Selective phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibition and increased ceramide formation is associated with B-cell death by apoptosis.

Bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV), a protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, selectively induced apoptosis (as quantitated by TUNEL staining) in a B-cell line (Ramos) but not in a T-cell line (Jurkat). The pattern of BMOV-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation was different in B-cells versus T-cells. Further, BMOV induced a 2-fold increase in ceramide levels in B-cells but not in T-cells and this resembled the ceramide increase following activation of the B-cell antigen receptor. A 2-fold increase in the ratio of ceramide to sphingomyelin in B-cells treated with BMOV suggested that sphingomyelinase activation was the result of the sustained tyrosine phosphorylation of specific proteins and activated the cell death pathway.

Impact of oxidative stress on signal transduction control by phosphotyrosine phosphatases.

Phosphotyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) serve as important regulators of cellular signal transduction pathways. PTPs are sensitive targets of oxidative stress and may be inhibited by treatments that induce intracellular oxidation. The effects of PTP inactivation under oxidizing conditions are amplified by the redox-linked activation of key protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), thus leading to the initiation of phosphotyrosine-signaling cascades that are no longer under normal receptor control. These ligand-independent signals result in the accumulation of protein phosphotyrosine, the generation of second messengers, the activation of downstream kinases, and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B). In this review we consider the relative contribution of oxidative stress to the effects of PTP inhibition by vanadium-based compounds in lymphocytes. Although the inactivation of PTPs can lead to NF-kappa B mobilization in the presence of antioxidants, the other effects noted appear to require a threshold of intracellular oxidation. The combined effects of oxidative stress on signal transduction cascades reflect a synergy between the initiation of signals by PTKs and the loss of control by PTPs. This suggests a mechanism by which environmental agents that cause oxidative stress may alter the course of cellular responses through induction or enhancement of signaling cascades leading to functional changes or cell death.

Role of oxidative stress in the action of vanadium phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors. Redox independent activation of NF-kappaB.

The role of intracellular oxidative stress in the mechanism of action of phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors was studied using three vanadium-based compounds. Sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4), sodium oxodiperoxo(1,10-phenanthroline)vanadate(V) (pV(phen), and bis(maltolato)-oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) differentially induced oxidative stress in lymphocytes. Treatment with pV(phen), which caused intracellular oxidation, induced strong protein tyrosine phosphorylation compared with Na3VO4 and BMOV. Syk family kinases and the mitogen-activated protein kinase erk2 were rapidly activated by pV(phen) but not by BMOV or Na3VO4. In contrast, both BMOV and pV(phen) strongly activated NF-kappaB. The antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) greatly diminished the intracellular oxidation and protein phosphotyrosine accumulation induced by pV(phen). Pretreatment of cells with PDTC reduced and delayed the activation of Syk kinases and erk2. However, NF-kappaB activation by pV(phen) was markedly enhanced in lymphocytes pretreated with PDTC, and another antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, did not prevent the activation of NF-kappaB by BMOV. These results indicate a role for oxidative stress in the biological effects of some PTP inhibitors, whereas NF-kappaB activation by PTP inhibitors is mediated by mechanisms independent of intracellular redox status.

Interaction of the cytoplasmic tail of CTLA-4 (CD152) with a clathrin-associated protein is negatively regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation.

