Transforming growth factor-alpha increases tyrosine phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein kinase in a small intestinal crypt cell line (IEC-6)

The small intestinal crypt cell line (IEC-6) is an undifferentiated, untransformed, mitotically active cell used in this study to determine the effect of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) on tyrosine phosphorylation levels of cellular proteins. Thymidine incorporation increased maximally after addition of 2 ng/ml TGF-alpha for 24 h. At the same dose, TGF-alpha induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins with approximate molecular masses of 42, 44, 52, 80, 150 and 175 kDa as shown by Western blots treated with anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. The most intense phosphorylation was seen in the 42 kDa (p42) and 44 kDa (p44) proteins, which were identified as two isoforms of microtubule-associated protein kinase (MAPK). This phosphorylation was seen as early as 5 min post stimulation and was dose dependent. Both p42 and p44 were found in the nucleus after stimulation, although a basal level of unphosphorylated protein was present before stimulation. The observed tyrosine phosphorylation of p42 and p44 was inhibited by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and tyrphostin 23, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We conclude that MAPK is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to TGF-alpha stimulation of IEC-6 cells.