The transmembrane protein-tyrosine phosphatase CD45 is associated with decreased insulin receptor signaling.

Overexpression of the transmembrane protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) CD45 in nonhematopoietic cells results in decreased signaling through growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. Consistent with these data, insulin receptor signaling is increased when the CD45-related PTPase LAR is reduced by antisense suppression in a rat hepatoma cell line. To test whether the hematopoietic cell-specific PTPase CD45 functions in a manner similar to LAR by negatively modulating insulin receptor signaling in hematopoietic cells, the insulin-responsive human multiple myeloma cell line U266 was isolated into two subpopulations that differed in CD45 expression. In CD45 nonexpressing (CD45-) cells, insulin receptor autophosphorylation was increased by 3-fold after insulin treatment when compared to CD45 expressing (CD45+) cells. This increase in receptor autophosphorylation was associated with similar increases in insulin-dependent tyrosine kinase activation. These receptor level effects were paralleled by postreceptor responses. Insulin-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and Shc was 3-fold greater in CD45- cells. In addition, insulin-dependent IRS-1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase association and MAP kinase activation in CD45- cells were also 3-fold larger. While expression of CD45 was associated with a decrease in the responsiveness of early insulin receptor signaling, interleukin 6-dependent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase was equivalent between CD45- and CD45+ cells. These observations indicate that CD45 can function as a negative modulator of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases in addition to its well-established role as an activator of src family tyrosine kinases.