Tyrosine kinases in neutrophils

Combined immunodeficiency and impaired PI3K signaling in a patient with biallelic LCP2 variants

BACKGROUND

Inborn errors affecting components of the T-cell receptor signaling cascade cause combined immunodeficiency with various degrees of severity. Recently, homozygous variants in LCP2 were reported to cause pediatric onset of severe combined immunodeficiency with neutrophil, platelet, and T- and B-cell defects.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to unravel the genetic cause of combined immunodeficiency and early-onset immune dysregulation in a 26-year-old man who presented with specific antibody deficiency, autoimmunity, and inflammatory bowel disease since early childhood.

METHODS

The patient was subjected to whole-exome sequencing of genomic DNA and examination of blood neutrophils, platelets, and T and B cells. Expression levels of the Src homology domain 2-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa (SLP76) and tonic and ligand-induced PI3K signaling were evaluated by flow-cytometric detection of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 in B and T cells.

RESULTS

Compound heterozygous missense variants were identified in LCP2, affecting the proline-rich repeat domain of SLP76 (p.P190R and p.R204W). The patient's total B- and T-cell numbers were within the normal range, as was platelet function. However, neutrophil function, numbers of unswitched and class-switched memory B cells, and serum IgA were decreased. Moreover, intracellular SLP76 protein levels were reduced in the patient's B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and natural killer cells. Tonic and ligand-induced levels of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 and ligand-induced phosphorylated PLCγ1 were decreased in the patient's B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Biallelic variants in LCP2 impair neutrophil function and T-cell and B-cell antigen-receptor signaling and can cause combined immunodeficiency with early-onset immune dysregulation, even in the absence of platelet defects.

Transcriptome analysis of immune response in fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) against Vibrio harveyi infection

Fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) is an important aquaculture fish species in northern China. Unfortunately, Vibrio infections have caused considerable losses to the fat greenling aquaculture industry. However, the study on immune response of fat greenling against Vibrio species has not been reported yet. In this paper, the immune response of fat greenling against V. harveyi at gene expression level was studied by transcriptome analysis. A total of 189753 high-quality unigenes with a N50 length of 672bp were obtained by transcriptome profiling, which provided abundant data for the future study of fat greenling. Comparative analysis showed that 5425 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified on day 3 post-infection (3dpi), containing 1837 up-regulated and 3588 down-regulated genes. Further annotation and analysis revealed that the DEGs were enriched in complement and coagulation cascades, ribosome, oxidative phosphorylation, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. These pathways were mainly associated with phagocytosis and pathogen clearance, rarely involved in bacteria adhesion and pathogen identification, which suggested that the host might begin to clear and kill the invading bacteria on 3dpi. The research might provide a valuable resource to further study immune response and suggest strategies against V. harveyi infection in fat greenling.

The anti-inflammatory effect of 2-(4-hydroxy-3-prop-2-enyl-phenyl)-4-prop-2-enyl-phenol by targeting Lyn kinase in human neutrophils

The undesirable respiratory burst in neutrophils can lead to inflammation and tissue damage. This study investigates the effect and the underlying mechanism of 2-(4-hydroxy-3-prop-2-enyl-phenyl)-4-prop-2-enyl-phenol (honokiol), a lignan extracted from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils (Magnoliaceae), on N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced respiratory burst in human neutrophils. Signaling pathways regulated by honokiol which modulate fMLP-induced respiratory burst and cathepsin G release were evaluated by phosphorylation of Src family kinase induced by fMLP, Src family kinases activities and by immunoblotting analysis of the downstream targets of Src kinase. Briefly, honokiol inhibited fMLP-induced superoxide anion production (IC50 = 9.80 ± 0.21 μM, n = 4), cathepsin G release (IC50 = 14.23 ± 1.43 μM, n = 4) and migration (IC50 = 5.69 ± 1.51 μM, n = 4) in a concentration dependent manner. Further, honokiol specifically suppresses fMLP-induced Lyn (a member of the Src kinase family) phosphorylation, by inhibiting Lyn kinase activity. Consequently, honokiol attenuated the downstream targets of Lyn kinase, such as Tec translocation from the cytosol to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, phosphorylation of AKT, P38, PLCγ2, protein kinase C and membrane localization of p47(phox). On the other hand, fMLP-induced phosphorylation of Hck, Fgr kinase activity (other members of Src kinase), downstream phosphorylation of Vav1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase remained unaffected. In addition, honokiol neither inhibited NADPH oxidase activity nor increased cyclic AMP levels. Honokiol is not a competitive or allosteric antagonist of fMLP. In conclusion, honokiol specifically modulates fMLP-mediated neutrophil activation by inhibiting Lyn activation which subsequently interferes with the activation of PLCγ2, AKT, p38, protein kinase C, and p47(phox).

