Phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase activity is not required for activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase by cytokines.

Hemopoietic cells respond to cytokines by initiating tyrosine phosphorylation of receptors and receptor-associated proteins, leading to the activation of numerous cytosolic and membrane associated enzymes, including phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase (PI 3-kinase). Recent reports have suggested that PI 3-kinase may serve as an upstream activator of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. After stimulation with interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, we show here that inhibition of MAP kinase activity by two inhibitors of PI 3-kinase, wortmannin and LY-294002, does not correlate with their ability to inhibit PI 3-kinase or p70 S6 kinase phosphorylation. Complete inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate production occurred at approximately 100 nM WM or 25 microM LY-294002, but at these concentrations, WM significantly inhibited MAP kinase activation, while LY-294002 had virtually no effect on MAP kinase activity. Furthermore, WM does not inhibit phorbol ester-mediated MAP kinase activation, but LY-294002 does. Together these results suggest WM and LY-294002 are differentially inhibiting enzymes other than PI 3-kinase that function upstream of MAP kinase.