Anti-apoptotic role of phospholipase D in spontaneous and delayed apoptosis of human neutrophils

Human neutrophils communicate remotely via calcium-dependent glutamate-induced glutamate release

Neutrophils are white blood cells that are critical to acute inflammatory and adaptive immune responses. Their swarming-pattern behavior is controlled by multiple cellular cascades involving calcium-dependent release of various signaling molecules. Previous studies have reported that neutrophils express glutamate receptors and can release glutamate but evidence of direct neutrophil-neutrophil communication has been elusive. Here, we hold semi-suspended cultured human neutrophils in patch-clamp whole-cell mode to find that calcium mobilization induced by stimulating one neutrophil can trigger an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-driven membrane current and calcium signal in neighboring neutrophils. We employ an enzymatic-based imaging assay to image, in real time, glutamate release from neutrophils induced by glutamate released from their neighbors. These observations provide direct evidence for a positive-feedback inter-neutrophil communication that could contribute to mechanisms regulating communal neutrophil behavior.

Potential link between MHC-self-peptide presentation and hematopoiesis; the analysis of HLA-DR expression in CD34-positive cells and self-peptide presentation repertoires of MHC molecules associated with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The mechanisms of MHC allele associations with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and its aplastic anemia subtype (AA/PNH) remain unclear. It might be dependent on MHC molecule functional properties, such as a scope and frequency of antigen sampling and presentation. For documented PNH-associated MHC alleles we analyzed current reference databases on MHC molecule-eluted peptide presentation repertoires and searched for a range of presented peptides. MHC class II expression was measured on CD34+ cells and appeared to be increased in PNH patients. Two class I alleles (HLA-A*24:02 and B*18:01) have been previously confirmed to associate with protection and increased risk of AA/PNH, respectively. Their product molecules presented immunodominant epitopes derived from proapoptotic (serine/threonine–protein phosphatase) and antiapoptotic (phospholipase D), respectively, intracellular enzymes dependent on phosphoinositide (PI) content. For total PNH and non-aplastic PNH (n/PNH) subtype-associated DRB1*15:01 and DRB1*04:01 class II molecules presentation of exceptionally broad arrays of their own peptide fragments has been found. We conclude that self antigen peptides presented with high frequency in the context of MHC molecules of increased expression may be involved in the immune recognition and the regulation of HSC in the periphery. The block in the normal plasma membrane PI production due to the PIG-A mutation can help explain the differences in the activation of intracellular regulatory pathways observed between PNH and normal HSC. This is evident in the variation in MHC association patterns and peptide presentation repertoires between these two groups of patients.

The patterns of MHC association in aplastic and non-aplastic paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The deficiency of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins in plasma membranes of PIG-A gene mutated hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is so far insufficient to explain the domination of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clone over the normal HSC. We attempted to elucidate possible link between MHC and initial severe aplastic anemia (ISAA/PNH) type and non-aplastic (n/PNH) outcome of PNH. In 50 PNH patients assigned as ISAA/PNH (n = 13), n/PNH (n = 33) or nonassigned (n = 4) and 200 ethnically matched controls we analyzed MHC associations. Our data confirmed strong associations of DRB1*15:01 (RR = 3.51, p = 0.0011) and DQB1*06:02 (RR = 7.09, p = 0.000026) alleles, especially with n/PNH subtype. B*18:01 allele was associated with increased risk of ISAA/PNH subtype (RR = 5.25, p = 0.0028). We conclude that both class II and class I MHC alleles are associated with different subsets of PNH. Clonal selection of PIG-A mutated cells with cognate metabolic block is associated with MHC class II alleles DRB1*15:01 and DQB1*06:02 independent from initial severe AA clone selection. MHC class I molecule B*18:01 can additionally influence the domination of PNH clone in PNH subjects with initial severe aplastic anemia.

Identification of caspase 3 motifs and critical aspartate residues in human phospholipase D1b and phospholipase D2a

Stimulation of mammalian cells frequently initiates phospholipase D-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in the plasma membrane to yield phosphatidic acid (PA) a novel lipid messenger. PA plays a regulatory role in important cellular processes such as secretion, cellular shape change, and movement. A number of studies have highlighted that PLD-based signaling also plays a pro-mitogenic and pro-survival role in cells and therefore anti-apoptotic. We show that human PLD1b and PLD2a contain functional caspase 3 cleavage sites and identify the critical aspartate residues within PLD1b that affect its activation by phorbol esters and attenuate phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis during apoptosis.

Apoptosis of human neutrophils induced by protein phosphatase 1/2A inhibition is caspase-independent and serine protease-dependent

Protein phosphatase (PP) activity is associated with the regulation of apoptosis in neutrophils. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism(s) in apoptosis remain unclear. The type of cell death induced by okadaic acid (OA), the inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A, is characterized by apoptotic morphological changes of the cells and annexin V-positive staining without DNA fragmentation. The apoptotic effects of OA and calyculin A on neutrophils were observed at concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 nM, or 10 to 50 nM, respectively. Cyclosporine A (a PP2B specific inhibitor), however, did not exhibit any pro-apoptotic effects. OA and calyculin A, but not cyclosporine A, exhibited significant effects on protein levels and on the electrophoretic mobility of Mcl-1. zVAD-fmk, a pancaspase inhibitor, failed to inhibit the effect of OA on the caspase-3 activity, procaspase-3 processing, and the apoptotic rate of neutrophils. However, 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonylfluoride (AEBSF), a general serine protease inhibitor, significantly abrogated the OA-induced mobility shift in procaspase-3, caspase-3 activation, and the apoptotic morphological changes in neutrophils. Moreover, OA enhanced the serine protease activity of the neutrophils. The addition of the proteinase-3 protein increased the rate of neutrophil apoptosis, which was also blocked by AEBSF but not by zVAD-fmk. These results suggest that OA induces procaspase-3 processing but that OA-induced apoptosis is caspase-independent and serine protease-dependent.

Pathophysiological aspects of functional modulation of human peripheral blood neutrophils with propranolol

We studied the effect of beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol on the regulation of spontaneous apoptosis in neutrophils, priming of lipopolysaccharide-treated neutrophils, and expression of neutrophil adhesion factors. The influence of propranolol on apoptosis, adhesion, and generation of oxygen radicals by neutrophils was shown to be an additional mechanism of the action of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. This pathophysiological mechanism probably mediates the effect of neuroendocrine transmitters and explains the role of adrenergic antagonists in the pathogenesis and therapy of inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and bronchial asthma.

Role of phospholipase D2 in anti-apoptotic signaling through increased expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL

We have previously reported that Fas-resistant A20 cells (FasR) have phospholipase D (PLD) activity upregulated by endogenous PLD2 overexpression. In the present study, we investigated how overexpressed PLD2 in FasR could generate survival signals by regulating the protein levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. To confirm the effect of PLD2 on Bcl-2 protein levels, we transfected PLD2 into wild-type murine B lymphoma A20 cells. The transfected cells showed markedly the increases in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein levels, and became resistant to Fas-induced apoptosis, similar to FasR. Treatment of wild-type A20 cells with phosphatidic acid (PA), the metabolic end product of PLD2 derived from phosphatidylcholin, markedly increased levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins. Moreover, PA-induced expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were enhanced by propranolol, an inhibitor of PA phospholydrolase (PAP), whereas completely blocked by mepacrine, an inhibitor of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), suggesting that PLA(2) metabolite of PA is responsible for the increases in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein levels. We further confirmed the involvement of arachidonic acid (AA) in PA-induced survival signals by showing that 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate (DPPA), PA without AA, was unable to increase Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins. Moreover, PA notably increased cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protein expression, and PA-induced expression of both Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL was inhibited by NS-398, a specific inhibitor of COX-2. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PA generated by PLD2 plays an important role in cell survival during Fas-mediated apoptosis through the increased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein levels which resulted from PLA(2) and AA-COX2 pathway.

Delayed apoptosis and modulation of phospholipase D activity by plasmid containing mammalian cDNA in human neutrophils

Phospholipase D (PLD) has been reported to have an anti-apoptotic role in neutrophils. This study examined the effects of plasmids containing the cDNA of PLD on the apoptosis of neutrophils. The apoptotic rate of neutrophils treated with the pCDNA3.1 plasmid was similar to that of the untreated cells after 24 h culture. However, the addition of pCDNA3.1 containing the cDNA of either human PLD1 (pCDNA3.1-PLD1) or -PLD2 (pCDNA3.1-PLD2) to the culture media with or without transfection reagent significantly decreased the rate of spontaneous apoptosis but not Fas-stimulated apoptosis and the decreased apoptosis was blocked by 1-butanol. pCDNA3.1-PLD blocked the cleavage of procaspase-3 and -8. The phorbol myristate acetate stimulated the PLD activities of pCDNA3.1-PLD-treated neutrophils but did not stimulate the activities of untreated or pCDNA3.1-treated neutrophils. The level of the PLD1 protein was higher in the cultured neutrophils with pCDNA3.1-PLD than with the media or pCDNA3.1. The spontaneous apoptosis of neutrophils was inhibited and the PLD1 expression level was increased by the linearized or promoterless forms of pCDNA3.1-PLD1 and the plasmids containing the cDNA of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (pEGFP) and EGFP-PLD1. These results suggest that the plasmids containing mammalian cDNA inhibit the spontaneous apoptosis of neutrophils and modulate PLD.

Phosphatidic acid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induce the expression of CD83 through mitogen activated protein kinase pathway in a CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell line, KG1

To elucidate the signaling pathways involved in the expression of CD83, which is linked to the differentiation and maturation states of dendritic cells, we examined the effect of phosphatidic acid (PA) on the expression of CD83 in KG1, a CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cell. In the presence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, PA but not lyso-PA up-regulated CD83 on KG1 cells. Moreover, PA and TNF-alpha-induced expression of CD83 was slightly increased by propranolol, an inhibitor of PA phosphohydrolase but was unaffected by phospholipase A2 inhibitor. PA and TNF-alpha increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2, p38-kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) by Western blotting. However, the up-regulation of CD83 by PA/TNF-alpha on KG1 was significantly abrogated by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK kinase, but was enhanced by SP600125, a JNK inhibitor. Bis-indolylmaleimide, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, partially blocked the up-regulation of CD83 and ERK phosphorylation induced by PA and TNF-alpha. Moreover, the incubation of KG1 cells with phorbol ester and TNF-alpha for 5 days increased the protein level of phospholipase D. These results suggest that PA and TNF-alpha induce the up-regulation of CD83 and that their action is regulated by ERK and JNK.

Increased expression of phospholipase D in the heart with experimental autoimmune myocarditis in Lewis rats

The expression of phospholipase D (PLD) in the hearts of rats with experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) was studied to elucidate the functional role of PLD in the pathogenesis of EAM. Western blot analysis showed that the level of the PLD1 isoform was significantly increased in the hearts of rats with EAM on days 14, 17 and 21 postimmunization (pi) (P < 0.01; control vs EAM at 14 pi, 17 pi and 21 pi). The phenotypes of cells exhibiting increased PLD1 expression were primarily inflammatory cells, including ED1 positive macrophages, in the inflammatory EAM lesions. Some cardiomyocytes also showed increased PLD1 immunoreaction in and around EAM lesions. Some PLD1-positive cells were also positive for proliferating cell nuclear antigen in some cardiomyocytes or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling in some macrophages, suggesting that PLD1 positive cells have a capacity for proliferation or apoptosis depending on cell types in the target organ. Thus, it is postulated that increased expression of PLD1 in EAM may support an early inflammatory response in proliferating inflammatory cells, and its expression in cardiomyocytes may help them to survive by activation of survival factors in hearts with EAM.

Calphostin-C induction of vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis proceeds through phospholipase D and microtubule inhibition

Calphostin-C, a protein kinase C inhibitor, induces apoptosis of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the mechanisms are not completely defined. Because apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells is critical in several proliferating vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty, we decided to investigate the mechanisms underlying the calphostin-C-induced apoptotic pathway. We show here that apoptosis is inhibited by the addition of exogenous phosphatidic acid, a metabolite of phospholipase D (PLD), and that calphostin-C inhibits completely the activities of both isoforms of PLD, PLD1 and PLD2. Overexpression of either PLD1 or PLD2 prevented the vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal but not the calphostin-C-elicited apoptosis. These data suggest that PLDs have anti-apoptotic effects and that complete inhibition of PLD activity by calphostin-C induces smooth muscle cell apoptosis. We also report that calphostin-C induced microtubule disruption and that the addition of exogenous phosphatidic acid inhibits calphostin-C effects on microtubules, suggesting a role for PLD in stabilizing the microtubule network. Overexpressing PLD2 in Chinese hamster ovary cells phenocopies this result, providing strong support for the hypothesis. Finally, taxol, a microtubule stabilizer, not only inhibited the calphostin-C-induced microtubule disruption but also inhibited apoptosis. We therefore conclude that calphostin-C induces apoptosis of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells through inhibiting PLD activity and subsequent microtubule polymerization.

Pro-apoptotic effect of high concentrations of histamine on human neutrophils

Histamine receptors are expressed on neutrophils, and therefore, are likely to modulate neutrophil function. In this study, we investigated whether histamine modulates human neutrophil survival. Neutrophils were found to rapidly undergo spontaneous apoptosis upon culture in vitro and this was accelerated by high concentrations of histamine. Moreover, the percentage of apoptotic neutrophils was also markedly increased by treating with 10 mM histamine in the presence of inflammatory mediators, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP), or dexamethasone. Histamine-induced neutrophil apoptosis was inhibited by pyrilamine, a histamine receptor 1 antagonist, and by ranitidine, a selective histamine receptor 2 antagonist. In addition, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH-oxidase, significantly blocked the apoptotic effect of histamine. Moreover, the induction of apoptosis by histamine was almost completely inhibited by zVAD-fmk, a pan-caspase inhibitor. In addition, immunoblotting showed that histamine induced the proteolytic activation of procaspase-3 in cell lysates treated with histamine. And, the protein kinase C (PKC)-delta inhibitor, rottlerin (5 microM) significantly blocked the apoptotic effect of histamine, though the cleavage of PKC-delta in 20 h cultured neutrophils was increased by histamine. However, an inhibitor of conventional PKC, Go6976 (100 nM) and a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, SB203580 (10 microM), failed to block histamine-induced neutrophil apoptosis. These results suggest that high concentrations of histamine in local inflammatory and allergic lesions induce neutrophil apoptosis, and that this histamine-induced apoptosis is mediated by caspase activation and PKC-delta signaling.