Leukotriene D(4) affects localisation of vinculin in intestinal epithelial cells via distinct tyrosine kinase and protein kinase C controlled events

Protein kinase C, focal adhesions and the regulation of cell migration

Cell adhesion to extracellular matrix is a complex process involving protrusive activity driven by the actin cytoskeleton, engagement of specific receptors, followed by signaling and cytoskeletal organization. Thereafter, contractile and endocytic/recycling activities may facilitate migration and adhesion turnover. Focal adhesions, or focal contacts, are widespread organelles at the cell-matrix interface. They arise as a result of receptor interactions with matrix ligands, together with clustering. Recent analysis shows that focal adhesions contain a very large number of protein components in their intracellular compartment. Among these are tyrosine kinases, which have received a great deal of attention, whereas the serine/threonine kinase protein kinase C has received much less. Here the status of protein kinase C in focal adhesions and cell migration is reviewed, together with discussion of its roles and potential substrates.

Tight junction-associated MARVEL proteins marveld3, tricellulin, and occludin have distinct but overlapping functions

In vitro studies have demonstrated that occludin and tricellulin are important for tight junction barrier function, but in vivo data suggest that loss of these proteins can be overcome. The presence of a heretofore unknown, yet related, protein could explain these observations. Here, we report marvelD3, a novel tight junction protein that, like occludin and tricellulin, contains a conserved four-transmembrane MARVEL (MAL and related proteins for vesicle trafficking and membrane link) domain. Phylogenetic tree reconstruction; analysis of RNA and protein tissue distribution; immunofluorescent and electron microscopic examination of subcellular localization; characterization of intracellular trafficking, protein interactions, dynamic behavior, and siRNA knockdown effects; and description of remodeling after in vivo immune activation show that marvelD3, occludin, and tricellulin have distinct but overlapping functions at the tight junction. Although marvelD3 is able to partially compensate for occludin or tricellulin loss, it cannot fully restore function. We conclude that marvelD3, occludin, and tricellulin define the tight junction-associated MARVEL protein family. The data further suggest that these proteins are best considered as a group with both redundant and unique contributions to epithelial function and tight junction regulation.

Involvement of cortactin and phosphotyrosine proteins in cell-cell contact formation in cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells

Phosphotyrosine proteins involvement, particularly cortactin, was studied in cell-cell contacts of cultured bovine corneal endothelial (BCE) cells. These proteins, including alpha-catenin, vinculin and cortactin, are localized at cell-cell contacts separate from the cortical actin ring. Approximately 50% of cortactin isoforms p80 and p85 were associated with the Triton-insoluble fraction while phosphotyrosine proteins were in the soluble fraction. Disruption of cell-cell contacts by EDTA treatment was associated with a decrease in cortactin isoforms p80 (26%) and p85 (57%). Cortactin isoform p85 was phosphorylated at Y466, expressed in reattaching cells and associated with the Triton-soluble fraction, whereas cortactin isoform p80 was phosphorylated at Y421 and associated with the Triton-insoluble fraction. In sub-confluent cultures, pY421-cortactin was localized at the leading edge and pY466-cortactin at a perinuclear area. In confluent cultures both pY466- and pY421-cortactin isoforms were localized at the cell-cell contacts. In conclusion, in BCE cells, the most prominent appearance of cortactin was at the cell-cell contacts separate from the cortical actin ring. Isoform p80 was phosphorylated at Y421 and associated with the Triton-insoluble fraction and isoform p85 was phosphorylated at Y466 and associated with the Triton-insoluble fraction.

Lipopolysaccharide induces expression of SSeCKS in rat lung microvascular endothelial cell

Src-suppressed C kinase substrate (SSeCKS) plays a role in membrane-cytoskeletal remodeling to regulate mitogenesis, cell differentiation, and motility. Previous study showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced a selective and strong expression of SSeCKS in the vascular endothelial cells of lung. Here we show that LPS stimulation elevated expression of SSeCKS mRNA and protein in Rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (RPMVEC). LPS potentiated SSeCKS phosphorylation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and partly induced translocation of SSeCKS from the cytosol to the membrane after LPS challenge. The PKC inhibitor, Calphostin C, significantly decreased LPS-induced phosphorylation of SSeCKS, inhibited SSeCKS translocation and actin cytoskeleton reorganization after LPS challenge, suggesting that PKC may play a role in LPS-induced SSeCKS translocation and actin rearrangement. We conclude that SSeCKS is located downstream of PKC and that SSeCKS and PKC are both necessary for LPS-induced stress fiber formation.

