Raf Activation Is Regulated by Tyrosine 510 Phosphorylation in Drosophila

The proto-oncoprotein Raf is pivotal for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and its aberrant activation has been implicated in multiple human cancers. However, the precise molecular mechanism of Raf activation, especially for B-Raf, remains unresolved. By genetic and biochemical studies, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of tyrosine 510 is essential for activation of Drosophila Raf (Draf), which is an ortholog of mammalian B-Raf. Y510 of Draf is phosphorylated by the c-src homolog Src64B. Acidic substitution of Y510 promotes and phenylalanine substitution impairs Draf activation without affecting its enzymatic activity, suggesting that Y510 plays a purely regulatory role. We further show that Y510 regulates Draf activation by affecting the autoinhibitory interaction between the N- and C-terminal fragments of the protein. Finally, we show that Src64B is required for Draf activation in several developmental processes. Together, these results suggest a novel mechanism of Raf activation via Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation. Since Y510 is a conserved residue in the kinase domain of all Raf proteins, this mechanism is likely evolutionarily conserved

SHP-2 in lymphocytes’ cytokine and inhibitory receptor signaling

Somewhat counterintuitively, the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 (SH2 domain- containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2) is crucial for the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) downstream of various growth factor receptors, thereby exerting essential developmental functions. This phosphatase also deploys proto-oncogenic functions and specific inhibitors have recently been developed. With respect to the immune system, the role of SHP-2 in the signaling of cytokines relevant for myelopoiesis and myeloid malignancies has been intensively studied. The function of this phosphatase downstream of cytokines important for lymphocytes is less understood, though multiple lines of evidence suggest its importance. In addition, SHP-2 has been proposed to mediate the suppressive effects of inhibitory receptors (IRs) that sustain a dysfunctional state in anticancer T cells. Molecules involved in IR signaling are of potential pharmaceutical interest as blockade of these inhibitory circuits leads to remarkable clinical benefit. Here, we discuss the dichotomy in the functions ascribed to SHP-2 downstream of cytokine receptors and IRs, with a focus on T and NK lymphocytes. Further, we highlight the importance of broadening our understanding of SHP-2′s relevance in lymphocytes, an essential step to inform on side effects and unanticipated benefits of its therapeutic blockade

dDYRK2: a novel dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase in Drosophila

Dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRKs) are an emerging family of protein kinases that have been identified in all eukaryotic organisms examined to date. DYRK family members are involved in regulating key developmental and cellular processes such as neurogenesis, cell proliferation, cytokinesis and cellular differentiation. Two distinct subgroups exist, nuclear and cytosolic. In Drosophila, the founding family member minibrain, whose human orthologue maps to the Down syndrome critical region, belongs to the nuclear subclass and affects post-embryonic neurogenesis. In the present paper, we report the isolation of dDYRK2, a cytosolic DYRK and the putative product of the smell-impaired smi35A gene. This is the second such kinase described in Drosophila, but the first to be characterized at the molecular and biochemical level. dDYRK2 is an 81 kDa dual-specificity kinase that autophosphorylates on tyrosine and serine/threonine residues, but appears to phosphorylate exogenous substrates only on serine/threonine residues. It contains a YXY motif in the activation loop of the kinase domain in the same location as the TXY motif in mitogen-activated protein kinases. dDYRK2 is tyrosine-phosphorylated in vivo, and mutational analysis reveals that the activation loop tyrosines are phosphorylated and are essential for kinase activity. Finally, dDYRK2 is active at all stages of fly development, with elevated levels observed during embryogenesis and pupation