P150^TSP, a conserved nuclear phosphoprotein that contains multiple tetratricopeptide repeats and binds specifically to SH2 domains

Src homology 2 (SH2) domains are structural modules that function in the assembly of multicomponent signaling complexes by binding to specific phosphopeptides. The tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) is a distinct structural motif that has been suggested to mediate protein-protein interactions. Among SH2-binding phosphoproteins purified from the mouse B cell lymphoma A20, a 150-kDa species was identified and the corresponding complementary DNA (cDNA) was molecularly cloned. This protein encoded by this cDNA, which we have termed p150^TSP (for TPR-containing, SH2-binding phosphoprotein), is located predominantly in the nucleus and is highly conserved in evolution. The gene encoding p150^TSP (Tsp) was mapped to chromosome 7 of the mouse with gene order: centromere-Tyr-Wnt11-Tsp-Zp2. The amino-terminal two-thirds of p150^TSP consist almost entirely of tandemly arranged TPR units, which mediate specific, homotypic protein interactions in transfected cells. The carboxyl-terminal third of p150^TSP, which is serine- and glutamic acid-rich, is essential for SH2 binding; this interaction is dependent on serine/threonine phosphorylation but independent of tyrosine phosphorylation. The sequence and binding properties of p150^TSP suggest that it may mediate interactions between TPR-containing and SH2-containing proteins.