Protein kinase C and the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton

Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms are central components in intracellular networks that regulate a vast number of cellular processes. It has long been known that in most cell types, one or more PKC isoforms influences the morphology of the F-actin cytoskeleton and thereby regulates processes that are affected by remodelling of the microfilaments. These include cellular migration and neurite outgrowth. This review focuses on the role of classical and novel PKC isoforms in migration and neurite outgrowth, and highlights some regulatory steps that may be of importance in the regulation by PKC of migration and neurite outgrowth. Many studies indicate that integrins are crucial mediators both upstream and downstream of PKC in inducing morphological changes. Furthermore, a number of PKC substrates, directly associated with the microfilaments, such as MARCKS, GAP43, adducin, fascin, ERM proteins and others have been identified. Their potential role in PKC effects on the cytoskeleton is discussed.

The phosphorylation of vinculin on tyrosine residues 100 and 1065, mediated by SRC kinases, affects cell spreading

Vinculin is a conserved actin binding protein localized in focal adhesions and cell-cell junctions. Here, we report that vinculin is tyrosine phosphorylated in platelets spread on fibrinogen and that the phosphorylation is Src kinases dependent. The phosphorylation of vinculin on tyrosine was reconstituted in vanadate treated COS-7 cells coexpressing c-Src. The tyrosine phosphorylation sites in vinculin were mapped to residues 100 and 1065. A phosphorylation-specific antibody directed against tyrosine residue 1065 reacted with phosphorylated platelet vinculin but failed to react with vinculin from unstimulated platelet lysates. Tyrosine residue 1065 located in the vinculin tail domain was phosphorylated by c-Src in vitro. When phosphorylated, the vinculin tail exhibited significantly less binding to the vinculin head domain than the unphosphorylated tail. In contrast, the phosphorylation did not affect the binding of vinculin to actin in vitro. A double vinculin mutant protein Y100F/Y1065F localized to focal adhesion plaques. Wild-type vinculin and single tyrosine phosphorylation mutant proteins Y100F and Y1065F were significantly more effective at rescuing the spreading defect of vinculin null cells than the double mutant Y100F/Y1065F. The phosphorylation of vinculin by Src kinases may be one mechanism by which these kinases regulate actin filament assembly and cell spreading.

Novel p21-activated kinase-dependent protrusions characteristically formed at the edge of transformed cells

During long-term culture, certain lines become neoplastic while accumulating changes in cell shape. Early and late cell populations have characteristic shape phenotypes that have been quantified by computerized assay. Phenotypes are determined from variables describing three-dimensional aspects of the subcellular distribution of mass. The features of cells can be recognized by use of latent factors, which are theoretical variables based on the covariance of the primary variables. Factor #7 represented a cell edge feature different from filopodia. We studied the morphological characteristics and morphogenesis of the feature. Brief exposure of cells from rat tracheal epithelium to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) enhanced #7 values. The time to reach maximal #7 values was prolonged if PMA was administered with calcium ionophore or lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Factor #7 was elevated during periods of ruffling suppression and stress fiber reorganization. Cells showing high #7 values were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and found to exhibit strap-shaped and cupola-shaped projections. Because RhoA regulates stress fiber formation, we sought to perturb #7 features by introducing dominant-acting negative and positive constructs of RhoA, RhoA-N19, and RhoA-V14. Neither affected #7 values. Although overexpression of the kinase inhibitory domain of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK) had no effect on #7 values, they were affected by overexpression of a domain binding PAK-interacting guanine nucleotide exchange factor (PIX). Because a PAK-PIX complex is implicated in the remodeling of focal complexes (FCs) and recycling of PAK to the cytoplasm, the results implicate a component of FCs in the formation of #7 features. The data suggested that feature formation is driven by activated Cdc42-binding kinase (ACK) and Rac. Moreover, they suggested that the #7 protrusions are neurite-like structures and that their development involves FC regulation.

Leukotriene D4-induced adhesion of Caco-2 cells is mediated by prostaglandin E2 and upregulation of α2β1-integrin

Cell-cell and extracellular matrix adhesions play important roles in the progression of cancer. We investigated the involvement of the inflammatory mediator leukotriene D4 (LTD4) in the regulation of cell-matrix adhesion of colon cancer (Caco-2) cells. We observed that LTD4 acted via its CysLT1 receptor in these cells to induce increased adhesion to collagen I. LTD4 also enhanced the activation and expression of alpha2beta1-integrins on the cell surface, which we found to be responsible for mediating the increased adhesion to collagen I. LTD4 simultaneously augmented expression of the prostaglandin-generating enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and increased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in Caco-2 cells. The adhesive capacity of the Caco-2 cells was reduced by specific inhibition of COX-2 and was subsequently restored by PGE2, but not by LTD4. A selective PGE2 receptor antagonist abolished the increased adhesion and the augmented alpha2beta1-integrin expression induced by both PGE2 and LTD4. Summarizing, the inflammatory mediator LTD4 regulates the adhesive properties and migration of the Caco-2 cell line by upregulating COX-2 and stimulating PGE2-induced expression of alpha2beta1-integrins. This suggests that inflammatory mediators such as LTD4 can be involved in the dissemination and survival of colon cancer cells.

