Manipulation of B cell antigen receptor tyrosine phosphorylation using aluminum fluoride and sodium orthovanadate.

The B cell antigen receptor complex (BCR) is composed of a membrane-spanning immunoglobulin molecule (mIg) non-covalently associated with heterodimers of the transmembrane proteins Ig-alpha and Ig-beta. The cytoplasmic domains of Ig-alpha and Ig-beta do not contain kinase domains but are phosphorylated on tyrosine residues immediately upon receptor ligation. The mechanism and kinase responsible for initial Ig-alpha and Ig-beta phosphorylation following receptor ligation is unknown, In an attempt to better understand this process, Ig-alpha and Ig-beta phosphorylation was examined in response to treatment of permeabilized B cells with the pharmacologic agents, aluminum fluoride (AlFx) and sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4). AlFx is known to stimulate GTP-binding proteins while Na3VO4 inhibits protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), both of which are involved in the BCR signalling cascade. In these studies, AlFx and Na3VO4 stimulated rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of Ig-alpha, Ig-beta, and additional cellular proteins, including the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) Lyn. The tyrosine phosphorylation does not appear to be mediated through GTP-binding proteins, since GTP gamma S did not stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation. As expected, however, PTPs modulate the phosphorylation state of these proteins since another PTP inhibitor, phenylarsine oxide (PAO), increased phosphorylation of Ig-alpha, Ig-beta and other proteins in this system. Interestingly, the extent and kinetics of the mIg-associated Lyn and Ig-alpha/Ig-beta phosphorylation was correlated, suggesting that Lyn may mediate receptor phosphorylation. Alternatively, Lyn, may be a downstream effector of phosphorylated Ig-alpha and Ig-beta as suggested by the reported ability of biphosphorylated Ig-alpha to activate Fyn PTK in vitro. Finally, all components necessary for Na3VO4, but not AlFx, stimulation of phosphorylation are membrane associated. The data are consistent with modulation of phosphorylation of Ig-alpha and Ig-beta through both PTP inhibition and AlFx treatment, and a common intermediary in or effector of these phosphorylation pathways appears to be the Lyn kinase.