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We have previously reported that the Jak2 tyrosine kinase but not Jak1 is tyrosine phosphorylated in the absence of IL-3 in Bcr-Abl positive M3.16 cells, which are rendered IL-3 independent by BCR-ABL gene expression. We have explored the involvement of Jak2 tyrosine phosphorylation in Bcr-Abl oncogenic effects. Our results indicate that Jak2 became tyrosine-phosphorylated in a number of cell lines expressing Bcr-Abl, when maintained in medium lacking IL-3, whereas Bcr-Abl negative cells lacked Jak2 tyrosine phosphorylation. Jak2 was poorly tyrosine-phosphorylated in cells expressing the SH2 deletion mutant of Bcr-Abl compared to either wild-type Bcr-Abl or its SH3 deletion mutant. Moreover, tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2 by Bcr-Abl was inhibited by the Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor, STI 571, in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition of Bcr-Abl kinase by the drug did not interfere with the ability of Jak2 and Bcr-Abl to form a complex. Studies with deletion mutants of Bcr-Abl indicated that the C-terminal domain of Abl within Bcr-Abl was involved in complex formation with Jak2. Similarly, GST-Abl pull-down assays confirmed the strong binding to Jak2 by the C-terminus of Abl. Jak2 peptide substrate studies indicated that the Bcr-Abl and Abl tyrosine kinases specifically phosphorylated Y1007 of Jak2 but only poorly phosphorylated Y1008. Phosphorylation of Y1007 of Jak2 is known to be critical for its tyrosine kinase activation. Tyrosine residue 1007 of Jak2 was phosphorylated in 32Dp210 cells as measured by Western blotting with a phosphotyrosine 1007 sequence-specific antibody. A kinase-inactive Jak2 mutant blocked the colony forming ability of K562 cells. Tumor formation of K562 cells in nude mice was similarly inhibited by this kinase-inactive Jak2 mutant. This inhibition was independent of Stat5 tyrosine phosphorylation. Furthermore, tyrosine-phosphorylated Jak2 was detected in blood cells from CML patients in blast crisis but not in a normal marrow sample. In summary, these findings provide strong evidence that the Jak2 tyrosine kinase is a critical factor in Bcr-Abl malignant transformation.

The c-fes locus encodes a 93-kDa non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase (Fes) that regulates the growth and differentiation of hematopoietic and vascular endothelial cells. Unique to Fes is a long N-terminal sequence with two regions of strong homology to coiled-coil oligomerization domains. We introduced leucine-to-proline substitutions into the coiled coils that were predicted to disrupt the coiled-coil structure. The resulting mutant proteins, together with wild-type Fes, were fused to green fluorescent protein and expressed in Rat-2 fibroblasts. We observed that a point mutation in the first coiled-coil domain (L145P) dramatically increased Fes tyrosine kinase and transforming activities in this cell type. In contrast, a similar point mutation in the second coiled-coil motif (L334P) was without effect. However, combining the L334P and L145P mutations reduced transforming and kinase activities by approximately 50% relative to the levels of activity produced with the L145P mutation alone. To study the effects of the coiled-coil mutations in a biologically relevant context, we expressed the mutant proteins in the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-dependent myeloid leukemia cell line TF-1. In this cellular context, the L145P mutation induced GM-CSF independence, cell attachment, and spreading. These effects correlated with a marked increase in L145P protein autophosphorylation relative to that of wild-type Fes. In contrast, the double coiled-coil mutant protein showed greatly reduced kinase and biological activities in TF-1 cells. These data are consistent with a role for the first coiled coil in the negative regulation of kinase activity and a requirement for the second coiled coil in either oligomerization or recruitment of signaling partners. Gel filtration experiments showed that the unique N-terminal region interconverts between monomeric and oligomeric forms. Single point mutations favored oligomerization, while the double point mutant protein eluted essentially as the monomer. These data provide new evidence for coiled-coil-mediated regulation of c-Fes tyrosine kinase activity and signaling, a mechanism unique among tyrosine kinases.