CTLA-4 (CD152), high-avidity receptor for CD80 and CD86, is a powerful regulator of T cell activation. While CTLA-4 functions at the cell surface, it is primarily localized in intracellular vesicles and cycles to the cell surface. The CTLA-4 cytoplasmic domain contains sequences that direct its intracellular localization and regulate its signaling. Here we demonstrate that effector molecules involved in receptor trafficking and signaling interact with distinct, but overlapping, sequences in the CTLA-4 cytoplasmic domain. Using the yeast two-hybrid method, we demonstrate association of the mu2 subunit of AP-2, the clathrin-associated complex found in plasma membrane-associated coated pits, with the cytoplasmic tail of CTLA-4, but not CD28. The mu1 subunit of AP-1, found in Golgi-associated coated pits, associated with neither CTLA-4 nor CD28. Sequences required for interaction of mu2 and CTLA-4 were localized to residues, 161TTGVY in CTLA-4; this sequence is N-terminal to, but overlaps with, a previously identified SH2 binding motif, 165YVKM, involved in CTLA-4 signaling. Mu2 interacted preferentially with CTLA-4 when residue 165Y was nonphosphorylated, whereas a PI3 kinase SH2 domain interacted preferentially when 165Y was phosphorylated. In co-transfection experiments, both tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tail of CTLA-4 (165Y and 182Y) were phosphorylated by the T lymphocyte-associated tyrosine kinase, p56lck. Thus, phosphorylation of CTLA-4 residue 165Y may reciprocally regulate signaling and trafficking of CTLA-4 by determining which effector molecules bind to its cytoplasmic tail.

Intracellular CD22 rapidly moves to the cell surface in a tyrosine kinase-dependent manner following antigen receptor stimulation.

CD22 is a key accessory molecule for Ag receptor signaling in B cells that becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in the signaling process. CD22 associates with sIg and strongly amplifies sIg-induced signals. During B cell development, CD22 is initially expressed intracellularly, with surface expression appearing with IgD expression. We used confocal laser-scanning microscopy and flow cytometry to analyze CD22 translocation responses to signaling events. Cross-linking surface IgM (sIgM) induced rapid movement of CD22 to the cell surface in both Ramos and Daudi B cells, with a 50 to 100% increase in surface expression observed within 5 min of stimulation. The increase in CD22 surface expression was specific in that CD19 expression was not affected. Both cell surface and intracellular CD22 were directed toward the site of sIgM stimulation. Treatment with the phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) also increased CD22 surface expression. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin A10 inhibited CD22 movement at concentrations that inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation of CD22 and other cellular proteins. In contrast to the B cell lines, mature peripheral blood B cells contained very little intracellular CD22 and showed no significant increase in surface expression following sIgM stimulation. The rapid directed movement of intracellular CD22 provides a new mechanism to dynamically regulate Ag receptor signaling, as well as CD22-mediated adhesion.

Molecular mechanisms of toxicant-induced immunosuppression: role of second messengers.

Changes in immunocompetence following chemical exposure have been established for a wide variety of unrelated agents. For the vast majority of immunotoxic compounds thus far identified, disruption of normal immune function is clearly mediated through direct interactions between the agent, or its metabolite, and immunocompetent cells. Regardless of whether this interaction occurs at the level of the cell membrane or at intracellular sites, basic regulatory processes mediated by second messengers are often altered. These alterations can ultimately result in immunologic dysfunction, which is most often manifested as immunosuppression. The specific disruptions in intracellular signaling produced by a number of immunotoxic compounds have now been identified, leading to a basic understanding of their molecular mechanism of action. Equally important, through the application of these agents as biological probes, new insights have been gained pertaining to which intracellular processes control which cellular functions within various populations of immunocompetent cells.

Syk interacts with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in human platelets activated by collagen and cross-linking of the Fc gamma-IIA receptor.

Activation of human platelets by cross-linking of the platelet low-affinity IgG receptor, the Fc gamma receptor IIA (Fc gamma-RIIA), or by collagen is associated with rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase syk. Phosphorylation is still observed, albeit sometimes reduced, in the presence of a combination of a protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro 31-8220, and the intracellular calcium chelator, BAPTA-AM, demonstrating independence from phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activity. In contrast, the combination of Ro 31-8220 and BAPTA-AM completely inhibits phosphorylation of syk in thrombin-stimulated platelets. Phosphorylation of syk increases its autophosphorylation activity measured in a kinase assay performed on syk immunoprecipitates. Fc gamma-RIIA also undergoes phosphorylation in syk immunoprecipitates from platelets activated by cross-linking of Fc gamma-RIIA but not by collagen, suggesting that it associates with the kinase. Consistent with this, tyrosine-phosphorylated Fc gamma-RIIA is precipitated by a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein containing the tandem src homology (SH2) domains of syk from Fc gamma-RIIA- but not collagen-activated cells. Two uncharacterized tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins of 40 and 65 kDa are uniquely precipitated by a GST fusion protein containing the tandem syk-SH2 domains in collagen-stimulated platelets. A peptide based on the antigen recognition activation motif (ARAM) of Fc gamma-RIIA, and phosphorylated on the two tyrosine residues found within this region, selectively binds syk from lysates of resting platelets; this interaction is not seen with a non-phosphorylated peptide. Kinase assays on Fc gamma-RIIA immunoprecipitates reveal the constitutive association of an unidentified kinase activity in resting cells which phosphorylates a 67 kDa protein. Syk is not detected in Fc gamma-RIIA immunoprecipitates from resting cells but associates with the receptor following activation and, together with Fc gamma-RIIA, is phosphorylated in the kinase assay in vitro. These results demonstrate that syk is activated by Fc gamma-RIIA cross-linking and collagen, independent of PLC, suggesting that it may have an important role in the early events associated with platelet activation. The association of syk with Fc gamma-RIIA appears to be mediated through the tandem SH2 domains in syk and the ARAM motif of Fc gamma-RIIA. A similar interaction may underlie the response to collagen, suggesting that its signalling receptor contains an ARAM motif.

ZAP-70 and p72syk are signaling response elements through MHC class II molecules.

Ligation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens expressed on antigen-activated human CD4+ T-lymphocytes induces early signal transduction events including the activation of tyrosine kinases, the tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase-C gamma 1 and the mobilization of intracellular calcium. Similar responses have been observed in B-cells following stimulation of MHC class II molecules, including the increased production of intracellular cAMP. In this report, we demonstrate that the ZAP-70 tyrosine kinase is a responsive signaling element following cross-linking of HLA-DR in class II+ T-cells, and that the homologous tyrosine kinase p72syk is stimulated in B-cells following ligation of class II antigens. Antibody mediated co-ligation of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR/CD3) with class II molecules resulted in augmented tyrosine phosphorylation of ZAP-70. Comparable to antibody induced receptor ligation, bacterial superantigen (SEA and SEB) treatment of HLA-DR+ T-cells stimulated ZAP-70 tyrosine phosphorylation, consistent with class II transmembrane signaling by ligation of HLA-DR and V beta in cis. Modulation of the TCR/CD3 led to abrogation of class II induced ZAP-70 tyrosine phosphorylation, but did not result in sequestering of ZAP-70 from the cellular cytoplasm. Hyperphosphorylated ZAP-70 was associated with TCR/CD3 zeta-chain following cross-linking of HLA-DR, suggesting a mechanism for the TCR/CD3-dependence of class II induced signals in alloantigen-activated human T-cells. In both tonsillar B-lymphocytes and B-cell leukemia lines, p72syk was rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine residues following HLA-DR cross-linking. Tyrosine phosphorylation of p72syk induced through ligation of either the B-cell antigen receptor or class II molecules was potently inhibited by herbimycin A. MHC class II ligation on B-lymphocytes resulted in cell death, which was both qualitatively distinct from Fas-induced apoptosis and partially protected by herbimycin A pretreatment. Thus, ligation of MHC class II molecules expressed on human lymphocytes stimulates the ZAP-70/p72syk family of tyrosine kinases, leading functionally to a tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway of receptor-induced cell death.

Lineage-specific induction of B cell apoptosis and altered signal transduction by the phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV).

