Nicole Schwarz

Regulated Shedding of Transmembrane Chemokines by the Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 10 Facilitates Detachment of Adherent Leukocytes

CX3CL1 (fractalkine) and CXCL16 are unique members of the chemokine family because they occur not only as soluble, but also as membrane-bound molecules. Expressed as type I transmembrane proteins, the ectodomain of both chemokines can be proteolytically cleaved from the cell surface, a process known as shedding. Our previous studies showed that the disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) mediates the largest proportion of constitutive CX3CL1 and CXCL16 shedding, but is not involved in the phorbolester-induced release of the soluble chemokines (inducible shedding). In this study, we introduce the calcium-ionophore ionomycin as a novel, very rapid, and efficient inducer of CX3CL1 and CXCL16 shedding. By transfection in COS-7 cells and ADAM10-deficient murine embryonic fibroblasts combined with the use of selective metalloproteinase inhibitors, we demonstrate that the inducible generation of soluble forms of these chemokines is dependent on ADAM10 activity. Analysis of the C-terminal cleavage fragments remaining in the cell membrane reveals multiple cleavage sites used by ADAM10, one of which is preferentially used upon stimulation with ionomycin. In adhesion studies with CX3CL1-expressing ECV-304 cells and cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells, we demonstrate that induced CX3CL1 shedding leads to the release of bound monocytic cell lines and PBMC from their cellular substrate. These data provide evidence for an inducible release mechanism via ADAM10 potentially important for leukocyte diapedesis.

Regulated release and functional modulation of junctional adhesion molecule A by disintegrin metalloproteinases

Junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) is a transmembrane adhesive glycoprotein that participates in the organization of endothelial tight junctions and contributes to leukocyte transendothelial migration. We demonstrate here that cultured endothelial cells not only express a cellular 43-kDa variant of JAM-A but also release considerable amounts of a 33-kDa soluble JAM-A variant. This release is enhanced by treatment with proinflammatory cytokines and is associated with the down-regulation of surface JAM-A. Inhibition experiments, loss/gain-of-function experiments, and cleavage experiments with recombinant proteases indicated that cleavage of JAM-A is mediated predominantly by the disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 17 and, to a lesser extent, by ADAM10. Cytokine treatment of mice increased JAM-A serum level and in excised murine aortas increased ADAM10/17 activity correlated with enhanced JAM-A release. Functionally, soluble JAM-A blocked migration of cultured endothelial cells, reduced transendothelial migration of isolated neutrophils in vitro, and decreased neutrophil infiltration in a murine air pouch model by LFA-1- and JAM-A-dependent mechanisms. Therefore, shedding of JAM-A by inflamed vascular endothelium via ADAM17 and ADAM10 may not only generate a biomarker for vascular inflammation but could also be instrumental in controlling JAM-A functions in the molecular zipper guiding transendothelial diapedesis of leukocytes.

NAD+ and ATP Released from Injured Cells Induce P2X7-Dependent Shedding of CD62L and Externalization of Phosphatidylserine by Murine T Cells

Extracellular NAD+ and ATP trigger the shedding of CD62L and the externalization of phosphatidylserine on murine T cells. These events depend on the P2X7 ion channel. Although ATP acts as a soluble ligand to activate P2X7, gating of P2X7 by NAD+ requires ecto-ADP-ribosyltransferase ART2.2-catalyzed transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety from NAD+ onto Arg125 of P2X7. Steady-state concentrations of NAD+ and ATP in extracellular compartments are highly regulated and usually are well below the threshold required for activating P2X7. The goal of this study was to identify possible endogenous sources of these nucleotides. We show that lysis of erythrocytes releases sufficient levels of NAD+ and ATP to induce activation of P2X7. Dilution of erythrocyte lysates or incubation of lysates at 37°C revealed that signaling by ATP fades more rapidly than that by NAD+. We further show that the routine preparation of primary lymph node and spleen cells induces the release of NAD+ in sufficient concentrations for ART2.2 to ADP-ribosylate P2X7, even at 4°C. Gating of P2X7 occurs when T cells are returned to 37°C, rapidly inducing CD62L-shedding and PS-externalization by a substantial fraction of the cells. The “spontaneous” activation of P2X7 during preparation of primary T cells could be prevented by i.v. injection of either the surrogate ART substrate etheno-NAD or ART2.2-inhibitory single domain Abs 10 min before sacrificing mice.

