John A. Badwey

Enhanced superoxide release and elevated protein kinase C activity in neutrophils from diabetic patients: association with periodontitis

Inflammation and oxidative stress are important factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes and contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by increased oxidative stress, and the risk for periodontitis is increased significantly in diabetic subjects. In this study, we examined the superoxide (O2−)‐generating reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐oxidase complex and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in neutrophils. Fifty diabetic patients were grouped according to glycemic control and the severity of periodontitis. Neutrophils from diabetic patients with moderate [amount of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) between 7.0% and 8.0%] or poor (HbA1c >8.0%) glycemic control released significantly more O2− than neutrophils from diabetic patients with good glycemic control (HbA1c <7.0%) and neutrophils from nondiabetic, healthy individuals upon stimulation with 4β‐phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate or N‐formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe. Depending on glycemic status, neutrophils from these patients also exhibited increased activity of the soluble‐ and membrane‐bound forms of PKC, elevated amounts of diglyceride, and enhanced phosphorylation of p47‐phox during cell stimulation. In addition, we report a significant correlation between glycemic control (HbA1c levels) and the severity of periodontitis in diabetic patients, suggesting that enhanced oxidative stress and increased inflammation exacerbate both diseases. Thus, hyperglycemia can lead to a novel form of neutrophil priming, where elevated PKC activity results in increased phosphorylation of p47‐phox and O2− release.

A Molecular Defect in Intracellular Lipid Signaling in Human Neutrophils in Localized Aggressive Periodontal Tissue Damage

Host defense mechanisms are impaired in patients with congenital neutrophil (polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN)) defects. Impaired PMN chemotaxis is observed in localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP), a familial disorder characterized by destruction of the supporting structures of dentition. In the present studies, we sought evidence for molecular events underlying this aberrant human PMN phenotype. To this end, PMN transendothelial migration and superoxide anion generation were assessed with LAP patients and asymptomatic family members, as well as patients with other chronic mucosal inflammation. PMN from LAP patients showed decreased transmigration across vascular endothelial monolayers (18 ± 12% of control, n = 4) and increased superoxide anion generation (358 ± 37%, p = 0.003). Gene expression was analyzed using oligonucleotide microarrays and fluorescence-based kinetic PCR. cDNA microarray and kinetic-PCR analysis revealed diminished RNA expression of leukocyte-type diacylglycerol (DAG) kinase α in PMN from LAP patients (4.6 ± 1.7 relative units, n = 6, p = 0.007) compared with asymptomatic individuals (51 ± 27 relative units, n = 7). DAG kinase activity was monitored by DAG phosphorylation and individual DAG molecular species were quantified using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry-based lipidomics. DAG kinase activity was also significantly decreased (73 ± 2%, p = 0.007) and correlated with increased accumulation of 1,2-diacyl-sn-3-glycerol substrates (p = 0.01). These results implicate defects in both PMN transendothelial migration and PMN DAG kinase α signaling as disordered functions in LAP. Moreover, they identify a potential molecular lesion in PMN signal transduction that may account for their aberrant responses and tissue destruction in this disease.

A Stable Aspirin-Triggered Lipoxin A4 Analog Blocks Phosphorylation of Leukocyte-Specific Protein 1 in Human Neutrophils

Lipoxins and their aspirin-triggered 15-epimers are endogenous anti-inflammatory agents that block neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro and inhibit neutrophil influx in several models of acute inflammation. In this study, we examined the effects of 15-epi-16-(p-fluoro)-phenoxy-lipoxin A4 methyl ester, an aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4-stable analog (ATLa), on the protein phosphorylation pattern of human neutrophils. Neutrophils stimulated with the chemoattractant fMLP were found to exhibit intense phosphorylation of a 55-kDa protein that was blocked by ATLa (10–50 nM). This 55-kDa protein was identified as leukocyte-specific protein 1, a downstream component of the p38-MAPK cascade in neutrophils, by mass spectrometry, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation experiments. ATLa (50 nM) also reduced phosphorylation/activation of several components of the p38-MAPK pathway in these cells (MAPK kinase 3/MAPK kinase 6, p38-MAPK, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2). These results indicate that ATLa exerts its anti-inflammatory effects, at least in part, by blocking activation of the p38-MAPK cascade in neutrophils, which is known to promote chemotaxis and other proinflammatory responses by these cells.

Regulation of the NADPH-oxidase complex of phagocytic leukocytes. Recent insights from structural biology, molecular genetics, and microscopy.

