Michelle R. Lennartz

Differential Requirement for Classic and Novel PKC Isoforms in Respiratory Burst and Phagocytosis in RAW 264.7 Cells

The binding of Ab (IgG)-opsonized particles by FcγRs on macrophages results in phagocytosis of the particles and generation of a respiratory burst. Both IgG-stimulated phagocytosis and respiratory burst involve activation of protein kinase C (PKC). However, the specific PKC isoforms required for these responses have yet to be identified. We have studied the involvement of PKC isoforms in IgG-mediated phagocytosis and respiratory burst in the mouse macrophage-like cell line, RAW 264.7. Like primary monocyte/macrophages, their IgG-mediated phagocytosis was calcium independent and diacylglycerol sensitive, consistent with novel PKC activation. Respiratory burst in these cells was Ca2+ dependent and inhibited by staurosporine and calphostin C as well as by the classic PKC-selective inhibitors Gö 6976 and CGP 41251, suggesting that classic PKC is required. In contrast, phagocytosis was blocked by general PKC inhibitors but not by the classic PKC-specific drugs. RAW 264.7 cells expressed PKCs α, βI, δ, ε, and ζ. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated that PKCs α, δ, and ε translocate to membranes during phagocytosis. In Ca2+-depleted cells, only novel PKCs δ and ε increased in membranes, and the time course of their translocation was consistent with phagosome formation. Confocal microscopy of cells transfected with green fluorescent protein-conjugated PKC α or ε confirmed that these isoforms translocated to the forming phagosome in Ca-replete cells, but only PKC ε colocalized with phagosomes in Ca2+-depleted cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the classic PKC α mediates IgG-stimulated respiratory burst in macrophages, whereas the novel PKCs δ and/or ε are necessary for phagocytosis.

Phospholipases and phagocytosis: the role of phospholipid-derived second messengers in phagocytosis

Phagocytosis, the process by which leukocytes recognize and destroy invading pathogens, is essential for host defense. The binding of foreign organisms to phagocytic leukocytes initiates a complex signaling cascade which ultimately results in the entrapment and destruction of the pathogen. The signal transduction pathway mediating phagocytosis is the subject of intense investigation and is known to include protein tyrosine kinases, GTP-binding proteins, protein kinase C (PKC), actin polymerization and membrane movement. A rapidly expanding body of evidence suggests that phospholipases play an integral role in phagocytosis by generating essential second messengers. Here we review the data linking activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), phospholipase C (PLC) phospholipase D (PLD), and phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) to antibody (IgG)-mediated phagocytosis. Evidence is presented that (1) PLA2-derived arachidonic acid (AA) stimulates NADPH oxidase and membrane redistribution during phagocytosis, (2) the inositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) products of PLC activate NADPH oxidase and PKC, and (3) sequential activation of PLD and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase may provide an alternative pathway for generation of DAG. Additionally, considerable evidence exists that wortmannin, a PI(3)K inhibitor, depresses phagocytosis. This finding is discussed in the context of the extensive effects PI(3)K products have on endocytosis and exocytosis and the potential role of membrane redistribution in phagocytosis. Finally, a model is presented which integrates data obtained from a variety of phagocytic systems and illustrates potential interactions that may exist between phospholipase-derived second messengers and signaling events required for phagocytosis.

Localization of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) to pseudopodia, membrane ruffles, and phagocytic cups in activated human neutrophils.

Leukocyte chemoattractants are known to stimulate signaling pathways that involve Rho family GTPases. Direct evidence for the regulation of the leukocyte cytoskeleton by Rho GTPases and their effector targets is limited. The p21‐activated kinases (PAKs) are specific targets of activated GTP‐bound Rac and Cdc42, and have been proposed as regulators of chemoattractant‐driven actin cytoskeletal changes in fibroblasts. PAK1 co‐localizes with F‐actin to cortical actin structures in stimulated fibroblasts, and activated PAK1 mutants induce membrane ruffling and polarized cytoskeletal rearrangements. We investigated whether PAK1 was associated with remodeling ofthe actin cytoskeleton in activated human neutrophils. We monitored the redistribution of PAK1 and F‐actin into the actin cytoskeleton after stimulation of human neutrophils with the chemoattractant N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP) or the particulate stimulus, opsonized zymosan (OZ). PAK1 exhibited a similar distribution as F‐actin in fMLP‐stimulated leukocytes, localizing in membrane ruffles and to lamellipodia at the leading edge of polarized cells. Addition of OZ induced phagocytic uptake of this particulate stimulus, and PAK1 re‐localized to the F‐actin‐rich pseudopodia and phagocytic cups associated with this process. Once the OZ was internalized, there was little PAK1 localized around the ingested particles, suggesting that PAK1 may be regulating the cytoskeletal extensions and events required for engulfment of bacteria, but not the subsequent steps of internalization. Localization of PAK1 and F‐actin in cytoskeletal structures was abolished by the actin polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin D and the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Our data suggest that PAK1 may regulate a subset of cytoskeletal dynamics initiated by chemoattractant and phagocytic stimuli in human neutrophils. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 521–527; 1999.

