Impact of feedback phosphorylation and Raf heterodimerization on normal and mutant B-Raf signaling

Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Feb;30(3):806-19. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00569-09. Epub 2009 Nov 23.

Abstract

The B-Raf kinase is a Ras pathway effector activated by mutation in numerous human cancers and certain developmental disorders. Here we report that normal and oncogenic B-Raf proteins are subject to a regulatory cycle of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dependent feedback phosphorylation, followed by PP2A- and Pin1-dependent dephosphorylation/recycling. We identify four S/TP sites of B-Raf phosphorylated by activated ERK and find that feedback phosphorylation of B-Raf inhibits binding to activated Ras and disrupts heterodimerization with C-Raf, which is dependent on the B-Raf pS729/14-3-3 binding site. Moreover, we find that events influencing Raf heterodimerization can alter the transforming potential of oncogenic B-Raf proteins possessing intermediate or impaired kinase activity but have no significant effect on proteins with high kinase activity, such as V600E B-Raf. Mutation of the feedback sites or overexpression of the Pin1 prolyl-isomerase, which facilitates B-Raf dephosphorylation/recycling, resulted in increased transformation, whereas mutation of the S729/14-3-3 binding site or expression of dominant negative Pin1 reduced transformation. Mutation of each feedback site caused increased transformation and correlated with enhanced heterodimerization and activation of C-Raf. Finally, we find that B-Raf and C-Raf proteins containing mutations identified in certain developmental disorders constitutively heterodimerize and that their signaling activity can also be modulated by feedback phosphorylation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Butadienes / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism*
  • Feedback, Physiological*
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mutation
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Nitriles / pharmacology
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / pharmacology
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Phosphatase 2 / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Butadienes
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Nitriles
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
  • U 0126
  • Braf protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases
  • Protein Phosphatase 2
  • PIN1 protein, human
  • Peptidylprolyl Isomerase
  • Pin1 protein, mouse