Activation of protein serine/threonine kinases p42, p63, and p87 in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed cells: signal transduction/transformation-dependent MBP kinases.

We have used myelin basic protein immobilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels to identify protein kinases after gel electrophoresis, followed by protein kinase reactions. This technique has permitted us to detect three protein kinases in serum-deprived cells transformed by p60src. On induction of cellular transformation by a temperature-sensitive v-src, a p87 protein kinase is activated within 30 min and remains activated in fully transformed cells. The p63 protein kinase is not fully activated until 24 h but remains activated in transformed cells. The commonly studied p42MBPK is rapidly activated within 30 min, and its kinase activity decreases significantly by 24 h, when the p63 enzyme is fully activated. The p42MBPK, as well as the p63 and p87 enzymes, are stimulated by transforming p60c-src mutants but not normal c-src or nonmyristylated p60c-src. In addition, the kinase activity of p63 enzyme, but not of p42MBPK, can be induced in okadaic acid-treated chicken embryo fibroblasts, indicating that phosphatase 2A and/or phosphatase 1 may be involved in the regulation of its activity. Additional data indicate that either p42MBPK or p63 activity correlates with the stimulation of the protein kinase p90RSK. Thus, there may be two independent pathways leading to the activation of the RSK gene product.