Protein Kinase C and Toll-Like Receptor Signaling

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of kinases that are implicated in a plethora of diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. PKC isoforms can have different, and sometimes opposing, effects in these disease states. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern recognition receptors that bind pathogens and stimulate the secretion of cytokines. It has long been known that PKC inhibitors reduce LPS-stimulated cytokine secretion by macrophages, linking PKC activation to TLR signaling. Recent studies have shown that PKC-α, -δ, -ε, and -ζ are directly involved in multiple steps in TLR pathways. They associate with the TLR or proximal components of the receptor complex. These isoforms are also involved in the downstream activation of MAPK, RhoA, TAK1, and NF-κB. Thus, PKC activation is intimately involved in TLR signaling and the innate immune response.

A role for PKC-ε in FcγR-mediated phagocytosis by RAW 264.7 cells

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a prominent role in immune signaling, and the paradigms for isoform selective signaling are beginning to be elucidated. Real-time microscopy was combined with molecular and biochemical approaches to demonstrate a role for PKC-ɛ in Fcγ receptor (FcγR)–dependent phagocytosis. RAW 264.7 macrophages were transfected with GFP-conjugated PKC isoforms, and GFP movement was followed during phagocytosis of fluorescent IgG–opsonized beads. PKC-ɛ, but not PKC-δ, concentrated around the beads. PKC-ɛ accumulation was transient; apparent as a “flash” on target ingestion. Similarly, endogenous PKC-ɛ was specifically recruited to the nascent phagosomes in a time-dependent manner. Overexpression of PKC-ɛ, but not PKC-α, PKC-δ, or PKC-γ enhanced bead uptake 1.8-fold. Additionally, the rate of phagocytosis in GFP PKC-ɛ expressors was twice that of cells expressing GFP PKC-δ. Expression of the regulatory domain (ɛRD) and the first variable region (ɛV1) of PKC-ɛ inhibited uptake, whereas the corresponding PKC-δ region had no effect. Actin polymerization was enhanced on expression of GFP PKC-ɛ and ɛRD, but decreased in cells expressing ɛV1, suggesting that the ɛRD and ɛV1 inhibition of phagocytosis is not due to effects on actin polymerization. These results demonstrate a role for PKC-ɛ in FcγR-mediated phagocytosis that is independent of its effects on actin assembly.

Superoxide production at phagosomal cup/phagosome through βI protein kinase C during FcγR-mediated phagocytosis in microglia

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a prominent role in immune signaling. To elucidate the signal transduction in a respiratory burst and isoform-specific function of PKC during FcγR-mediated phagocytosis, we used live, digital fluorescence imaging of mouse microglial cells expressing GFP-tagged molecules. βI PKC, εPKC, and diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) β dynamically and transiently accumulated around IgG-opsonized beads (BIgG). Moreover, the accumulation of p47phox, an essential cytosolic component of NADPH oxidase and a substrate for βI PKC, at the phagosomal cup/phagosome was apparent during BIgG ingestion. Superoxide (O2−) production was profoundly inhibited by Gö6976, a cPKC inhibitor, and dramatically increased by the DGK inhibitor, R59949. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that BIgG induced O2− production at the phagosome but not at the intracellular granules. We conclude that activation/accumulation of βI PKC is involved in O2− production, and that O2− production is primarily initiated at the phagosomal cup/phagosome. This study also suggests that DGKβ plays a prominent role in regulation of O2− production during FcγR-mediated phagocytosis.

MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE IS ACTIVATED DURING IgG-MEDIATED PHAGOCYTOSIS, BUT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR TARGET INGESTION

Arachidonic acid (AA) release is required for IgG-mediated phagocytosis in human monocytes. AA release is mediated by a calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (PPL) that is in turn regulated by protein kinase C (PKC). As mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activates cytosolic phospholipase A2, we examined the activation and involvement of MAPK in IgG-mediated phagocytosis. MAPK activity was assessed in immunoprecipitates; tyrosine phosphorylation was detected by immunoblotting. Ingestion of IgG-opsonized glass beads, or treatment with phorbol myristate acetate, increased enzymatic activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of p42 MAPK. This MAPK activation was attenuated by PKC inhibitors staurosporine or calphostin C. Treatment with PD98059, a p42/p44 MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, decreased BIgG-stimulated p42 MAPK activity by >90% with no significant effect on phagocytosis or pPL activity. These results suggest that p42 MAPK is activated in a PKC-dependent manner during IgG-dependent phagocytosis but is not required for target ingestion.

