Membrane-bound Steel factor induces more persistent tyrosine kinase activation and longer life span of c-kit gene-encoded protein than its soluble form

Blood. 1995 Feb 1;85(3):641-9.

Abstract

Alternative splicing of exon 6 results in the production of two isoforms of Steel factor (SLF): the membrane-bound and soluble forms. To investigate differences in the kinetics of c-kit tyrosine kinase activated by these two isoforms, we used a stromal cell line (SI/SI4) established from SI/SI homozygous murine embryo fetal liver and its stable transfectants containing either hSCF248 cDNA (including exon 6; secreted form) or hSCF220 cDNA (lacking exon 6; membrane-bound form) as the source of each isoform. Interaction of factor dependent myeloid cell line MO7e with stromal cells producing either isoform resulted in activated c-kit tyrosine kinase and induction of the same series of tyrosine phosphorylated cellular proteins in MO7e cells. However, SI4-h220 (membrane-bound form) induced more persistent activation of c-kit kinase than SI4-h248 (soluble form) did. Flow cytometric analysis and pulse-chase studies using [35S]methionine showed that SI4-h248 induced rapid downmodulation of cell-surface c-kit expression and its protein degradation in MO7e cells, whereas SI4-h220 induced more prolonged life span of c-kit protein. Addition of soluble recombinant human SLF to SI4-h220 cultures enhanced reduction of cell-surface c-kit expression and its protein degradation. Because the kinetics of c-kit inactivation strikingly fits with the protein degradation rates of c-kit under the conditions described above, rapid proteolysis of c-kit protein induced by soluble SLF stimulation may function as a "turn-off switch" for activated c-kit kinase.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Exons
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / pharmacology
  • Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / biosynthesis
  • Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / metabolism*
  • Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Interleukin-3 / pharmacology
  • Kinetics
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / immunology
  • Phosphoproteins / isolation & purification
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Phosphotyrosine
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Proto-Oncogenes*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / biosynthesis*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / biosynthesis*
  • Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / genetics
  • Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
  • Stem Cell Factor
  • Transfection
  • Tyrosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Tyrosine / analysis

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors
  • Interleukin-3
  • Peptides
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Stem Cell Factor
  • Phosphotyrosine
  • Tyrosine
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases