Phosphoinositide 3-kinase is activated by phosphopeptides that bind to the SH2 domains of the 85-kDa subunit.

Tyrosine-phosphorylated peptides based on the regions of polyoma virus middle t antigen and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor that bind phosphoinositide 3-kinase are shown to activate this enzyme 2-3-fold in vitro. The concentrations of the peptides required to activate the enzyme are at least 10-1000-fold higher than the dissociation constants of these peptides for the individual SH2 domains of the 85-kDa subunit (KD < 100 nM). Doubly phosphorylated peptides are more effective than singly phosphorylated peptides. The results suggest that a fraction of the cellular phosphoinositide 3-kinase has SH2 domains with relatively low affinity for phosphopeptides and that binding of phosphopeptides to these enzymes causes activation. Thus, SH2 domains may be involved not only in recruiting the enzyme but also in regulating activity.