title: 95-kilodalton B-Raf serine/threonine kinase: identification of the protein and its major autophosphorylation site.
abstract: B-Raf, a member of the Raf family of serine/threonine kinases, is expressed primarily in the brain and in the nervous system. In this study, the biochemical properties of the B-Raf protein were investigated in nerve growth factor (NGF)-responsive cell lines and in brain tissues. B-Raf was identified by using phosphopeptide mapping analysis and cDNA analysis as a 95-kDa protein which is primarily localized in the cytosol. NGF rapidly stimulated both serine and threonine phosphorylation in vivo and autophosphorylation activity in vitro of the B-Raf protein. In PC12 cells, B-Raf autokinase activity was induced by both differentiation factors and mitogens, with maximal activity observed after 5 min of factor addition. B-Raf kinase activity was also observed following NGF treatment of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and in adult mouse brain and hippocampus. Induction of B-Raf kinase activity in NGF-treated PC12 cells required expression of kinase-active trk receptors. Exogenous substrates or a peptide containing the autophosphorylation site became phosphorylated when added to immune complex kinase assays and reduced the in vitro autophosphorylation activity of B-Raf, suggesting that in vitro autophosphorylation sites and exogenous substrates compete for active sites of the B-Raf kinase. Finally, the major in vitro autophosphorylation site of B-Raf was identified as threonine 372 in the conserved region 2 domain. A threonine residue is present at similar positions in all three mammalian Raf family members and may represent a regulatory site for these proteins.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis Laboratory, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sithanandam
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: U R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf