Both p21ras and pp60v-src are required, but neither alone is sufficient, to activate the Raf-1 kinase.
The raf genes encode a family of cytoplasmic proteins with intrinsic protein-serine/threonine kinase activity. The c-raf gene is the cellular homolog of v-raf, the transforming gene of murine sarcoma virus 3611. The constitutive kinase activity of the v-Raf protein has been implicated in transformation and mitogenesis. The activity of Raf-1, the protein product of the c-raf gene, is normally suppressed by a regulatory N-terminal domain. Activation of various tyrosine-kinase growth factor receptors results in activation of Raf-1 and its hyperphosphorylation. Further, Raf-1 has been shown to act either downstream or independently of the p21ras protein, as indicated by experiments involving microinjection of anti-Ras antibodies. To investigate the potential role of p21ras in the activation of Raf-1 by tyrosine kinases, we have used the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system to overproduce various wild-type and mutant forms of pp60src, p21ras, and Raf-1 proteins. We show that either pp60v-src or p21c-ras can independently activate the autokinase activity of Raf-1, but only to a limited extent. Surprisingly, both pp60v-src and p21c-ras are required to fully activate Raf-1. Analysis of the Raf-1 autokinase activity in vitro shows that Raf-1 autophosphorylation sites are distributed equally on serine and threonine residues. When Raf-1 is analyzed by immunoblotting, as previously reported for mammalian cell experiments, a marked increase in the apparent molecular weight of Raf-1 is seen only when it is coexpressed with both pp60v-src and p21ras.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
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Williams
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Roberts
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Li
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009036:Moths; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src) / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000378:metabolism; D010769:Phosphothreonine / Q000378:metabolism; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010769:Phosphothreonine; D010768:Phosphoserine; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D011494:Protein Kinases; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src); D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)