Fc-gamma- and complement receptor mediated elevation in the cytosolic calcium level in human neutrophils

Release and activation of matrix metalloproteinase 8 from human neutrophils triggered by the leukotoxin of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP 8) degrades type I collagen and may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Latent MMP 8 is stored in neutrophil granules and can be activated when released extracellularly. The periodontitis-associated bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans produces an RTX-toxin, leukotoxin, that degranulates and lyses human neutrophils. This study deals with the ability of leukotoxic A. actinomycetemcomitans to trigger the release and activation of MMP 8. Whole bacteria of three A. actinomycetemcomitans strains or leukotoxin purified from the highly toxic strain HK 1519 were incubated with human neutrophils. The extracellularly released latent and active forms of MMP 8 were detected by an immunoblot technique using specific antibodies against the protease. The activity of MMP 8 was determined by a collagen degradation assay. All strains induced release and activation of MMP 8. The effect was more pronounced under aerobic than anaerobic conditions and correlated with the leukotoxicity of the strains. Pure leukotoxin also induced MMP 8 release and activation in a concentration-dependent manner. Under aerobic conditions, oxidising substances formed by the neutrophils contributed to the rapid activation of the latent enzyme. Upon anaerobic incubation, the activation was slow and mainly caused by other proteases released during neutrophil degranulation. The activation was totally abolished in the presence of serum, probably due to the serum-protease inhibitors. Compared to the calcium ionophore A 23187, a well-known stimulus of neutrophil degranulation, leukotoxin was a more powerful inducer of MMP 8 release, since it triggered the process at a 1000-fold lower concentration. The present findings reveal a specific mechanism that can be induced by A. actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin and which may contribute to the degradation of periodontal tissues under certain conditions.

Biphasic formation of inositol phosphates in opsonized zymosan-stimulated human neutrophils

Stimulation by serum-opsonized zymosan (SOZ) typically causes a biphasic rise in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of human neutrophils. It consists of an initial slow Ca2+ release from internal pools lasting for 60 s, followed by a rapid but sustained influx of Ca2+. It was the aim of this study to elucidate the underlying mechanism of this atypical Ca2+ response. For this reason we analysed the production of inositol phosphates (InsPs) in myo-[3H]inositol labelled cells. Stimulation by SOZ within 10 s transiently elevated inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) by 1.50-fold. This response was followed by a second, more sustained 1.55-fold rise in InsP3 by 90 s. A similar, biphasic pattern of inositol tetrakisphosphate (InsP4) formation with 1.15- and 1.35-fold increases, respectively, was observed. The SOZ-induced formation of InsP3 was unaffected by the removal of extracellular Ca2+ by 1.4 mM EGTA. In contrast, the early accumulation of InsP4 was stronger and more prolonged and no second rise over the baseline level was seen in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Under these conditions, the sudden exposure of Fura-2 AM loaded, SOZ-stimulated neutrophils to extracellular Ca2+ at a time point where InsP4 was the predominant InsP resulted in a marked increase in [Ca2+]i. Recalcification at a time point when InsP3 was the major InsP had no effect on [Ca2+]i. These findings suggest that in SOZ-stimulated neutrophils (1) the transient, first accumulation of InsP3 mediates the slow Ca2+ release from internal pools, and (2) the second, more pronounced formation of InsP4 triggers the Ca2+ influx.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)