The NADPH-oxidase complex is a multisubunit enzyme complex that catalyzes the formation of superoxide (O2−) by phagocytic leukocytes. This paper reviews some of the major advances in understanding the assembly and regulation of this enzyme system that have occurred during the past decade. For example, novel domains/motifs have been identified in p47-phox (PX and super SH3 domains) and p67-phox (tetratricopeptide repeat motifs). X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy have provided detailed structural data on these domains and how p47-phox and p67-phox interact with p22-phox and activated Rac, respectively. Site-directed mutagenesis and knockout experiments have identified the critical phosphorylation sites in p47-phox, revealed an “activation domain” in p67-phox, and demonstrated that a specific pathway exists for activating Rac to participate in oxidase assembly/activation. Cytochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy have provided new insights into the assembly of the oxidase and reveal a level of complexity not previously appreciated.

p21-Activated Kinase 2 in Neutrophils Can Be Regulated by Phosphorylation at Multiple Sites and by a Variety of Protein Phosphatases

The p21-activated kinase(Pak) 2 undergoes rapid autophosphorylation/activation in neutrophils stimulated with a variety of chemoattractants (e.g., fMLP). Phosphorylation within the activation loop (Thr402) and inhibitory domain (Ser141) is known to increase the activity of Pak in vitro, whereas phosphorylation within the Nck (Ser20) and Pak-interacting guanine nucleotide exchange factor (Ser192 and Ser197) binding sites blocks the interactions of Pak 2 with these proteins. A panel of phosphospecific Abs was used to investigate the phosphorylation of Pak 2 in neutrophils at these sites. Pak 2 underwent rapid (≤15 s) phosphorylation at Ser20, Ser192/197, and Thr402 in neutrophils stimulated with fMLP. Phosphorylation at Ser192/197 and Thr402 were highly transient events, whereas that at Ser20 was more persistent. In contrast, Pak 2 was constitutively phosphorylated at Ser141 in unstimulated neutrophils and phosphorylation at this site was less sensitive to cell stimulation than at other residues. Studies with selective inhibitors suggested that a variety of phosphatases might be involved in the rapid dephosphorylation of Pak 2 at Thr402 in stimulated neutrophils. This was consistent with biochemical studies which showed that the activation loop of GST-Pak 3, which is homologous to that in Pak 2, was a substrate for protein phosphatase 1, 2A, and a Mg2+/Mn2+-dependent phosphatase(s) which exhibited properties different from those of the conventional isoforms of protein phosphatase 2C. The data indicate that Pak 2 undergoes a complex pattern of phosphorylation in neutrophils and that dephosphorylation at certain sites may involve multiple protein phosphatases that exhibit distinct modes of regulation.

Phosphorylation of pleckstrin increases proinflammatory cytokine secretion by mononuclear phagocytes in diabetes mellitus.

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of intracellular enzymes plays a crucial role in signal transduction for a variety of cellular responses of mononuclear phagocytes including phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and secretion. Alterations in the activation pathways of PKC in a variety of cell types have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the complications of diabetes. In this study, we investigated the consequences of PKC activation by evaluating endogenous phosphorylation of PKC substrates with a phosphospecific PKC substrate Ab (pPKC(s)). Phosphorylation of a 40-kDa protein was significantly increased in mononuclear phagocytes from diabetics. Phosphorylation of this protein is downstream of PKC activation and its phosphorylated form was found to be associated with the membrane. Mass spectrometry analysis, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting experiments revealed that this 40-kDa protein is pleckstrin. We then investigated the phosphorylation and translocation of pleckstrin in response to the activation of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The results suggest that pleckstrin is involved in RAGE signaling and advanced glycation end product (AGE)-elicited mononuclear phagocyte dysfunction. Suppression of pleckstrin expression with RNA interference silencing revealed that phosphorylation of pleckstrin is an important intermediate in the secretion and activation pathways of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) induced by RAGE activation. In summary, this study demonstrates that phosphorylation of pleckstrin is up-regulated in diabetic mononuclear phagocytes. The phosphorylation is in part due to the activation of PKC through RAGE binding, and pleckstrin is a critical molecule for proinflammatory cytokine secretion in response to elevated AGE in diabetes.

p90-RSK and Akt may promote rapid phosphorylation/inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 in chemoattractant-stimulated neutrophils.

