comparable with the Ras-binding domain of Raf-1; however, the RA1 domain binds H-Ras with a low affinity in a GTP-independent manner. While G(alpha)q, Gbetagamma or, surprisingly, H-Ras do not activate recombinant purified protein in vitro, constitutively active Q61L H-Ras stimulates PLC(epsilon) co-expressed in COS-7 cells in parallel with Ras binding. Deletion of either the RA1 or RA2 domain inhibits this activation. Site-directed mutagenesis of the RA2 domain or Ras demonstrates a conserved Ras-effector interaction and a unique profile of activation by Ras effector domain mutants. These studies identify a novel fourth class of mammalian PLC that is directly regulated by Ras and links two critical signaling pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis
  • Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C
  • Protein Binding
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Spodoptera
  • Type C Phospholipases / chemistry
  • Type C Phospholipases / genetics
  • Type C Phospholipases / metabolism*
  • ras Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Type C Phospholipases
  • Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C
  • phospholipase C epsilon
  • ras Proteins