Syp is a mammalian SH2-containing phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTP) that was recently discovered during my post-doctoral studies, and is homologous to the Drosophila corkscrew gene product. Interestingly, this phosphatase appears to be a common target of receptor and cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), since Syp is able to physically bind to and is tyrosine phosphorylated by a number of ligand-activated growth factor receptors. Syp is constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine in v-Src or Bcr-Abl transformed cells and forms a stable complex with Bcr-Abl and Grb2 in Bcr- Abl positive cells, suggesting a putative role of the PTP in neoplastic diseases. The PTP might also participate in insulin signaling since it binds to phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) in adipocytes treated with insulin. While these biochemical evidences suggest that Syp is an important signaling component in normal and cancer cells, little is known about its biological significance. The objective of this project is therefore to uncover the Syp functions by a gene targeting approach. A Syp null mutation has been created in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and germ-line transmission of the mutant allele has been achieved from three independent ES cell clones. Preliminary results indicated that the homozygous Syp-/mutants die around day 8.5 of gestation.
Our specific aims are: a). to analyze the phenotype of the Syp-/- mutant embryos, by focusing on the mesodermal development and patterning; b). to establish the Syp-deficient fibroblast cell lines from the knockout mice and to determine their signaling defects in response to mitogenic stimuli; c). to confirm the defective phenotype of the Syp- cell by rescue with the wild type Syp cDNA; d). to dissect the structure and functions of the PTP by transfecting the Syp- cells with Syp cDNAs mutated in its regulatory or catalytic domains and evaluating the ability of these mutants to rescue the Syp- phenotype; e). to examine the interaction of Syp with other signaling molecules in vivo by crossing the Syp knockout with various mutant mice. This study should provide fundamental insight into the molecular mechanism by which Syp acts in the control of signal transduction that regulates cell growth and differentiation. It will help us to understand the origin of cancer cells and to design new types of anti-cancer drugs.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
5R29GM053660-03
Application #
2668515
Study Section
Human Embryology and Development Subcommittee 1 (HED)
Project Start
1996-03-01
Project End
2001-02-28
Budget Start
1998-03-01
Budget End
1999-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
005436803
City
Indianapolis
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
46202
Shi, Z Q; Yu, D H; Park, M et al. (2000) Molecular mechanism for the Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase function in promoting growth factor stimulation of Erk activity. Mol Cell Biol 20:1526-36
Qu, C K; Yu, W M; Azzarelli, B et al. (1999) Genetic evidence that Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase is a signal enhancer of the epidermal growth factor receptor in mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 96:8528-33
Feng, G S (1999) Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase: signaling one cell or many. Exp Cell Res 253:47-54
You, M; Yu, D H; Feng, G S (1999) Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase functions as a negative regulator of the interferon-stimulated Jak/STAT pathway. Mol Cell Biol 19:2416-24
Zhao, C; Yu, D H; Shen, R et al. (1999) Gab2, a new pleckstrin homology domain-containing adapter protein, acts to uncouple signaling from ERK kinase to Elk-1. J Biol Chem 274:19649-54
Shi, Z Q; Lu, W; Feng, G S (1998) The Shp-2 tyrosine phosphatase has opposite effects in mediating the activation of extracellular signal-regulated and c-Jun NH2-terminal mitogen-activated protein kinases. J Biol Chem 273:4904-8
Lu, X; Qu, C K; Shi, Z Q et al. (1998) Downregulation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta in Shp-2 mutant fibroblast cell lines. Oncogene 17:441-8
Yu, D H; Qu, C K; Henegariu, O et al. (1998) Protein-tyrosine phosphatase Shp-2 regulates cell spreading, migration, and focal adhesion. J Biol Chem 273:21125-31
Qu, C K; Feng, G S (1998) Shp-2 has a positive regulatory role in ES cell differentiation and proliferation. Oncogene 17:433-9
Qu, C K; Yu, W M; Azzarelli, B et al. (1998) Biased suppression of hematopoiesis and multiple developmental defects in chimeric mice containing Shp-2 mutant cells. Mol Cell Biol 18:6075-82

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