Stimulation of neutrophils with the chemoattractant fMet‐Leu‐Phe (fMLP) triggers phosphorylation/inactivation of the α‐ and β‐isoforms of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK‐3) with phosphorylation of the α‐isoform predominating. These reactions were monitored with a phosphospecific antibody that only recognized the α‐ or β‐isoforms of GSK‐3 when these proteins were phosphorylated on serine residues 21 and 9, respectively. Inhibitor studies indicated that phosphorylation of GSK‐3α may be catalyzed by the combined action of p90‐RSK and Akt and may represent a new strategy by which G protein‐coupled receptors inactivate GSK‐3. Inactivation of GSK‐3 may be one of the mechanisms that delay apoptosis in fMLP‐stimulated neutrophils.

Differentiation of HL-60 cells to granulocytes involves regulation of select Diacylglycerol Kinases (DGKs)

Diacylglycerol Kinases (DGKs) are a family of enzymes that regulate the levels of different pools of diacylglycerol (DAG), affecting DAG‐mediated signal transduction. Since DAG is known to play several important regulatory roles in granulocyte physiology, we investigated the expression pattern of DGK isoforms throughout differentiation of HL‐60 cells to granulocytes. HL‐60 cells were incubated with 1.25% dimethyl‐sulfoxide (DMSO) to initiate differentiation and total RNA isolated at different time points. DGK expression was assessed through Northern blot, end‐point PCR, and real‐time PCR. The non‐selective inhibitors R59022 and R59949 were used to block DGK at different time points throughout differentiation. CD11b and GPI‐80, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, changes in the cell cycle, and apoptosis were used as markers of differentiation. Of the nine isoforms of DGK evaluated (α, δ, ε, γ, ζ, β, θ, ι, η), only five (α, δ, ε, γ, and ζ) were expressed in HL‐60 cells. DGKα was virtually absent in non‐differentiated cells, but was markedly upregulated throughout differentiation. The other isoforms (δ, ε, γ, and ζ) were expressed in undifferentiated HL‐60 cells but were substantially decreased throughout differentiation. Non‐selective blocking of DGK with R59022 and R59949 led to acceleration of differentiation, reducing the time necessary to observe upregulation of CD11b, GPI‐80 and generation of ROS by 50%. Likewise, the cell cycle was disrupted when DGK isoforms were inhibited. These results provide evidence that DGK levels are dynamically regulated throughout differentiation and that expression of DGKs play an important regulatory function during the differentiation of neutrophils.

A Protein Kinase from Neutrophils That Specifically Recognizes Ser-3 in Cofilin

Cofilin promotes the depolymerization of actin filaments, which is required for a variety of cellular responses such as the formation of lamellipodia and chemotaxis. Phosphorylation of cofilin on serine residue 3 is known to block these activities. We now report that neutrophils contain a protein kinase that selectively catalyzes the phosphorylation of cofilin on serine 3 (≥70%) and a nonspecific kinase that recognizes multiple sites in this protein. The selective serine 3 cofilin kinase binds to a deoxyribonuclease I affinity column, whereas the nonspecific cofilin kinase does not. Deoxyribonuclease I forms a very tight complex with actin, and deoxyribonuclease affinity columns have been utilized to identify a variety of proteins that interact with the cytoskeleton. The serine 3 cofilin kinase did not react with antibodies to LIM kinase 1 or 2, which can catalyze the phosphorylation of cofilin in other cell types. The activity of the serine 3 cofilin kinase was insensitive to a variety of selective antagonists of protein kinases but was blocked by staurosporine. This pattern of inhibition is similar to that observed for the kinase that is active with cofilin in intact neutrophils. Thus, neutrophils contain a protein kinase distinct from LIM kinase-1/2 that selectively recognizes serine 3 in cofilin.

Rapid association of cytoskeletal remodeling proteins with the developing phagosomes of human neutrophils.

Abstract. Phagocytosis of opsonized particles by neutrophils involves highly localized alterations in the actin cytoskeleton that result in the formation of prominent pseudopodia and the phagocytic cup. Immunofluorescence microscopy was employed to monitor the distribution of several proteins that can regulate the cytoskeleton in human neutrophils undergoing phagocytosis of opsonized Candida albicans. The small GTPase Cdc42, its inhibitory subunit Rho-GDI, the adapter protein Nck, γ-p21-activated protein kinase (γ-Pak), and cofilin were found to undergo rapid association with the developing phagosomes in these cells. In contrast, these signaling proteins were either diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm or enriched in focal points at the base of the cell when optical sections were obtained from regions of the cell not involved in phagocytosis. These results are consistent with Cdc42 being critically involved in initiating the early events in phagocytosis by its ability to activate Pak and the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein that triggers the localized polymerization of actin. These data provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that trigger changes in the actin cytoskeleton during phagocytosis.