Taxonomic distribution of proteins containing PI3K_rbd domains

The tree below includes only several representative species and genera. The complete taxonomic breakdown of all proteins containing PI3K_rbd domains can be accessed here. Click the counts or percentage values to display the corresponding proteins.

Structural insights into phosphoinositide 3-kinase catalysis and signalling.

Walker EH, Perisic O, Ried C, Stephens L, Williams RL
Nature. 1999; 402: 313-20

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are ubiquitous lipid kinases that function both as signal transducers downstream of cell-surface receptors and in constitutive intracellular membrane and protein trafficking pathways. All PI3Ks are dual-specificity enzymes with a lipid kinase activity which phosphorylates phosphoinositides at the 3-hydroxyl, and a protein kinase activity. The products of PI3K-catalysed reactions, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3), PtdIns(3,4)P2 and PtdIns(3)P, are second messengers in a variety of signal transduction pathways, including those essential to cell proliferation, adhesion, survival, cytoskeletal rearrangement and vesicle trafficking. Here we report the 2.2 A X-ray crystallographic structure of the catalytic subunit of PI3Kgamma, the class I enzyme that is activated by heterotrimeric G-protein betagamma subunits and Ras. PI3Kgamma has a modular organization centred around a helical-domain spine, with C2 and catalytic domains positioned to interact with phospholipid membranes, and a Ras-binding domain placed against the catalytic domain where it could drive allosteric activation of the enzyme.

Activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase by interaction with Ras and by point mutation.

Rodriguez-Viciana P, Warne PH, Vanhaesebroeck B, Waterfield MD, Downward J
EMBO J. 1996; 15: 2442-51

We have reported previously that Ras interacts with the catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) in a GTP-dependent manner. The affinity of the interaction of Ras-GTP with p85alpha/p110alpha is shown here to be approximately 150 nM. The site of interaction on the p110alpha and beta isoforms of PI 3-kinase lies between amino acid residues 133 and 314. A point mutation in this region, K227E, blocks the GTP-dependent interaction of PI 3-kinase p110alpha with Ras in vitro and the ability of Ras to activate PI 3-kinase in intact cells. In addition, this mutation elevates the basal activity of PI 3-kinase in intact cells, suggesting a direct influence of the Ras binding site on the catalytic activity of PI 3-kinase. Using an in vitro reconstitution assay, it is shown that the interaction of Ras-GTP, but not Ras-GDP, with PI 3-kinase leads to an increase in its enzymatic activity. This stimulation is synergistic with the effect of tyrosine phosphopeptide binding to p85, particularly at suboptimal peptide concentrations. These data show that PI 3-kinase is regulated by a number of mechanisms, and that Ras contributes to the activation of this lipid kinase synergistically with tyrosine kinases.

The activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by Ras.

Kodaki T, Woscholski R, Hallberg B, Rodriguez-Viciana P, Downward J, Parker PJ
Curr Biol. 1994; 4: 798-806

BACKGROUND: Activation of the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex can play a critical role in transducing growth factor responses. The lipid kinase complex, which is made up of p85 alpha and p110 alpha regulatory and catalytic subunits, becomes associated with a number of activated receptor protein tyrosine kinases, but the mechanism of its activation has not yet been defined. Recent evidence indicates that Ras can bind to the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex. We describe here the functional regulation of the mammalian phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex by Ras. RESULTS: Expression of p110 alpha, the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, has been used to demonstrate an inhibitory effect of p85 alpha on p110 alpha activity in intact cells; inhibition did not result from a decrease in p110 alpha expression. In this cellular context, we have investigated the effect of a constitutively active mutant of Ras, v-Ras, either on p85 alpha or p110 alpha-alone, or on the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex. In the presence of the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex, v-Ras suppressed cell growth, but an effector-domain mutant of v-Ras did not. The growth-suppressive effect of v-Ras was not seen for any other combination of expressed proteins. The phenotype induced by v-Ras was consistent with activation of the p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex: it was sensitive to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, and the cells accumulated 3-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositides. Activation of purified p85 alpha/p110 alpha by purified recombinant Ras in vitro was also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex, p85 alpha/p110 alpha, shows a suppressed catalytic function in vivo when compared with free p110 alpha. This complex can, however, be activated by Ras. We suggest that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85 alpha/p110 alpha complex is a downstream effector of Ras.

Phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase as a direct target of Ras.

Rodriguez-Viciana P, Warne PH, Dhand R, Vanhaesebroeck B, Gout I, Fry MJ, Waterfield MD, Downward J
Nature. 1994; 370: 527-32

Ras (p21ras) interacts directly with the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase in a GTP-dependent manner through the Ras effector site. In vivo, dominant negative Ras mutant N17 inhibits growth factor induced production of 3' phosphorylated phosphoinositides in PC12 cells, and transfection of Ras, but not Raf, into COS cells results in a large elevation in the level of these lipids. Therefore Ras can probably regulate phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase, providing a point of divergence in signalling pathways downstream of Ras.