Receptor-coupled activation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C by an N protein

Neurotransmitter Control of Secretion

It is very well established that the principal control of salivary secretion is derived from autonomic innervation. Transmission of a neural signal to a salivary gland acinar cell occurs chemically via neurotransmitters, the first messengers of a secretory response. Neurotransmitters bind to specific cell surface receptor proteins, an event which activates precise transduction mechanisms which then transfer the neural signal to the inside of the cell. There are two major transduction mechanisms operative in salivary gland acinar cells. One involves the generation of cAMP, the other involves the breakdown of plasma membrane polyphosphoinositides. For both mechanisms, the appropriate stimulated receptor activates a second plasma membrane protein, termed an N (or G) protein. The N protein requires GTP to activate an enzyme (adenylate cyclase or phospholipase C), which then catalyzes the formation of a second messenger (cAMP and inositol trisphosphate/diacylglycerol, respectively). This action provides the intracellular signal for secretory events (protein, fluid, electrolyte secretion) to begin.

Depletion of beta-arrestin-2 promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a murine model of lung cancer

Arrestins are adaptor/scaffold proteins that complex with activated and phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptor to terminate G protein activation and signal transduction. These complexes also mediate downstream signaling, independently of G protein activation. We have previously shown that beta-arrestin-2 (betaarr2) depletion promotes CXCR2-mediated cellular signaling, including angiogenesis and excisional wound closure. This study was designed to investigate the role of betaarr2 in tumorigenesis using a murine model of lung cancer. To that end, heterotopic murine Lewis lung cancer and tail vein metastasis tumor model systems in betaarr2-deficient mice (betaarr2(-/-)) and control littermates (betaarr2(+/+)) were used. betaarr2(-/-) mice exhibited a significant increase in Lewis lung cancer tumor growth and metastasis relative to betaarr2(+/+) mice. This correlated with decreased number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes but with elevated levels of the ELR(+) chemokines (CXCL1/keratinocyte-derived chemokine and CXCL2/MIP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor, and microvessel density. NF-kappaB activity was also enhanced in betaarr2(-/-) mice, whereas hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression was decreased. Inhibition of CXCR2 or NF-kappaB reduced tumor growth in both betaarr2(-/-) and betaarr2(+/+) mice. NF-kappaB inhibition also decreased ELR(+) chemokines and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Altogether, the data suggest that betaarr2 modulates tumorigenesis by regulating inflammation and angiogenesis through activation of CXCR2 and NF-kappaB.

Altered CXCR2 signaling in beta-arrestin-2-deficient mouse models

CXCR2 is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that binds the CXC chemokines, CXCL1-3 and CXCL5-8, and induces intracellular signals associated with chemotaxis. Many adaptor proteins are actively involved in the sequestration, internalization, and trafficking of CXCR2 and transduction of agonist-induced intracellular signaling. We have previously shown that adaptor protein beta-arrestin-2 (betaarr2) plays a crucial role in transducing signals mediated through CXCR2. To further investigate the role of betaarr2 on CXCR2-mediated signaling during acute inflammation, zymosan-induced neutrophils were isolated from peritoneal cavities of betaarr2-deficient (betaarr2(-/-)) and their wild-type (betaarr2(+/+)) littermate mice, and neutrophil CXCR2 signaling activities were determined by measurement of Ca(2+) mobilization, receptor internalization, GTPase activity, and superoxide anion production. The results showed that the deletion of betaarr2 resulted in increased Ca(2+) mobilization, superoxide anion production, and GTPase activity in neutrophils, but decreased receptor internalization relative to wild-type mice. Two animal models, the dorsal air pouch model and the excisional wound healing model, were used to further study the in vivo effects of betaarr2 on CXCR2-mediated neutrophil chemotaxis and on cutaneous wound healing. Surprisingly, the recruitment of neutrophils was increased in response to CXCL1 in the air pouch model and in the excisional wound beds of betaarr2(-/-) mice. Wound re-epithelialization was also significantly faster in betaarr2(-/-) mice than in betaarr2(+/+) mice. Taken together, the data indicate that betaarr2 is a negative regulator for CXCR2 in vivo signaling.

Mechanism of Endothelin-1 Activation of Map Kinases in Neonatal Pulmonary Vascular Smooth Muscle

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) belong to the group of serine-threonine kinases that are rapidly activated in response to growth factor stimulation. In adult mammalian cells, the MAPK family includes extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1 and ERK2 or p44(mapk) and p42(mapk)), which translocate to the nucleus and integrate signals from second messengers leading to cellular proliferation or differentiation, but the specific role of MAPKs in neonatal pulmonary vascular smooth muscle is not well understood. Expression of p44(mapk) and p42(mapk) in primary cultured pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells from neonatal (1-2 day old) rats was identified by Western immunoblot analysis and treatment with 10 nM endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor with vascular mitogenic properties, induced cell proliferation, and phosphorylation of both p44(mapk) and p42(mapk). The protein kinase C (PKC) isozyme inhibitor (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, zeta) Go 6983, the ET(A) receptor antagonist BQ 123, and the MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 blocked the cell proliferation response to ET-1. Also, BQ 123, Go 6983, and PKC inhibitor 20-28 (Myr-N-FARKGAL-RQ-NH2-PKCalpha antagonist) inhibited ET-1-induced phosphorylation of both p44(mapk) and p42(mapk). In contrast, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI), the PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin, and the ET(B) receptor antagonist BQ 788 did not block ET-1-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs. Collectively, these data demonstrate the expression and phosphorylation of MAPKs by ET-1 and suggests that MAPK activation and cell proliferation by ET-1 occurs via ET(A) receptor stimulation and specific PKC isozyme activation in rat neonatal pulmonary vascular smooth muscle.

Phospholipase Cbeta serves as a coincidence detector through its Ca2+ dependency for triggering retrograde endocannabinoid signal

Endocannabinoids mediate retrograde signal and modulate transmission efficacy at various central synapses. Although endocannabinoid release is induced by either depolarization or activation of G(q/11)-coupled receptors, it is markedly enhanced by the coincidence of depolarization and receptor activation. Here we report that this coincidence is detected by phospholipase Cbeta1 (PLCbeta1) in hippocampal neurons. By measuring cannabinoid-sensitive synaptic currents, we found that the receptor-driven endocannabinoid release was dependent on physiological levels of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), and markedly enhanced by depolarization-induced [Ca(2+)](i) elevation. Furthermore, we measured PLC activity in intact neurons by using exogenous TRPC6 channel as a biosensor for the PLC product diacylglycerol and found that the receptor-driven PLC activation exhibited similar [Ca(2+)](i) dependence to that of endocannabinoid release. Neither endocannabinoid release nor PLC activation was induced by receptor activation in PLCbeta1 knockout mice. We therefore conclude that PLCbeta1 serves as a coincidence detector through its Ca(2+) dependency for endocannabinoid release in hippocampal neurons.

