Structural Positioning of the SH2 Domain Is Critical for Bcr-Abl Kinase Activity, Signal Transduction and Oncogenic Transformation

We have recently shown that the SH2 domain stimulates c-Abl catalytic activity and substrate phosphorylation. This effect is exerted directly through the establishment of a tight SH2-kinase domain interface in the active conformation of c-Abl (Filippakopoulos et al. (2008) Cell, in press, scheduled to be published on September 5, 2008). Mutations in the SH2 domain that presumably disrupt this SH2-kinase domain interface, such as the Ile164Glu mutation, result in severe impairment of Abl catalytic activity. Thus, correct positioning of the SH2 and kinase domain modules appears to be critical for efficient activation of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases. Here, we present data showing that the same structural coupling of the SH2 and kinase domain is also a critical factor for full activation of the oncogenic fusion kinase Bcr-Abl. A single point mutation in the SH2 domain (Ile164Glu) led to a dramatic reduction in Bcr-Abl in vitro tyrosine kinase activity and Bcr-Abl autophosphorylation, both on the activation loop (pTyr-412) and the SH2-kinase domain linker (pTyr-245). This resulted in a strong decrease in global cellular tyrosine phosphorylation, as well as decreased phosphorylation of critical downstream mediators of Bcr-Abl signaling. Both wildtype Bcr-Abl, as well as the Bcr-Abl Ile164Glu mutant were able to confer factor independent growth to Ba/F3- and UT-7 cell lines, although to a different extent. Detailed data on the properties of the Ile164Glu mutation in vitro, in imatinib inhibition assays, transformation assays and mouse bone marrow transplant models will be presented. We propose that the structural positioning of the SH2 domain is a crucial factor for constitutive activity, signal transduction and transforming capacity of Bcr-Abl. Besides oligomerization via the N-terminal coiled-coiled domain and loss of the auto-inhibitory N-terminal myristoyl group, the proper positioning of the SH2 domain appears to be another critical factor that is required for constitutive activation of Bcr- Abl, which is the prerequisite for its ability to induce chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Inhibitors of the SH2-kinase domain interface of Bcr-Abl may comprise alternative or additional points of pharmacological intervention for the treatment of imatinib-sensitive or -resistant CML or Ph+ acute lymphocytic leukemia.