THE EPITHELIAL CARCINOMA ANTIGEN EGP-1, RECOGNIZED BY MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY RS7-3G11, IS PHOSPHORYLATED ON SERINE-303

RS7-3GII is a murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) raised against human non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and is under clinical evaluation. The epithelial/carcinoma antigen EGP-I, defined by RS7-3GII, was isolated and purified to homogeneity from a cervical carcinoma cell line, ME180. EGP-I is a glycoprotein with an average molecular mass of 47.8 kDa. Metabolic labeling of the antigen with P-32-orthophosphate and subsequent immunoprecipitation with RS7-3GII showed that it is a phosphoprotein. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the in vivo phosphorylated EGP-I revealed that the phosphorylation is on serine. In vitro analysis with purified antigen demonstrated that protein kinase C, and not protein kinase A, is involved in phosphorylating the antigen in vitro. In vitro analysis indicated a stoichiometry of phosphorylation of 0.54 mole of phosphate per mole of EGP-I. Phosphoamino acid analysis and phosphopeptide mapping of the antigen phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C showed that phosphorylation occurred on a serine residue, specifically on serine 303, located in the cytoplasmic domain of EGP-I. Treatment of ME180 cells with phorbol ester increased the phosphorylation of EGP-I. The biological function of EGP-I remains to be elucidated. In this report we elucidate an involvement of protein kinase C in phosphorylating EGP-I, which may signify a role for this antigen in signal transduction across the cell membrane. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.