Mitogens increase phosphorylation of phosphoinositides in thymocytes

Role of inositol lipid breakdown in the generation of intracellular signals. State of the art lecture

Many hormones, neurotransmitters, and secretagogues act by increasing the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in target cells. The initial event following binding of agonists to specific receptors in the plasma membrane involves a receptor-mediated activation of a guanosine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein), which induces a Ca2+-independent activation of phospholipase C. This novel, presently uncharacterized G protein is inactivated by pertussis toxin-catalyzed adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribosylation in some but not all cell types. Phospholipase C catalyzes the breakdown of inositol lipids, notably phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, with the production of inositol phosphates and 1,2-diacylglycerol. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) is responsible for a rapid mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ by activating Ca2+ efflux from a subpopulation of the endoplasmic reticulum. The properties of this process are consistent with its being a ligand-activated ion channel with electrogenic Ca2+ efflux being charge-compensated by K+ influx. Sustained hormonal responses require extracellular Ca2+ and a prolonged elevation of the cytosolic free Ca2+. This is brought about by hormone-mediated changes of Ca2+ flux across the plasma membrane involving both an inhibition of Ca2+ efflux and an activation of Ca2+ influx. This review summarizes recent findings concerning the role of G proteins in receptor coupling to phospholipase C; the regulation of enzymes of phosphoinositide metabolism; the evidence for IP3 being a Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger and its mechanism of action; the formation of new inositol phosphates and their possible significance; the relation of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and plasma membrane Ca2+ fluxes to the kinetics of the hormone-induced cytosolic free Ca2+ transient; and the possible roles of protein kinase C in influencing the hormone-mediated functional response.

Regulation of amino acid uptake by phorbol esters and hypertonic solutions in rat thymocytes

Growth factors, mitogens, and malignant transformation can alter the rate of amino acid uptake in mammalian cells. It has been suggested that the effects of these stimuli on proliferation are mediated by activation of Na+/H+ exchange. In lymphocytes, Na+/H+ exchange can also be activated by phorbol esters and by hypertonic media. To determine the relationship between the cation antiport and amino acid transport, we tested the effects of these agents on the uptake of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), methyl-AIB, proline, and leucine in rat thymocytes. Both 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and hypertonicity stimulated amino acid uptake through system A (AIB, proline, and methyl-AIB). In addition, TPA, but not hypertonicity, also elevated leucine uptake. The stimulation of the Na+ -dependent system A was not due to an increased inward electrochemical Na+ gradient. The effects of TPA and hypertonic treatment were not identical: Stimulation of AIB uptake by TPA was observed within minutes, whereas at least 1 hr was required for the effect of hypertonicity to become noticeable. Moreover, stimulation by hypertonicity but not that by TPA, was partially inhibited by cycloheximide, suggesting a role of protein synthesis. That stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange does not mediate the effects on amino acid transport is suggested by two findings: 1) the stimulation of AIB uptake was not prevented by concentrations of amiloride or of 5-(N,N-disubstituted) amiloride analogs that completely inhibit the Na+/H+ antiport and 2) conditions that mimic the effect of the antiport, namely, increasing [Na+]i or raising pHi failed to stimulate amino acid uptake. Thus, in lymphocytes, activation of Na+/H+ exchange and stimulation of amino acid transport are not casually related.

Dual activation of the inositol-triphosphate-calcium and cyclic nucleotide intracellular signaling systems by adrenocorticotropin in rat adrenal cells

Hormones which primarily utilize cAMP as their intracellular "second messenger" are generally not thought to activate the IP3-Ca++ signalling system. Presently, we show that ACTH, at certain concentrations, can activate both the cAMP and IP3-Ca++ intracellular signalling systems.

Activation of muscarinic receptors in PC12 cells. Correlation between cytosolic Ca2+ rise and phosphoinositide hydrolysis

