Pervanadate-triggered MAP kinase activation and cell proliferation are not sensitive to PD 98059. Evidence for stimulus-dependent differential PD 98059 inhibition mechanism.

A tight and stable complex with corresponding protein kinases and phosphatases establishes coupling between activators and inactivators. One such example is emerging from the studies of the Ras-dependent MAP kinase cascade signaling pathway. Pervanadate, a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase, stimulates MAP kinase and elicits cell proliferation in cultured mouse fibroblasts which is insensitive to PD 98059, the major inhibitor of upstream MEK, whereas serum- or TPA-triggered proliferation is sensitive to PD 98059. It is suggested that imbalanced coordination between protein kinase and protein phosphatase determines the cellular responses such as cell proliferation. The PD 98059-insensitive cell proliferation upon protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibition is attributed to a MEK bypass pathway.

cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylates and activates nuclear Ca2+-ATPase.

A Ca2+-pump ATPase, similar to that in the endoplasmic reticulum, has been located on the outer membrane of rat liver nuclei. The effect of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) on nuclear Ca2+-ATPase (NCA) was studied by using purified rat liver nuclei. Treatment of isolated nuclei with the catalytic unit of PKA resulted in the phosphorylation of a 105-kDa band that was recognized by antibodies specific for sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase type 2b. Partial purification and immunoblotting confirmed that the 105-kDa protein band phosphorylated by PKA is NCA. The stoichiometry of phosphorylation was 0.76 mol of phosphate incorporated/mol of partially purified enzyme. Measurement of ATP-dependent 45Ca2+ uptake into purified nuclei showed that PKA phosphorylation enhanced the Ca2+-pumping activity of NCA. We show that PKA phosphorylation of Ca2+-ATPase enhances the transport of 10-kDa fluorescent-labeled dextrans across the nuclear envelope. The findings reported in this paper are consistent with the notion that the crosstalk between the cAMP/PKA- and Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways identified at the cytoplasmic level extends to the nucleus. Furthermore, these data support a function for crosstalk in the regulation of calcium-dependent transport across the nuclear envelope.

Pervanadate elicits proliferation and mediates activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in the nucleus.

There is growing evidence for the role of protein tyrosine phosphatases in controlling such fundamental cellular processes as growth and differentiation. Pervanadate is a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase which has been observed here to induce proliferation in C3H10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts. Pervanadate also translocated/activated p42/44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase to the cell nucleus. An almost similar pattern of nuclear p42/44 MAP kinase stimulation is seen with TPA. On the other hand, TPA treatment results in a rapid activation of cytosolic MAP kinase which declines with time. Thus pervanadate appears as a very useful tool for studying tyrosine phosphorylation.