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is known to play key roles in lymphocyte signal transduction, and phosphotyrosine phosphatases (PTP) can act as both positive and negative regulators of these lymphocyte signals. We sought to examine the role of PTP further in these processes by characterizing the effects of bis(maltolato)-oxovanadium(IV) (BMLOV), previously known to be a nontoxic insulin mimetic agent in vivo. BMLOV was found to be a potent phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. BMLOV induced cellular tyrosine phosphorylation in B cells in a pattern similar to that observed following antigen receptor stimulation, whereas little tyrosine phosphorylation was induced in T cells. In B cells, BMLOV treatment resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and phospholipase C gamma 2, while sIgM-induced signals were inhibited. By contrast, T cell receptor signals were moderately increased by BMLOV, and the cells displayed greater induction of IL-2 receptor without toxicity. The compound selectively induced apoptosis in B cell lymphoma and myeloid leukemia cell lines, but not in T cell leukemia or colon carcinoma cells. Interleukin-4 plus anti-CD40 antibody treatment of normal human peripheral B cells rescued the cells from BMLOV-induced death. These results suggest that phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitors can activate B cell signal pathways in a lineage-specific manner, resulting in desensitization of receptor-mediated signaling and induction of apoptosis.

Association of 75/80-kDa phosphoproteins and the tyrosine kinases Lyn, Fyn, and Lck with the B cell molecule CD20. Evidence against involvement of the cytoplasmic regions of CD20.

CD20, a non-glycosylated cell-surface protein expressed exclusively on B lymphocytes, is one of a family of 4-pass transmembrane molecules that also includes the beta chain of the high affinity receptor for IgE. The precise function of CD20 is unknown, although in vitro effects of CD20-specific antibodies on resting B cells indicate that it is able to transduce an extracellular signal affecting the G0/G1 cell cycle transition. Previous studies have demonstrated that CD20-initiated intracellular signals involve tyrosine kinase activation and that CD20 is tightly associated with both serine and tyrosine kinases. Here, analysis of CD20-associated molecules has revealed that CD20 is associated with the Src family tyrosine kinases p56/53lyn, p56lck, and p59fyn and with 75/80-kDa proteins phosphorylated in vivo on tyrosine residues. Mutagenesis of CD20 was performed to define regions of CD20 involved in intermolecular interactions. Mutants were analyzed in the human T lymphoblastoid cell line Molt-4, in which ectopically expressed wild-type CD20 associated with p59fyn, p56lck, and 75/80-kDa phosphoproteins. Deletion of major portions of the cytoplasmic regions of CD20 did not abolish its association with either p75/80 or tyrosine kinases. The interaction between CD20 and the Src-related kinases is therefore likely to be independent of CD20 cytoplasmic domains and may occur indirectly. The interaction may be mediated by the p75/80 phosphoproteins, which were found to be tightly associated with the Src family kinases isolated from the CD20 complex.

Phenylarsine oxide inhibits tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C gamma 2 in human platelets and phospholipase C gamma 1 in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts.

The sulphydryl reagent phenylarsine oxide (PAO) (1 microM) inhibited completely formation of inositol phosphates in human platelets induced by collagen or by cross-linking of the platelet low affinity Fc receptor, F c gamma RIIA, but did not alter the response to the G protein receptor agonist thrombin. PAO also inhibited completely tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 2 in collagen and Fc gamma RIIA-stimulated cells, although tyrosine phosphorylation of other proteins including the tyrosine kinase syk was relatively unaffected. PAO (1 microM) also inhibited completely tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 induced by platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts but only partially reduced phosphorylation of the PDGF receptor. These results provide further evidence that collagen and Fc gamma RIIA cross-linking activate platelets through a pathway distinct from that used by thrombin and suggest that PAO may be a selective inhibitor of PLC gamma relative to PLC beta isozymes.

Longitudinal exposure of human T lymphocytes to weak oxidative stress suppresses transmembrane and nuclear signal transduction.