The intracellular signals generated by carbachol activation of the muscarinic receptor [release of inositol phosphates as a consequence of phosphoinositide hydrolysis and rise of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i, measured by quin2)] were studied in intact PC12 pheochromocytoma cells that had been differentiated by treatment with nerve growth factor. When measured in parallel samples of the same cell preparation 30 s after receptor activation, the release of inositol trisphosphate and of its possible metabolites, inositol bis- and mono-phosphate, and the [Ca2+]i rise were found to occur with almost superimposable carbachol concentration curves. At the same time carbachol caused a decrease in the radioactivity of preloaded phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, the precursor of inositol trisphosphate. Neither the inositol phosphate nor the [Ca2+]i signal was modified by preincubation of the cells with either purified Bordetella pertussis toxin or forskolin, the direct activator of adenylate cyclase. Both signals were partially inhibited by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, especially when the nucleotide analogue was applied in combination with the phosphodiesterase inhibitors RO 201724 and theophylline. The latter drug alone profoundly inhibited the carbachol-induced [Ca2+]i rise, with only minimal effect on phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Because of the diverging results obtained with forskolin on the one hand, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and phosphodiesterase inhibitors on the other, the effects of the latter drugs are considered to be pharmacological, independent of the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration. Two further drugs tested, mepacrine and MY5445, inhibited phosphoinositide hydrolysis at the same time as the 45Ca2+ influx stimulated by carbachol. Taken together, our results concur with previous evidence obtained with permeabilized cells and cell fractions to indicate phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis and [Ca2+]i rise as two successive events in the intracellular transduction cascade initiated by receptor activation. The strict correlation between the carbachol concentration curves for inositol trisphosphate generation and [Ca2+]i rise, and the inhibition by theophylline of the Ca2$ signal without major effects on inositol phosphate generation, satisfy important requirements of the abovementioned interpretation.

ras-transformed cells: altered levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate and catabolites

Steady-state cellular levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), and inositol phosphates have been measured in two different fibroblast cell lines (NIH 3T3 and NRK cells) before and after transformation with three different ras genes. At high cell density the ratio of DAG to PIP2 was 2.5- to 3-fold higher in the ras-transformed cells than in their untransformed counterparts. The sum of the water-soluble breakdown products of the polyphosphoinositides, inositol-1,4-bisphosphate and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, was also elevated in ras-transformed NRK cells compared with nontransformed NRK cells. These findings suggest that the ras (p21) protein may act by affecting these levels, possibly as a regulatory element in the PIP2 breakdown pathway.

An OKT4+ T-cell population in Sézary syndrome: attempts to elucidate its lack of proliferative capacity and its suppressive effect

We have previously reported a case of Sézary Syndrome (SS), in which an OKT4+ T-cell population exhibited a defective response to non-specific mitogens, and an ability to suppress lectin-induced T-cell proliferation and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced B-cell differentiation of normal donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We report now that resting Sézary cells (SC) were essentially negative for activation antigens (Ag) detected by monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) B1.49.9, anti-Tac, OKT9, OKT10, and OKIa1. After phytohaemagglutin (PHA) stimulation, all these Ag were expressed with the notable exception of OKT10. Further investigations of SC functions indicated that no interleukin 2 (IL-2) biological activity was detected in culture supernatants of SC constimulated with PHA and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Interestingly, such stimulated SC exhibited a marked capacity to absorb exogenous IL-2 while remaining unable to proliferate. These data suggest that patient's unresponsiveness to PHA may be unrelated to IL-2 as an extracellular growth signal, but may instead be due to a failure in a later cellular activation event, subsequent to the binding of IL-2 to its receptors. Lack of T10 Ag expression may be involved as a cause or a consequence. Kinetic study of suppression of PHA-induced T-cell proliferation of normal PBMC revealed that inhibition occurred during the first 24 h; moreover we showed that it was not due to limitation of available IL-2 since it persisted in excess of IL-2; remarkably the growth of an IL-2-dependent murine cell line was unaffected by the presence of SC. Further, inhibition was also observed on IL-2-independent calcium ionophore A 23187-induced T-cell proliferation of normal PBMC. Taken together, the data suggest that the target of suppressor activity is probably an important obligatory intracellular event controlling DNA replication, which is common to both IL-2-dependent and IL-2-independent T-cell activation processes. Human T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus I (HTLV-I) related p.19 and p.24 Ag were absent on fresh and 30-day cultured SC, suggesting the absence of HTLV-I infection, although not ruling out a proviral integration in the SC DNA.

Phorbol ester effects on alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding and phosphatidylinositol metabolism in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

Tumor promoting phorbol esters stimulate Ca++ phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. It has been suggested that this enzyme regulates the functional properties of different cell membrane receptors. In this study we investigated the effect of phorbol esters on alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding and phosphatidylinositol metabolism in cultured smooth muscle cells derived from rabbit aorta. Treatment of these cells with biologically active phorbol esters for 15 min. to 2 hours caused a marked decrease of norepinephrine stimulation of inositol phospholipid metabolism and a 3 fold decrease in agonist affinity for 125I-HEAT binding to alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the intact smooth muscle cells. The ability of phorbol esters to modulate alpha 1-adrenoceptor responsiveness suggests that activation of protein kinase C may represent an important mechanism regulating alpha 1-adrenergic receptor functional properties.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate formation in Ca2+-mobilizing-hormone-activated cells

The inositol trisphosphate liberated on stimulation of guinea-pig hepatocytes, pancreatic acinar cells and dimethyl sulphoxide-differentiated human myelomonocytic HL-60 leukaemia cells is composed of two isomers, the 1,4,5-trisphosphate and the 1,3,4-trisphosphate. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was released rapidly, with no measurable latency on hormone stimulation, and, consistent with its proposed role as an intracellular messenger for Ca2+ mobilization, there was good temporal correlation between its formation and Ca2+-mediated events in these tissues. There was a definite latency before an increase in the formation of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate could be detected. In all of these tissues, however, it formed a substantial proportion of the total inositol trisphosphate by 1 min of stimulation. In guinea-pig hepatocytes, where inositol trisphosphate increases for at least 30 min after hormone application, inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate made up about 90% of the total inositol trisphosphate by 5-10 min. In pancreatic acinar cells, pretreatment with 20 mM-Li+ caused an increase in hormone-induced inositol trisphosphate accumulation. This increase was accounted for by a rise in inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate; inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was unaffected. This finding is consistent with the observation that Li+ has no effect on Ca2+-mediated responses in these cells. The role, if any, of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate in cellular function is unknown.

The effects of phorbol ester, diacylglycerol, phospholipase C and Ca2+ ionophore on protein phosphorylation in human and sheep erythrocytes

Treatment of human or sheep erythrocytes with PMA (phorbol myristate acetate) enhanced [32P]phosphate labelling of membrane polypeptides of approx. 100, 80 and 46 kDa. The 80 kDa and 46 kDa polypeptides coincided with bands 4.1 and 4.9 respectively on Coomassie-Blue-stained gels. Similar but smaller effects were obtained by treating human cells with 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-rac-glycerol (OAG), exogenous bacterial phospholipase C or ionophore A23187 + Ca2+, each of which treatments would be expected to raise the concentration of membrane diacylglycerol. In contrast, sheep cells, which do not increase their content of diacylglycerol when treated with phospholipase C or A23187 + Ca2+, only showed enhanced phosphorylation with OAG. Neither human nor sheep cells showed any enhanced [32P]phosphate labelling of phosphoproteins when treated with 1-mono-oleoyl-rac-glycerol. It is concluded that diacylglycerol from a variety of sources can activate erythrocyte protein kinase C, but that the most effective diacylglycerol is that derived from endogenous polyphosphoinositides. In contrast with bacterial phospholipase C and A23187, which stimulate synthesis of phosphatidate by increasing the cell-membrane content of diacylglycerol in human erythrocytes, PMA, OAG or 1-mono-oleoyl-rac-glycerol caused no change in phospholipid metabolism.

Inducible transcription of the unrearranged kappa constant region locus is a common feature of pre-B cells and does not require DNA or protein synthesis

Transcription of unrearranged kappa constant region (kappa 0) loci is dramatically induced in pre-B cells transformed by the Abelson murine leukemia virus when the cells are exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Transcriptional activity, detected both by accumulation of the 8-kilobase kappa 0 RNA product and by nuclear run-on measurements, is evident within a few hours after exposure to LPS and continues to increase over a 24-hr period. During this time, transcription of rearranged mu heavy-chain loci remains at the basal constitutive level. In accord with previous studies of the B-cell lymphoma 70Z/3, this transcriptional activation is accompanied by the appearance of a DNase I-hypersensitive site in the kappa enhancer region but not by any detectable hypomethylation of the locus. Moreover, the present studies demonstrate that induction of kappa transcription can occur in the absence of DNA or protein synthesis. These results have led us to propose a model in which an external signal such as LPS or a functionally equivalent lymphokine may initiate kappa transcription in pre-B cells by modifying or overriding the activity of an enhancer-specific factor.

Metabolism of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate in rat parotid glands

A complete separation of myo-inositol 1,4,5-[4,5-(32)P]trisphosphate prepared from human erythrocytes, and myo-[2-3H]inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate prepared from carbachol-stimulated rat parotid glands [Irvine, Letcher, Lander & Downes (1984) Biochem. J. 223, 237-243], was achieved by anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. This separation technique was then used to study the metabolism of these two isomers of inositol trisphosphate in carbachol-stimulated rat parotid glands. Fragments of glands were pre-labelled with myo-[2-3H]inositol, washed, and then stimulated with carbachol. At 5s after stimulation a clear increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was detected, with no significant increase in inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. After this initial lag however, inositol 1,3,4-phosphate rose rapidly; by 15s it predominated over inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, and continued to rise so that after 15 min it was at 10-20 times the radiolabelling level of the 1,4,5-isomer. In contrast, after the initial rapid rise (maximal within 15s), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels declined to near control levels after 1 min and then rose again very gradually over the next 15 min. When a muscarinic blocker (atropine) was added after 15 min of carbachol stimulation, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate levels dropped to control levels within 2-3 min, whereas inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate levels took at least 15 min to fall, consistent with the kinetics observed earlier for total parotid inositol trisphosphates [Downes & Wusteman (1983) Biochem. J. 216, 633-640]. Phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) from stimulated and control cells were degraded chemically to inositol trisphosphate to seek evidence for 3H-labelled PtdIns(3,4)P2. No evidence could be obtained that a significant proportion of PtdInsP2 was this isomer; in control tissues it must be less than 5% of the total PtdInsP2 radiolabelled by myo-[2-3H]inositol. These data indicate that, provided that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is studied independently of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate, the former shows metabolic characteristics consistent with its proposed role as a second messenger for calcium mobilization. The metabolic profile of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate is entirely different, and its function and source remain unclear.

B lymphocyte receptors and polyphosphoinositide degradation

Resting B lymphocytes can be activated and induced to proliferate by antibodies against their antigen receptors (anti-lg). We demonstrate an early increase in the level of [3H]inositol trisphosphate in [3H]inositol-labeled murine B cells, which suggests breakdown of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate by phospholipase C. In line with this, the level of [3H]1,2-diacylglycerol was also elevated after incubation of [3H]arachidonic-acid-labeled B cells with anti-Ig. Anti-lg also caused a rapid increase in the level of cytosolic Ca2+ in B cells. In contrast, two other polyclonal B cell activators, lipopolysaccharide and phorbol myristate acetate, failed to induce any of these effects. Our results suggest that anti-lg may induce B cell growth via phosphoinositide degradation and Ca2+ mobilization, and that phorbol myristate acetate, and possibly lipopolysaccharide, bypass these initial events.

A tumor promoter enhances the phosphorylation of polyphosphoinositides while decreasing phosphatidylinositol labelling in lymphocytes

12-O-Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, a comitogen for lymphocytes, suppresses the concanavalin A-induced accumulation of 3 2P-phosphatidyl-inositol, in mouse spleen lymphocytes incubated with 3 2P-orthophosphate. The comitogenic tumor promoter does not affect the rate of de novo synthesis of phosphatidylinositol, as measured by [3H]-glycerol incorporation. Mitogen stimulates the incorporation of [3 2P]-phosphate into phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, but the tumor promoter suppresses only the increased labelling of the phosphatidylinositol, while it enhances phosphorylation of the polyphosphoinositides.

Epidermal growth factor stimulates diacylglycerol kinase in isolated plasma membrane vesicles from A431 cells

We have examined the effect of epidermal growth factor(EGF) on three kinds of kinases activities, phosphatidylinositol(PI) kinase, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate[PI(4)P] kinase and diacylglycerol(DG) kinase that make important roles in the regulation of inositol phospholipids metabolism. When isolated plasma membrane vesicles from A431 cells were incubated at 30 degrees C with [gamma-32P]ATP and exogenously added DG, EGF enhanced the activity of DG kinase approximately 2-fold. This stimulation is found to be dose-dependent with a half maximal activation at 1 nM. In this case, EGF increased Vmax without changing Km Value for ATP or DG. Although this activation was observed in the absence of detergent, it was more evident when membrane vesicles were treated with 1 mM deoxycholate. Interestingly, the effect of EGF was only detected in magnesium containing medium. The use of manganese instead of magnesium diminished the stimulatory effect in either condition, presence or absence of deoxycholate. On the other hand, the stimulation of PI kinase or PI(4)P kinase activity was not caused by EGF. These results suggest that DG kinase activation by EGF makes important roles in cellular responses leading to cell growth.

Breakdown and synthesis of polyphosphoinositides in fMetLeuPhe-stimulated neutrophils

The interconversions of the inositol-containing lipids (PI, PI-P and PI-P2) and their products (DG, inositol phosphates and PA) in human and rabbit neutrophils stimulated with fMetLeuPhe and PMA have been examined. PMA causes only the phosphorylation of PI to PI-P whereas fMetLeuPhe causes phosphorylation of both PI and PI-P yielding PI-P2 and the hydrolysis of all three lipids. While the predominant reaction is breakdown of PI to PA catalysed by phospholipase D, approx. 2% of PI is converted to polyphosphoinositides and then broken down by the phospholipase C route yielding inositol phosphates and DG. The latter reaction occurs without detectable lag and is a function of receptor occupancy. The amount of inositol trisphosphate thus formed would be sufficient to release Ca2+ from intracellular stores.