Regulation of leukotriene-dependent induction of cyclooxygenase-2 and Bcl-2

Leukotrienes play an important pathophysiological role in chronic inflammatory states and, as previously shown, cause increased levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in intestinal epithelial cells. The anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 is also elevated by LTD(4) stimulation, and in colon cancer, so we studied the mechanisms of COX-2 and Bcl-2 regulation. We found that LTD(4) induced a 3-fold elevation of COX-2 transcription in Int 407 cells and a 2-fold equivalent in colon cancer cells, Caco-2. This was mediated through a pertussis toxin (PTX) sensitive G-protein and the MAP kinase Erk-1/2 pathway, and this was also shown to be the route to up-regulation of Bcl-2 by LTD(4). In good agreement with this, we detected a strong activation of Erk-1/2 that was further increased by COX-2 inhibition, pointing towards the existence of negative feedback regulation. Furthermore, COX-2 activity is responsible for the effects on Bcl-2, but this is not conveyed through the production of PGE(2).

International Union of Pharmacology XXXVII. Nomenclature for leukotriene and lipoxin receptors

The leukotrienes and lipoxins are biologically active metabolites derived from arachidonic acid. Their diverse and potent actions are associated with specific receptors. Recent molecular techniques have established the nucleotide and amino acid sequences and confirmed the evidence that suggested the existence of different G-protein-coupled receptors for these lipid mediators. The nomenclature for these receptors has now been established for the leukotrienes. BLT receptors are activated by leukotriene B(4) and related hydroxyacids and this class of receptors can be subdivided into BLT(1) and BLT(2). The cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) activate another group called CysLT receptors, which are referred to as CysLT(1) and CysLT(2). A provisional nomenclature for the lipoxin receptor has also been proposed. LXA(4) and LXB(4) activate the ALX receptor and LXB(4) may also activate another putative receptor. However this latter receptor has not been cloned. The aim of this review is to provide the molecular evidence as well as the properties and significance of the leukotriene and lipoxin receptors, which has lead to the present nomenclature.

Regulation of actin dynamics by tyrosine phosphorylation: identification of tyrosine phosphorylation sites within the actin-severing domain of villin

We have previously shown that villin, an epithelial cell actin-binding protein, is tyrosine phosphorylated both in vitro and in vivo and that villin's actin-modifying functions are regulated by phosphorylation. Here as a first step toward understanding the role of villin tyrosine phosphorylation, we sought to identify the major phosphorylation site(s) in human villin and study its role in actin filament assembly. We generated a series of carboxyl-terminal truncation mutants of villin and cloned them in the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-2T. Full-length villin and the truncation mutants were expressed in TKX1 cells, which carry an inducible tyrosine kinase gene. Using this approach, we identified a region in the amino-terminal actin-severing domain of villin as the site of phosphorylation (amino acids 1-261). Five phosphorylation sites were identified by direct mutation of candidate tyrosines (Y) to phenylalanine (F), namely, Y46, -60, -64, -81, and -256. Changing all of these sites to phenylalanine resulted in a villin mutant that neither was phosphorylated in TKX1 cells nor was a substrate for c-src kinase in an in vitro kinase assay. Using a pyrene actin-based fluorescence assay, we mapped the various phosphorylated tyrosine residues with the actin-nucleating and -depolymerizing functions of villin. Phosphorylation of any one of the identified sites inhibited the actin-nucleating function of villin, whereas phosphorylation at Y46 and/or Y60 increased the actin-severing activity of villin. Since there is significant homology between the amino-terminal end of villin and other actin-severing proteins, the results provide a structural basis for the actin-severing mechanism and help understand the relationship of phosphorylation with this function.

Leukotriene D4 induces stress-fibre formation in intestinal epithelial cells via activation of RhoA and PKCδ

The intestinal epithelial barrier, which is regulated by the actin cytoskeleton, exhibits permeability changes during inflammation. Here we show that activation of the CysLT1 receptor by the inflammatory mediator leukotriene D4 (LTD4) causes a rapid increase in stress-fibre formation in intestinal epithelial cells. This effect was mimicked by cytotoxic necrotising factor-1 (CNF-1)-induced activation of RhoA,overexpression of constitutively active RhoA (L63-RhoA) and phorbol-ester-induced activation of protein kinase C (PKC). In accordance,inhibition of RhoA, by C3 exoenzyme or by dominant-negative RhoA (N19-RhoA),as well as GF109203X-induced inhibition of PKC, suppressed the LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation. Introduction of the dominant-negative regulatory domain of PKCδ, but not the corresponding structures from PKCα, βII or ϵ, blocked the LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation. Evaluating the relationship between PKCδ and RhoA in LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation,we found that C3 exoenzyme inhibited the rapid LTD4-elicited translocation of PKCδ to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, CNF-1-induced stress-fibre formation was blocked by GF109203X and by overexpression of the regulatory domain of PKC-δ, whereas PKC-induced stress-fibre production was not affected by N19-RhoA. We conclude that PKC-δ is located downstream of RhoA and that active RhoA and PKCδ are both necessary for LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation.

