title: Specific association of activated MAP kinase kinase kinase (Raf) with the plasma membranes of ras-transformed retinal cells.
abstract: Plasma membrane-enriched fractions were prepared from human embryonic retinal cells transformed with either adenovirus E1A and oncogenic ras DNA, or E1A and E1B DNA. Ras comprised 5-10% of the membrane protein from the E1A/ras transformed cells, whereas the membranes from E1A/E1B transformed cells did not overexpress Ras. The membranes from E1A/ras cells contained MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) activity, even after washing in 0.5 M NaCl, whereas the membranes from E1A/E1B cells did not. Neither membrane fraction contained MAP kinase kinase or MAP kinase activity after washing with 0.5M NaCl. Immunoblotting experiments revealed about 10-fold more c-Raf in the membranes from E1A/ras cells than from E1A/E1B cells, and 50-60% of the MAPKKK activity in Triton X100-solubilised membranes from E1A/ras cells was immunoprecipitated with anti-Raf antibodies. A striking enrichment of c-Raf in the plasma membranes of E1A/ras cells was also demonstrated by immunocytochemistry, where it was co-localized with Ras. The MAPKKK activity in E1A/ras membranes was unaffected by incubation with protein phosphatases or by inclusion of protein phosphatase inhibitors during isolation, nor was it activated by GTP-Ras or inhibited by GDP-Ras. The results support the view that Ras and c-Raf interact with one another, but that neither c-Raf phosphorylation nor its interaction with GTP-Ras are alone sufficient for activation. The identification of MAPKKK activity in the membranes of ras-transformed cells may prove useful in elucidating the mechanism by which Raf is activated by Ras.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Scotland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Traverse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Grand
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D012160:Retina / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases