Bcr protein

Like many other nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, Abl tyrosine kinase may be converted by mutations into a dominant oncoprotein and thus contribute to tumor formation. Abl tyrosine kinase was first discovered as the oncogene of murine Abelson leukemia virus. Chronic myelogenic leukemia in humans is cause by a chromosome translocation in which a fusion protein is created of Abl tyrosine kinase and a Bcr protein (c Chapter 14). The result is a greatly increased tyrosine kinase activity, to which a causal role in occurrence of this leukemia is attributed. 

Inhibition of hematopoietic growth factors Imatinib (Glivec ) is applied to treat chronic myeloid leukemia in Philadelphia-chromosome positive patients. In these patients, translocation of parts of chromosomes 9 and 22 results in the expression of a fusion protein with increased tyrosine kinase activity, called Bcr-Abl. Imatinib is a small Mw inhibitor selective for the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl. Thereby, it inhibits the Bcr-Abl induced cell cycle progression and the uncontrolled proliferation of tumor cells. 

In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) as well as in a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) Bcr-Abl, a fusion protein of c-Abl and the breakpoint cluster region (bcr), is expressed in the cytosol of leukemic cells. This fusion protein forms homo-oligomeric complexes that display elevated kinase activity and is the causative molecular abnormality in CML and certain ALL. The transforming effect of Bcr-Abl is mediated by numerous downstream signaling pathways, including protein kinase C (PKC), Ras-Raf-ERK MAPK, JAK-STAT (see below), and PI3-kinase pathways. 

Gleevec ) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used as first-line therapy in the majority of patients with CML. As a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib inhibits phosphorylation of various proteins involved in cell proliferation. Imatinib works by binding to the ATP-binding pocket of BCR-ABL.7 The drug induces complete hematologic responses in more than 95% of patients and complete cytogenetic responses in about 80% of patients in chronic phase.8 Most patients have traces of the disease when measured by RT-PCR and are not cured of their disease. 

In B lymphocytes, coupling of the antigen receptors to Erk MAPkinase is protein tyrosine kinase (PTK)-dependent (Pao et al, 1997). Following ligation of the BCR (Fig. 19.2) the PTK, Lyn, tyrosine phosphorylates the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) on the accessory transducing molecules Ig-a and Ig-(3, leading to the recruitment... 

Keywords Tyrphostins, Protein tyrosine, Kinases, JAK-2 EGF, PDGF BCR-ABL, Psoriasis, Papilloma, Restenosis, Leukemia, Lymphoma... 

A well-known use of molecular methods is in the study of chromosomal translocations. Thus, in Philadelphia chromosome (ph1) positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the C-abl oncogene on chromosome 9 is translocated to a region on chromosome 22 called the breakpoint cluster region, or bcr. This (t9 22) translocation results in production of an abnormal fusion protein... 

Thymus-derived, or T, lymphocytes also have an immunoglobulin-like surface receptor linked with accessory proteins to form the T-cell receptor (TCR). There are similarities between the BCR and TCR in that the recognition part of the T receptor complex is also a dimer. In most T cells, the dimer consists of a and [3 individual peptide... 

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