Engagement of the CrkL adaptor in interferon α signalling in BCR-ABL-expressing cells

Isabella M. Grumbach, Ingrid A. Mayer, Shahab Uddin, Fatima Lekmine, Beata Majchrzak, Hayato Yamauchi, Shigeru Fujita, Brian J. Druker, Eleanor N. Fish, Leonidas C. Platanias

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Interferon α (IFNα) has significant clinical activity in the treatment of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), but the mechanisms of its selective efficacy in the treatment of the disease are unknown. The CrkL adaptor protein interacts directly with the BCR-ABL fusion protein that causes the malignant transformation and is constitutively phosphorylated in BCR-ABL-expressing cells. In the present study, we provide evidence that CrkL was engaged in IFNα-signalling in the CML-derived KT-1 cell line, which expresses BCR-ABL and is sensitive to the growth inhibitory effects of IFNα CrkL is constitutively associated with BCR-ABL in these cells and treatment with IFNα had no effect on the BCR-ABL/CrkL interaction. After IFNα stimulation, CrkL associated with Stat5, which also underwent phosphorylation in an IFNα-dependent manner. The interaction of CrkL with Stat5 was facilitated by the function of both the SH2 and the N-terminus SH3 domains of CrkL. The resulting CrkL-Stat5 complex translocated to the nucleus and could be detected in gel shift assays using elements derived from either the βcasein promoter or the promoter of the PML gene, an IFNα-inducible gene that mediates growth inhibitory responses. In addition to its interaction with Stat5. CrkL interacts with C3G in KT-1 cells and such an interaction regulates the downstream activation of the small GTPase Rap1, which also mediates inhibition of cell proliferation. Thus, despite its engagement by BCR-ABL in CML-derived cells, CrkL mediates activation of downstream signalling pathways in response to the activated type I IFN receptor and such signals may contribute to the generation of the anti-proliferative effects of IFNα in CML.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)327-336
Number of pages10
JournalBritish Journal of Haematology
Volume112
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

Keywords

  • Chronic myelogenous leukaemia
  • Interferon
  • Tyrosine kinases

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hematology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Engagement of the CrkL adaptor in interferon α signalling in BCR-ABL-expressing cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this