Several components in cytokine signaling remain unidentified. We report the cloning and initial characterization of one such component, p97, a widely expressed scaffolding protein distantly related to Drosophila DOS and mammalian Gab1. Upon cytokine, growth factor, or antigen receptor stimulation, p97 becomes tyrosyl phosphorylated and associates with several SH2 domain-containing proteins, including SHP2. Expression of p97 mutants unable to bind SHP2 blocks cytokine-induced c-fos promoter activation, inhibiting Elk1-mediated and STAT5-mediated transactivation. Surprisingly, such mutants do not inhibit MAPK activation. Our results identify p97 as an important regulator of receptor signaling that controls a novel pathway to immediate-early gene activation and suggest multiple functions for SHP2 in cytokine receptor signaling.

Dos/Gab family scaffolding adapters (Dos, Gab1, Gab2) bind several signal relay molecules, including the protein-tyrosine phosphatase Shp-2 and phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K); they are also implicated in growth factor, cytokine and antigen receptor signal transduction. Mice lacking Gab1 die during embryogenesis and show defective responses to several stimuli. Here we report that Gab2-/- mice are viable and generally healthy; however, the response (for example, degranulation and cytokine gene expression) of Gab2-/- mast cells to stimulation of the high affinity immunoglobulin-epsilon (IgE) receptor Fc(epsilon)RI is defective. Accordingly, allergic reactions such as passive cutaneous and systemic anaphylaxis are markedly impaired in Gab2-/- mice. Biochemical analyses reveal that signalling pathways dependent on PI(3)K, a critical component of Fc(epsilon)RI signalling, are defective in Gab2-/- mast cells. Our data identify Gab2 as the principal activator of PI(3)K in response to Fc(epsilon)RI activation, thereby providing genetic evidence that Dos/Gab family scaffolds regulate the PI(3)K pathway in vivo. Gab2 and/or its associated signalling molecules may be new targets for developing drugs to treat allergy.

RASSF1A is a tumor suppressor protein involved in death receptor-dependent apoptosis utilizing the Bax-interacting protein MOAP-1 (previously referred to as MAP-1). However, the dynamics of death receptor recruitment of RASSF1A and MOAP-1 are still not understood. We have now detailed recruitment to death receptors (tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 [TNF-R1] and TRAIL-R1/DR4) and identified domains of RASSF1A and MOAP-1 that are required for death receptor interaction. Upon TNF-␣ stimulation, the C-terminal region of MOAP-1 associated with the death domain of TNF-R1; subsequently, RASSF1A was recruited to MOAP-1/TNF-R1 complexes. Prior to recruitment to TNF-R1/MOAP-1 complexes, RASSF1A homodimerization was lost. RASSF1A associated with the TNF-R1/MOAP-1 or TRAIL-R1/MOAP-1 complex via its N-terminal cysteine-rich (C1) domain containing a potential zinc finger binding motif. Importantly, TNF-R1 association domains on both MOAP-1 and RASSF1A were essential for death receptor-dependent apoptosis. The association of RASSF1A and MOAP-1 with death receptors involves an ordered recruitment to receptor complexes to promote cell death and inhibit tumor formation.

The T11 sheep erythrocyte binding glycoprotein [relative molecular mass (Mr)50,000(50K)] is expressed throughout human T-lymphocyte ontogeny and appears to play an important physiological role in T-cell activation. Thus, the treatment of T cells with certain monoclonal anti-T11 antibodies results in antigen-independent polyclonal T-cell activation as assessed by proliferation and lymphokine secretion. In addition, the majority of thymocytes that have not yet acquired the T3-Ti antigen/major histocompatibility complex (MHC) receptor can be activated to express interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors through this T11 structure. We show here that the triggering of cytolytic T (Tc) cells via T11 causes an antigen-independent activation of the cytolytic mechanism as evidenced by the induction of nonspecific cytolytic activity. Furthermore, T11+T3-Ti- natural killer (NK) cell clones can also be induced to lyse NK-cell-resistant targets by treatment with anti-T11 monoclonal antibodies directed at defined T11 epitopes. These results indicate that T11 triggering can activate cytotoxic lymphocytes to express their functional programmes in the absence of specific antigen recognition via the T3-Ti complex and provide further evidence for the notion that certain NK cells and T lymphocytes are related.