Products of polyamine oxidase activity, at micromolar levels and during a period of 2 to 3 days, down-regulate IL-2 mRNA levels and activity in human lymphocytes. We studied whether this suppression was associated with signal transduction abnormalities. We found that polyamine oxidase activity suppresses both anti-CD3-induced IL-2 production and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Polyamine oxidase activity also caused a reduction in intracellular calcium mobilization after mitogenic stimulation. The most distal step of CD3-mediated signal transduction is dependent upon transcription factors that regulate a set of genes, including IL-2. We found that polyamine oxidase-treated cells exhibited very low DNA binding activity of two such factors: NFAT and NF-kappa B. On the other hand, AP-1 DNA binding activity was enhanced in polyamine oxidase-treated cells, suggesting a possible role for AP-1 in the human lymphocyte stress response. In accordance with the oxidation dependence of this suppressive mechanism, N-acetylcysteine (NAC; an antioxidant) significantly reversed the polyamine oxidase effects on lymphokine production and signal transduction. These results suggest that NAC contributes, under oxidizing conditions, to the preservation of immune function. In summary, our data suggest that chronic low-level oxidative stress, via suppression of mitogen-induced transmembrane signaling (protein-tyrosine phosphorylation and calcium mobilization), causes a decrease in the DNA binding activity of transcription factors that regulate the IL-2 gene. This results in decreased IL-2 production.

Activation of tyrosine kinase signal pathways by radiation and oxidative stress.

Most research on ionizing radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and H2O2 exposure has focused on the well-known ability of such agents to damage cellular components, particularly DNA. However, recent studies have shown that these events also act directly on components of tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathways, resulting in their activation. Cells use these types of pathways to transmit signals from surface receptors to the nucleus in response to a wide variety of stimuli, ranging from hormones and growth factors such as insulin, erythropoietin, and epidermal growth factor to antigen stimulation of lymphocytes. We propose that cellular responses to radiation and oxidative stress involve the active process of tyrosine kinase signal transduction, in addition to damage to DNA and other cellular components, leading to the activation of transcription factors and the subsequent induction of gene expression. The ability of radiation and oxidative stress to bypass control by normal ligands to act on receptors and their signal transduction pathways offers a new perspective on the ways in which organisms can respond to stress.

Collagen stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma 2 but not phospholipase C-gamma 1 in human platelets.

Collagen is an important primary stimulus of platelets during the process of hemostasis. As with many other platelet stimuli, collagen signal transduction involves the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids; however, the mechanisms which underlies this event is not well understood. Neither the collagen receptor nor the isoform of phospholipase C that is activated have been identified. We report that collagen-activation of platelets induces tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma 2 but not phospholipase C-gamma 1. We also show that the platelet low affinity Fc receptor (Fc gamma RII), which mediates activation of platelets by immune complexes, and wheat germ agglutinin, which binds non-specifically to glycoprotein, stimulate phospholipase C-gamma 2 tyrosine phosphorylation. In contrast, we could not detect phospholipase C-gamma 2 tyrosine phosphorylation in platelets stimulated by either thrombin or a stable thromboxane A2 analogue, U46619.

ZAP-70 tyrosine kinase, CD45, and T cell receptor involvement in UV- and H2O2-induced T cell signal transduction.

Several mammalian responses to UV irradiation, including the activation of NF-kappa B, are believed to involve tyrosine phosphorylation. UV irradiation and H2O2 treatment of T lymphocytes induce protein tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+ signals similar to those observed following biological stimulation. We have examined the role of cell surface molecules in these responses. Normal T lymphocytes whose surface expression of CD3 was depleted showed impaired UV-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+ signals. Similarly, Jurkat T cell lines deficient in CD3 or CD45 expression also gave impaired UV responses. However, all these cell types still gave strong Ca2+ and tyrosine phosphorylation responses to H2O2. The T cell tyrosine kinase ZAP-70 was found to be highly responsive to UV and H2O2 treatment. ZAP-70 responsiveness to UV required expression of both CD3 and CD45, whereas only CD3 was required for the response to H2O2. UV-induced activation of NF-kappa B was blocked by CD3 depletion, indicating the importance of such cell surface molecules in biological responses to UV. In nonlymphoid cells, the epidermal growth factor receptor displayed increased tyrosine phosphorylation within seconds of UV irradiation. These results suggest that UV-induced signal transduction is mediated via cell surface receptors that normally respond to biological stimulation, whereas H2O2 is able to partially bypass this requirement.