Urokinase-deficient and urokinase receptor-deficient mice have impaired neutrophil antimicrobial activation in vitro

Leukocytes express both urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the urokinase receptor (uPAR, CD87). We have shown that neutrophil recruitment to the lung during P. aeruginosa pneumonia is impaired in uPAR-deficient (uPAR-/-) mice but is normal in uPA-/- mice. However, both uPA-/- mice and uPAR-/- mice have impaired lung clearance of P. aeruginosa compared with wild-type (WT) mice. To determine the role of uPA and uPAR in antibacterial host defense, we compared neutrophil bacterial-phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and degranulation among uPA-/-, uPAR-/-, and WT mice. Neutrophil phagocytosis was significantly diminished comparing uPA-/- and uPAR-/- mice with WT mice at all time points. The generation of superoxide by both uPA-/- and uPAR-/- neutrophils was about half of that seen in WT neutrophils. Degranulation of azurophilic granules was significantly diminished in uPA-/- neutrophils compared with either uPAR-/- or WT neutrophils. By contrast, agonist-stimulated release of specific granules was not diminished in either uPA-/- or uPAR-/- mice compared with WT. We conclude that the uPA/uPAR system modulates several of the crucial steps in neutrophil activation that result in bacterial killing and effective innate host defense.

Chemotaxis Receptors and Signaling

Chemotaxis is an important cellular response common in biology. In many chemotaxing cells the signal that regulates movement is initiated by G protein-coupled receptors on the cell surface that bind specific chemoattractants. These receptors share important structural similarities with other G protein-coupled receptors, including rhodopsin, which currently serves as the best starting point for modeling their structures. However, the chemotaxis receptors also share a number of relatively unique structural features that are less common in other GPCRs. The chemoattractant ligands of chemotaxis receptors exhibit a broad variety of sizes and chemical properties, ranging from small molecules and peptides to protein ligands. As a result, different chemotaxis receptors have evolved specialized mechanisms for the early steps of ligand binding and receptor activation. The mechanism of transmembrane signaling is currently under intensive study and several alternate mechanisms proposing different conformational rearrangements of the transmembrane helices have been proposed. Some chemotaxis receptors are proposed to form dimers, and in certain cases dimer formation is proposed to play a role in transmembrane signaling. In principle the structural and dynamical changes that occur during transmembrane signaling could be specialized for different receptors, or could be broadly conserved. Extensive mutagenesis studies have been carried out, and have begun to identify critical residues involved in ligand binding, receptor activation, and transmembrane signaling.

The pleckstrin homology domain of phospholipase C-beta2 as an effector site for Rac

Increasing evidence links the activation of Rho family GTPases to the stimulation of lipid hydrolysis catalyzed by phospholipase C (PLC)-beta isozymes. To better define this relationship, members of a library of recombinant Rho GTPases were screened for their capacity to directly engage various purified PLC-beta isozymes. Of the 17 tested members of the Rho family, only the active isoforms of Rac (Rac1, Rac2, and Rac3) both stimulate PLC-beta activity in vivo and bind PLC-beta2 and PLC-beta3, but not PLC-beta1, in vitro. Furthermore, the recognition site for Rac GTPases was localized to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of PLC-beta2, and this PH domain is fully sufficient to selectively interact with the active versions of the Rac GTPases, but not with other similar Rho GTPases. Together, these findings present a quantitative evaluation of the direct interactions between Rac GTPases and PLC-beta isozymes and define a novel role for the PH domain of PLC-beta2 as a putative effector site for Rac GTPases.

Activation of human neutrophils by a synthetic anti-microbial peptide, KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2, via cell surface calreticulin

We previously reported that a synthetic anti-bacterial peptide, KLKLLLLLKLK-NH2 (L5), showed significant chemotherapeutic activity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice, and its ability to activate human neutrophils was related to its chemotherapeutic activity. In this study, we found that activation of neutrophils by L5 was inhibited by pertussis toxin, suggesting that GTP-binding protein (G-protein) participates in this process. We isolated an L5-binding protein, which turned out to be human calreticulin, with a molecular mass of 60 kDa from neutrophil membranes. From experiments using an anti-calreticulin antibody, we proposed that calreticulin is partly localized on the surface of neutrophils, and L5-bound calreticulin transmits a signal into cells via G-protein to activate neutrophils to generate superoxide anion.

Aberrant neutrophil trafficking and metabolic oscillations in severe pyoderma gangrenosum

Having previously associated metabolic oscillations with cell locomotion, we hypothesized that patients with abnormalities in neutrophil trafficking may display aberrant intracellular oscillations. A pyoderma gangrenosum patient exhibiting aberrant leukocyte trafficking in vivo and skin ulceration without infection was identified. This patient's neutrophils constitutively overexpressed and clustered the leukocyte integrins CR3 and CR4 and failed to display appropriate integrin-to-GPI receptor interactions. Increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylation were observed. NAD(P)H oscillations, which are sinusoidal in normals, were chaotic with multiple frequency components in this patient's neutrophils. Normal cell shape and sinusoidal NAD(P)H oscillations were restored by providing a pulsed electric field to drive metabolic oscillations and by temperature reduction. N-acetyl-D-glucosamine disrupted CR3 clusters and sinusoidal NAD(P)H oscillations returned. Anecdotal reports suggest that local hypothermia is clinically useful for this patient. These data define the first metabolic oscillation-associated disease and suggest that pyoderma gangrenosum can be classified as a dynamical disease at the cellular level.

Phospholipase C beta and membrane action of calcitriol and estradiol

We have shown that estrogens and calcitriol, the hormonally active form of vitamin D, increase the concentration of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) within 5 s by mobilizing calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum and the formation of inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. Because the activation of effectors as phospholipase C (PLC) coupled to G-proteins is the early event in the signal transduction pathway leading to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation and to [Ca2+]i increase, we described different PLC isoforms (beta1, beta2, gamma1, and gamma2, but not beta4) in female rat osteoblasts using Western immunoblotting. The data showed that phospholipase C beta was involved in the mobilization of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum of Fura-2-loaded confluent osteoblasts by calcitriol and 17beta estradiol, and PLC gamma was ineffective. The data also showed that only a PLC beta1 linked to a Pertussis toxin-insensitive G-protein and a PLC beta2 coupled to a Pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein are involved in the effects of calcitriol and 17beta estradiol on the mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stores. In conclusion, these results may be an important step toward understanding membrane effects of these steroids and may be an additional argument in favor of membrane receptors to steroid hormones.

Signal transduction by the formyl peptide receptor. Studies using chimeric receptors and site-directed mutagenesis define a novel domain for interaction with G-proteins

