Susana Alemany

[37] Protein phosphatase-1 and protein phosphatase-2A from rabbit skeletal muscle

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the purification of two forms of protein phosphatase- 1 (PP-I 1 and PP-l G ), and three forms of protein phosphatase-2A (PP-2A 0 , PP-2A 1 , and PP-2A 2 ) from skeletal muscle. Procedures for isolating the free catalytic subunits (termed PP-l c and PP-2A c ) are documented and the structures of these enzymes are summarized in the chapter. The free catalytic subunits are isolated by a modification of the procedure of Lee and co-workers. Skeletal muscle extracts prepared from 3000 g of muscle are adjusted to pH 7.2 with 10 M ammonium hydroxide, and 350 g of solid ammonium sulfate are added to each liter of solution to bring the degree of saturation to 55%. After standing for 30 min the suspension is centrifuged for 40 min at 4200 g and the supernatant discarded. The PP-2A c from poly(L-lysine)-Sepharose is purified in an identical manner to PP-I c .

Regulation of cyclooxygenase activity by metamizol.

The ability of metamizol to inhibit cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 activities has been evaluated using different cyclooxygenase sources. Metamizol inhibited purified cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 with an IC50 of about 150 microg/ml. A similar IC50 value for cyclooxygenase-2 was obtained in lipopolysaccharide-activated broken murine macrophages. Consistent with these findings, molecular models of the complexes between cyclooxygenase-1 or cyclooxygenase-2 with 4-methylaminoantipyrine, the major active derivative of metamizol, suggested a common binding mode to both isoforms. In intact cells, however, the inhibition profiles were markedly different. The IC50 values of metamizol for cyclooxygenase-1 in intact bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) cells and human platelets were 1730 +/- 150 microg/ml and 486 +/- 56 microg/ml, respectively. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 activity in murine macrophages and primary human leukocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide yielded IC50 values of 12 +/- 1.8 microg/ml and 21 +/- 2.9 microg/ml, respectively. These data indicate that the IC50 values obtained with purified enzymes or disrupted cells cannot always be extrapolated to the cyclooxygenase inhibitory activity of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in intact cells. The data presented here also indicate that cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition could play an important role in the pharmacological effects of metamizol.

Cot/tpl2 activity is required for TLR-induced activation of the Akt p70 S6k pathway in macrophages: Implications for NO synthase 2 expression

LPS stimulation activates IKK and different MAP kinase pathways, as well as the PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR‐p70 S6k pathway, a negative regulator of these MyD88‐dependent intracellular signals. Here, we show that Cot/tpl2, a MAP3K responsible for the activation of the MKK1‐Erk1/2, controls P‐Ser473 Akt and P‐Thr389 p70 S6k phosphorylation in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. Analysis of the intracellular signalling in Cot/tpl2 KO macrophages versus WT macrophages reveals lower IκBα recovery and higher phosphorylation of JNK and p38α after 1 h of LPS stimulation. Moreover, Cot/tpl2 deficiency increases LPS‐induced NO synthase 2 (NOS2) expression in macrophages. Inhibition of the PI3K pathway abolishes the differences in IκBα and NOS2 expression between Cot/tpl2 KO and WT macrophages following LPS administration. Furthermore, in zymosan‐ and polyI:C‐stimulated macrophages, Cot/tpl2 mediates P‐Ser473 Akt phosphorylation, increases IκBα levels and decreases NOS2 expression. In conclusion, these data reveal a novel role for the Cot/tpl2 pathway in mediating TLR activation of the Akt‐mTOR‐p70 S6k pathway, allowing Cot/tpl2 to fine‐control the activation state of other signalling pathways.

The COOH-Terminal Domain of Wild-Type Cot Regulates Its Stability and Kinase Specific Activity

ABSTRACT Cot, initially identified as an oncogene in a truncated form, is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase implicated in cellular activation and proliferation. Here, we show that this truncation of Cot results in a 10-fold increase in its overall kinase activity through two different mechanisms. Truncated Cot protein exhibits a lower turnover rate (half-life, 95 min) than wild-type Cot (half-life, 35 min). The degradation of wild-type and truncated Cot can be specifically inhibited by proteasome inhibitors in situ. The 20S proteasome also degrades wild-type Cot more efficiently than the truncated protein. Furthermore, the amino acid 435 to 457 region within the wild-type Cot COOH-terminal domain confers instability when transferred to the yellow fluorescent protein and targets this fusion protein to degradation via the proteasome. On the other hand, the kinase specific activity of wild-type Cot is 3.8-fold lower than that of truncated Cot, and it appears that the last 43 amino acids of the wild-type Cot COOH-terminal domain are those responsible for this inhibition of kinase activity. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that the oncogenic activity of truncated Cot is the result of its prolonged half-life and its higher kinase specific activity with respect to wild-type Cot.