CD45-mediated regulation of extracellular calcium influx in a CD4-transfected human T cell line.

Transfection of a CD4- Jurkat leukemic T cell line with the human wild-type CD4 gene resulted in the constitutive mobilization of calcium by these cells. The altered calcium phenotype was dependent on expression of a completely functional CD4 molecule on the cell surface. Transfectants receiving the vector alone or those in which a mutated CD4 gene lacking a functional Lck binding region failed to generate a constitutive calcium response. In addition, CD4 wild-type transfectants over time lost CD4 expression. These CD4- revertants failed to constitutively mobilize calcium. Treatment of CD4 wild-type transfected cells with either anti-CD45 mAb, EGTA, or PMA rapidly restored the cells to basal levels of intracellular calcium. Analysis of CD45 cross-linking on CD4+ and CD4- normal Jurkat lines demonstrated that CD4 expression was required for CD45-mediated inhibition of TCR induced calcium responses. CD45-mediated inhibition affected the duration of the response rather than its magnitude. These results, taken together with the observations obtained with CD4 transfected Jurkats suggested that influx of extracellular calcium was the predominant reason for the elevated levels of calcium within the cell. In support of this hypothesis, we could find no evidence of phosphorylated phospholipase C gamma 1 or constitutive inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate generation in the CD4 wild-type transfected cells, yet both were detectable after anti-CD3 mAb-induced activation. Immunokinase assays of Lck and Fyn precipitated from untreated or anti-CD45-treated wild-type transfectants demonstrated that CD45 cross-linking dephosphorylated Lck and reduced its capacity to phosphorylate enolase. In contrast, neither Fyn autophosphorylation nor its activity was affected by CD45 cross-linking.

Membrane topology of the L6 antigen and identification of the protein epitope recognized by the L6 monoclonal antibody.

The murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) L6 recognizes an integral membrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed on lung, breast, colon, and ovarian carcinomas and is referred to as the L6 antigen. This antigen is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention due to its high level expression on malignant cells. We have previously reported the isolation of a cDNA encoding the human L6 antigen (H-L6). Here, we report the isolation of a cDNA clone encoding the murine L6 antigen (M-L6). This cDNA contains one long open reading frame, which encodes a 220-amino acid polypeptide that is 78% homologous to H-L6. This protein contains short NH2- and COOH-terminal hydrophilic domains and four hydrophobic regions, each long enough to span the plasma membrane. Each of these hydrophobic domains is separated by a hydrophilic domain, the longest of which contains one possible N-linked glycosylation site and is located between the third and fourth hydrophobic domains. We have previously demonstrated that the murine L6 mAb recognizes a protein epitope expressed on human tumor-derived cell lines. Now, using chimeric cDNA constructs encoding human-murine L6 antigen hybrids in conjunction with monoclonal antibody binding experiments, we show that the 42-residue hydrophilic domain of the L6 antigen, located between the third and fourth hydrophobic domains, is outside the cell and that residues in the NH2-terminal region of this domain are critical for the binding of the murine L6 mAb to H-L6.

Developmental regulation of pp44/46, tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins associated with tyrosine/serine kinase activity in Trypanosoma brucei.

The pattern of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins is developmentally regulated in Trypanosoma brucei. To examine the function and regulation of these tyrosine-phosphorylated molecules, monoclonal antibodies were generated using purified tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins as immunogens. Two monoclonal antibodies were obtained. Both react with a set of proteins at 44-46 kDa, collectively referred to as pp44/46, that are phosphorylated on serine and tyrosine. Differentiation of the parasite from slender bloodforms to procyclic forms was accompanied by increased abundance and tyrosine-phosphorylation of pp44/46. The monoclonal antibodies immunoprecipitated protein kinase activity capable of phosphorylating pp44/46 on serine and tyrosine, and myelin basic protein on serine. The data indicate that the prominent tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins induced upon differentiation are either themselves protein kinases or that they are associated with protein kinases.