The binding of small peptide ligands to high affinity chemoattractant receptors on the surface of neutrophils and monocytes leads to activation of heterotrimeric G-proteins, stimulation of phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and subsequently to the inflammatory response. It was recently shown (Amatruda, T. T., Gerard, N. P., Gerard, C., and Simon, M. I. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 10139-10144) that the receptor for the chemoattractant peptide C5a specifically interacts with G alpha 16, a G-protein alpha subunit of the Gq class, to trigger ligand-dependent stimulation of PI-PLC in transfected cells. In order to further characterize this chemoattractant peptide signal transduction pathway, we transfected cDNAs encoding the formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine receptor (fMLPR) into COS cells and measured the production of inositol phosphates. Ligand-dependent activation of PI-PLC was seen in COS cells transfected with the fMLPR and G alpha 16 and stimulated with fMLP but not in cells transfected with receptor alone or with receptor plus G alpha q. Chimeric receptors in which the N-terminal extracellular domain, the second intracellular domain, or the intracellular C-terminal tail of the fMLP receptor was replaced with C5a receptor domains (Perez, H. D., Holmes, R., Vilander, L. R., Adams, R. R., Manzana, W., Jolley, D., and Andrews, W. H. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 2292-2295) were capable of ligand-dependent activation of PI-PLC when co-transfected with G alpha 16. A chimeric receptor exchanging the first intracellular domain of the fMLPR was constitutively activated, stimulating PI-PLC in the absence of ligand. Constitutive activation of PI-PLC, to a level 233% of that seen in cells transfected with wild-type fMLP receptors, was dependent on G alpha 16. Site-directed mutagenesis of the first intracellular domain of the fMLPR (amino acids 54-62) reveals this to be a domain necessary for ligand-dependent activation of G alpha 16. These results suggest that different receptors which mediate similar biochemical responses may utilize distinct mechanisms to activate G-proteins. Differences among the signaling pathways triggered by chemoattractant factor receptors suggest an opportunity for pharmacologic modifications of the inflammatory response.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis induced by zinc, copper and nickel in vitro

Metallic dental restorations and prosthetic constructions are susceptible to corrosion in oral environment, resulting in the release of various heavy metal ions. Chloride salts of zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, iron and gold were tested for their ability to promote the migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Using a modified Boyden chamber assay for chemotaxis zinc, copper and nickel enhanced the migration of PMN cells in concentration range of 0.5-1.0 mM, whereas no augmentation in migratory activity was noted using chromium or iron. In contrast, an inhibition in migratory activity was observed in cells directed toward gold ions. Exposure of cells to zinc, copper or nickel ions induced an orientation reaction in leukocytes in a similar fashion as the polarization reaction induced by a potent peptide chemoattractant, N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP), in these cells. Exposure of PMN cells to zinc or nickel in chemotactic concentrations stimulated the chemotaxis of these cells to fMLP 2-fold, whereas pretreatment of the cells with zinc prior to assay markedly decreased the subsequent chemotactic migration of the cells to this metal or to fMLP. The enhanced locomotion of PMN cells induced by zinc, copper or nickel ions was found to be in greater extent due to an increase in directed migration (chemotaxis) rather than an augmentation in random movement (chemokinesis) as assessed by Zigmond-Hirsch checkerboard analysis. These results suggest that zinc, copper and nickel ions attract leukocytes by inducing and promoting the chemotactic response in these cells, which may modulate the inflammatory response of host tissue around such metals.

Involvement of protein kinase C and of protein phosphatases 1 and/or 2A in p47 phox phosphorylation in formylmet-Leu-Phe stimulated neutrophils: studies with selective inhibitors RO 31-8220 and calyculin A

Previously employed non-selective protein kinase inhibitors yielded inconclusive results regarding involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in phosphorylation of 47 kDa protein (p47 phox) in intact neutrophils stimulated with physiologic agonists of superoxide generation. In the present study, phosphorylation of p47 phox in formylMet-Leu-Phe (fMLP) stimulated neutrophils was potently inhibited in the presence of 0.3 microM RO 31-8220, a selective inhibitor of PKC. These results provide experimental evidence in support of the currently considered essential involvement of PKC in p47 phox phosphorylation in response to physiologic stimulation of neutrophil surface receptors. The fMLP-induced phosphorylation of p47 phox was enhanced and prolonged by calyculin A, a specific inhibitor of protein phosphatases of types 1 and 2A, and such enhanced phosphorylation was also effectively inhibited by RO 31-8220. Our results suggest that the extent and duration of p47 phox phosphorylation in intact fMLP-stimulated neutrophils is probably controlled by a balance between the activities of PKC, on the one hand, and of protein phosphatase(s) of type(s) 1 and/or 2A, on the other. Effects of RO 31-8220 and of calyculin A on the fMLP-induced p47 phox phosphorylation were paralleled by similar effects on superoxide release. Calyculin A and RO 31-8220 were also used to study signal transduction by a post-receptor agonist of superoxide generation, a calcium ionophore A23187. The results of the latter study indicated that PKC was activated in A23187-stimulated neutrophils and was essentially involved in superoxide generation and p47 phox phosphorylation. Further, these results suggested that protein phosphatase(s) of type(s) 1 and/or 2A were also activated in A23187-signalling pathway, and limited the extent of superoxide release and p47 phox phosphorylation.

Permissive stimulation of Ca(2+)-induced phospholipase A2 by an adenosine receptor agonist in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner in FRTL-5 thyroid cells: a new 'cross-talk' mechanism in Ca2+ signalling

We have described the pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive potentiation of P2-purinergic agonist-induced phospholipase C activation, Ca2+ mobilization and arachidonic acid release by an adenosine receptor agonist, N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA), which alone cannot influence any of these cellular activities [Okajima, Sato, Nazarea, Sho and Kondo (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 13029-13037]. In the present study we have found that arachidonic acid release was associated with lysophosphatidylcholine production, and conclude that arachidonic acid is produced by phospholipase A2 in FRTL-5 thyroid cells. This led us to assume that PIA augments P2-purinergic arachidonic acid release by increasing [Ca2+]i which, in turn, activates Ca(2+)-sensitive phospholipase A2. The arachidonic acid-releasing response to PIA was, however, always considerably higher (3.1-fold increase) than the Ca2+ response (1.3-fold increase) to the adenosine derivative. In addition, arachidonic acid release induced by the [Ca2+]i increase caused by thapsigargin, an endoplasmic-reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, or calcium ionophores was also potentiated by PIA without any effect on [Ca2+]i and phospholipase C activity. This action of PIA was also PTX-sensitive, but not affected by the forskolin- or cholera toxin-induced increase in the cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), suggesting that a PTX-sensitive G-protein(s) and not cAMP mediates the PIA-induced potentiation of Ca(2+)-generated phospholipase A2 activation. Although acute phorbol ester activation of protein kinase C induced arachidonic acid release, P2-purinergic and alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of arachidonic acid release was markedly increased by the protein kinase C down-regulation caused by the phorbol ester. This suggests a suppressive role for protein kinase C in the agonist-induced activation of arachidonic acid release. We conclude that PIA (and perhaps any of the G1-activating agonists) augments an agonist (maybe any of the Ca(2+)-mobilizing agents)-induced arachidonic acid release by activation of Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipase A2 in addition to enhancement of agonist-induced phospholipase C followed by an increase in [Ca2+]i.

