SHIP inhibits Akt activation in B cells through regulation of Akt membrane localization.

Activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt and the regulation of its activation are recognized as critical in controlling proliferative/survival signals via many hematopoietic receptors. In B lymphocytes, the B-cell receptor (BCR)-mediated activation of Akt is attenuated by co-cross-linking of BCR with the inhibitory receptor Fc gamma RIIB1, and the binding of the SH2 domain-containing inositol phosphatase, SHIP, to Fc gamma RIIB1. Because SHIP dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and activation of Akt requires PIP3, the destruction of this phospholipid has been proposed as the mechanism for Akt inhibition. However, upstream kinases that activate Akt, such as PDK1, also require PIP3 for activation. In this report, we addressed whether SHIP inhibits Akt directly at the level of Akt recruitment to the membrane, indirectly through PDK recruitment/phosphorylation of Akt, or both. We generated stable B-cell lines expressing a regulatable, but constitutively membrane-bound Akt that still required PDK-dependent phosphorylation for activation. Several lines of evidence suggested that activation of this membrane-targeted Akt is not inhibited by Fc gamma RIIB1/SHIP and that PDK is not a target for SHIP-mediated inhibition. These data demonstrate that SHIP inhibits Akt primarily through regulation of Akt membrane localization. We also observed during these studies that Fc gamma RIIB1/SHIP does not inhibit p70(S6k) activation, even though several other PIP3-dependent events were down-regulated. Because the enhanced activation of Akt in the absence of SHIP correlates with hyperproliferation in the myeloid lineage, our data have implications for SHIP and Akt-dependent regulation of proliferation in the hematopoietic lineage. (Blood. 2000;96:1449-1456)

Essential role for the C-terminal noncatalytic region of SHIP in FcgammaRIIB1-mediated inhibitory signaling.

The inositol phosphatase SHIP binds to the FcgammaRIIB1 receptor and plays a critical role in FcgammaRIIB1-mediated inhibition of B-cell proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis. The molecular details of SHIP function are not fully understood. While point mutations of the signature motifs in the inositol phosphatase domain abolish SHIP's ability to inhibit calcium flux in B cells, little is known about the function of the evolutionarily conserved, putative noncatalytic regions of SHIP in vivo. In this study, through a systematic mutagenesis approach, we identified the inositol phosphatase domain of SHIP between amino acids 400 and 866. Through reconstitution of a SHIP-deficient B-cell line with wild-type and mutant forms of SHIP, we demonstrate that the catalytic domain alone is not sufficient to mediate FcgammaRIIB1/SHIP-dependent inhibition of B-cell receptor signaling. Expression of a truncation mutant of SHIP that has intact phosphatase activity but lacks the last 190 amino acids showed that the noncatalytic region in the C terminus is essential for inhibitory signaling. Mutation of two tyrosines within this C-terminal region, previously identified as important in binding to Shc, showed a reduced inhibition of calcium flux. However, studies with an Shc-deficient B-cell line indicated that Shc-SHIP complex formation is not required and that other proteins that bind these tyrosines may be important in FcgammaRIIB1/SHIP-mediated calcium inhibition. Interestingly, membrane targeting of SHIP lacking the C terminus is able to restore this inhibition, suggesting a role for the C terminus in localization or stabilization of SHIP interaction at the membrane. Taken together, these data suggest that the noncatalytic carboxyl-terminal 190 amino acids of SHIP play a critical role in SHIP function in B cells and may play a similar role in several other receptor systems where SHIP functions as a negative regulator.

Validity and reliability of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-20 questionnaire as a measure of quality of life in elderly people living at home.

BACKGROUND: the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-20 (SF-20) questionnaire is recommended for health-related quality of life research, but there is little information on its utility in older people. We assessed the validity, reliability and feasibility of using the SF-20 in an elderly community-dwelling population. METHODS: the SF-20 was administered to a stratified, random sample of 333 elderly subjects. FINDINGS: assessment of content validity revealed that important domains were lacking, while others appeared to be inappropriately combined. Using Spearman correlation coefficients, the SF-20 had acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. A principal components analysis provided evidence for internal consistency for some of the subscales. Evidence for test-retest reliability was good. INTERPRETATION: while the reliability and feasibility of the SF-20 appear satisfactory, concerns about validity and responsiveness should temper enthusiasm for its use with elderly people living at home.