IntroductionThrombopoietin (Tpo) is critical for the maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and is also the primary regulator of megakaryocyte development. 1,2 The binding of Tpo to its receptor, c-Mpl, causes associated Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) activation, which in turn phosphorylates (activates) several downstream effectors including signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 and 5, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphotidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K), and protein kinase C (PKC). [3][4][5][6][7] Activation of these pathways promotes proliferation and survival in c-Mplexpressing cell lines and hematopoietic progenitor cells, in addition to megakaryocyte lineage differentiation and maturation. [8][9][10][11] It is critical that Tpo signal transduction is stringently controlled to prevent uncontrolled proliferation. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins, phosphatases, and negative regulators such FAK, Lnk, and Lyn have all been shown to down-modulate Tpo-induced signaling. [12][13][14][15] However, the most effective method of regulating Tpo signaling is by controlling expression of c-Mpl on the plasma membrane. Tpo-mediated c-Mpl endocytosis, recycling, and degradation are rapid mechanisms to control signaling longevity and represent a mechanism that regulates Tpo signaling without new protein expression.The principal mechanism of receptor-mediated endocytosis in eukaryotic cells is the clathrin-coated vesicle. 16 Soluble clathrin molecules self-assemble and are recruited to the plasma membrane, where they form lattice structures and interact with transmembrane receptors via adaptor proteins (APs), such as AP2, to form clathrin-coated pits. 17,18 These pits then further invaginate before finally budding from the membrane to form clathrin-coated vesicles. AP2 is a heterotetramer composed of ␣2, 2, 2, and 2 subunits. The ␣2 and 2 subunits localize AP2 to the membrane, recruit endocytic accessory proteins, and bind clathrin heavy chain. [19][20][21] Transmembrane proteins are associated with the AP2-clathrin complex via the 2 domain, which binds directly to cytoplasmic YXX⌽ (where X ϭ any amino acid and ⌽ ϭ bulky hydrophobic residue) and [DE]XXX-L[IL] motifs. 22,23 To ensure that AP2 specifically associates with membrane-bound proteins, phosphorylation of 156 Thr in the 2 subunit results in a conformational change in AP2, dramatically increasing the affinity of 2 for YXX⌽ motifs. 24,25 156 Thr is phosphorylated by adaptor-associated kinase 1 (AAK1), 26 the activity of which is maximized by its association with clathrin, 27,28 ensuring that AP2-cargo protein interactions are initiated only at the plasma membrane. In addition to being an endocytic signal, YXX⌽ motifs located between 6 to 9 amino acids from the transmembrane domain mediate targeting of cargo protein to the lysosome and lysosome-like organelles via interactions with AP3. [29][30][31][32] c
Methods
Chemicals and reagentsPharmacologic inhibitors JakI, LY294002, SU6656, and U0126 where all purchased f...