Role of the Bsk/Iyk non-receptor tyrosine kinase for the control of growth and hormone production in RINm5F cells

Bsk/Iyk, a murine non-receptor-tyrosine kinase which is expressed in fetal and adult islet of Langerhans was previously found to decrease NIH3T3 cell proliferation when expressed as a Y497/504F-mutant. We presently wanted to determine the effects of Bsk/Iyk on the proliferation of insulin producing cells. Cells expressing Bsk/Iyk(Y497/504F) and Bsk/lyk(Y504F) display a decreased proliferation rate and express higher levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p27/ Kip1 compared to control cells. These mutants also conferred diminished cell viability in response to INF-gamma and IL-1 beta and contain higher levels of glucagon mRNA, Wild-type Bsk/Iyk is mainly localized at the plasma membrane whereas mutant Bsk/Iyk can enter the nucleus. In vitro kinase reactions using an exogenous substrate indicate a complicated mode of regulation of kinase activity by Y497 and Y504 with the latter being homologous to Y527 in pp60(c-Src). These findings suggest that Bsk/Iyk might play a rule in inhibiting cell proliferation, transducing cytokine-induced cytotoxicity and regulating hormone production of endocrine pancreatic cells.