SH3 domains are a conserved feature of many nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases, such as Hck, and often function in substrate recruitment and regulation of kinase activity. SH3 domains modulate kinase activity by binding to polyproline helices (PPII helix) either intramolecularly or in target proteins. The preponderance of bimolecular and distal interactions between SH3 domains and PPII helices led us to investigate whether proximal placement of a PPII helix relative to an SH3 domain would result in tight, intramolecular binding. We have fused the PPII helix region of human GAP to the C-terminus of Hck SH3 and expressed the recombinant fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein, SH3Hck : PPIIhGAP, folded spontaneously into a structure in which the PPII helix was bound intramolecularly to the hydrophobic crevice of the SH3 domain. The SH3Hck : PPIIhGAP fusion protein is useful for investigating SH3: PPII helix interactions, for studying concepts in protein folding and design, and may represent a protein structural motif that is widely distributed in nature.

The c-fes proto-oncogene encodes a Mr 93,000 protein-tyrosine kinase (Fes) that is strongly expressed in myeloid cells and has been implicated in myelomonocytic differentiation. Fes autophosphorylation and transforming activity are highly restrained after ectopic expression in fibroblasts, indicating tight negative regulation of Fes kinase activity in vivo. Here we investigated the regulatory role of the Fes Src homology 2 (SH2) domain by producing a series of chimeric constructs in which the Fes SH2 domain was replaced with those of the transforming oncogenes v-Fps and v-Src or by the NH2-terminal SH2 domain of the Ras GTPase-activating protein. Wild-type and chimeric Fes proteins readily underwent tyrosine autophosphorylation in vitro and produced identical cyanogen bromide phosphopeptide cleavage patterns, indicating that the SH2 substitutions did not influence overall kinase activity or autophosphorylation site selection. However, metabolic labeling of Rat-2 fibroblasts expressing each construct showed that only the Fes/Src SH2 chimera was active in vivo. Consistent with this result, the Fes/Src SH2 domain chimera exhibited potent transforming activity in fibroblasts and enhanced differentiation-inducing activity in K-562 myeloid leukemia cells. In addition, the Fes/Src SH2 chimera exhibited constitutive localization to focal adhesions in Rat-2 fibroblasts and induced the attachment and spreading of TF-1 myeloid cells. These data demonstrate a central role for the SH2 domain in the regulation of Fes kinase activity and biological function in vivo.

Bcr-Abl is the constitutively active protein-tyrosine kinase expressed as a result of the Philadelphia translocation in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Bcr-Abl is coupled to many of the same signaling pathways normally regulated by hematopoietic cytokines. Recent work shows that Hck, a member of the Src tyrosine kinase family with myeloid-restricted expression, associates with and is activated by Bcr-Abl. Here we investigated the mechanism of Hck interaction with Bcr-Abl and the requirement for Hck activation in Bcr-Abl transformation signaling. Binding studies demonstrated that the Hck SH3 and SH2 domains are sufficient for interaction with Bcr-Abl in vitro. Hck binding localizes to the Abl SH2, SH3, and kinase domains as well as the distal portion of the C-terminal tail. To address the requirement for endogenous Src family kinase activation in Bcr-Abl signaling, a kinase-defective mutant of Hck was stably expressed in the cytokine-dependent myeloid leukemia cell line DAGM. Kinase-defective Hck dramatically suppressed Bcr-Abl-induced outgrowth of these cells in the absence of cytokine compared with a control cell line expressing beta-galactosidase. In contrast, kinase-defective Hck did not affect cell proliferation in response to interleukin-3, suggesting that the effect is specific for Bcr-Abl. These data show that Hck interacts with Bcr-Abl through a complex mechanism involving kinase-dependent and -independent components and that interaction with Hck or other Src family members is essential for transformation signaling by Bcr-Abl.

Hematopoiesis involves a complex array of growth factors that regulate the survival and proliferation of immature progenitors, influence differentiation commitment, and modulate end-stage cell functions. This mini-review is focused on the role of Stat activation in the development of myeloid cells in response to hematopoietic cytokines. Much of the evidence implicating Stats in these cellular processes comes from studies of mutant cytokine receptors selectively uncoupled from Stat activation, dominant-inhibitory Stat mutants, and mice with targeted disruptions of Stat genes. Together these approaches provide strong evidence that Stat activation, particularly of Stat3 and Stat5, plays an important role in myeloid differentiation and survival. Oncogene (2000).

The c-Fes protein-tyrosine kinase exhibits strong expression in myeloid hematopoietic cells. Previous studies have shown that Fes induces differentiation in the chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived cell line K-562, suggesting that the Fes signal for differentiation is dominant to the Bcr-Abl signal for transformation in these cells. In addition, Fes has been shown to associate with and phosphorylate Bcr on NH2-terminal sequences retained within Bcr-Abl. To determine whether Fes interacts directly with Bcr-Abl, kinase-inactive Bcr-Abl was coexpressed with Fes in 293T cells, and phosphorylation was assessed by anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblotting. Bcr-Abl was strongly phosphorylated by Fes under these conditions, suggestive of direct interaction. Similarly, tyrosine phosphorylation of kinase-inactive Fes was observed after coexpression with active Bcr-Abl. To test for the interaction of Fes with Bcr-Abl under physiological conditions, wild-type and kinase-defective Fes were stably expressed in the cytokine-dependent myeloid leukemia cell line, DAGM. Expression of either form of Fes alone did not affect the proliferation or interleukin 3 dependence of these cells. The DAGM/Fes cells were then infected with Bcr-Abl retroviruses, and their rates of cytokine-independent outgrowth were compared. Fes dramatically suppressed Bcr-Abl-induced DAGM cell outgrowth relative to a cell line expressing beta-galactosidase as a negative control. This effect required Fes tyrosine kinase activity, because the kinase-inactive form of Fes did not affect Bcr-Abl-induced cell outgrowth. The phosphotyrosine content of both wild-type and kinase-inactive Fes was strongly enhanced after coexpression with Bcr-Abl in DAGM cells, similar to the 293T result. Phosphorylation of wild-type Fes correlated with stimulation of Fes tyrosine kinase activity in the presence of Bcr-Abl. These results show that Fes and Bcr-Abl interact in myeloid cells, leading to Fes activation and suppression of Bcr-Abl-induced conversion to cytokine independence.

Nef is an HIV accessory protein required for high-titer viral replication and AIDS progression. Previous studies have shown that the SH3 domains of Hck and Lyn bind to Nef via proline-rich sequences in vitro, identifying these Src-related kinases as potential targets for Nef in vivo. Association of Nef with Hck causes displacement of the intramolecular interaction between the SH3 domain and the SH2-kinase linker, leading to kinase activation both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we investigated whether interaction with Nef induces activation of other Src family kinases (Lyn, Fyn, Src, and Lck) following coexpression with Nef in Rat-2 fibroblasts. Coexpression with Nef induced Hck kinase activation and fibroblast transformation, consistent with previous results. In contrast, coexpression of Nef with Lyn was without effect, despite equivalent binding of Nef to full-length Lyn and Hck. Furthermore, Nef was found to suppress the kinase and transforming activities of Fyn, the SH3 domain of which exhibits low affinity for Nef. Coexpression with Nef did not alter c-Src or Lck tyrosine kinase or transforming activity in this system. Differential modulation of Src family members by Nef may produce unique downstream signals depending on the profile of Src kinases expressed in a given cell type.

Molecular dynamics calculations provide a method by which the dynamic properties of molecules can be explored over timescales and at a level of detail that cannot be obtained experimentally from NMR or X-ray analyses. Recent work (Philippopoulos M, Mandel AM, Palmer AG III, Lim C, 1997, Proteins 28:481-493) has indicated that the accuracy of these simulations is high, as measured by the correspondence of parameters extracted from these calculations to those determined through experimental means. Here, we investigate the dynamic behavior of the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) via 5N backbone relaxation NMR studies and a set of four independent 4 ns solvated molecular dynamics calculations. We also find that molecular dynamics simulations accurately reproduce fast motion dynamics as estimated from generalized order parameter (S2) analysis for regions of the protein that have experimentally well-defined coordinates (i.e., stable secondary structural elements). However, for regions where the coordinates are not well defined, as indicated by high local root-mean-square deviations among NMR-determined structural family members or high B-factors/low electron density in X-ray crystallography determined structures, the parameters calculated from a short to moderate length (less than 5-10 ns) molecular dynamics trajectory are dependent on the particular coordinates chosen as a starting point for the simulation.

The cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase Fes has been implicated in cytokine signal transduction, hematopoiesis, and embryonic development. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that active Fes exists as a large oligomeric complex in vitro. However, when Fes is expressed in mammalian cells, its kinase activity is tightly repressed. The Fes unique N-terminal sequence has two regions with strong homology to coiled-coil-forming domains often found in oligomeric proteins. Here we show that disruption or deletion of the first coiled-coil domain upregulates Fes tyrosine kinase and transforming activities in Rat-2 fibroblasts and enhances Fes differentiation-inducing activity in myeloid leukemia cells. Conversely, expression of a Fes truncation mutant consisting only of the unique N-terminal domain interfered with Rat-2 fibroblast transformation by an activated Fes mutant, suggesting that oligomerization is essential for Fes activation in vivo. Coexpression with the Fes N-terminal region did not affect the transforming activity of v-Src in Rat-2 cells, arguing against a nonspecific suppressive effect. Taken together, these findings suggest a model in which Fes activation may involve coiled-coil-mediated interconversion of monomeric and oligomeric forms of the kinase. Mutation of the first coiled-coil domain may activate Fes by disturbing intramolecular coiled-coil interaction, allowing for oligomerization via the second coiled-coil domain. Deletion of the second coiled-coil domain blocks fibroblast transformation by an activated form of c-Fes, consistent with this model. These results provide the first evidence for regulation of a nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinase by coiled-coil domains.

Src-homology-2 domains are small, 100 amino acid protein modules that are present in a number of signal transduction proteins. Previous NMR studies of SH2 domain dynamics indicate that peptide binding decreases protein motions in the pico- to nanosecond, and perhaps slower, time range. We suggest that amide hydrogen exchange and mass spectrometry may be useful for detecting changes in protein dynamics because hydrogen exchange rates are relatively insensitive to the time domains of the dynamics. In the present study, hydrogen exchange and mass spectrometry were used to probe hematopoietic cell kinase SH2 that was either free or bound to a 12-residue high-affinity peptide. Hydrogen exchange rates were determined by exposing free and bound SH2 to D(2)O, fragmenting the SH2 with pepsin, and determining the deuterium level in the peptic fragments. Binding generally decreased hydrogen exchange along much of the SH2 backbone, indicating a widespread reduction in dynamics. Alterations in the exchange of the most rapidly exchanging amide hydrogens, which was detected following acid quench and analysis by mass spectrometry, were used to locate differences in low-amplitude motion when SH2 was bound to the peptide. In addition, the results indicate that hydrogen exchange from the folded form of SH2 is an important process along the entire SH2 backbone.

The cellular Bcr protein consists of an N-terminal serine/threonine kinase domain, a central guanine nucleotide exchange factor homology region and a C-terminal GTPase-activating protein domain. Previous work in our laboratory established that Bcr is a major transformation-related substrate for the v-Fps tyrosine kinase, and tyrosine phosphorylation of Bcr induces Bcr-Grb-2/SOS association in vivo through the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain of Grb-2. In the present study, we mapped the region of Bcr tyrosine phosphorylation by c-Fes, the human homologue of v-Fps, to Bcr N-terminal amino acids 162-413 by using a baculovirus/Sf-9 cell co-expression system. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Bcr by Fes greatly enhanced the binding of Bcr to the SH2 domains of multiple signalling molecules in vitro, including Grb-2, Ras GTPase activating protein, phospholipase C-gamma, the 85,000 M(r) subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, and the Abl tyrosine kinase. In contrast with SH2 binding, tyrosine phosphorylation of Bcr reduced its ability to associate with the 14-3-3 protein Bap-1 (Bcr-associated protein-1), a Bcr substrate and member of a family of phosphoserine-binding adaptor proteins. These experiments provide in vitro evidence that tyrosine phosphorylation may modulate the interaction of Bcr with multiple growth-regulatory signalling pathways.

Protein dynamics play an important role in protein function and regulation of enzymatic activity. To determine how additional interactions with surrounding structure affects local protein dynamics, we have used hydrogen exchange and mass spectrometry to investigate the SH2 and SH3 domains of the protein tyrosine kinase Hck. Exchange rates of isolated Hck SH3 and SH2 domains were compared with rates for the same domains when part of a larger SH(3+2) construct. Increased deuterium incorporation was observed for the SH3 domain in the joint construct, particularly near the SH2 interface and the short sequence that connects SH3 to SH2, implying greater flexibility of SH3 when it is part of SH(3+2). Slow cooperative unfolding of the SH3 domain occurred at the same rate in isolated SH3 as in the SH(3+2) construct, suggesting a functional significance for this unfolding. The SH2 domain displayed relatively smaller changes in flexibility when part of the SH(3+2) construct. These results suggest that the domains influence each other. Further, our results imply a link between functional regulation and structural dynamics of SH3 and SH2 domains., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

NeuroD, a vertebrate homolog of Drosophila atonal gene, plays an important role in the differentiation of neuronal precursors (Lee et al., 1995). We have investigated whether NeuroD subserves a similar function in mammalian retinal neurogenesis. Expression of NeuroD is detected in successive stages of retinal neurogenesis and is associated with a differentiating population of retinal cells. The association of NeuroD predominantly with postmitotic precursors in early as well as late neurogenesis suggests that NeuroD expression plays an important role in the terminal differentiation of retinal neurons. The notion is supported by observations that overexpression of NeuroD during late neurogenesis promotes premature differentiation of late-born neurons, rod photoreceptors, and bipolar cells, and that NeuroD can interact specifically with the E-box element in the proximal promoter of the phenotype-specific gene, opsin.

Decreased dynamic motion in the peptide backbone of proteins may accompany ligand binding and influence the thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the resulting complexes. We have investigated the diffusional behavior and backbone dynamics of the free and phosphopeptide (EPQpYEEIPIYL) complexed Hck SH2 domain using NMR spectroscopy. Both the free domain and its phosphopeptide complex self-associate at higher protein concentrations. Diffusional measurements and surface analysis indicate that charged side-chain groups are probably responsible for self-association. Higher order aggregation, such as trimer and tetramer, also occurs at elevated protein concentrations. Dynamic motion in the peptide backbone of Hck SH2 was determined from 15N relaxation data fit using extended model-free parameters. The rotational correlation time (taum) for uncomplexed Hck SH2 was 6.8 ns while taum for peptide-bound Hck SH2 was 7.6 ns. Generalized order parameters (S2) increased for most residues upon binding of the phosphopeptide, consistent with peptide binding restricting motion of the NH bond vectors on the picosecond time scale. These studies suggest that complexation increases internal order in Hck SH2 and that internal dynamic motions contribute to the activation of Src-family kinases in vivo.

SH3 domains are protein binding domains that occur widely among signal transduction proteins. Here, we present the NMR-determined solution structure of the SH3 domain from the cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, Hck. Hck is involved in a number of cell signal transduction pathways, frequently in pathways associated with immune response. SH3 domains bind proteins via a left-handed polyproline type II helix on the target protein. We have assessed the structural impact of binding to a ligand through addition of a peptide corresponding to a proline-rich region of a Hck target, the GTPase activating protein of the Ras pathway. Ligand binding effects small structural changes and stabilizes the SH3 domain structure. Also, we have compared the solution structure of the Hck SH3 domain to the crystal structure of Hck, in which the SH3 domain exhibits an intramolecular binding to an interdomain linker region. These structures are interpreted as the apo- and holo- forms of the Hck SH3 domain., (Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited.)

The human c-fes protooncogene encodes a protein-tyrosine kinase (c-Fes) distinct from c-Src, c-Abl and other nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. Although originally identified as the cellular homolog of several transforming retroviral oncoproteins, Fes was later found to exhibit strong expression in myeloid hematopoietic cells and to play a direct role in their differentiation. Recent work has shown that Fes exhibits a more widespread expression pattern in both developing and adult tissues, suggesting a general physiological function for this kinase and its closely related homolog, Fer. This review highlights the unique aspects of Fes structure, regulation, and function that set it apart from other tyrosine kinase families.

Protein unfolding on a fast time scale (milliseconds-minutes) has been widely reported, but slower unfolding events (10 min-hours) have received less attention. Amide hydrogen exchange (HX) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to investigate the unfolding dynamics of the hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) SH3 domain. Analysis of mass spectra after deuterium exchange into intact Hck SH3 indicates a cooperative unfolding event involving 24-61% of the domain and occurring with a half-life of approximately 20 min under physiological conditions. To identify the unfolding region, SH3 was incubated in D2O and proteolytically fragmented into peptides that were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Correlation of HX rates and isotope patterns reveals cooperative unfolding in several regions, including the C-terminal half of the RT-loop and a beta-sheet flanking the binding site. Binding of a prolyl-rich segment from the HIV Nef protein slows unfolding by a factor of 3. Further analysis yields a KD of 25 microM for the Nef peptide. These results demonstrate that an inherent flexibility in the SH3 domain may assist interconversion of the closed, intramolecularly ligated state and the open, active state of Src family kinases. Furthermore, this type of previously undetectable, slow unfolding process may provide the basis for new mechanisms in which kinetics of local unfolding combines with thermodynamics to regulate enzymatic activity. The combination of hydrogen exchange and mass spectrometry appears to be the only general method capable of examining these slow unfolding processes.

The hematopoietic cellular kinase (Hck) is a member of the Src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases that is expressed predominantly in granulocytes, monocytes and macrophages. Recent observations suggest that Hck may be activated in HIV-infected macrophages and in chronic myelogenous leukemia cells that express Bcr-Abl. In order to increase our understanding of the structural basis for regulation of Hck activity under normal and pathological conditions, we have solved the solution structure of the uncomplexed Hck SH2 domain using NMR spectroscopy. A novel procedure that uses intraresidue HN-H alpha distances as references for converting NOE intensities into distance restraints has been described. A total of 1757 significant experimental restraints were derived from NMR spectroscopic data including 238 medium-range and 487 long-range distance restraints and 177 torsion angle restraints. These restraints were used in a simulated annealing procedure to generate 20 structures with the program DYANA. Superimposition of residues 5-104 upon the mean coordinate set yielded an average atomic rmsd values of 0.42 +/- 0.08 A for the N,C alpha,C' atoms and 0.81 +/- 0.08 A for all heavy atoms. Rmsd values for those residues in the regions of ordered secondary structure were 0.27 +/- 0.04 A for the N,C alpha,C' atoms and 0.73 +/- 0.06 A for all heavy atoms.

The hematopoietic cellular kinase (Hck) is a member of the Src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases and participates in signal transduction events regulating the growth, differentiation and function of phagocytes. The secondary structure of the SH2 domain for Hck was determined for a 13C/15N-enriched sample using multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The secondary structure for the domain was determined from chemical shift indices [1H alpha, 13C alpha and 13C'], sequential NOEs [d(alphaN)(i, i+1) and d(NN)(i, i+1)], and 3J(alphaN) scalar coupling constants. The Hck SH2 domain consists of two alpha-helices and seven beta-strands. Complementary strands of beta-sheets were identified from long-range NOEs using a novel 3D, 13C/15N-edited HMQC-NOESY-(HCACO)NH experiment that correlated 1H alpha resonances between beta-strands. The secondary structure for Hck SH2 is similar to that predicted from the sequence alignment of the Src-family protein tyrosine kinases.

A variety of regulatory proteins, including different classes of transcription factors and protein kinases, have been identified in complexes with Hsp90. On careful examination of unactivated progesterone receptor complexes, eight different protein participants have been identified, and each can be considered a component of the cytoplasmic molecular chaperone machinery. These proteins are Hsp90, Hsp70, Hip, p60, p23, FKBP51, FKBP52 and Cyp40. Studies in a cell-free assembly system have helped to define a highly ordered, dynamic pathway for assembly of progesterone receptor complexes. In the present study, target proteins other than progesterone receptor were used in this cell-free system to assemble complexes in vitro and to compare the composition of resulting complexes. Targets used were human estrogen receptor, human Fes protein-tyrosine kinase, human heat shock transcription factor Hsf1, and human aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The striking similarity of resulting target complexes with previously characterized progesterone receptor complexes suggest that each of these targets undergoes a common assembly pathway involving multiple chaperone components in addition to Hsp90.