Further observations on the increases in inositide phospholipids after stimulation by ACTH, cAMP and insulin, and on discrepancies in phosphatidylinositol mass and 32PO4-labeling during inhibition of hormonal effects by cycloheximide

Effects of insulin and phorbol esters on MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate) phosphorylation (and other parameters of protein kinase C activation) in rat adipocytes, rat soleus muscle and BC3H-1 myocytes

To evaluate the question of whether or not insulin activates protein kinase C (PKC), we compared the effects of insulin and phorbol esters on the phosphorylation of the PKC substrate, i.e. myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS). In rat adipocytes, rat soleus muscle and BC3H-1 myocytes, maximally effective concentrations of insulin and phorbol esters provoked comparable, rapid, 2-fold (on average), non-additive increases in the phosphorylation of immunoprecipitable MARCKS. These effects of insulin and phorbol esters on MARCKS phosphorylation in intact adipocytes and soleus muscles were paralleled by similar increases in the phosphorylation of an exogenous, soluble, 85 kDa PKC substrate (apparently a MARCKS protein) during incubation of post-nuclear membrane fractions in vitro. Increases in the phosphorylation of this 85 kDa PKC substrate in vitro were also observed in assays of both plasma membranes and microsomes obtained from rat adipocytes that had been treated with insulin or phorbol esters. These insulin-induced increases in PKC-dependent phosphorylating activities of adipocyte plasma membrane and microsomes were associated with increases in membrane contents of diacylglycerol, PKC-beta 1 and PKC-beta 2. Our findings suggest that insulin both translocates and activates PKC in rat adipocytes, rat soleus muscles and BC3H-1 myocytes.

Effect of hormones on cytosolic free calcium in adipocytes

Some studies have indicated that insulin was able to increase the level of free cytosolic calcium in adipocytes [e.g. 7]. The present study was designed to examine this phenomenon. Insulin did not increase free cytosolic calcium, however oxytocin, vasopressin, alpha-adrenergic agonists and ATP did increase free cytosolic calcium in adipocytes. Other agonists which also did not alter calcium were epidermal growth factor, angiotensin II, glucagon, and beta-adrenergic agonists. The effect of oxytocin at increasing free cytosolic calcium was inhibited by activation of protein kinase C with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and by ADP ribosylation of a Gi like protein with islet activating protein. The hormones that did increase cytosolic free calcium did so by mobilizing internal calcium and by promoting calcium influx. Even though insulin did not increase free cytosolic calcium, it was able to attenuate the alpha-adrenergic mediated increase in cytosolic free calcium. The fact that certain hormones can increase the level of the second messenger calcium in adipocytes implies that it may be a key intracellular regulator of adipocyte function as it is in many other tissues.

Sphingosine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, suppresses the insulin-like effects of growth hormone in rat adipocytes

Insulin, human growth hormone (hGH), and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate all stimulate lipogenesis in rat adipocytes preincubated without hGH for 4 hr. As previous data suggested that protein kinase C plays an important role in the action of insulin and in the insulin-like effects of hGH in rat adipocytes, we tested the effects of sphingosine, a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C, on the lipogenic activity of both hormones. At 50 microM, sphingosine had no effect on basal lipogenesis but completely abolished the action of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and decreased by 65% and 89%, respectively, the effects of hGH and insulin. At higher concentrations (100 microM), sphingosine abolished both basal and hormone-stimulated lipogenesis; this effect was partially reversible after washing the cells. Similar effects of sphingosine on basal and stimulated glucose uptake were seen in parallel, suggesting that sphingosine inhibits lipogenesis at the glucose-uptake step in rat adipocytes. N-Acetylsphingosine and sphingomyelin, two analogs of sphingosine that are inactive on protein kinase C, did not inhibit lipogenesis induced by hGH, insulin, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Sphingosine did not inhibit insulin binding to rat adipocytes at concentrations up to 200 microM but decreased hGH binding to its receptors by 44% at 50 microM. These data suggest a direct link between the inhibition of protein kinase C and that of lipogenesis and provide new evidence for the involvement of protein kinase C in the mechanism of action of growth hormone and insulin in rat adipocytes.

Coordinate interactions of cyclic nucleotide and phospholipid metabolizing pathways in calcium-dependent cellular processes

It is hoped that his review enables the reader to appreciate the complexities implicit in the interactions among Ca2+, cyclic nucleotides, and phospholipid-metabolizing pathways in cell signal transduction. The interactions are varied and intricate, often involving several levels of cell amplification mechanisms. Upsetting the balance of fatty acids in membrane phospholipids can have detrimental effects on adenylate cyclase. Thus, n - 3 fatty acid enrichment of phospholipids suppresses adenylate cyclase activity. The effects of significant alterations in dietary fatty acids, such as might occur with the current vogue for n - 3 eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (fish oil) dietary enrichment regimens, will need to be assessed more fully with regard to stimulus-induced changes in cyclic nucleotide production in various tissues. Since the n - 3 fatty acids have not been demonstrated to affect guanylate cyclase activity, dietary changes in certain of these fatty acids would not be expected to contribute to changes in cGMP generation as much as in cAMP production. Moreover, the ingestion of large quantities of these n - 3 fatty acids can alter the profile of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products produced in cells. According to the paradigm developed in this article, changes in the metabolism of fatty acids are amplified by alterations in cyclic nucleotide production and phospholipase activities, with the eventual physiological impact predicated on the tissue type and the specific stimulus response. There appears to be a rather clear distinction between the regulatory properties of eicosanoids regarding adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities. Whereas prostaglandins often stimulate adenylate cyclase activity, they have little effect on guanylate cyclase activity. On the other hand, the HETE compounds seem to play an important role in guanylate cyclase regulation in certain cells. Moreover, arachidonic acid affects adenylate cyclase activity without prior peroxidation, whereas endoperoxides and hydroperoxides are more effective than arachidonic acid with regard to guanylate cyclase stimulation. However, in the intact cell there is a strong implication that the dual stimulation of guanylate cyclase by Ca2+ and fatty acid evokes optimal enzyme activity. An advantage of multidimensional response mechanisms in cells includes the ability to recognize different stimuli and to respond with specific, coordinated responses modulated in their intensity and/or duration by messenger interaction. Few cell types respond to receptor stimulation in an all-or-none fashion, and the "milieu interior" depends on specific, graded responses to the autonomic nervous system and endocrine stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

ACTH stimulates turnover of the phosphatidylinositol-glycan

Primary cultures of calf adrenal glomerulosa cells were prelabeled for 3 days with [3H]inositol or [3H]glucosamine and stimulated with 10 nM ACTH. Labeled phosphatidylinositol (PI), polyphosphoinositides (PIP and PIP2) and a novel phosphatidylinositol-glycan (PI-glycan) were measured after separation by TLC. [3H]-Inositol labeling of PI, PIP and PIP2 increased rapidly, whereas labeling of the PI-glycan showed an initial decrease at 1 minute followed by a subsequent increase. Similar results were obtained when cells were prelabeled with [3H]glucosamine, viz. the PI-glycan label decreased at 1 min and subsequently increased. These results suggest that ACTH provokes (a) coordinated increases in the synthesis of PI, PIP, PIP2 and the PI-glycan, and (b) the increase in PI-glycan synthesis is preceded by initial decrease, presumably reflecting hydrolysis of this lipid.

ACTH increases diacylglycerol content and subcellular redistribution of protein kinase C in the rat adrenal in vivo

Treatment of rats in vivo with ACTH provoked increases in whole adrenal contents of phosphatidylinositol and diacylglycerol. Concomitantly, C-kinase activity decreased in cytosol and increased stoichiometrically in the membrane fraction. It appears that the de novo phospholipid synthesis effect of ACTH is accompanied by increases in diacylglycerol and translocative activation of the C-kinase system.

An update on the role of phospholipid metabolism in the action of steroidogenic agents

Most steroidogenic agents which bind to cell surface receptors activate adenylate cyclase and/or phospholipase C. Activation of either signaling system may also be associated with rapid increases in de novo phospholipid synthesis, but it is at present uncertain whether this is a secondary or parallel event. Activation of phospholipase C leads to hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4',5'-PO4 (PIP2) and generation of two second messengers, inositol-triphosphate and diacylglycerol (DAG), which mobilize Ca2+ and activate protein kinase C, respectively. Increases in de novo phospholipid synthesis lead to rapid increases in phosphatidic acid, DAG and C-kinase activity. The PIP2-phospholipase C system appears to initiate the steroidogenic response to certain agents, such as angiotensin-II, and this may be amplified by concomitant increases in phospholipid synthesis. With other agonists, the role of phospholipase C activation and de novo phospholipid (and DAG) synthesis is less certain. In some tissues, activation of protein kinase C by exogeneously added DAG analogues provokes an increase in steroidogenesis. However, this is not observed in other tissues, and it is uncertain whether this rules out involvement of the C-kinase system for steroidogenesis in these tissues, or whether endogenously produced DAG is a more effective activator of the relevant C-kinase system then exogenously added DAG analogues. The role of other potential intracellular signaling substances that may be derived from phospholipase C activation and de novo phospholipid synthesis is also at present uncertain, as are the interrelationships between these two phospholipid responses, cyclic nucleotides, and other steroidogenic factors.

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.

The de novo phospholipid effect of insulin is associated with increases in diacylglycerol, but not inositol phosphates or cytosolic Ca2+

We have previously reported that insulin increases the synthesis de novo of phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and diacylglycerol (DAG) in BC3H-1 myocytes and/or rat adipose tissue. Here we have further characterized these effects of insulin and examined whether there are concomitant changes in inositol phosphate generation and Ca2+ mobilization. We found that insulin provoked very rapid increases in PI content (20% within 15 s in myocytes) and, after a slight lag, PIP and PIP2 content in both BC3H-1 myocytes and rat fat pads (measured by increases in 32P or 3H content after prelabelling phospholipids to constant specific radioactivity by prior incubation with 32Pi or [3H]inositol). Insulin also increased 32Pi incorporation into these phospholipids when 32Pi was added either simultaneously with insulin or 1 h after insulin. Thus, the insulin-induced increase in phospholipid content appeared to be due to an increase in phospholipid synthesis, which was maintained for at least 2 h. Insulin increased DAG content in BC3H-1 myocytes and adipose tissue, but failed to increase the levels of inositol monophosphate (IP), inositol bisphosphate (IP2) or inositol trisphosphate (IP3). The failure to observe an increase in IP3 (a postulated 'second messenger' which mobilizes intracellular Ca2+) was paralleled by a failure to observe an insulin-induced increase in the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ in BC3H-1 myocytes as measured by Quin 2 fluorescence. Like insulin, the phorbol diester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) increased the transport of 2-deoxyglucose and aminoisobutyric acid in BC3H-1 myocytes. These effects of insulin and TPA appeared to be independent of extracellular Ca2+. We conclude that the phospholipid synthesis de novo effect of insulin is provoked very rapidly, and is attended by increases in DAG but not IP3 or Ca2+ mobilization. The insulin-induced increase in DAG does not appear to be a consequence of phospholipase C acting upon the expanded PI + PIP + PIP2 pool, but may be derived directly from PA. Our findings suggest the possibility that DAG (through protein kinase C activation) may function as an important intracellular 'messenger' for controlling metabolic processes during insulin action.

The effects of ACTH, serotonin, K+ and angiotensin analogues on 32P incorporation into phospholipids of the rat adrenal cortex: basis for an assay method using zona glomerulosa cells

The effects of various concentrations of serotonin, ACTH, K+, angiotensin II (AII), angiotensin III (AIII) and [Sar1]angiotensin II (SAII) on steroidogenesis and the incorporation of 32P (after preincubation to near equilibrium with the ATP pool) into phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a preparation of capsular cells from rat adrenals, consisting of 95% zona glomerulosa (z.g.) and 5% zona fasciculata plus reticularis (z.f.r.) cells, were investigated. Serotonin and ACTH stimulated steroidogenesis in the usual manner but had little or no effect on 32P incorporation into any of the three phospholipids. However, AII, AIII and SAII stimulated steroidogenesis and also 32P incorporation into PA and PI (maximally to about 280% of control values) but not into PC. These results taken together with other data on effects on the cAMP output and Ca2+ fluxes of z.g. cells suggest that stimulation by ACTH and serotonin is mediated by cAMP as second messenger. However, the angiotensins probably act through Ca2+, with associated changes in phospholipid metabolism. The 32P incorporation into PA as a function of lg concentration of AII was linear and showed a reasonable index of precision (0.36 +/- 0.03, eight experiments, 0.23 +/- 0.02 for a further eight experiments) and correlation with steroidogenesis. The corresponding incorporation into PI showed a maximum effect and a much poorer index of precision (1.02 +/- 0.30 (4.69 +/- 3.7] over the same full range of AII concentration used. The effects of AIII and SAII showed similar characteristics for 32P incorporation into both PA and PI, but, as for stimulation of steroidogenesis, at higher concentrations for AIII than for AII. The effects of different doses of AII, AIII and ACTH on the corticosterone output and 32P incorporation into PA, PI and PC of a preparation of cells, consisting of more than 98% z.f.r. cells, from rat decapsulated adrenals were also studied. ACTH, at low doses, which nevertheless markedly stimulated corticosterone output, had a small (maximally to about 125% of control values) but significant effect on 32P incorporation into PA, PI and PC. The maximum effect was usually at about 10(-10) M ACTH and was not significant at 10(-8) M.