A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) Mediates Inflammation-induced Shedding of Syndecan-1 and -4 by Lung Epithelial Cells

Syndecans are cell surface proteoglycans that bind and modulate various proinflammatory mediators and can be proteolytically shed from the cell surface. Within the lung, syndecan-1 and -4 are expressed as transmembrane proteins on epithelial cells and released in the bronchoalveolar fluid during inflammation. We here characterize the mechanism leading to the generation of soluble syndecan-1 and -4 in cultured epithelial cells and murine lung tissue. We show that the bladder carcinoma epithelial cell line ECV304, the lung epithelial cell line A459 and primary alveolar epithelial cells express and constitutively release syndecan-1 and -4. This release involves the activity of the disintegrin-like metalloproteinase ADAM17 as demonstrated by use of specific inhibitors and lentivirally transduced shRNA. Stimulation of epithelial cells with PMA, thrombin, or proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα/IFNγ) led to the down-regulation of surface-expressed syndecan-1 and -4, which was associated with a significant increase of soluble syndecans and cell-associated cleavage fragments. The enhanced syndecan release was not related to gene induction of syndecans or ADAM17, but rather due to increased ADAM17 activity. Soluble syndecan-1 and -4 were also released into the bronchoalveolar fluid of mice. Treatment with TNFα/IFNγ increased ADAM17 activity and syndecan release in murine lungs. Both constitutive and induced syndecan shedding was prevented by the ADAM17 inhibitor. ADAM17 may therefore be an important regulator of syndecan functions on inflamed lung epithelium.

Keratins as the main component for the mechanical integrity of keratinocytes

Significance For decades, researchers have been trying to unravel one of the key questions in cell biology regarding keratin intermediate filament function in protecting epithelial cells against mechanical stress. For many different reasons, however, this fundamental hypothesis was still unproven. Here we answer this pivotal question by the use of keratin KO cells lacking complete keratin gene clusters to result in total loss of keratin filaments. This lack significantly softens cells, reduces cell viscosity, and elevates plastic cell deformation on force application. Reexpression of single keratin genes facilitates biomechanical complementation of complete cluster loss. Our manuscript therefore makes a very strong case for the crucial contribution of keratins to cell mechanics, with far-reaching implications for epithelial pathophysiology. Keratins are major components of the epithelial cytoskeleton and are believed to play a vital role for mechanical integrity at the cellular and tissue level. Keratinocytes as the main cell type of the epidermis express a differentiation-specific set of type I and type II keratins forming a stable network and are major contributors of keratinocyte mechanical properties. However, owing to compensatory keratin expression, the overall contribution of keratins to cell mechanics was difficult to examine in vivo on deletion of single keratin genes. To overcome this problem, we used keratinocytes lacking all keratins. The mechanical properties of these cells were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic tweezers experiments. We found a strong and highly significant softening of keratin-deficient keratinocytes when analyzed by AFM on the cell body and above the nucleus. Magnetic tweezers experiments fully confirmed these results showing, in addition, high viscous contributions to magnetic bead displacement in keratin-lacking cells. Keratin loss neither affected actin or microtubule networks nor their overall protein concentration. Furthermore, depolymerization of actin preserves cell softening in the absence of keratin. On reexpression of the sole basal epidermal keratin pair K5/14, the keratin filament network was reestablished, and mechanical properties were restored almost to WT levels in both experimental setups. The data presented here demonstrate the importance of keratin filaments for mechanical resilience of keratinocytes and indicate that expression of a single keratin pair is sufficient for almost complete reconstitution of their mechanical properties.

Keratins control intercellular adhesion involving PKC-α–mediated desmoplakin phosphorylation

Keratins limit PKC-α phosphorylation activity and desmosome turnover to ensure the stability of epithelial intracellular adhesion.

Requirements for leukocyte transmigration via the transmembrane chemokine CX3CL1.