Src-/- fibroblasts are defective in their ability to disassemble focal adhesions in response to phorbol ester/hyaluronan treatment

Exogenous hyaluronan promotes a rapid recruitment of Src to lamellae of mutant active H-ras transformed fibroblasts and an Src- and RHAMM (CD168)-dependent increase in random motility. These responses are accompanied by a loss of vinculin-positive lamellae focal adhesions. Nontransformed immortalized wild-type fibroblasts (WT) do not increase random motility in response to hyaluronan alone, but do increase motility in response to a combination of PMA treatment followed by hyaluronan. PMA treatment alone increases the number of lamellae/cell, percentage of cells with lamellae and number of focal adhesions/lamellae. Subsequent addition of hyaluronan does not affect the number of lamellae/cell but reduces both the number of focal adhesion/lamellae and the percentage of cells forming focal adhesion-positive lamellae. These effects are prevented by blocking RHAMM antibodies and mimicked by agonist RHAMM antibodies. Src-/- fibroblasts exhibit a limited response to PMA but do not increase motility or disassemble focal adhesions in response to a subsequent addition of HA. Rescue of Src-/- fibroblasts with either SrcA or c-Src restores response to close to WT levels. These results suggest that Src activity is uniquely required for both PMA and PMA-induced hyaluronan regulation of random motility and focal adhesion turnover.

Leukotriene D(4) activates MAPK through a Ras-independent but PKCepsilon-dependent pathway in intestinal epithelial cells

We have recently shown that leukotriene D(4) (LTD(4)) increases cell survival in intestinal epithelial cells. Here we report and explore the complementary finding that LTD(4) also enhances proliferation in these cells. This proliferative response was approximately half of that induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its required activation of protein kinase C (PKC), Ras and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Erk-1/2. EGF also activated Erk-1/2 in these cells; however the EGF-receptor inhibitor PD153035 did not affect the LTD(4)-induced activation of Erk-1/2. In addition, LTD(4) did not induce phosphorylation of the EGF receptor, nor did pertussis toxin (PTX) block EGF-induced activation of Erk-1/2, thus refuting a possible crosstalk between the receptors. Furthermore, LTD(4)-induced, but not EGF-induced, activation of Erk-1/2 was sensitive to PTX, PKC inhibitors and downregulation of PKCepsilon. A definite role for PKCepsilon in LTD(4)-induced stimulation of Erk-1/2 was documented by the inability of LTD(4) to activate Erk-1/2 in cells transfected with either the regulatory domain of PKCepsilon (an isoform specific dominant-negative inhibitor) or a kinase-dead PKCepsilon. Although Ras and Raf-1 were both transiently activated by LTD(4), only Raf-1 activation was abolished by abrogation of the PKC signal. Furthermore, the LTD(4)-induced activation of Erk-1/2 was unaffected by transfection with dominant-negative N17 Ras but blocked by transfection with kinase-dead Raf-1. Consequently, LTD(4) regulates the proliferative response by a distinct Ras-independent, PKCepsilon-dependent activation of Erk-1/2 and a parallel Ras-dependent signaling pathway.

A lipid-regulated docking site on vinculin for protein kinase C

During cell spreading, binding of actin-organizing proteins to acidic phospholipids and phosphorylation are important for localization and activity of these proteins at nascent cell-matrix adhesion sites. Here, we report on a transient interaction between the lipid-dependent protein kinase Calpha and vinculin, an early component of these sites, during spreading of HeLa cells on collagen. In vitro binding of protein kinase Calpha to vinculin tail was found dependent on free calcium and acidic phospholipids but independent of a functional kinase domain. The interaction was enhanced by conditions that favor the oligomerization of vinculin. Phosphorylation by protein kinase Calpha reached 1.5 mol of phosphate/mol of vinculin tail and required the C-terminal hydrophobic hairpin, a putative phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-binding site. Mass spectroscopy of peptides derived from in vitro phosphorylated vinculin tail identified phosphorylation of serines 1033 and 1045. Inhibition of C-terminal phospholipid binding at the vinculin tail by mutagenesis or deletion reduced the rate of phosphorylation to < or =50%. We suggest a possible mechanism whereby phospholipid-regulated conformational changes in vinculin may lead to exposure of a docking site for protein kinase Calpha and subsequent phosphorylation of vinculin and/or vinculin interaction partners, thereby affecting the formation of cell adhesion complexes.