B-raf associates with and activates the NHE1 isoform of the na+/H+ exchanger

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Karki, Pratap
  • Li, Xiuju J.
  • Schrama, David
  • Fliegel, Larry

• The serine/threonine kinase B-Raf is the second most frequently occurring human oncogene after Ras. Mutations of B-Raf occur with the highest incidences in melanoma, and the most common mutant, V600E, renders B-Raf constitutively active. The sodium proton exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) is a ubiquitously expressed plasma membrane protein responsible for regulating intracellular pH, cell volume, cell migration, and proliferation. A screen of protein kinases that bind to NHE1 revealed that B-Raf bound to the cytosolic regulatory tail of NHE1. Immunoprecipitation of NHE1 from HeLa and HEK cells confirmed the association of B-Raf with NHE1 in vivo. The expressed and purified C-terminal 182 amino acids of the NHE1 protein were also shown to associate with B-Raf protein in vitro. Because treatment with the kinase inhibitor sorafenib decreased NHE1 activity in HeLa and HEK cells, we examined the role of B-Raf in regulating NHE1 in malignant melanoma cells. Melanoma cells with the B-RafV600E mutation demonstrated increased resting intracellular pH that was dependent on elevated NHE1 activity. NHE1 activity after an acute acid load was also elevated in these cell lines. Moreover, inhibition of B-Raf activity by either sorafenib, PLX4720, or siRNA reduction of B-Raf levels abolished ERK phosphorylation and decreased NHE1 activity. These results demonstrate that B-Raf associates with and stimulates NHE1 activity and that B-RafV600E also increases NHE1 activity that raises intracellular pH.

• Date created

  2011-01-01

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Cell PH
  • Membrane Enzymes
  • Membrane
  • Melanoma
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Sodium Proton Exchange

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-z70q-qt63

• License

  Attribution 4.0 International