5-Hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone inhibits N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine-induced superoxide anion production by specific modulate membrane localization of Tec with a PI3K independent mechanism in human neutrophils

Respiratory burst mediates crucial bactericidal mechanism in neutrophils. However, undesirable respiratory burst leads to pathological inflammation and tissue damage. This study investigates the effect and the underlying mechanism of 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (MCL-1), a lignan extracted from the leaves of Muntingia calabura L. (Tiliaceae), on N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced respiratory burst and cathepsin G release in human neutrophils. Signaling pathways regulated by MCL-1 to oppose fMLP-induced respiratory burst were evaluated by membrane localization of Tec induced by fMLP and by immunoblotting analysis of downstream phosphorylation targets of Tec. Briefly, MCL-1 specific inhibited fMLP-induced superoxide anion production in a concentration-dependent (IC(50)=0.16±0.01 μM) and Tec kinase-dependent manner, however, MCL-1 did not affect fMLP-induced cathepsin G release. Further, MCL-1 suppressed fMLP-induced Tec translocation from the cytosol to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, and subsequently activation of phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2). Moreover, MCL-1 attenuated PLCγ2 activity and intracellular calcium concentration notably through extracellular calcium influx. Consequently, fMLP-induced phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) and membrane localization of p47(phox) were decreased by MCL-1 in a Tec-dependent manner, while the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, AKT and Src tyrosine kinase family remained unaffected. In addition, MCL-1 neither inhibited NADPH oxidase activity nor increased cyclicAMP levels. MCL-1 specific opposes fMLP-mediated respiratory burst by inhibition of membrane localization of Tec and subsequently interfered with the activation of PLCγ2, protein kinase C, and p47(phox).

Signaling mechanisms of inhibition of phospholipase D activation by CHS-111 in formyl peptide-stimulated neutrophils

A selective phospholipase D (PLD) inhibitor 5-fluoro-2-indolyl des-chlorohalopemide (FIPI) inhibited the O(2)(-) generation and cell migration but not degranulation in formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP)-stimulated rat neutrophils. A novel benzyl indazole compound 2-benzyl-3-(4-hydroxymethylphenyl)indazole (CHS-111), which inhibited O(2)(-) generation and cell migration, also reduced the fMLP- but not phorbol ester-stimulated PLD activity (IC(50) 3.9±1.2μM). CHS-111 inhibited the interaction of PLD1 with ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) 6 and Ras homology (Rho) A, and reduced the membrane recruitment of RhoA in fMLP-stimulated cells but not in GTPγS-stimulated cell-free system. CHS-111 reduced the cellular levels of GTP-bound RhoA, membrane recruitment of Rho-associated protein kinase 1 and the downstream myosin light chain 2 phosphorylation, and attenuated the interaction between phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K) and Arf6, whereas it only slightly inhibited the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of human Dbs (DH/PH) protein and did not affect the arfaptin binding to Arf6. CHS-111 inhibited the interaction of RhoA with Vav, the membrane association and the phosphorylation of Vav. CHS-111 had no effect on the phosphorylation of Src family kinases (SFK) but attenuated the interaction of Vav with Lck, Hck, Fgr and Lyn. CHS-111 also inhibited the interaction of PLD1 with protein kinase C (PKC) α, βI and βII isoenzymes, and the phosphorylation of PLD1. These results indicate that inhibition of fMLP-stimulated PLD activity by CHS-111 is attributable to the blockade of RhoA activation via the interference with SFK-mediated Vav activation, attenuation of the interaction of Arf6 with PLD1 and PIP5K, and the activation of Ca(2+)-dependent PKC in rat neutrophils.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species as signaling molecules regulating neutrophil function