Endothelin- and sarafotoxin-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis in cultured canine tracheal smooth muscle cells

The endothelins (ETs) and sarafotoxin are two structurally related classes of potently contractile peptides. To understand the mechanism of action of ETs, we have examined the effect of ETs and sarafotoxin on phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis in cultured canine tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs). ET-1, ET-2, ET-3, and sarafotoxin caused dose-dependent accumulation of inositol phosphatase (IPs) and tracheal smooth muscle contraction. BQ-123, an ETA receptor antagonist, had a high affinity to block the ET-1-induced IP accumulation and tracheal smooth muscle contraction with pKB values of 7.3 and 7.4, respectively. Pretreatment of TSMCs with cholera toxin impaired the ability of ET-1 and ET-2 to stimulate IP formation, whereas there was no effect by treatment with pertussis toxin. Stimulation of PI turnover by these peptides required the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and was blocked by treatment with EGTA. The addition of Ca2+ (3-620 nM) to digitonin-permeabilized TSMCs directly stimulated IP accumulation. A further Ca(2+)-dependent increase in IP formation was obtained by inclusion of either GTPrS or ET-1. The combined presence of GTPrS and ET-1 elicited an additive effect on IP formation. Short-term exposure to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 1 microM) abolished the stimulation of PI hydrolysis induced by these peptides. The inhibitory effect of PMA on ET-induced response was reversed by staurosporine, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of PMA is mediated through the activation of PKC. Prolonged incubation of TSMCs with PMA resulted in a recovery of receptor responsiveness that may be due to downregulation of PKC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in canine cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells

1. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) has been shown to induce contraction of tracheal smooth muscle. However, the mechanisms of action of 5-HT are not known. We therefore investigated the effects of 5-HT on phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and its regulation in canine cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs) labelled with [3H]-inositol. 5-HT-induced inositol phosphates (IPs) accumulation was time- and dose-dependent with a half-maximal response (EC50) and a maximal response at 0.38 +/- 0.05 and 10 microM, respectively. 2. Ketanserin and mianserin (10 and 100 nM), 5-HT2 receptor antagonists, were equipotent in blocking the 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation with pKB values of 8.46 and 8.21, respectively. In contrast, the dose-response curves of 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation were not shifted until the concentrations of NAN-190 and metoclopramide (5-HT1A and 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, respectively) were increased up to 10 microM. 3. Pretreatment of TSMCs with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin did not inhibit the 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation, but partially inhibited the AlF(4-)-induced IPs response. 4. Stimulation of IPs accumulation by 5-HT required the presence of external Ca2+ and was blocked by EGTA. The addition of Ca2+ (3-620 nM) to digitonin-permeabilized TSMCs directly stimulated IPs accumulation. A further Ca(2+)-dependent increase in IPs accumulation was obtained by inclusion of either guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphoshate) (GTP gamma S) or 5-HT. The combination of GTP gamma S and 5-HT elicited an additive effect on IPs accumulation. 5. Treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 1 microM, 30 min) abolished the 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation. The concentrations of PMA that gave a half-maximal and maximal inhibition of 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation were 2.2 +/- 0.4 nM and 1 microM, n = 3, respectively. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator, 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, at 1 microM, did not influence this response. The inhibitory effect of PMA was reversed by staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of PMA is mediated through the activation of PKC. 6. The site of this inhibition was further investigated by examining the effect of PMA on AlF(4-)-induced IPs accumulation in canine TSMCs. AlF(4-)-stimulated IPs accumulation was inhibited by PMA treatment, suggesting that the effect of PMA is distal to the 5-HT receptor. 7. Acetylcholine-induced IPs accumulation was completely inhibited by atropine, but not affected by ketanserin or mianserin, suggesting that 5-HT-induced IPs accumulation is not due to release of acetylcholine.8. These results demonstrate that 5-HT directly stimulates PLC-mediated PI hydrolysis via a pertussis toxin- and cholera toxin-insensitive GTP binding protein in canine TSMCs and that this coupling process is negatively regulated by PKC. 5-HT2 receptors may be predominantly mediating IPs accumulation and presumably IP-induced Ca2+ release may function as the transducing mechanism for 5-HT stimulated contraction of tracheal smooth muscle.

Cellular responses to acute injury: the role of the plasma membrane in cell response to two clostridial toxins

The plasma membrane plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute cell injury. This brief review outlines the role of the plasma membrane in the cellular response to two clostridial toxins, the botulinum C2 toxin and the tetanus toxin. These two toxins belong to the same family of toxins as botulinum toxin type A and type F, those used clinically for the treatment of facial spasm. The actions of C2 toxin on cultured cells give rise to an acute injury characterized by a dissociation of the actin filaments of the cell cytoskeleton. While this toxin can be lethal to intact organisms, the acute cellular response need not necessarily result in cell death. In the case of tetanus toxin, the toxin appears to perturb the plasma membrane so that the function of one important cell second messenger system, protein kinase C, is altered.

Inhibition of neutrophil function by aspirin-like drugs (NSAIDS): requirement for assembly of heterotrimeric G proteins in bilayer phospholipid

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit neutrophil functions via mechanisms that are independent of their effects on prostaglandin biosynthesis. We examined the effects of sodium salicylate and piroxicam on GTP/GDP exchange by a regulatory G protein (G alpha i). Plasma membrane and cytosol of human neutrophils were prepared by nitrogen cavitation and discontinuous sucrose density centrifugation. Salicylate (3 mM) and piroxicam (50 microM) reduced [35S]GTP gamma S binding to purified plasma membranes [65 +/- 3.7 and 75 +/- 5.3% (P < 0.003) of control, respectively]. Membrane-associated G alpha/beta gamma was solubilized by treatment of plasma membranes with sodium cholate. NSAIDs did not inhibit binding of GTP to solubilized G alpha/beta gamma derived from detergent-treated plasma membranes. Lipid reconstitution was achieved by detergent dialysis followed by the addition of bilayer liposomes (phosphatidylcholine). Salicylate and piroxicam inhibited GTP gamma S binding to G alpha/beta gamma derived from solubilized plasma membranes reconstituted in phosphatidylcholine vesicles (bilayer structures) but had no effect when phosphatidylethanolamine (hexagonal phase II structure) was used for reconstitution. Salicylate and piroxicam had no effect on GTP binding to cytosolic fractions in which soluble G alpha i exists as a free subunit, suggesting that the effect required either assembly of G alpha i/beta gamma heterotrimer or the presence of a lipid bilayer. Although the addition of purified bovine beta gamma subunits to dialyzed cytosol increased both the total GIP binding capacity and the pertussis toxin-dependent ADP-ribosylation of G alpha i, consistent with assembly of a G protein heterotrimer, NSAIDs had no effect on GTP binding. In contrast, NSAIDs inhibited GTP binding to heterotrimeric G alpha cytosol/beta gamma bovine when the complex was inserted into bilayer liposomes. The data indicate that salicylate and piroxicam disrupt neutrophil function via their capacity to interfere with GTP/GDP exchange at an alpha subunit of a regulatory G protein, an effect which requires assembly of the active heterotrimer G alpha i/beta gamma in a phospholipid bilayer.