Stimulation by vasopressin and angiotensin of phospholipid methyltransferase in isolated rat hepatocytes

Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine are the two major phosptiolipid components of membranes from rat hepatocytes [1]. Phosphatidylcholine can be synthesized either by transcholination [2] or by transmethytation [3]. The transmethylation pathway involves the addition of 3 methyl groups to the polar head of phosphatidylethanolamine, the methyl donor being S-adenosyl-L-methionine. Two intermediates are formed during the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine by transmethylation: N-methyl. phosphatidylethanolamine and N,N-dimethyl-phosphatidylethanolamine [4]. In rat liver, phospholipid methyltransferase activity is associated with the microsomal fraction [5,6]. Although rat liver is one of the tissues were the specific activity of phospholipid methyltransferase is relatively high, the contribution of this pathway to the total synthesis of phosphatidylcholine is also minor (20-40%) in this tissue [7]. However, the finding that many signals acting on the cell surface, including hormones [8,9], immunoglobulins [ 10], attractants [ 11-13 ], and phagocytizable particles [ 14], modulate phospholipid methylation, suggest an important function for this process during signal transduction. We have shown that treatment of isolated hepatocytes with glucagon produces a time and dose-dependent activation of phospholipid methyltransferase, through a mechanism which seems to be dependent on cyclic AMP [9,15]. Rat hepatocytes possess at least 3 hormone receptors, a-adrenergic, vasopressin and angiotensin, in whose actions Ca 2÷ and not cyclic AMP, is involved [16-18]. This paper shows an activation of phospholipid methyltransferase by vasopressin and angiotensin in isolated rat hepatocytes which is dependent on Ca 2÷. Furthermore, the ionophore A23187 mimics the effect of these hormones.

Conversion of rat liver S-adenosyl-l-methionine synthetase from high-Mr form to low-Mr form by LiBr

Rat liver S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase exists in two forms which are, respectively, a dimer and a tetramer of an Mr 48,500 subunit. The high-molecular-mass form is converted into the low-molecular-mass form by incubation with 1.4 M LiBr. The kinetic properties of the low-molecular-mass form obtained by LiBr treatment are the same as those obtained with the low-molecular-mass S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase form purified from rat liver cytosol. These results demonstrate that the differences in specific activity and regulatory properties of the high-molecular-mass and the low-molecular-mass S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase forms are due to their different polymeric states.

Sterile Inflammation in Acetaminophen-induced Liver Injury Is Mediated by Cot/tpl2

Background: MAP3K8 (Cot/tpl2) activates MKK1/2-Erk1/2 upon stimulation of receptors from the Toll-like/interleukin-1 receptor superfamily. Results: Cot/tpl2 plays an essential role in acetaminophen-induced liver injury by modulating the generation of inflammatory signals induced by necrotic cells. Conclusion: Sterile inflammatory processes triggered by tissue damage are modulated by Cot/tpl2. Significance: Cot/tpl2 contributes to the development of pathologies associated with inflammation triggered by damage-associated molecular patterns. Cot/tpl2 (MAP3K8) activates MKK1/2-Erk1/2 following stimulation of the Toll-like/IL-1 receptor superfamily. Here, we investigated the role of Cot/tpl2 in sterile inflammation and drug-induced liver toxicity. Cot/tpl2 KO mice exhibited reduced hepatic injury after acetaminophen challenge, as evidenced by decreased serum levels of both alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, decreased hepatic necrosis, and increased survival relative to Wt mice. Serum levels of both alanine and aspartate aminotransferases were also lower after intraperitoneal injection of acetaminophen in mice expressing an inactive form of Cot/tpl2 compared with Wt mice, suggesting that Cot/tpl2 activity contributes to acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Furthermore, Cot/tpl2 deficiency reduced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration in the liver of mice treated with acetaminophen, as well as their hepatic and systemic levels of IL-1α. Intraperitoneal injection of damage-associated molecular patterns from necrotic hepatocytes also impaired the recruitment of leukocytes and decreased the levels of several cytokines in the peritoneal cavity in Cot/tpl2 KO mice compared with Wt counterparts. Moreover, similar activation profiles of intracellular pathways were observed in Wt macrophages stimulated with Wt or Cot/tpl2 KO damage-associated molecular patterns. However, upon stimulation with damage-associated molecular patterns, the activation of Erk1/2 and JNK was deficient in Cot/tpl2 KO macrophages compared with their Wt counterparts; an effect accompanied by weaker release of several cytokines, including IL-1α, an important component in the development of sterile inflammation. Taken together, these findings indicate that Cot/tpl2 contributes to acetaminophen-induced liver injury, providing some insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Cot/tpl2-MKK1/2-Erk1/2 controls mTORC1-mediated mRNA translation in Toll-like receptor-activated macrophages.

