Interleukin-2 induces tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 through IL-2 receptor beta chain.

Coupling of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) induces rapid increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular substrates through activation of non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases. Here, we report that stimulation through the IL-2R induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the SH2-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 in F7, a hematopoietic BAF-B03 transfectant clone expressing the IL-2Rbeta chain. The tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 was specific since another protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, which is structurally homologous to SHP-2, was not tyrosine phosphorylated. The IL-2-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 required the acidic region within the IL-2Rbeta chain where Src-family PTKs interact. Though the serine-rich region within IL-2Rbeta chain was also required for the phosphorylation of SHP-2, Jak3 activation was dispensable. In COS-7 cells, co-expression of SHP-2 with Lyn resulted in increased tyrosine phosphorylation levels of SHP-2, whereas co-expression of SHP-2 with Fyn failed to alter the levels significantly. Considering that Lyn and Fyn are major Src-family PTKs expressed in BAF-B03 cells, our data suggest that Lyn may be principally responsible for the tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 in F7 cells. Furthermore, the IL-2 stimulation also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2 in the human IL-2-dependent T-cell line ILT-Mat. Taken together, these studies demonstrate an involvement of SHP-2 in the IL-2-mediated signaling events through the activation of specific PTKs.