Bradykinin-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism in cultured canine tracheal smooth muscle cells

1. Stimulation of bradykinin (BK) receptors coupled to phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis was investigated in canine cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs). BK, kallidin, and des-Arg9-BK, stimulated [3H]-inositol phosphates (IPs) accumulation in a dose-dependent manner with half-maximal responses (EC50) at 20 +/- 5, 13 +/- 4, and 2.3 +/- 0.7 nM, (n = 5), respectively. 2. D-Arg[Hyp3, D-Phe7]-BK and D-Arg[Hyp3, Thi5,8, D-Phe7]-BK, B2 receptor antagonists, were equipotent in blocking the BK-induced IPs accumulation with pKB = 7.1 and 7.3, respectively. 3. Short-term exposure of TSMCs to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 1 microM) attenuated BK-stimulated IPs accumulation. The concentrations of PMA that gave half-maximal and maximal inhibition of BK-induced IPs accumulation were 15 +/- 4 nM and 1 microM, n = 3, respectively. The inhibitory effect of PMA on BK-induced response was reversed by staurosporine, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of PMA was mediated through the activation of PKC. 4. Prolonged incubation of TSMCs with PMA for 24 h, resulted in a recovery of receptor responsiveness which may be due to down-regulation of PKC. The inactive phorbol ester, 4 alpha-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate at 1 microM, did not inhibit this response. 5. The site of this inhibition was further investigated by examining the effect of PMA on AlF(4-)-induced IPs accumulation in canine TSMCs. AlF(4-)-stimulated IPs accumulation was inhibited by PMA treatment, suggesting that the G protein(s) can be directly activated by AlF4-, which is uncoupled from phospholipase C by PMA treatment. 6. Incubation of TSMCs in the absence of external Ca2+ or upon removal of Ca2+ by addition of EGTA, caused a decrease in IPs accumulation without changing the basal levels. Addition of Ca2+ (3-620 nM) to digitonin-permeabilized TSMCs stimulated IPs accumulation was obtained by inclusion of either guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) or BK. The combination of GTP gamma S and BK caused an additive effect on IPs accumulation.7. Pretreatment of TSMCs with cholera toxin enhanced BK-stimulated IPs accumulation, whereas there was no effect with pertussis toxin.8. These data suggest that BK-stimulated PI metabolism is mediated by the activation of BK B2 receptors coupling to a G protein which is not blocked by cholera toxin or pertussis toxin treatment and dependent on external Ca2+. The transduction mechanism of BK coupled to PI hydrolysis is sensitive to feedback regulation by PKC.

Insulin-like growth factors enhance phagocytosis by human neutrophils in vitro

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were isolated from human blood, and PMN phagocytosis was assessed by measuring the chemiluminescence (CL) response in the presence of ZAP (opsonized zymosin particles containing luminol). The administration of 6.5 nM of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), des(1-3)-IGF-I, IGF-II or insulin to PMNs for 20 min resulted in significant increases of the CL response for all test preparations. Des(1-3)-IGF-I, a truncated IGF-I with low affinity binding to IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), was the most potent CL stimulator. The CL production evoked by 6.5 nM of des(1-3)-IGF-I was inhibited significantly by both 0.25 and 1.0 nM of EGTA (Ca2+ chelator), or 10 microM nifedipine (Ca2+ channel inhibitor), pertussis toxin (0.05 and 1.0 micrograms/ml) or cholera toxin (5 micrograms/ml). These results suggest that IGF-I and its homologues are potent stimulators of phagocytosis and that this action is modulated by IGFBP, and may require extracellular Ca2+ and/or IGF-I receptor G-protein coupling.

Muscarinic regulation of cytosolic free calcium in canine tracheal smooth muscle cells: Ca2+ requirement for phospholipase C activation

1. The relationship between muscarinic receptor-mediated phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) breakdown and the increase of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+])i has been examined in canine cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs). 2. Addition of acetylcholine (ACh) and carbachol led to a 2-3 fold increase in [Ca2+]i over the resting level as determined by fura-2, with half-maximal stimulation (EC50) obtained at concentrations of 97 and 340 nM, respectively. Addition of the partial agonist, bethanechol, showed a smaller increase in PIP2 turnover and [Ca2+]i than did ACh or carbachol. 3. Addition of ACh or carbachol to TSMCs that had been prelabelled with [3H]-inositol led to the rapid (5-15 s) release of inositol mono, bis and trisphosphates IP1, IP2 and IP3. The time course of IP3 accumulation is correlated with the time course of the peak rise in [Ca2+]i. 4. Inclusion of EGTA lowered the resting [Ca2+]i and markedly reduced the extent of the agonist-induced rise in [Ca2+]i. When assayed under conditions similar to those used for the [Ca2+]i measurements, EGTA reduced the muscarinic agonist-stimulated inositol phosphates (IPs) accumulation. Conversely, ionomycin could stimulate IPs accumulation and elevate [Ca2+]i. The addition of Ca2+ (2.7-617 nM) to digitonin-permeabilized TSMCs directly stimulated IPs accumulation. 5. Both Ca2+ and guanosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) stimulated the formation of IPs in digitonin-permeabilized TSMCs prelabelled with [3H]-inositol. A further calcium-dependent increase in IPs accumulation was obtained by inclusion of either GTP gamma S or carbachol. The combined presence of carbachol and GTP gamma S elicited a synergistic effect on IPs accumulation, with half-maximal stimulation observed at approximately 8 nM free Ca2+.6. These results indicate that (i) the magnitude of the initial rise in [Ca2+], is directly related to the production of IPs and (ii) the phospholipase C-mediated PIP2 breakdown in TSMCs is sensitive to regulation by physiologically relevant concentrations of free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]f).

Receptor-operated Ca2+ signaling and crosstalk in stimulus secretion coupling

In the cells of higher eukaryotic organisms, there are several messenger pathways of intracellular signal transduction, such as the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/Ca2+ signal, voltage-dependent and -independent Ca2+ channels, adenylate cyclase/cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, guanylate cyclase/cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate, diacylglycerol/protein kinase C, and growth factors/tyrosine kinase/tyrosine phosphatase. These pathways are present in different cell types and impinge on each other for the modulation of the cell function. Ca2+ is one of the most ubiquitous intracellular messengers mediating transcellular communication in a wide variety of cell types. Over the last decades it has become clear that the activation of many types of cells is accompanied by an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) that is thought to play an important part in the sequence of events occurring during cell activation. The Ca2+ signal can be divided into two categories: receptor- and voltage-operated Ca2+ signal. This review describes and integrates some recent views of receptor-operated Ca2+ signaling and crosstalk in the context of stimulus-secretion coupling.

Cyclic AMP inhibits the respiratory burst of electropermeabilized human neutrophils at a downstream site of protein kinase C

We studied a signaling pathway for the activation of the superoxide (O2-)-generating NADPH oxidase and effects of cAMP on the pathway using electropermeabilized human neutrophils. The permeabilized cells produced O2- by the addition of protein kinase C (PKC) activator, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), and a non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue, GTP gamma S in the presence of ATP and Mg2+. The O2- production by PMA not by GTP gamma S was inhibited by inhibitors of PKC. The production by PMA and GTP gamma S was inhibited by a GDP analogue, GDP beta S, in the same dose-dependent manner and the production by PMA was not enhanced by the addition of GTP gamma S and vice versa. These findings suggest the presence of a GTP-binding protein which follows PKC in the activation pathway. The O2- production by PMA and GTP gamma S was dose-dependently inhibited by cAMP and the inhibition was completely restored by an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, H-89, indicating that cAMP blocks the activating pathway at the site between the GTP-binding protein located downstream of PKC and the NADPH oxidase by activating cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The activation of the oxidase by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) seemed to be different from the above pathway. It needed higher concentrations of GDP beta S for inhibition, did not absolutely need ATP and was inhibited by neither cAMP nor protein kinase C inhibitors. Moreover, the O2- production by the combination of GTP gamma S and SDS or of PMA and SDS was essentially the same as the sum of the production by each stimulant alone. We may conclude from the observations that the signaling pathway involving PKC for the activation of the oxidase is distinct from the pathway induced by SDS: the former is blocked by cAMP at the site between the GTP-binding protein located downstream of PKC and the oxidase and the latter is cAMP-insensitive.

Effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid and analogous substances on superoxide generation and intracellular free calcium in human neutrophilic granulocytes

Activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), which are found in the inflammatory lesions of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, produce tissue-destructive oxygen-derived free radicals. The influence of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), its acetylated metabolite (Ac-5-ASA), sulfasalazine (SAZ), and olsalazine (OLZ) (5-ASA dimer linked by an azo group) in pharmacologically relevant concentrations (0.1-10 mM) were tested on PMN superoxide production with either the receptor-specific agent formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Inhibition of receptor-specific superoxide production occurred at 0.07, 0.32, and 0.63 mM (IC50 values) for 5-ASA, SAZ, and OLZ, respectively. No inhibitory effects of SAZ and OLZ were observed when PMA was applied as stimulus for PMN superoxide production. The results indicate that the signal to which PMNs respond by generating superoxide is primarily due to calcium release from intracellular stores. They further suggest that SAZ and OLZ may affect the oxygen-derived free radical production in human PMNs by unspecific cytotoxicity or by interference with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced (NADPH) oxidase system, whereas 5-ASA itself is a free radical scavenger.

Effects of Ca2+, Mg2+, and depolarizing agents, on the 32Pi-labeling and degradation of phosphatidylinositols in rat brain synaptosomes

In isolated synaptosomes from rat brain, 100 microM antimycin A and 10 microM oxamic acid inhibit the 32Pi-labeling of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP) by 90% and 95-99% respectively. 10 mM sodium fluoride inhibits the labeling by 50-60% and 10 mM A23187 inhibits the labeling by 63-70%. Phospholipase A2 inhibits the labeling of PIP2 and PIP by 93-94% and stimulates their degradation by 84-92%. Depolarization of synaptosomes with 75 mM K+ or 100 microM veratrine decreases the labeling of PIP2 and PIP by 66-74%. The decreased labeling results in large part from the Ca(2+)-dependent degradation of 32P-labeled PIP2 and PIP as shown by pulse-chase experiments in which PIP2 and PIP were prelabeled with 32Pi. Depolarization of synaptosomes results in the stimulation of 45Ca2+ uptake with the concomitant hydrolysis of PIP and PIP2. Addition of 1 mM Ca2+ accounts for 25% of the enhanced degradation whereas depolarization with 75 mM K+ accounts for 75% of the enhanced degradation of PIP2 and PIP. Depolarization with 100 mM veratrine results in a 223% increase in inositol trisphosphate as evidenced by stimulation of 45Ca2+ uptake. EGTA (10 mM) and Mg2+ (5-10 mM) inhibit the degradation of PIP and PIP2 and counteract the action of 1 mM Ca2+. Our data demonstrate that 45Ca2+, Mg2+, and membrane depolarization play an important role in the turnover of membrane phosphatidylinositols.

Effects of high extracellular calcium concentrations on phosphoinositide turnover and inositol phosphate metabolism in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells

We previously showed that high extracellular calcium (Ca2+) concentrations raise the levels of inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells, presumably via the G protein-coupled, "receptor-like" mechanism through which Ca2+ is thought to regulate these cells. To date, however, there are limited data showing Ca(2+)-evoked hydrolysis of phosphoinositides with attendant increases in the levels of the biologically active 1,4,5 isomer of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) that would be predicted to arise from such a receptor-mediated process. In the present studies we used HPLC and TLC, respectively, to quantify the high Ca(2+)-induced changes in various inositol phosphates, including the isomers of IP3, and phosphoinositides in bovine parathyroid cells prelabeled with [3H]inositol. In the absence of lithium, high Ca2+ dose dependently elevated the levels of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate [I(1,4,5)P3], with a maximal, 4- to 5-fold increase within 5 s; the levels of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate [I(1,3,4)P3] first rose significantly at 5-10 s and remained 5- to 10-fold elevated for at least 30 minutes. These changes were accompanied by reciprocal 29-36% decreases in PIP2 (within 5-10 s, the earliest time points examined), PIP (within 60 s), and PI (within 60 s). These results document that, as in other cells responding to more classic "Ca(2+)-mobilizing" hormones, the high Ca(2+)-evoked increases in inositol phosphates in bovine parathyroid cells arise from the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides, leading to the rapid accumulation of the active isomer of IP3. The latter presumably underlies the concomitant spike in the cytosolic calcium concentration (Ca(i)) in parathyroid cells.

Phosphatidic acid and polyphosphoinositide metabolism in rod outer segments. Differential role of soluble and peripheral proteins

The phosphorylation of endogenous diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphoinositides by [tau-32P]ATP was studied in bovine rod outer segments (ROS) selectively depleted of soluble or peripheral and soluble proteins by treatment with moderate (100 mM) or low (5 mM) ionic strength medium, respectively. DAG kinase activity was similar in bleached and non-bleached ROS extracted with 100 mM medium, and amounted to 70% of that observed in the corresponding non-extracted ROS. Phosphatidic acid (PtdH) labelling in ROS extracted in the dark with low ionic strength medium was markedly lower than in those extracted in light. Thus, even when a major proportion of DAG kinase was associated to the membrane, a soluble form also occurred. Most of the membrane-bound fraction behaved as a peripherally associated protein, its binding to the membrane being modified by light. Ir ROS extracted at moderate ionic strength the labelling of inositides was similar to that in non-extracted ROS. A marked enhancement in polyphosphoinositide labelling was observed in ROS extracted in the dark with low ionic strength. Alkaline treatment of ROS also produced inhibition of polyphosphoinositide phosphorylation. A peripheral form of a type C phospholipase, or a peripheral protein-mediated activation of a particulate form thereof, is suggested. Labelled polyphosphoinositides were more actively hydrolyzed in the light and in the dark plus GTP tau S than in the dark-incubated membranes. The results of phosphorylation experiments in membranes where differential extraction of the alpha subunit of transducin was carried out suggest that alpha and beta tau subunits may play opposite modulating roles in PtdH and polyphosphoinositide metabolism.

Cross-talk between cAMP and formylmet-leu-phe in human neutrophils: phosphorylation of a 52,000 molecular weight protein

The mechanism of inhibition of neutrophil phagocytic functions by cAMP-elevating agents has not yet been clarified. In the present work, the effects of adenylate cyclase agonists on protein phosphorylation in the formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated human neutrophils were studied. Before stimulation, 32Pi-labelled cells were incubated with adenosine deaminase to remove the endogenously produced adenosine, an adenylate cyclase agonist itself. A protein of about 52,000 molecular weight was rapidly and transiently phosphorylated when neutrophils were stimulated with fMLP in the presence of isoproterenol, prostaglandin E1, histamine or 2-chloroadenosine. This phosphorylation was blocked by the antagonists of the receptors for the above-listed agents. No phosphorylation of the 52,000 molecular weight protein could be observed if either fMLP or the cAMP-elevating agent were applied alone. A calcium ionophore A23187 and dibutyryl-cAMP could replace fMLP and a cAMP-elevating agent, respectively. Phosphorylation of the 52,000 molecular weight protein was also demonstrated in cell lysates in the presence of cAMP, and in membrane preparations in the presence of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. These data suggest that phosphorylation of the 52,000 molecular weight protein in intact cells is dependent on the cross-talk between the fMLP- and the cAMP-signalling pathways, and may thus be involved in the cAMP-regulatory mechanism.

Differential regulation of cAMP by endogenous versus transfected formylpeptide chemoattractant receptors: implications for Gi-coupled receptor signaling

Endogenous neutrophil formylpeptide receptors do not inhibit adenylylcyclase activation. The ability of a cloned and transfected human formylpeptide receptor to mediate the inhibition of adenylylcyclase was assessed in the human embryonic kidney 293 TSA cell line. Inclusion of 1 microM fMetLeuPhe resulted in a ca. 50% inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP in transfected cells. Activation of adenylylcyclase by isoproterenol was inhibited ca. 30% by fMetLeuPhe in membranes prepared from transfected cells but not in membranes prepared from neutrophils. Prior treatment of transfected cells with pertussis toxin abrogated the inhibitory effect of fMetLeuPhe. These data indicate that factors in addition to the primary structure of the formylpeptide receptor govern its transductional activities.

Direct activation of phospholipase A2 by GTP-binding protein in human peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes

In human peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN), 10% of PLA2 activity was found in the particulate fraction. In the particulate fraction, the activity of phospholipase A2 was enhanced 270% by 100 microM guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate, a hydrolysis-resistant analog of GTP. In the soluble fraction, such enhancement was not observed. Guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (2 mM), which irreversibly inactivates GTP-binding protein, blocked the enhancement in the particulate fraction. Membrane-binding phospholipase A2 activity of PMN would thus appear to be regulated directly by GTP-binding protein.

Autocrine motility factor and its receptor: role in cell locomotion and metastasis

The ability to locomote and migrate is fundamental to the acquisition of invasive and metastatic properties by tumor cells. Autocrine motility factor (AMF) is a 55 kD cytokine produced by various tumor cells which stimulates their in vitro motility and in vivo lung colonizing ability. AMF stimulates cell motility via a receptor-mediated signalling pathway. Signal transduction following binding of AMF to its receptor, a cell surface glycoprotein of 78 kD (gp78) homologous to p53, is mediated by a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein, inositol phosphate production and the phosphorylation of gp78. Cell surface gp78 is localized to the leading and trailing edges of motile cells but following cell permeabilization is found within an extended network of intracellular tubulovesicles. Gp78 tubulovesicles colocalize with microtubules and extension of the tubulovesicular network to the cell periphery is dependent on the presence of intact microtubules. Gp78 labeled vesicles can be induced to translocate between the cell center and periphery by altering intracellular pH as previously described for tubulovesicles labeled by fluid phase uptake. Anti-gp78 mAb added to viable motile cells is localized to large multivesicular bodies which, with time, relocate to the leading edge. Binding of AMF to its receptor induces signal transduction, similar to chemotactic stimulation of neutrophil mobility, as well as the internalization and transport of its receptor to the leading edge stimulating pseudopodial protrusion and cell motility.

Tumor cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and signal transduction mechanisms implicated in tumor cell motility, invasion and metastasis

The relationship between tumor cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and invasion and metastasis formation is one of the most intensively studied topics in cancer biology within the last 10-15 years. The aberrant molecular relationships between malignant tumor cells and their surrounding ECM have been implicated at virtually every stage of the metastatic process; ranging from steps that involve the local invasion of tumor cells away from the primary tumor to those that are involved in mediating extravasation through microvessel-associated basement membranes at the site(s) of metastasis formation. The complexity of tumor metastasis has required that a reductionist approach be taken in order to identify and relate specific molecular mechanisms involved in tumor cell adhesion to various aspects of tumor metastasis. The intensive research efforts into cell adhesion and tumor cell biology have generated many significant new concepts towards our understanding of the molecular aspects of tumor cell adhesion and metastasis. Our purpose in this article is to briefly summarize the relationship of ECM-stimulated tumor cell adhesion to the processes of tumor cell motility and invasion. This is followed by a discussion of certain aspects of signal transduction pathways that may impact on cell motility, with an emphasis on the relationship between phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and actin polymerization, as well as certain GTP-binding protein-(G-protein) mediated events that could influence cytoskeletal organization and cell motility. Our emphasis is based on increasing evidence that implicates members of the signal transduction G-proteins in the motility and invasion of many normal and transformed cells.

Role of protein kinase C in the regulation of prostaglandin synthesis in human endothelium

The present study specifically addresses the role of protein kinase C (PKC) activation in human endothelial cell Ca2+ mobilization, a response that is functionally coupled to the production of the potent arachidonate (AA) metabolite, prostacyclin (PGI2). Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), alpha-thrombin, and sodium fluoride (NaF), a direct G-protein activator, produced a rapid and time-dependent translocation of PKC from the cytosol to the membrane. Activation of PKC by brief pretreatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers with PMA resulted in the inhibition of NaF-induced inositol phosphate increases and attenuation of both alpha-thrombin- and NaF-activated increases in intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i). Ca2+ mobilization induced by ionophore A23187 was not affected by PKC preactivation, suggesting PKC-dependent negative feedback inhibition of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-specific phospholipase C (PLC). Agonist-stimulated AA release and PGI2 synthesis in PMA-pretreated cultured human endothelial cells, however, was potentiated, and the enhanced PGI2 synthesis produced by A23187, NaF, and alpha-thrombin was dependent upon the dose of PMA. Treatment of HUVEC monolayers with an intracellular Ca2+ chelator, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N'N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethylester (BAPTA-AM), dramatically reduced alpha-thrombin-, NaF-, and A23187-induced PGI2 synthesis, demonstrating the importance of Ca2+i availability in PGI2 synthesis. BAPTA pretreatment did not inhibit PMA-induced PKC activation, and BAPTA-mediated inhibition of agonist-stimulated PGI2 synthesis was partially attenuated by prior PMA pretreatment. Staurosporine, a potent PKC inhibitor, at concentrations that inhibited PKC-induced phosphorylation of histone-1, augmented both alpha-thrombin- and NaF-induced production of inositol phosphates but markedly inhibited alpha-thrombin-, NaF-, and A23187-induced PGI2 synthesis. The downregulation of PKC activity by prolonged PMA treatment (18 h) produced similar inhibition of PGI2 synthesis by these agonists (approximately 50% inhibition). These studies indicate that the integrated phospholipase A2 and PLC activities are under complex regulation by factors that include both PKC activation and [Ca2+i]. PKC exerts dual effects on prostaglandin synthesis via negative regulation of Gp-coupled PI-specific PLC and positive feedback regulation of AA release and PGI2 synthesis. PKC is thus a critical determinant in the regulation of human endothelial cell prostaglandin synthesis by both receptor-mediated and G-protein-dependent cellular activation.