Macrophages require rapid fine control of translation to provide an accurate and not self-damaging response to host infection. Cot/tpl2-MKK1/2-Erk1/2 controls 5´TOP and inflammatory mediator–gene encoding mRNA translation in TLR-activated macrophages.

Cot/tpl2 (MAP3K8) Mediates Myeloperoxidase Activity and Hypernociception following Peripheral Inflammation

Cot/tpl2 (also known as MAP3K8) has emerged as a new and potentially interesting therapeutic anti-inflammatory target. Here, we report the first study of Cot/tpl2 involvement in acute peripheral inflammation in vivo. Six hours after an intraplantar injection of zymosan, Cot/tpl2−/− mice showed a 47% reduction in myeloperoxidase activity, concomitant with a 46% lower neutrophil recruitment and a 40% decreased luminol-mediated bioluminescence imaging in vivo. Accordingly, Cot/tpl2 deficiency provoked a 25–30% reduction in luminol-mediated bioluminescence and neutrophil recruitment together with a 65% lower macrophage recruitment 4 h following zymosan-induced peritonitis. Significantly impaired levels of G-CSF and GM-CSF and of other cytokines such as TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6, as well as some chemokines such as MCP-1, MIP-1β, and keratinocyte-derived chemokine, were detected during the acute zymosan-induced intraplantar inflammatory response in Cot/tpl2−/− mice. Moreover, Cot/tpl2 deficiency dramatically decreased the production of the hypernociceptive ligand NGF at the inflammatory site during the course of inflammation. Most importantly, Cot/tpl2 deficiency significantly reduced zymosan-induced inflammatory hypernociception in mice, with a most pronounced effect of a 50% decrease compared with wild type (WT) at 24 h following intraplantar injection of zymosan. At this time, Cot/tpl2−/− mice showed significantly reduced NGF, TNFα, and prostaglandin E2 levels compared with WT littermates. In conclusion, our study demonstrates an important role of Cot/tpl2 in the NGF, G-CSF, and GM-CSF production and myeloperoxidase activity in the acute inflammatory response process and its implication in inflammatory hypernociception.

COX2 expression and Erk1/Erk2 activity mediate Cot-induced cell migration

The MAPKKK8 Cot/tpl-2, identified as an oncogene (Cot-T), participates in the intracellular signaling activated by members of the TLR and TNFalpha receptor superfamilies. Here we demonstrate that Cot promotes cell migration by regulating different steps involved in this process, such as cell adhesion and metalloproteinase activity. Indeed, Cot also regulates the cytoskeleton and Cot-T overexpression provokes the polarization of microtubules and the loss of stress fibers. Moreover, and in accordance with the increased Rac-GTP levels observed, Cot-T overexpressing cells develop more lamellipodia than control cells. Conversely, depletion of endogenous Cot increases the formation of stress fibers which is correlated with the high levels of Rho-GTP observed in these cells. In addition, the increase in COX2 expression and the activation of Erk1/2 regulated by Cot are essential for the induction of cell migration. Together, these data provide evidence of a new role for both proto-oncogenic and oncogenic Cot.