A conserved DpYR motif in the juxtamembrane domain of the Met receptor family forms an atypical c-Cbl/Cbl-b tyrosine kinase binding domain binding site required for suppression of oncogenic activation

J Biol Chem. 2004 Jul 9;279(28):29565-71. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M403954200. Epub 2004 Apr 29.

Abstract

The activation and phosphorylation of Met, the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) for hepatocyte growth factor, initiates the recruitment of multiple signaling proteins, one of which is c-Cbl, a ubiquitin-protein ligase. c-Cbl promotes ubiquitination and enhances the down-modulation of the Met receptor and other RTKs, targeting them for lysosomal sorting and subsequent degradation. The ubiquitination of Met by c-Cbl requires the direct interaction of the c-Cbl tyrosine kinase binding (TKB) domain with tyrosine 1003 in the Met juxtamembrane domain. Although a consensus for c-Cbl TKB domain binding has been established ((D/N)XpYXX(D/E0phi), this motif is not present in Met, suggesting that other c-Cbl TKB domain binding motifs may exist. By alanine-scanning mutagenesis, we have identified a DpYR motif including Tyr(1003) as being important for the direct recruitment of the c-Cbl TKB domain and for ubiquitination of the Met receptor. The substitution of Tyr(1003) with phenylalanine or substitution of either aspartate or arginine residues with alanine impairs c-Cbl-recruitment and ubiquitination of Met and results in the oncogenic activation of the Met receptor. We demonstrate that the TKB domain of Cbl-b, but not Cbl-3, binds to the Met receptor and requires an intact DpYR motif. Modeling studies suggest the presence of a salt bridge between the aspartate and arginine residues that would position pTyr(1003) for binding to the c-Cbl TKB domain. The DpYR motif is conserved in other members of the Met RTK family but is not present in previously identified c-Cbl-binding proteins, identifying DpYR as a new binding motif for c-Cbl and Cbl-b.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing*
  • Amino Acid Motifs*
  • Animals
  • Asparagine / metabolism
  • Aspartic Acid / metabolism
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Tyrosine / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / chemistry
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Ubiquitin
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Tyrosine
  • Asparagine
  • CBLB protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met
  • CBL protein, human
  • CBLC protein, human