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The insulin receptor possesses an insulin-stimulated tyrosine-kinase activity; however, the significance of receptor phosphorylation in terms of the binding and signaling function of the receptor is unclear. To help clarify this problem, we have studied insulin binding and receptor phosphorylation in a Cloudman S91 melanoma cell line and two of its variants: the wild type (1A) in which insulin inhibits cell growth, an insulin-resistant variant (111) in which insulin neither stimulates or inhibits growth, and a variant (46) in which insulin stimulates cell growth. 125I-insulin binding to intact cells was similar for the wild-type 1A and insulin-stimulated variant 46. The insulin-resistant variant 111, in contrast, showed approximately 30% decrease in insulin binding. This was due to a decrease of receptor affinity with no major difference in receptor number. When the melanoma cells were solubilized in 1% Triton X-100 and the insulin receptor was partially purified by chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-agarose, a similar pattern of binding was observed. Phosphorylation was studied by incubation of the partially purified receptor with insulin and [gamma-32P]ATP, and the receptor was identified by immunoprecipitation and NaDodSO4 PAGE. Insulin stimulated phosphorylation of the 95,000-mol-wt beta-subunit of the receptor in all three cells types with similar kinetics. The amount of 32P incorporated into the beta-subunit in the insulin-resistant cell line 111 was approximately 50% of that observed with the two other cell lines. This difference was reflected throughout the entire dose-response curve (10(-9) M to 10(-6) M). Qualitatively similar results were obtained when phosphorylation was studied in the intact cell. Peptide mapping of the beta-subunit using tryptic digestion and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography column separation indicated three sites of phosphorylation in receptor from the wild type and variant 46, but only two major sites of phosphorylation of variant 111. These data suggest that the insulin-resistant variant melanoma 111 possesses a specific defect in the insulin receptor which alters both its binding and autophosphorylation properties, and also suggests a possible role of receptor phosphorylation in both the binding and the signaling function of the insulin receptor.

Melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) enhances melanization but inhibits proliferation of Cloudman S91 melanoma cells in culture. We have isolated variants of these cells that can grow in the presence of MSH. The conclusions we have reached from analyses of these cells are the following: (1) Basal tyrosinase activity (monophenol monooxygenase; monophenol, dihydroxyphenylalanine:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.18.1), i.e., the activity that is present in the absence of added MSH, is related through a common biochemical pathway to MSH-mediated control of growth. (2) MSH-inducible tyrosinase activity does not appear to be related to MSH control of growth. (3) The morphological changes that occur following the addition of MSH or cAMP are related to controls of growth and not to those of melanization.

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Proliferation of wild-type Cloudman S91 melanoma cells is inhibited when insulin is included in the culture medium. Using growth inhibition as a selective marker, we isolated variant cell lines that are either resistant to insulin or dependent upon insulin for growth. We have studied the effects of insulin on proliferation by using combined genetic and biochemical approaches. Through a series of genetic hybridization analyses, we have identified three complementation groups and determined that, in general, insulin-sensitivity is dominant to insulin-resistance. Through analyses of in vitro protein phosphorylation reactions, we have identified a protein of approximately 90 kDa (pp90) whose phosphorylation is a function of at least one of the complementation groups. Although pp90 is not phosphorylated in extracts of insulin-resistant variants, it is phosphorylated in extracts of insulin-sensitive hybrids formed between complementing resistant variants. Insulin itself exhibits little or no regulation over the phosphorylation of pp90; rather, the ability to phosphorylate pp90 correlates with the ability of cells to respond to insulin. Migration in NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gels, solubility characteristics, and divalent cation requirements indicate that pp90 is distinct from the 95-kDa beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. Both pp90 and its associated phosphoprotein kinase are found in 30,000 X g pellets of sonicated cell lysates, whereas a specific pp90 phosphoprotein phosphatase activity is found in 30,000 X g supernatant fractions. Phosphorylation of pp90 occurs at tyrosine and serine residues. Our evidence indicates that the state of phosphorylation of pp90 is an important determinant in the regulation of cellular proliferation by insulin.