As a cornerstone of the innate immune response, neutrophils are the archetypical phagocytic cell; they actively seek out, ingest, and destroy pathogenic microorganisms. To achieve this essential role in host defense, neutrophils deploy a potent antimicrobial arsenal that includes oxidants, proteinases, and antimicrobial peptides. Importantly, oxidants produced by neutrophils, referred to in this article as reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen (RNS) species, have a dual function. On one hand they function as potent antimicrobial agents by virtue of their ability to kill microbial pathogens directly. On the other hand, they participate as signaling molecules that regulate diverse physiological signaling pathways in neutrophils. In the latter role, ROS and RNS serve as modulators of protein and lipid kinases and phosphatases, membrane receptors, ion channels, and transcription factors, including NF-kappaB. The latter regulates expression of key cytokines and chemokines that further modulate the inflammatory response. During the inflammatory response, ROS and RNS modulate phagocytosis, secretion, gene expression, and apoptosis. Under pathological circumstances such as acute lung injury and sepsis, excess production of ROS may influence vicinal cells such as endothelium or epithelium, contributing to inflammatory tissue injury. A better understanding of these pathways will help identify novel targets for amelioration of the untoward effects of inflammation.

SLP76 and SLP65: complex regulation of signalling in lymphocytes and beyond

SLP76 and SLP65 are adaptor proteins that lack intrinsic enzymatic activity but contain multiple protein-binding domains. These proteins are essential for signalling downstream of integrins and receptors that contain immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. The absence of these adaptor proteins profoundly affects various lineages in the haematopoietic compartment and severely compromises vascular development, highlighting their importance as regulators of signalling cascades. In this Review, we discuss the role of SLP76 and SLP65 in several signalling pathways in haematopoietic cells, with an emphasis on recent studies that provide insight into their mechanisms of action.

Neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells induced by platelet factor 4 requires sequential activation of Ras, Syk, and JNK MAP kinases

Signal transduction mechanisms associated with neutrophil activation by platelet factor 4 (PF4; CXCL4) are as yet poorly characterized. In a recent report, we showed that PF4-induced neutrophil functions (such as adhesion and secondary granule exocytosis) involve the activation of Src-kinases. By analyzing intracellular signals leading to adherence, we here demonstrate by several lines of evidence that in addition to Src-kinases, PF4 signaling involves the monomeric GTPase Ras, the tyrosine kinase Syk, and the MAP kinase JNK. Furthermore, on stimulation, GTPases Rac2 and RhoA were activated, and each was translocated to a different membrane compartment. As shown by inhibitor studies, Rac2 and JNK are located downstream of Syk and Ras. Most intriguingly, the latter 2 elements appear to control the activity of Rac2 and JNK independently of each other at different phases of the activation process. Although a first phase of Rac2 and JNK activation of up to 5 minutes is initiated by Ras, the second phase (5-30 minutes) depends predominantly on the activity of Syk. In summary, we describe that coordinated activity of Syk, Ras, and JNK mediates neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells and that PF4 induces sequential activation of these elements.

Increased chemoattractant induced neutrophil oxidative burst, accelerated apoptosis, and dysregulated tyrosine phosphorylation associated with lifelong bacterial infections

A boy with lifelong recurrent bacterial infection at cutaneous and mucosal sites was investigated. PMN oxidative burst to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and zymosan was normal but was increased 20- to 50-fold upon C5a or formyl-met-leu-phe (fMLP) chemoattractant stimulation, accompanied by accelerated PMN apoptosis. His PMNs showed increased constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of 21-, 25-, and 44-kDa proteins, and of src-family kinases (p59(hck), p58(fgr), and p53/56(lyn)). Phosphorylation was abnormally enhanced following fMLP stimulation. Expression and activity of the major PMN tyrosine phosphatases, i.e., CD45, CD148, and SHP-1 and -2, was normal. However, dephosphorylation of phospho-p58(fgr) and phospho-p53/56(lyn) by lysates of patient's PMNs was enhanced. Thus, another phosphatase may be overactive, perhaps dephosphorylating a regulatory (inhibitory) site on a protein tyrosine kinase, accounting for the abnormal PMN tyrosine phosphorylation and function. With age (now 13 years), T-cell lymphopenia and loss of T-cell responses developed. This appears to be a unique primary immunodeficiency with abnormal PMN oxidative and apoptotic responses to chemoattractants, dysregulated protein tyrosine phosphorylation, serious bacterial infection, and T-lymphocyte attrition.

p40phox: The last NADPH oxidase subunit

The phagocytic NADPH-oxidase is a multiprotein system activated during the inflammatory response to produce superoxide anion (O2-), which is the substrate for formation of additional reactive oxygen species (ROS). The importance of this system for innate immunity is established by chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a primary immunodeficiency caused by defects in the NADPH oxidase. In this review, we present and discuss recent knowledge about p40phox, the last NADPH oxidase component to be identified. Furthermore, its interaction with cellular pathways outside of the NADPH oxidase is discussed. Described in this review is evidence that p40phox participates in NADPH oxidase dynamics within cells, what is known about its role in the oxidase, the possibility that p40phox participates in non-NADPH oxidase processes in phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells and whether p40phox could mediate a similar function in other NADPH oxidases. An improved understanding of p40phox should provide new insights about NADPH oxidase, the physiology of phagocytic cells and the innate immune system.

The SLP-76 family of adapter proteins

Adapter molecules are multidomain proteins lacking intrinsic catalytic activity, functioning instead by nucleating molecular complexes during signal transduction. The SLP-76 family of adapters includes SH2 domain-containing leukocyte phosphoprotein of 76kDa (SLP-76), B cell linker protein (BLNK), and cytokine-dependent hematopoietic cell linker (Clnk). These proteins are critical for integration of numerous signaling cascades downstream of immunotyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-bearing receptors and integrins in diverse hematopoietic cell types. Mutations in genes encoding SLP-76 family adapters result in severe phenotypes, underscoring the critical role these proteins play in cellular development and function by directing formation of signaling complexes in a temporally- and spatially-specific manner.

The Src family kinases Hck and Fgr negatively regulate neutrophil and dendritic cell chemokine signaling via PIR-B

In classical descriptions of leukocyte chemokine signaling, Src family kinases are thought to function in a positive fashion by coupling receptor associated Galpha subunits to downstream mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. However, neutrophils derived from hck-/-fgr-/- mice and dendritic cells (DCs) from fgr-/- animals manifested significantly higher intracellular signaling (Ca2+ flux, MAP kinase activation, actin polymerization) and functional responses (chemotaxis in vitro and migration in vivo) to a number of different chemokines. These kinases may mediate their effect through the inhibitory receptor PIR-B since neutrophils and DCs from pir-b-/- mice were also hyperresponsive to chemokine stimulation. In wild-type (wt) cells dephosphorylation of PIR-B was associated with maximal chemokine signaling, whereas in hck-/-fgr-/- cells PIR-B was unphosphorylated. These data support a model in which the Src family kinases Hck and Fgr function as negative regulators of myeloid cell chemokine signaling by maintaining the tonic phosphorylation of PIR-B.

