BCR/ABL and IL-3 activate Rap1 to stimulate the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and to regulate proliferation, apoptosis, and adhesion

Oncogene. 2006 Jul 20;25(31):4332-40. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1209459. Epub 2006 Mar 6.

Abstract

The Ras family small GTPase Rap1 is activated by hematopoietic cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-3, to induce beta1 integrin-mediated cell adhesion or by the BCR/ABL fusion tyrosine kinase to stimulate the MEK/Erk signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that the abrogation of Rap1 activation by SPA-1, a Rap1-specific GAP, inhibits activation of B-Raf, MEK, Erk, and Akt in a murine hematopoietic cell line, Ton.B210, stimulated with IL-3 or inducibly expressing BCR/ABL. Furthermore, Rap1 inactivation had an inhibitory effects on proliferation and survival of Ton.B210 cells, which were more remarkable when cells were stimulated by BCR/ABL than by IL-3. Induction of BCR/ABL expression increased adhesion of Ton.B210 cells to fibronectin in a manner at least partly dependent on its kinase activity, and Rap1 inhibition by SPA-1 partially inhibited BCR/ABL-induced adhesion of cells. Thus, IL-3- or BCR/ABL-induced activation of Rap1 may play important roles in regulation of cell proliferation and survival through activation of the B-Raf/MEK/Erk and Akt signaling pathways and in induction of integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Furthermore, as compared with IL-3, BCR/ABL is more dependent on Rap1-mediated signaling to induce cell proliferation and survival and, thus, Rap1 may represent an attractive target for novel therapies for leukemias caused by BCR/ABL.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Clone Cells
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-3 / physiology*
  • K562 Cells
  • MAP Kinase Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Interleukin-3
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
  • Braf protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • MAP Kinase Kinase 1
  • rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins