title: Fusion of the ets transcription factor TEL to Jak2 results in constitutive Jak-Stat signaling.
abstract: To study constitutive Janus kinase signaling, chimeric proteins were generated between the pointed domain of the ets transcription factor TEL and the cytosolic tyrosine kinase Jak2. The effects of these proteins on interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent proliferation of the hematopoietic cell line, Ba/F3, were studied. Fusion of TEL to the functional kinase (JH1) domain of Jak2 resulted in conversion of Ba/F3 cells to factor-independence. Importantly, fusion of TEL to the Jak2 pseudokinase (JH2) domain or a kinase-inactive Jak2 JH1 domain had no effect on IL-3-dependent proliferation of Ba/F3 cells. Active TEL-Jak2 constructs (consisting of either Jak2 JH1 or Jak2 JH2+JH1 domain fusions) were constitutively tyrosine-phosphorylated but did not affect phosphorylation of endogeneous Jak1, Jak2, or Jak3. TEL-Jak2 activation resulted in the constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat1, Stat3, and Stat5 as determined by detection of phosphorylation using activation-specific antibodies and by binding of each protein to a preferential GAS sequence in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Elucidation of signaling events downstream of TEL-Jak2 activation may provide insight into the mechanism of leukemogenesis mediated by this oncogenic fusion protein.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Beattie
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Squire
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Barber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008894:Milk Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D019000:Phosphotyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007377:Interleukin-3; D008894:Milk Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D019000:Phosphotyrosine; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; C108603:TEL-JAK2 fusion protein, human; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein; C491568:TEL-JAK2 fusion protein, mouse