Role of protein tyrosine kinase p53/56lyn in diminished lipopolysaccharide priming of formylmethionylleucyl- phenylalanine-induced superoxide production in human newborn neutrophils

Human newborns are more susceptible than adults to bacterial infection. With gram-negative bacteria, this may be due to a diminished response of newborn leukocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Since protein tyrosine kinase inhibition abolishes LPS priming in adult cells, we hypothesized that protein tyrosine kinases may have a critical role in LPS priming of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and that newborn PMNs may have altered protein tyrosine kinase activities. In the present study, we investigated the role of src family protein tyrosine kinases in the LPS response of newborn PMNs compared to adult cells. In a respiratory assay, the LPS-primed increase in formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP)-triggered O2- release by adult PMNs was greatly decreased by PP1 [4-amino-5-(4-methyphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine], a src kinase inhibitor, to the level of untreated newborn PMNs, in which LPS failed to prime. LPS activated the src-like kinases p59hck (HCK) and p58fgr (FGR) in both adult and newborn PMNs but increased the activation of p53/56lyn (LYN) only in adult cells. In newborn PMNs, LYN was highly phosphorylated independent of LPS. We evaluated subcellular fractions of PMNs and found that the phosphorylated form of LYN was mainly in the Triton-extractable, cytosolic fraction in adult PMNs, while in newborn cells it was located mainly in Triton-insoluble, granule- and membrane-associated fractions. In contrast, the phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2 and p38 were mainly detected in the cytosol in both adult and newborn PMNs. These data indicate a role for LYN in the regulation of LPS priming. The trapping of phosphorylated LYN in the membrane-granule fraction in newborn PMNs may contribute to the deficiency of newborn cells in responding to LPS stimulation.

Platelet factor 4 (PF-4)-induced neutrophil adhesion is controlled by src-kinases, whereas PF-4-mediated exocytosis requires the additional activation of p38 MAP kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Among the various chemokines that are functionally active on neutrophils, platelet factor 4 (PF-4; CXCL4) appears to have a specialized role. Lacking typical chemokine activities, PF-4 stimulates neutrophils to undergo firm adhesion to endothelial cells and, in the presence of an appropriate costimulus like tumor necrosis factor (TNF), PF-4 induces exocytosis of secondary granule contents. Analyzing the individual contribution of PF-4 and its costimuli in the control of these functions at the signaling level, we demonstrate that TNF-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (but not extracellular regulated kinase [Erk] kinases) acts as general and essential costimulatory signal in PF-4-dependent neutrophil exocytosis. This was shown by the use of a specific inhibitor (SB203580), by biologic (lipopolysaccharide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) and pharmacologic (anisomycin) activators of p38 MAP kinase, and by phosphorylation studies. Furthermore, TNF-mediated activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) represents an additional essential signaling component in this process as demonstrated by studies with its inhibitor wortmannin as well as by analysis of the phosphorylation of AKT kinase. PF-4, however, directly activates src-kinases and PF-4-induced adherence as well as PF-4/TNF-mediated exocytosis was inhibited by an src-kinase inhibitor PP1. Taken together, neutrophil exocytosis and adherence are regulated on p38 MAP kinase, PI 3-kinase, and src-kinase activation.

Lyn- and ERK-mediated vs. Ca2+ -mediated neutrophil O responses with thermal injury

We evaluated the dependency of neutrophil O production on PTK-Lyn and MAPK-ERK1/2 in rats after thermal injury. Activation of PTK-Lyn was assessed by immunoprecipitation. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was assessed by Western blot analysis. O production was measured by isoluminol-enhanced luminometry. Imaging technique was employed to measure neutrophil [Ca2+](i) in individual cells. Thermal injury caused marked upregulation of Lyn and ERK1/2 accompanying enhanced neutrophil O production. Treatment of rats with PTK blocker (AG556) or MAPK blocker (AG1478) before burn injury caused complete inhibition of the respective kinase activation. Both AG556 and AG1478 produced an ~66% inhibition in O production. Treatment with diltiazem (DZ) produced an ~37% inhibition of O production without affecting Lyn or ERK1/2 activation with burn injury. Ca2+ mobilization was upregulated with burn injury but not affected by treatment of burn rats with AG556. Unlike the partial inhibition of burn-induced O production by AG556, AG1478, or DZ, platelet-activating factor antagonist (PAFa) treatment of burn rats produced near complete inhibition of O production. PAFa treatment also blocked activation of Lyn. The findings suggest that the near complete inhibition of O production by PAFa was a result of blockade of PTK as well as Ca2+ signaling. Overall, our studies show that enhanced neutrophil O production after thermal injury is a result of potentiation of Ca2+ -linked and -independent signaling triggered by inflammatory agents such as PAF.

Fgr deficiency results in defective eosinophil recruitment to the lung during allergic airway inflammation

Using a mouse model of allergic lung inflammation, we found that mice deficient of Fgr, a Src family tyrosine kinase highly expressed in myelomonocytic cells, fail to develop lung eosinophilia in response to repeated challenge with aerosolized OVA. Both tissue and airway eosinophilia were markedly reduced in fgr(-/-) mice, whereas mice with the sole deficiency of Hck, another Src family member, responded normally. Release of allergic mediators, such as histamine, IL-4, RANTES/CCL5, and eotaxin/CCL11, in the airways of OVA-treated animals was equal in wild-type and fgr(-/-) mice. However, lung eosinophilia in Fgr-deficient mice correlated with a defective accumulation of GM-CSF and IL-5 in the airways, whereas secretion of these cytokines by spleen cells in response to OVA was normal. Examination of mRNA expression in whole lung tissue allowed us to detect comparable expression of transcripts for eotaxin/CCL11, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha/CCL3, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 beta/CCL4, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/CCL2, TCA-3/CCL1, IL-4, IL-10, IL-2, IL-3, IL-9, IL-15, and IFN-gamma in OVA-sensitized wild-type and fgr(-/-) mice. In contrast, the increase in IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA expression was lower in fgr(-/-) compared with wild-type mice. These findings suggest that deficiency of Fgr results in a marked reduction of lung eosinophilia and the establishment of a positive feedback loop based on autocrine secretion of eosinophil-active cytokines. These results identify Fgr as a novel pharmacological target to control allergic inflammation.

Soluble fibrinogen modulates neutrophil functionality through the activation of an extracellular signal-regulated kinase-dependent pathway

The integrin family not only mediates the recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) to sites of inflammation but also regulates several effector functions by binding to specific ligands. We have recently demonstrated that soluble fibrinogen (sFbg) is able to trigger an activating signal in PMN through an integrin-dependent mechanism. This activation results in degranulation, phagocytosis enhancement, and apoptosis delay. The aim of the present work was to further elucidate the molecular events that follow sFbg interaction with CD11b in human PMN, and the participation of this signaling pathway in the regulation of neutrophil functionality. We demonstrate that sFbg triggers a cascade of intracellular signals that lead to focal adhesion kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 tyrosine phosphorylation. The activation of this mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway plays a central role in the sFbg modulation of secondary granule degranulation, Ab-dependent phagocytosis, and apoptosis. However, fibrinogen-induced secretory vesicle degranulation occurs independently of the signaling transduction pathways investigated herein. In the context of an inflammatory process, the intracellular signal pathway activated by sFbg may be an early event influencing the functionality of PMN.

Oxidant-dependent phosphorylation of p40phox in B lymphocytes

As with the neutrophil NADPH oxidase, the B lymphocyte NADPH oxidase consists of a membrane-bound flavocytochrome b and regulatory factors including Rac and the cytosolic phox protein triad p67phox, p47phox, and p40phox. Here we demonstrate by phosphoamino acid analysis and the use of the potent PKC inhibitor GFX that, in response to stimulation of B lymphocytes with sodium orthovanadate and H(2)O(2), the p40phox component of the cytosolic phox triad is selectively phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues by a PKC-type protein kinase. The pattern of p40phox phosphorylation was closely related to the kinetics of tyrosine phosphorylation of PKC-delta, the main PKC isotype of B lymphocytes. Blocking H(2)O(2)-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of PKC by genistein resulted in inhibition of p40phox phosphorylation. The correlation between the tyrosine phosphorylation of PKC-delta and the serine/threonine phosphorylation of p40phox, together with the inhibition of p40phox phosphorylation by rottlerin, a selective inhibitor of PKC-delta, makes the activated PKC-delta a likely candidate in the process of the oxidant-dependent phosphorylation of p40phox in B cells.

Phosphatidic acid regulates tyrosine phosphorylating activity in human neutrophils: enhancement of Fgr activity

In human neutrophils, the activation of phospholipase D and the Tyr phosphorylation of proteins are early signaling events upon cell stimulation. We found that the pretreatment of neutrophils with ethanol (0.8%) or 1-butanol (0.3%), which results in the accumulation of phosphatidylalcohol at the expense of phosphatidic acid (PA), decreased the phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated Tyr phosphorylation of endogenous proteins (42, 115 kDa). When neutrophil cytosol was incubated in the presence or absence of PA, these and other endogenous proteins became Tyr-phosphorylated in a PA-dependent manner. In contrast, phosphatidylalcohols exhibited only 25% (phosphatidylethanol) or 5% (phosphatidylbutanol) of the ability of PA to stimulate Tyr phosphorylation in the cell-free assay. Similarly, other phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, polyphosphoinositides, and sphingosine 1-phosphate) showed little ability to stimulate Tyr phosphorylation. These data suggest that PA can function as an intracellular regulator of Tyr phosphorylating activity. Gel filtration chromatography of leukocyte cytosol revealed a peak of PA-dependent Tyr phosphorylating activity distinct from a previously described PA-dependent phosphorylating activity (Waite, K. A., Wallin, R., Qualliotine-Mann, D., and McPhail, L. C. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 15569-15578). Among the protein Tyr kinases expressed in neutrophils, only Fgr eluted exclusively in the peak of PA-dependent Tyr phosphorylating activity. Importantly, Fgr isolated from unstimulated neutrophil lysates showed increased activity in the presence of PA but not phosphatidylbutanol. Moreover, the pretreatment of neutrophils with 1-butanol decreased Fgr activity in cells stimulated with formyl-methionyl-leucyl phenylalanine plus dihydrocytochalasin B. Together, these results suggest a new second messenger role for PA in the regulation of Tyr phosphorylation.

Regulation of tyrosine kinase activation and granule release through beta-arrestin by CXCRI

Chemoattractant-stimulated granule release from neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils is critical for the innate immune response against infectious bacteria. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) activation of the chemokine receptor CXCRI was found to stimulate rapid formation of beta-arrestin complexes with Hck or c-Fgr. Formation of beta-arrestin-Hck complexes led to Hck activation and trafficking of the complexes to granule-rich regions. Granulocytes expressing a dominant-negative beta-arrestin-mutant did not release granules or activate tyrosine kinases after IL-8 stimulation. Thus, beta-arrestins regulate chemokine-induced granule exocytosis, indicating a broader role for beta-arrestins in the regulation of cellular functions than was previously suspected.

Kinase pathways in chemoattractant-induced degranulation of neutrophils: the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activated by Src family kinases

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of tyrosine phosphorylation pathways in fMLP-induced exocytosis of the different secretory compartments (primary and secondary granules, as well as secretory vesicles) of neutrophils. Genistein, a broad specificity tyrosine kinase inhibitor, blocked the exocytosis of primary and secondary granules, but had only a marginal effect on the release of secretory vesicles. Genistein also inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), raising the possibility that inhibition of ERK and/or p38 MAPK might be responsible for the effect of the drug on the degranulation response. Indeed, SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, decreased the release of primary and secondary granules, but not that of secretory vesicles. However, blocking the ERK pathway with PD98059 had no effect on any of the exocytic responses tested. PP1, an inhibitor of Src family kinases, also attenuated the release of primary and secondary granules, and neutrophils from mice deficient in the Src family kinases Hck, Fgr, and Lyn were also defective in secondary granule release. Furthermore, activation of p38 MAPK was blocked by both PP1 and the hck-/-fgr-/-lyn-/- mutation. Taken together, our data indicate that fMLP-induced degranulation of primary and secondary granules of neutrophils is mediated by p38 MAPK activated via Src family tyrosine kinases. Although piceatannol, a reportedly selective inhibitor of Syk, also prevented degranulation and activation of p38 MAPK, no fMLP-induced phosphorylation of Syk could be observed, raising doubts about the specificity of the inhibitor.