We show that two commonly occurring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) somatic mutations, L858R and an in-frame deletion mutant, Del(746-750), exhibit distinct enzymatic properties relative to wild-type EGFR and are differentially sensitive to erlotinib. Kinetic analysis of the purified intracellular domains of EGFR L858R and EGFR Del(746-750) reveals that both mutants are active but exhibit a higher K M for ATP and a lower K i for erlotinib relative to wild-type receptor. When expressed in NR6 cells, a cell line that does not express EGFR or other ErbB receptors, both mutations are ligand dependent for receptor activation, can activate downstream EGFR signaling pathways, and promote cell cycle progression. As expected from the kinetic analysis, the EGFR Del(746-752) is more sensitive to erlotinib inhibition than the EGFR L858R mutant. Further characterization shows that these mutations promote ligand-dependent and anchorageindependent growth, and cells harboring these mutant receptors form tumors in immunocompromised mice. Analysis of tumor lysates reveals that the tumorigenicity of the mutant EGFR cell lines may be due to a differential pattern of mutant EGFR autophosphorylation as compared with wild-type receptor. Significant inhibition of tumor growth, in mice harboring wild-type EGFR receptors, is only observed at doses of erlotinib approaching the maximum tolerated dose for the mouse. In contrast, the growth of mutant tumors is inhibited by erlotinib treatment at approximately one third the maximum tolerated dose. These findings suggest that EGFR somatic mutations directly influence both erlotinib sensitivity and cellular transformation. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(16): 8163-71)

PTP-PEST is a ubiquitously expressed, cytosolic, mammalian protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) which exhibits high specific activity in vitro. We have investigated the substrate specificity of PTP-PEST by a novel substrate-trapping approach in combination with in vitro dephosphorylation experiments. We initially identified a prominent 130-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein in pervanadate-treated HeLa cell lysates which was preferentially dephosphorylated by PTP-PEST in vitro. In order to identify this potential substrate, mutant (substrate-trapping) forms of PTP-PEST were generated which lack catalytic activity but retain the ability to bind substrates. These mutant proteins associated in stable complexes exclusively with the same 130-kDa protein, which was identified as p130(cas) by immunoblotting. This exclusive association was observed in lysates from several cell lines and in transfected COS cells, but was not observed with other members of the PTP family, strongly suggesting that p130(cas) represents a major physiologically relevant substrate for PTP-PEST. Our studies suggest potential roles for PTP-PEST in regulation of p130(cas) function. These functions include mitogen- and cell adhesion-induced signalling events and probable roles in transformation by various oncogenes. These results provide the first demonstration of a PTP having an inherently restricted substrate specificity in vitro and in vivo. The methods used to identify p130(cas) as a specific substrate for PTP-PEST are potentially applicable to any PTP and should therefore prove useful in determining the physiological substrates of other members of the PTP family.

Hormone-sensitive lipase is phosphorylated at a single site (site 2) in vitro by the AMP-activated protein kinase, without any direct effect on the activity of the enzyme. The amino acid sequence around this site has been determined. Ca2 'icalmodulin-dependent protein kinase 11 also phosphorylates hormone-sensitive lipase predominantly at this site, whilst cyclic-GMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylates exclusively the regulatory site (site 1) which is also phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation of site 2 has been found to inhibit subsequent phosphorylation and activation of hormone-sensitive lipase by the cyclic-AMPdependent and cyclic-GMP-dependent protein kinases, indicating that site-2 phosphorylation may have an antilipolytic role in vivo.Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is the rate-limiting enzyme of adipose tissue lipolysis and its activity is under acute hormonal and neural control [l]. Lipolytic agents, such as noradrendline released from sympathetic nerve endings, adrenaline, corticotropin and glucagon, stimulate lipolysis by increasing the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration, resulting in activation of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. This leads to phosphorylation of HSL which activates the enzyme and therefore stimulates lipolysis [2]. The major antilipolytic hormone is insulin which acts, at least in part, by reducing the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration [3].HSL is phosphorylated at a single site by cyclic-AMPdependent protein kinase in vitro [4,5]. Peptide-mapping studies indicate that this site, which has been termed the regulatory site, is that which is phosphorylated in intact adipocytes in response to noradrenaline [6].We have recently shown that tryptic phosphopeptides containing the site on bovine HSL which is phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (SVSEAALTQPEG-PLGTDSLK) also contain a second phosphorylated residue (SVSEAALTQPEGPLGTDSLK) (site 2), which is not modified by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase, but which is already partially phosphorylated in the enzyme, as prepared, indicating that this residue represents an in vivo site of phosphorylation [5]. Work with rat adipocytes has also demonstrated the presence of a second site of phosphorylation on Carrespondence to

The protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST displays remarkable substrate specificity, in vitro and in vivo for p130cas a signalling intermediate implicated in mitogenic signalling, cell-adhesion induced signalling, and in transformation by a variety of oncogenes. We have identified a high affinity interaction between the SH3 domain of p130cas and a proline-rich sequence (P335PPKPPR) within the C-terminal segment of PTP-PEST. Mutation of proline 337 within this sequence to alanine significantly impairs the ability of PTP-PEST to recognise tyrosine phosphorylated p130cas as a substrate, without qualitatively affecting the selectivity of the interaction. Thus the highly specific nature of the interaction between PTP-PEST and p130cas appears to result from a combination of two distinct substrate recognition mechanisms; the catalytic domain of PTP-PEST contributes specificity to the interaction with p130cas, whereas the SH3 domain-mediated association of p130cas and PTP-PEST dramatically increases the efficiency of the interaction. Furthermore, our results indicate that one important function of the p130cas SH3 domain is to associate with PTP-PEST and thereby facilitate the dephosphorylation of p130cas, resulting in the termination of tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signalling events downstream of p130cas.

Evidence is emerging that the closely related ROCK1 and ROCK2 serine/threonine kinases support the invasive and metastatic growth of a spectrum of human cancer types. Therefore, inhibitors of ROCK are under preclinical development. However, a key step in their development involves the identification of genetic biomarkers that will predict ROCK inhibitor anti-tumor activity. One identified mechanism for ROCK activation in cancer involves the loss of function of the DLC1 tumor suppressor gene, which encodes a GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) for the RhoA and RhoC small GTPases. DLC-1 loss may lead to hyperactivation of RhoA/C and its downstream effectors, the ROCK kinases. We therefore determined whether loss of DLC-1 protein expression identifies non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines whose growth and invasion phenotypes are sensitive to ROCK inhibition. We identified and characterized a novel small molecule pharmacologic inhibitor of ROCK and additionally applied genetic approaches to impair ROCK1 and/or ROCK2 activity, and we determined that although NSCLC anchorage-dependent growth was ROCK-independent, both anchorage-independent growth and Matrigel invasion were ROCK-dependent. However, loss of DLC-1 expression did not correlate with ROCK activation or with OXA-06 sensitivity. Unexpectedly, suppression of ROCK1 or ROCK2 expression alone was sufficient to impair anchorage-independent growth, supporting their non-overlapping roles in oncogenesis. Mechanistically, the block in anchorage-independent growth was associated with accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, but not increased anoikis. We conclude that ROCK may be a useful therapeutic target for NSCLC.