The surface-expressed transmembrane CX3C chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1/fractalkine) induces firm adhesion of leukocytes expressing its receptor CX3CR1. After shedding by the disintegrins and metalloproteinases (ADAM) 10 and 17, CX3CL1 also acts as soluble leukocyte chemoattractant. Here, we demonstrate that transmembrane CX3CL1 expressed on both endothelial and epithelial cells induces leukocyte transmigration. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we generated CX3CR1 variants lacking the intracellular aspartate-arginine-tyrosine (DRY) motif or the intracellular C-terminus which led to a defect in intracellular calcium response and impaired ligand uptake, respectively. While both variants effectively mediated firm cell adhesion, they failed to induce transmigration and rather mediated retention of leukocytes on the CX3CL1-expressing cell layer. Targeting of ADAM10 led to increased adhesion but reduced transmigration in response to transmembrane CX3CL1, while transmigration towards soluble CX3CL1 was not affected. Thus, transmembrane CX3CL1 mediates leukocyte transmigration via the DRY motif and C-terminus of CX3CR1 and the activity of ADAM10.

Skin Fragility and Impaired Desmosomal Adhesion in Mice Lacking All Keratins

Keratins perform major structural and regulatory functions in epithelia. Owing to redundancy, their respective contribution to epidermal integrity, adhesion, and cell junction formation has not been addressed in full. Unexpectedly, the constitutive deletion of type II keratins in mice was embryonic lethal ∼ E9.5 without extensive tissue damage. This prompted us to analyze keratin functions in skin where keratins are best characterized. Here, we compare the mosaic and complete deletion of all type II keratins in mouse skin, with distinct consequences on epidermal integrity, adhesion, and organismal survival. Mosaic knockout (KO) mice survived ∼ 12 days while global KO mice died perinatally because of extensive epidermal damage. Coinciding with absence of keratins, epidermal fragility, inflammation, increased epidermal thickness, and increased proliferation were noted in both strains of mice, accompanied by significantly smaller desmosomes. Decreased desmosome size was due to accumulation of desmosomal proteins in the cytoplasm, causing intercellular adhesion defects resulting in intercellular splits. Mixing different ratios of wild-type and KO keratinocytes revealed that ∼ 60% of keratin-expressing cells were sufficient to maintain epithelial sheets under stress. Our data reveal a major contribution of keratins to the maintenance of desmosomal adhesion and epidermal integrity with relevance for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa simplex and other keratinopathies.

Leukocytes require ADAM10 but not ADAM17 for their migration and inflammatory recruitment into the alveolar space.

Inflammation is a key process in various diseases, characterized by leukocyte recruitment to the inflammatory site. This study investigates the role of a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase (ADAM) 10 and ADAM17 for leukocyte migration in vitro and in a murine model of acute pulmonary inflammation. Inhibition experiments or RNA knockdown indicated that monocytic THP-1 cells and primary human neutrophils require ADAM10 but not ADAM17 for efficient chemokine-induced cell migration. Signaling and adhesion events that are linked to cell migration such as p38 and ρ GTPase-family activation, F-actin polymerization, adhesion to fibronectin, and up-regulation of α5 integrin were also dependent on ADAM10 but not ADAM17. This was confirmed with leukocytes isolated from mice lacking either ADAM10 or ADAM17 in all hematopoietic cells (vav 1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor [Vav]-Adam10(-/-) or Vav-Adam17(-/-) mice). In lipopolysaccharide-induced acute pulmonary inflammation, alveolar recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes was transiently increased in Vav-Adam17(-/-) but steadily reduced in Vav-Adam10(-/-) mice. This deficit in alveolar leukocyte recruitment was also observed in LysM-Adam10(-/-) mice lacking ADAM10 in myeloid cells and correlated with protection against edema formation. Thus, with regard to leukocyte migration, leukocyte-expressed ADAM10 but not ADAM17 displays proinflammatory activities and may therefore serve as a target to limit inflammatory cell recruitment.

A keratin scaffold regulates epidermal barrier formation, mitochondrial lipid composition, and activity.

Epidermal keratin filaments are important components and organizers of the cornified envelope and regulate mitochondrial metabolism by modulating their membrane composition.