Characterization of glucocorticoid inhibition of antigen-induced inositolphosphate formation by rat basophilic leukemia cells: possible involvement of phosphatases

The suppressive effect of glucocorticoids (GC) upon antigen-induced phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activity and inositol phosphate formation by rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3) has been characterized. Addition of antigen for a period of 1-30 min enhanced production of [3H]inositol monophosphate (IP1), inositol 1,4-bisphosphate (IP2) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) by about 5-10-fold. Pretreatment with hydrocortisone (HC) reduced formation of the various inositol phosphates (IPs) and degradation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) by an average of 50%. Maximal inhibition of hydrolysis of PIP2 and reduction in stimulation of IP3 formation was reached after 4 h of preincubation with 2.10(-6) M of HC. Cycloheximide and RU486, a GC receptor antagonist, completely prevented the inhibitory effect of HC on IP formation. Other GC, dexamethasone (DEX) and triamcinolone (each at 2.10(-7) M) markedly suppressed antigen induced IP3 production, while aldosterone and sex steroids such as estradiol and progesterone (each at 2.10(-6) M) were virtually inactive. Antigen-stimulated phosphorylation of a 18 kDa and other proteins was inhibited by about 60% following pretreatment with the GC. This inhibition was in turn prevented by cycloheximide. DEX also doubled the activity of cellular acid phosphatase activity. The results suggest that the inhibitory effect of GC is specific, receptor-mediated, dependent on protein synthesis and possibly mediated by protein phosphatase activity.

Inhibition by pertussis toxin of the activation of Na(+)-dependent uridine transport in dimethyl-sulphoxide-induced HL-60 leukaemia cells

The effects of pertussis toxin on the Na(+)-dependent transport of uridine were studied in HL-60 leukaemia cells induced to differentiate along the granulocytic or monocytic pathways by dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) respectively. Pertussis toxin at 50 ng/ml completely inhibited the activation of Na(+)-dependent uridine transport and consequently prevented the formation of intracellular pools of free uridine which occurs in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate by DMSO. The inhibition of Na(+)-dependent uridine transport by pertussis toxin in cells exposed to DMSO was associated with a 14-fold decrease in affinity, with no change in Vmax. Pertussis toxin, however, had no effect on Na(+)-dependent uridine transport in PMA-induced HL-60 cells. Furthermore, 500 ng of cholera toxin/ml had no effect on the Na(+)-dependent uptake of uridine in DMSO-treated HL-60 cells. These results suggest that the activation of the Na(+)-dependent transport of uridine in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate along the granulocytic pathway by DMSO is coupled to a pertussis-toxin-sensitive guanine-nucleotide binding protein (G-protein).

The superoxide-generating oxidase of phagocytic cells. Physiological, molecular and pathological aspects

Professional phagocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes and macrophages) possess an enzymatic complex, the NADPH oxidase, which is able to catalyze the one-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to superoxide, O2-. The NADPH oxidase is dormant in non-activated phagocytes. It is suddenly activated upon exposure of phagocytes to the appropriate stimuli and thereby contributes to the microbicidal activity of these cells. Oxidase activation in phagocytes involves the assembly, in the plasma membrane, of membrane-bound and cytosolic components of the oxidase complex, which were diassembled in the resting state. One of the membrane-bound components in resting phagocytes has been identified as a low-potential b-type cytochrome, a heterodimer composed of two subunits of 22-kDa and 91-kDa. The link between NADPH and cytochrome b is probably a flavoprotein whose subcellular localization in resting phagocytes remains to be determined. Genetic defects in the cytochrome b subunits and in the cytosolic factors have been shown to be the molecular basis of chronic granulomatous disease, a group of inherited disorders in the host defense, characterized by severe, recurrent bacterial and fungal infections in which phagocytic cells fail to generate O2- upon stimulation. The present review is focused on recent data concerning the signaling pathway which leads to oxidase activation, including specific receptors, the production of second messengers, the organization of the oxidase complex and the molecular defects responsible for granulomatous disease.

Invasion and metastasis: biology and clinical potential

Metastatic dissemination of tumor is the primary cause of death for most cancer patients. The expanding field of study of the metastatic cascade has been the source of novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The metastatic process involves angiogenesis, tumor cell adhesion to vascular basement membrane, local proteolysis to create an opening in the basement membrane, migration through that rent and into the secondary site, and finally, successful proliferation. Important components of the metastatic cascade such as basement membrane structures, adhesion molecules and their receptors, proteolytic enzymes, migration-inducing factors, and growth factors have been demonstrated to have reproducible patterns in malignant and metastatic tissues. These patterns have led to clinical correlations demonstrating their utility in the identification and follow-up of malignant and metastatic disease. In addition, several promising new anti-cancer drugs such as inhibitors of angiogenesis, protease-inhibitors, and blockers of signal transduction have been identified and are awaiting introduction into the clinical arena.

A 32-kD GTP-binding protein associated with the CD4-p56lck and CD8-p56lck T cell receptor complexes

The guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins include signal-transducing heterotrimeric G proteins (for example, Gs, Gi), smaller GTP-binding proteins that function in protein sorting, and the oncogenic protein p21ras. The T cell receptor complexes CD4-p56lck and CD8-p56lck were found to include a 32- to 33-kilodalton phosphoprotein (p32) that was recognized by an antiserum to a consensus GTP-binding region in G proteins. Immunoprecipitated CD4 and CD8 complexes bound GTP and hydrolyzed it to guanosine diphosphate (GDP). The p32 protein was covalently linked to [alpha-32P]GTP by ultraviolet photoaffinity labeling. These results demonstrate an interaction between T cell receptor complexes and an intracellular GTP-binding protein.

Barbiturates inhibit intracellular Ca2+ rise induced by thrombin in rat platelets

The effects of a number of barbiturates (anesthetic as well as anticonvulsant) on thrombin-induced calcium mobilization were tested in rat platelets using the fluorescent Ca2+ probe Fura-2. All drugs, except barbituric acid and Na-barbital, inhibited the thrombin-induced intracellular Ca2+ rise. Both the uptake of extracellular Ca2+ and the release of calcium from intracellular organelles were affected but influx was inhibited more strongly and at lower concentrations of the drugs (e.g. IC50 of thiopental was 0.83 mM for influx and 1.2 mM for intracellular release). Inhibitory potencies of the various barbiturates were markedly different. Thiopental was the most and barbital the least potent inhibitor. The order of inhibitory potency of the drugs appeared generally to follow their lipid solubility and the order of their hypnotic efficiency, with hexobarbital as the most conspicuous exception. Therefore, barbiturate treatment of cells perturbs agonist-induced calcium mobilization. This effect may be partially linked to their previously reported inhibitory action on two kinases, protein kinase C and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate kinase [1, 2].

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: effects on a GTP binding protein within the neutrophil plasma membrane

Sodium salicylate and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit neutrophil functions via unknown mechanisms. To examine their site of action in the neutrophil we have studied discrete events within the plasma membrane which depend upon the normal function of a GTP binding protein (G protein). We demonstrated that sodium salicylate and piroxicam inhibit neutrophil activation in response to stimuli which require signal transduction via a G protein (e.g. formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine) but have no effect on stimuli which do not (e.g. phorbol myristate acetate, ionomycin). NSAIDs blocked the ADP-ribosylation of the pertussis toxin substrate in human neutrophils. This effect was associated with the capacity of NSAIDs to block pertussis toxin-dependent inhibition of neutrophil functions. Finally, NSAIDs inhibited the binding of GTP gamma S, a stable analog of GTP, to purified neutrophil membrane preparations. The data indicate that salicylate and other NSAIDs interact with a G protein in the neutrophil plasmalemma and thereby uncouple post-receptor signaling events.