Isoform-Specific Membrane Targeting Mechanism of Rac during FcγR-Mediated Phagocytosis: Positive Charge-Dependent and Independent Targeting Mechanism of Rac to the Phagosome

Rac1 and Rac2 are capable of stimulating superoxide production in vitro, but their targeting and functional mechanisms are still unknown. In the present study, we found that Rac1, 2, and 3 all accumulate at the phagosome during FcγR-mediated phagocytosis, and that the order of accumulation (Rac1 > Rac3 > Rac2) depends on the net positive charge in their polybasic (PB) regions (183–188 aa). Although all GFP-tagged prenylated PB regions of Rac isoforms (GFP-Rac(PB)) and GFP-tagged prenylated 6 Ala (GFP-6A) accumulated during phagocytosis, GFP-Rac2(PB) and GFP-6A showed weak accumulation at the phagosome through a linear structure connecting the phagosome and endomembranes. The PB region of Rac1 showed strong phospholipid interaction with PI(3)P, PI(4)P, PI(5)P, PI(3,4,5)P3, and phosphatidic acid, however, that of Rac2 did not. Constitutively active Rac2, GFP-Rac2(Q61L), was predominantly localized at the endomembranes; these endomembranes fused to the phagosome through the linear structure during phagocytosis, and this accumulation mechanism did not depend on positive charge in the PB region. Our conclusion is that Rac1 directly targets to the phagosome using the positively charged PB region and this accumulation mechanism is likely enhanced by the phospholipids. In addition to this mechanism, Rac2 has a positive charge-independent mechanism in which Rac2 initially targets to endomembranes and then these endomembranes fuse to the phagosome.

The Induction of Yes-Associated Protein Expression After Arterial Injury Is Crucial for Smooth Muscle Phenotypic Modulation and Neointima Formation

Objective—Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the key events in the progression of neointima formation in response to vascular injury. The goal of this study is to investigate the functional role of a potent oncogene yes-associated protein (YAP) in SM phenotypic modulation in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results—In vitro cell culture and in vivo in both mouse and rat arterial injury models YAP expression is significantly induced and correlated with the vascular SMC synthetic phenotype. Overexpression of YAP promotes SMC migration and proliferation while attenuating SM contractile gene expression. Conversely, knocking down endogenous YAP in SMCs upregulates SM gene expression but attenuates SMC proliferation and migration. Consistent with this, knocking down YAP expression in a rat carotid balloon injury model and genetic deletion of YAP, specifically, in vascular SMCs in mouse after carotid artery ligation injury attenuates injury-induced SM phenotypic switch and neointima formation. Conclusion—YAP plays a novel integrative role in SM phenotypic modulation by inhibiting SM-specific gene expression while promoting SM proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo. Blocking the induction of YAP would be a potential therapeutic approach for ameliorating vascular occlusive diseases.

Protein kinase C and a calcium-independent phospholipase are required for IgG-mediated phagocytosis by Mono-Mac-6 cells.

Mono‐Mac‐6 (MM6) human monocytes ingest IgG‐opsonized particles better than other human cell lines. We compared the phagocytic signaling pathway in MM6 with human monocytes. MM6 expressed FcγRI at levels similar to monocytes, whereas FcRγII expression was approximately double. MM6 ingested IgG‐opsonized erythrocytes (EIgG) in a calcium‐independent manner. Incubation of MM6 with bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of the phagocytic phospholipase (pPL), coordinately decreased phagocytosis and pPL activity. This inhibition was overcome by exogenous arachidonic acid, suggesting that phagocytosis requires pPL activation and arachidonic acid release. MM6 phagocytosis was inhibited with staurosporine and activated with diacylglycerol, supporting a role for protein kinase C (PKC) in this process. The pPL activators mastoparan and melittin restored phagocytosis to PKC‐inhibited cells, suggesting that pPL lies downstream from PKC. These results suggest that the MM6 signal transduction pathway for IgG‐mediated phagocytosis is similar to that of monocytes (PKCåpPLåarachidonic acidåphagocytosis). The results are discussed in the context of the finding that MM6 exhibit low phagocytosis relative to monocytes and thus may represent an attractive cell line for molecular manipulation in “recovery of function” studies. J. Leukoc. Biol. 65: 854–862; 1999.