BCR/ABL-induced leukemogenesis causes phosphorylation of Hef1 and its association with Crkl

J Biol Chem. 1997 Dec 19;272(51):32649-55. doi: 10.1074/jbc.272.51.32649.

Abstract

BCR/ABL is considered responsible for the development of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia. Experimental animal models, such as transgenic mice, have demonstrated unambiguously that Bcr/Abl is capable of inducing leukemogenesis. The adaptor molecule Crkl is a major in vivo substrate of the deregulated Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase and functions as a molecular link with other signaling proteins. While associated in vivo with Bcr/Abl through its SH3 domain, Crkl can interact simultaneously via its SH2 domain with other tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. Here we report the identification of prominently tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins with a molecular mass of approximately 110 kDa, which bind specifically to the Crkl SH2 domain in leukemic tissues of P190BCR/ABL transgenic mice. We demonstrate that these proteins are identical to Hef1/Cas-L, which is related to p130(Cas). The proto-oncoprotein p120(Cbl) and Hef1, but not p130(Cas), were detectably phosphorylated on tyrosine in P190Bcr/Abl-expressing leukemic cells and were found in complex with Crkl, showing the existence of protein complexes in P190Bcr/Abl leukemic cells, consisting of P190Bcr/Abl, Crkl, and Hef1 or p120(Cbl). This supports a model in which Crkl acts as mediator between Bcr/Abl and downstream effectors. Since Hef1 is involved in the beta1-integrin signaling pathway, our study demonstrates that Bcr/Abl could specifically interfere with normal beta1-integrin signaling.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Animals
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-crk
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • src Homology Domains

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • NEDD9 protein, human
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-crk
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl