Inhibition of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein by Bcr requires phosphoserine 354

The BCR protein is involved in the inhibition of oncogenic activity of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. This inhibition is believed to be the result of binding to the SH2 domain of Bcr-Abl in a non-phosphotyrosine-dependent manner. We showed that the Arg to Leu mutation in the Phe-LeuVal-Arg-Glu-Ser (FLVRES) sequence of the SH2 domain, known to interfere with phosphotyrosine sequence binding, did not block the binding of Bcr first exon sequences to the Abl SH2 domain. We examined the structural-functional properties of a first exon mutant of BCR lacking the oligomerization domain, termed Bcr(64-413), that encodes the Ser-Thr protein kinase activity of Bcr. The autokinase product contained a M_r 45,000-47,000 and 55,000 protein. Both species were detected by a Bcr phosphoserine 354 sequence-specific antibody. In contrast, the S354A mutant of Bcr(64-413), although maintaining autokinase activity, produced only the M_r 45,000-47,000 kinase product. Abl SH2 binding experiments indicated that the M_r 55,000 species of Bcr(64-413) but not the M_r 45,000-47,000 species bound strongly to glutathime transferase-Abl SH2. The S354A mutant of Bcr(64-413) did not bind to glutathime transferase-Abl SH2. An adenovirus encoding Bcr(64-413) S354A did not induce cell death in CML cell lines in contrast to wild-type Bcr(64-413). Our findings indicate that Ser-354 of Bcr is part of a gating mechanism, which, after its phosphorylation, allows structural changes to occur in the Bcr protein. This altered phosphoserine form of the Bcr protein selectively binds to the Abl SH2 domain of the oncoprotein, which we propose down-regulates the activity of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase.