Nutrient stimulation results in a rapid Ca2+-dependent threonine phosphorylation of myosin heavy chain in rat pancreatic islets and RINm5F cells

The skeleton in the closet: actin cytoskeletal remodeling in β-cell function

Over the last few decades, biomedical research has considered not only the function of single cells but also the importance of the physical environment within a whole tissue, including cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Cytoskeleton organization and focal adhesions are crucial sensors for cells that enable them to rapidly communicate with the physical extracellular environment in response to extracellular stimuli, ensuring proper function and adaptation. The involvement of the microtubular-microfilamentous cytoskeleton in secretion mechanisms was proposed almost 50 years ago, since when the evolution of ever more sensitive and sophisticated methods in microscopy and in cell and molecular biology have led us to become aware of the importance of cytoskeleton remodeling for cell shape regulation and its crucial link with signaling pathways leading to β-cell function. Emerging evidence suggests that dysfunction of cytoskeletal components or extracellular matrix modification influences a number of disorders through potential actin cytoskeleton disruption that could be involved in the initiation of multiple cellular functions. Perturbation of β-cell actin cytoskeleton remodeling could arise secondarily to islet inflammation and fibrosis, possibly accounting in part for impaired β-cell function in type 2 diabetes. This review focuses on the role of actin remodeling in insulin secretion mechanisms and its close relationship with focal adhesions and myosin II.

Glibenclamide treatment modulates the expression and localization of myosin-IIB in diabetic rat brain

BACKGROUND

Myosin-IIB is a non-muscle isoform in the brain with increased expression in the brains of diabetic rats. Chronic hyperglycemia caused by diabetes can impair learning and memory. Oral hypoglycemic agents such as glibenclamide have been used to control hyperglycemia. We report changes in the expression and distribution of myosin-IIB in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide.

METHODS

The brains were removed after 43 days of treatment with glibenclamide (6 mg/kg bw orally), homogenized and analyzed by Western blotting, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Myosin-IIB expression increased in the brains of diabetic rats. However, protein expression returned to control levels when treated with glibenclamide. In addition, the expression of MYH10 gene encoding non-muscle myosin heavy chain-B decreased in diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide. Moreover, we found weak myosin-IIB labeling in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats treated with glibenclamide. Therefore, the expression of myosin-IIB is affected by diabetes mellitus and may be modulated by glibenclamide treatment in rats. Structural changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are reversible, and glibenclamide treatment may reduce the patho-physiological changes in the brain.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings can contribute to the understanding of the regulation of myosins in the brains of diabetic rats.

Regulation of myosin IIA and filamentous actin during insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Insulin stimulated glucose uptake requires the colocalization of myosin IIA (MyoIIA) and the insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) at the plasma membrane for proper GLUT4 fusion. MyoIIA facilitates filamentous actin (F-actin) reorganization in various cell types. In adipocytes F-actin reorganization is required for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. What is not known is whether MyoIIA interacts with F-actin to regulate insulin-induced GLUT4 fusion at the plasma membrane. To elucidate the relationship between MyoIIA and F-actin, we examined the colocalization of MyoIIA and F-actin at the plasma membrane upon insulin stimulation as well as the regulation of this interaction. Our findings demonstrated that MyoIIA and F-actin colocalized at the site of GLUT4 fusion with the plasma membrane upon insulin stimulation. Furthermore, inhibition of MyoII with blebbistatin impaired F-actin localization at the plasma membrane. Next we examined the regulatory role of calcium in MyoIIA-F-actin colocalization. Reduced calcium or calmodulin levels decreased colocalization of MyoIIA and F-actin at the plasma membrane. While calcium alone can translocate MyoIIA it did not stimulate F-actin accumulation at the plasma membrane. Taken together, we established that while MyoIIA activity is required for F-actin localization at the plasma membrane, it alone is insufficient to localize F-actin to the plasma membrane.

Non-muscle myosin IIA is involved in focal adhesion and actin remodelling controlling glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Actin and focal adhesion (FA) remodelling are essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Non-muscle myosin II (NM II) isoforms have been implicated in such remodelling in other cell types, and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing kinase (ROCK) are upstream regulators of NM II, which is known to be involved in GSIS. The aim of this work was to elucidate the implication and regulation of NM IIA and IIB in beta cell actin and FA remodelling, granule trafficking and GSIS.

METHODS

Inhibitors of MLCK, ROCK and NM II were used to study NM II activity, and knockdown of NM IIA and IIB to determine isoform specificity, using sorted primary rat beta cells. Insulin was measured by radioimmunoassay. Protein phosphorylation and subcellular distribution were determined by western blot and confocal immunofluorescence. Dynamic changes were monitored by live cell imaging and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy using MIN6B1 cells.

RESULTS

NM II and MLCK inhibition decreased GSIS, associated with shortening of peripheral actin stress fibres, and reduced numbers of FAs and insulin granules in close proximity to the basal membrane. By contrast, ROCK inhibition increased GSIS and caused disassembly of glucose-induced central actin stress fibres, resulting in large FAs without any effect on FA number. Only glucose-induced NM IIA reorganisation was blunted by MLCK inhibition. NM IIA knockdown decreased GSIS, levels of FA proteins and glucose-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our data indicate that MLCK-NM IIA may modulate translocation of secretory granules, resulting in enhanced insulin secretion through actin and FA remodelling, and regulation of FA protein levels.

Phosphorylation of nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA on Ser1917 is mediated by protein kinase C beta II and coincides with the onset of stimulated degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells

Dynamic remodeling of the actinomyosin cytoskeleton is integral to many biological processes. It is regulated, in part, by myosin phosphorylation. Nonmuscle myosin H chain IIA is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) on Ser(1917). Our aim was to determine the PKC isoform specificity of this phosphorylation event and to evaluate its potential role in regulated secretion. Using an Ab against the phosphorylated form of Ser(1917), we show that this site is not phosphorylated in unstimulated RBL-2H3 mast cells. The physiological stimulus, Ag, or the pharmacological activators, PMA plus A23187, induced Ser(1917) phosphorylation with a time course coincident with the onset of granule mediator secretion. Dephosphorylation at this site occurred as Ag-stimulated secretion declined from its peak, but dephosphorylation was delayed in cells activated with PMA plus A23187. Phosphate incorporation was also enhanced by PMA alone and by inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A. Gö6976, an inhibitor of conventional PKC isoforms, abolished secretion and Ser(1917) phosphorylation with similar dose dependencies consistent with involvement of either PKCalpha or PKCbeta. Phorbol ester-stimulated Ser(1917) phosphorylation was reconstituted in HEK-293 cells (which lack endogenous PKCbeta) by overexpression of both wild-type and constitutively active PKCbetaII but not the corresponding PKCbetaI or PKCalpha constructs. A similar selectivity for PKCbetaII overexpression was also observed in MIN6 insulinoma cells infected with recombinant PKC wild-type adenoviruses. Our results implicate PKC-dependent phosphorylation of myosin H chain IIA in the regulation of secretion in mast cells and suggest that Ser(1917) phosphorylation might be a marker of PKCbetaII activation in diverse cell types.

The role of cytoskeleton in glucose regulation

Cytoskeleton plays an important role in glucose regulation, mainly in the following three aspects. First, cytoskeleton regulates insulin secretion by guiding intracellular transport of insulin-containing vesicles and regulating release of insulin. Second, cytoskeleton is involved in insulin action by regulating distribution of insulin receptor substrate, GLUT4 translocation, and internalization of insulin receptor. In addition, cytoskeleton directs the intracellular distribution of glucose metabolism related enzymes including glycogen synthase and many glycolysis enzymes.

TRPM7, a novel regulator of actomyosin contractility and cell adhesion

Actomyosin contractility regulates various cell biological processes including cytokinesis, adhesion and migration. While in lower eukaryotes, alpha-kinases control actomyosin relaxation, a similar role for mammalian alpha-kinases has yet to be established. Here, we examined whether TRPM7, a cation channel fused to an alpha-kinase, can affect actomyosin function. We demonstrate that activation of TRPM7 by bradykinin leads to a Ca(2+)- and kinase-dependent interaction with the actomyosin cytoskeleton. Moreover, TRPM7 phosphorylates the myosin IIA heavy chain. Accordingly, low overexpression of TRPM7 increases intracellular Ca2+ levels accompanied by cell spreading, adhesion and the formation of focal adhesions. Activation of TRPM7 induces the transformation of these focal adhesions into podosomes by a kinase-dependent mechanism, an effect that can be mimicked by pharmacological inhibition of myosin II. Collectively, our results demonstrate that regulation of cell adhesion by TRPM7 is the combined effect of kinase-dependent and -independent pathways on actomyosin contractility.

Signaling via the angiotensin-converting enzyme results in the phosphorylation of the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA

The phosphorylation of the short C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is involved in the regulation of enzyme shedding. We determined whether the phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic domain of ACE (ACEct) on Ser1270 regulates the cleavage/secretion of the enzyme by affecting its association with other proteins. ACE was associated with beta-actin and the nonmuscle myosin heavy chain IIA (MYH9) in endothelial cells, as determined by coimmunoprecipitation experiments as well as an ACEct affinity column. The ACE-associated MYH9 immunoprecipitated from (32)P-labeled endothelial cells was basally phosphorylated and cell stimulation with ACE inhibitors, or with bradykinin, increased the phosphorylation of MYH9. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) but not protein kinase C phosphorylated MYH9 in vitro, CK2 coprecipitated with MYH9 from endothelial cells and the phosphorylation of MYH9 in intact cells paralleled the phosphorylation of ACE on Ser1270 by CK2. The CK2 inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole attenuated the phosphorylation of ACE and MYH9, disrupted their association, and enhanced the cleavage/secretion of ACE from the plasma membrane. Cytochalasin D decreased the interaction between ACE and MYH9 and stimulated ACE shedding. Although MYH9 was still able to associate with residual amounts of a nonphosphorylatable S1270A ACE mutant, no ACE inhibitor-induced increase in MYH9 phosphorylation could be detected in S1270A-expressing cells. These data indicate that the interaction of ACE with MYH9 determines ACE shedding and is modulated by phosphorylation processes. Furthermore, because ACE inhibitors affect the phosphorylation of MYH9, the phosphorylation of this class II myosin might contribute to the phenomenon of ACE signaling in endothelial cells.

Involvement of conventional kinesin in glucose-stimulated secretory granule movements and exocytosis in clonal pancreatic beta-cells

Recruitment of secretory vesicles to the cell surface is essential for the sustained secretion of insulin in response to glucose. At present, the molecular motors involved in this movement, and the mechanisms whereby they may be regulated, are undefined. To investigate the role of kinesin family members, we labelled densecore vesicles in clonal beta-cells using an adenovirally expressed, vesicle-targeted green fluorescent protein (phogrin.EGFP), and employed immunoadsorption to obtain highly purified insulin-containing vesicles. Whereas several kinesin family members were expressed in this cell type, only conventional kinesin heavy chain (KHC) was detected in vesicle preparations. Expression of a dominant-negative KHC motor domain (KHC(mut)) blocked all vesicular movements with velocity >0.4 micro m second(-1), which demonstrates that kinesin activity was essential for vesicle motility in live beta-cells. Moreover, expression of KHC(mut) strongly inhibited the sustained, but not acute, stimulation of secretion by glucose. Finally, vesicle movement was stimulated by ATP dose-dependently in permeabilized cells, which suggests that glucose-induced increases in cytosolic [ATP] mediate the effects of the sugar in vivo, by enhancing kinesin activity. These data therefore provide evidence for a novel mechanism whereby glucose may enhance insulin release.

Insulin release and suppression by tacrolimus, rapamycin and cyclosporin A are through regulation of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel

AIM

By focusing on the pancreatic beta cell response to tacrolimus, cyclosporin A (CsA) and rapamycin we hoped to identify immunophilin, calcineurin and/or novel mechanism involvement and advance the understanding of immunosuppressant regulated insulin control.

METHODS

A glucose responsive beta cell model was established in which the glucose response was blocked by immunosuppressant treatment and this model was used to further characterise this effect. Quantification of insulin release to immunosuppressants and specific inhibitors was used to identify the mechanism involved.

RESULTS

It was found that upon the addition of tacrolimus, rapamycin, or CsA, rapid and significant exocytosis of cellular insulin was seen. A dose response study of this effect revealed optimal concentration windows of 50- 80 nm for tacrolimus, 100-300 nm for rapamycin, and 7-12 mm for CsA in RIN-5F cells. Optimal insulin release for HIT-T15 cells was similar. Additional experiments demonstrate that immunosuppressant pretreatment blocked the subsequent immunosuppressant induced insulin release but not that of a thapsigargin control, suggesting that suppression and release are non-toxic, specific and in the same pathway. Further experiments showed that this insulin release was a calcium dependent process, which was blocked by inhibitors of l-type calcium channels. Continued studies showed that the specific ATP-sensitive potassium channel agonist diazoxide (150 mm) also blocked immunosuppressant-induced insulin release.

CONCLUSIONS

A model that fits this data is a novel calcineurin-independent immunophilin mediated partial closing of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, which would lead to an initial insulin release but would reduce subsequent responses through this pathway.

Nutrient-secretion coupling in the pancreatic islet beta-cell: recent advances

Insulin secretion from pancreatic islet beta-cells is a tightly regulated process, under the close control of blood glucose concentrations, and several hormones and neurotransmitters. Defects in glucose-triggered insulin secretion are ultimately responsible for the development of type II diabetes, a condition in which the total beta-cell mass is essentially unaltered, but beta-cells become progressively "glucose blind" and unable to meet the enhanced demand for insulin resulting for peripheral insulin resistance. At present, the mechanisms by which glucose (and other nutrients including certain amino acids) trigger insulin secretion in healthy individuals are understood only in part. It is clear, however, that the metabolism of nutrients, and the generation of intracellular signalling molecules including the products of mitochondrial metabolism, probably play a central role. Closure of ATP-sensitive K+(K(ATP)) channels in the plasma membrane, cell depolarisation, and influx of intracellular Ca2+, then prompt the "first phase" on insulin release. However, recent data indicate that glucose also enhances insulin secretion through mechanisms which do not involve a change in K(ATP) channel activity, and seem likely to underlie the second, sustained phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In this review, I will discuss recent advances in our understanding of each of these signalling processes.

A redistribution of actin and myosin IIA accompanies Ca(2+)-dependent insulin secretion

The study addressed the functional link between remodelling of the actomyosin cytoskeleton in pancreatic beta-cells and the regulation of insulin secretion. Confocal microscopy revealed that myosin heavy chain (MHC) IIA co-localized very well with filamentous (F)-actin in RINm5F cells but MHCIIB did not. Subcellular localization of MHCIIB was not altered by stimulation with 30 mM KCl (which evokes Ca(2+)-dependent insulin secretion). In contrast MHCIIA redistributed in a manner similar to F-actin, especially towards the apical surface, but also away from peripheral regions towards cell contact points on the basal surface. Finally, Ca(2+)-dependent insulin secretion was inhibited by stabilization of actin filaments with jasplakinolide. The results support a role for the MHCIIA/actin cytoskeleton in regulating insulin secretion.

Targeted protein kinase A and PP-2B regulate insulin secretion through reversible phosphorylation

Protein kinases and phosphatases play key roles in integrating signals from various insulin secretagogues. In this study, we show that the activities of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and the calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, PP-2B are coordinated resulting in the regulation of insulin secretion. Transient inhibition of PP-2B, using the immunosuppressant FK506, increased forskolin stimulated insulin secretion by 2.5-fold +/- 0.3 (n = 6) in rat islets and RINm5F cells. Surprisingly, forskolin treatment resulted in the dephosphorylation of the vesicle-associated protein synapsin 1 and increased PP-2B activity by 2.98 +/- 0.97-fold (n = 4). One potential explanation for the observed coordination of PKA and PP-2B activity is their colocalization through a mutual anchoring protein, AKAP79/150. Accordingly, RINm5F cells expressing AKAP79 exhibited decreased insulin secretion, reduced PP-2B activity and were insensitive to FK506. This suggests that AKAP targeting of PKA and PP-2B maintains a signal transduction complex that may regulate reversible phosphorylation events involved in insulin secretion.

Antipsychotic treatment induces alterations in dendrite- and spine-associated proteins in dopamine-rich areas of the primate cerebral cortex

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence indicates that long-term treatment with antipsychotic medications can alter the morphology and connectivity of cellular processes in the cerebral cortex. The cytoskeleton plays an essential role in the maintenance of cellular morphology and is subject to regulation by intracellular pathways associated with neurotransmitter receptors targeted by antipsychotic drugs.

METHODS

We have examined whether chronic treatment with the antipsychotic drug haloperidol interferes with phosphorylation state and tissue levels of a major dendritic cytoskeleton-stabilizing agent, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), as well as levels of the dendritic spine-associated protein spinophilin and the synaptic vesicle-associated protein synaptophysin in various regions of the cerebral cortex of rhesus monkeys.

RESULTS

Among the cortical areas examined, the prefrontal, orbital, cingulate, motor, and entorhinal cortices displayed significant decreases in levels of spinophilin, and with the exception of the motor cortex, each of these regions also exhibited increases in the phosphorylation of MAP2. No changes were observed in either spinophilin levels or MAP2 phosphorylation in the primary visual cortex. Also, no statistically significant changes were found in tissue levels of MAP2 or synaptophysin in any of the cortical regions examined.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that long-term haloperidol exposure alters neuronal cytoskeleton- and spine-associated proteins, particularly in dopamine-rich regions of the primate cerebral cortex, many of which have been implicated in the psychopathology of schizophrenia. The ability of haloperidol to regulate cytoskeletal proteins should be considered in evaluating the mechanisms of both its palliative actions and its side effects.

Beta-granule transport and exocytosis

Regulated beta -granule exocytosis is critical for the ability of the beta -cell to finely control body glucose homeostasis. This is now understood to be a multistage process whereby beta -granules are transported from biosynthetic/storage sites in the cell cytoplasm and targeted to specific regions of the plasma membrane. Exocytosis is achieved when these granules are triggered to fuse with the membrane by an elevated cytosolic Ca(2+). Dramatic advances have been made recently in our understanding of the protein-protein interactions and regulatory signals that govern intracellular transport and fusion. Although best understood for exocytosis from neurons and neuroendocrine cells, similar processes are thought to be conserved in the beta -cell.

Threonine phosphorylations induced by RX-871024 and insulin secretagogues in betaTC6-F7 cells

Treatment of the pancreatic beta-cell line betaTC6-F7 with an imidazoline compound, RX-871024, KCl, or tolbutamide resulted in increased threonine phosphorylation of a 220-kDa protein (p220) concurrent with enhanced insulin secretion, which can be partially antagonized by diazoxide, an ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel activator. Although phosphorylation of p220 was regulated by cytoplasmic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), membrane depolarization alone was not sufficient to induce phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of p220 also was not directly mediated by protein kinase A, protein kinase C, or insulin exocytosis. Analysis of subcellular fractions indicated that p220 is a hydrophilic protein localized exclusively in the cytosol. Subsequently, p220 was purified to homogeneity, sequenced, and identified as nonmuscle myosin heavy chain-A (MHC-A). Stimulation of threonine phosphorylation of nonmuscle MHC-A by KCl treatment also resulted in increased phosphorylation of a 40-kDa protein, which was coimmunoprecipitated by antibody to MHC-A. Our results suggest that both nonmuscle MHC-A and the 40-kDa protein may play roles in regulating signal transduction, leading to insulin secretion.

Rac regulates phosphorylation of the myosin-II heavy chain, actinomyosin disassembly and cell spreading

GTPases of the Rho family regulate actinomyosin-based contraction in non-muscle cells. Activation of Rho increases contractility, leading to cell rounding and neurite retraction in neuronal cell lines. Activation of Rac promotes cell spreading and interferes with Rho-mediated cell rounding. Here we show that activation of Rac may antagonize Rho by regulating phosphorylation of the myosin-II heavy chain. Stimulation of PC12 cells or N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells with bradykinin induces phosphorylation of threonine residues in the myosin-II heavy chain; this phosphorylation is Ca2+ dependent and regulated by Rac. Both bradykinin-mediated and constitutive activation of Rac promote cell spreading, accompanied by a loss of cortical myosin II. Our results identify the myosin-II heavy chain as a new target of Rac-regulated kinase pathways, and implicate Rac as a Rho antagonist during myosin-II-dependent cell-shape changes.