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It has been previously demonstrated that growth hormone (GH)-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2 and Stat5a and Stat5b occurs in FDP-C1 cells expressing either the entire GH receptor or truncations of the cytoplasmic domain expressing only the membrane-proximal 80 amino acids. However, other receptor domains that might modulate rates of GH activation and inactivation of this cascade have not been examined. Here we have defined a region in the human GH receptor between amino acids 520 and 540 in the cytoplasmic domain that is required for attenuation of GH-activated Jak/Stat signaling. Immunoprecipitations with antibodies to Jak2 indicate that the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 is associated with this kinase in cells exposed to GH. To address the possibility that SHP-1 could function as a negative regulator of GH signaling, liver extracts from motheaten mice deficient in SHP-1 or unaffected littermates were analyzed for activation of Stats and Jak2. Extracts from motheaten mice displayed prolonged activation of the Stat proteins as measured by their ability to interact with DNA and prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2. These results delineate a novel domain in the GH receptor that regulates the inactivation of the Jak/Stat pathway and appears to be modulated by SHP-1.

The cytokine signaling pathways that activate the Janus family of tyrosine kinases (Jaks) and the "signal transducers and activators of transcription" (Stats) have been well characterized in mammalian systems. Work shown here provides evidence that an analogous signaling pathway exists in Drosophila melanogaster. Because many of the ligand-receptor pairs in Drosophila have not been fully characterized, it was necessary to bypass the receptor stimulation event that normally triggers intracellular Jak/Stat activation. This was done by treating Drosophila Schneider 2 cells with vanadate/peroxide, which has been shown to closely mimic some signaling events triggered by interferon gamma, including the activation of Jak1, Jak2, and the Stat1 alpha protein. Evidence presented here demonstrates that vanadate/peroxide can induce a gamma response region binding complex in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells. This complex contains two phosphoproteins of 100 and 150 kDa, respectively, and shares many features with the vanadate/peroxide-stimulated binding complex in the mammalian system. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA using the src homology domain 2 (SH2) of Stat1 alpha confirms the presence of a related gene in the Drosophila genome.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma regulate gene expression by tyrosine phosphorylation of several transcription factors that have the 91-kilodalton (p91) protein of interferon-stimulated gene factor-3 (ISGF-3) as a common component. Interferon-activated protein complexes bind enhancers present in the promoters of early response genes such as the high-affinity Fc gamma receptor gene (Fc gamma RI). Treatment of human peripheral blood monocytes or basophils with interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-5, IL-10, or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activated DNA binding proteins that recognized the IFN-gamma response region (GRR) located in the promoter of the Fc gamma RI gene. Although tyrosine phosphorylation was required for the assembly of each of these GRR binding complexes, only those formed as a result of treatment with IFN-gamma or IL-10 contained p91. Instead, complexes activated by IL-3 or GM-CSF contained a tyrosine-phosphorylated protein of 80 kilodaltons. Induction of Fc gamma RI RNA occurred only with IFN-gamma and IL-10, whereas pretreatment of cells with GM-CSF or IL-3 inhibited IFN-gamma induction of Fc gamma RI RNA. Thus, several cytokines other than interferons can activate putative transcription factors by tyrosine phosphorylation.

Baculovirus containing the mammalianCMV promoter, in place of the insect polyhedronpromoter (BacMam), has been used to transientlytransfect COS, CHO and CHOE1a (CHO cells expressing theE1a transcriptional activator). Using this system forthe expression of a cellular adhesion factor (SAF-3) Fcfusion protein in CHOE1a, we found that levels ofexpression were highest with a MOI of 100, 20mM sodiumbutyrate, at 34 degrees C. Production increased furtherif the cells were resuspended in fresh medium, about3 x 10(6) cells ml(-1), prior to addition of the virus. These conditions were used to express 3 secretedproteins, SAF-3-Fc, CD40-hexa his and Asp 2-Fc, and, at2 to 6 days post infection, protein levels ranged from4 ug ml(-1) to 25 ug ml(-1). Based on these results, theBacMam system represents a viable technique forproducing protein at ug ml(-1) levels in a relatively shortperiod of time.

The dynamin family of GTPases is essential for receptor-mediated endocytosis and synaptic vesicle recycling, and it has recently been shown to play a role in vesicle formation from the trans–Golgi network. Dynamin is believed to assemble around the necks of clathrin-coated pits and assist in pinching vesicles from the plasma membrane. This role would make dynamin unique among GTPases in its ability to act as a mechanochemical enzyme. Data presented here demonstrate that purified recombinant dynamin binds to a lipid bilayer in a regular pattern to form helical tubes that constrict and vesiculate upon GTP addition. This suggests that dynamin alone is sufficient for the formation of constricted necks of coated pits and supports the hypothesis that dynamin is the force-generating molecule responsible for membrane fission.

Dynamin, a 100 kDa GTPase, is essential for receptor mediated endocytosis and synaptic vesicle recycling; however its mechanism of action is unknown. The requirement for dynamin was first elucidated by the discovery that the shibire gene product in Drosophila melanogaster was homologous to mammalian dynamin-1 (1,2). The shibire flies exhibit a depletion of synaptic vesicles and an accumulation of collared clathrin-coated pits at the plasma membrane of their nerve termini (3). It was later demonstrated that endocytosis was inhibited by the overexpression of dominant negative mutants of dynamin (4,5), and that purified dynamin can self-associate to form spirals which resemble the collars of shibire and structures seen in synaptosomes treated with GTPγS (6,7). These observations led to the speculation that dynamin pinches the clathrin-coated bud from the plasma membrane. In support of this hypothesis, we show that purified recombinant dynamin can bind to a lipid bilayer in a regular and repeating pattern to form helical tubes which vesiculate upon the addition of GTP.