Phorbol myristate acetate mediates redistribution of protein kinase C in human neutrophils: potential role in the activation of the respiratory burst enzyme

Protein kinase C may be important in leukocyte function, because it is activated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a potent stimulus of the respiratory burst in neutrophils. The localization of protein kinase C was compared in unstimulated and PMA-stimulated human neutrophils. Protein kinase C was primarily cytosolic in unstimulated cells but became associated with the particulate fraction after treatment of cells with PMA. The particulate-associated kinase activity did not require added calcium and lipids, but when extracted by Triton X-100 (greater than or equal to 0.2%), calcium and phospholipid dependence could be demonstrated. The EC50 of PMA for stimulating kinase redistribution and activation of NADPH oxidase, the respiratory burst enzyme, were similar (30 to 40 nM). Redistribution of protein kinase C occurred rapidly (no lag) and preceded NADPH oxidase activation (30 sec lag). These results suggest that redistribution of protein kinase C is linked to activation of the respiratory burst in human neutrophils.     

The chymotrypsin inhibitor carbobenzyloxy-leucine-tyrosine-chloromethylketone interferes with the neutrophil respiratory burst mediated by a signaling pathway independent of PtdInsP2 breakdown and cytosolic free calcium.

The effects of carbobenzyloxy-leucine-tyrosine-chloromethylketone (zLYCK), an inhibitor of chymotrypsin, were investigated on the activation pathways of the human neutrophil respiratory burst. At 10 microM zLYCK, a parallel inhibition was observed of superoxide production stimulated with the chemo-attractant FMLP and of chymotrypsin-like activity of human neutrophils. By contrast, superoxide production induced by PMA was minimally affected by zLYCK. The known transduction pathways triggered by FMLP were analyzed. zLYCK did not affect either the FMLP-induced cytosolic free calcium transient, inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate formation, nor the PMA-induced phosphorylation of the 47-kDa substrate of protein kinase C. zLYCK did not affect the activity of protein kinase C extracted from neutrophils. In Ca(2+)-depleted cells, in which phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate breakdown does not occur, zLYCK inhibited the FMLP-induced respiratory burst in cells primed by low doses of PMA. The activity of the NADPH oxidase tested with active membranes from stimulated neutrophils or in a cell-free system was not inhibited by zLYCK. We conclude that: 1) zLYCK inhibits superoxide production through the inhibition of a chymotrypsin-like protease of the neutrophil, 2) zLYCK inhibits FMLP-induced activation of NADPH oxidase through a pathway independent of PtdInsP2 breakdown and cytosolic free calcium, and 3) zLYCK may prove a useful probe for the characterization of its target protease in neutrophil activation.     

Human neutrophil cytosolic activation factor of the NADPH oxidase. Characterization of activation kinetics

The kinetics of sodium dodecyl sulfate-induced activation of respiratory burst oxidase (NADPH oxidase) in a fully soluble cell-free system from resting (control) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated human neutrophils were investigated. In a cell-free system containing solubilized membranes and cytosol fractions (cytosol) derived from control neutrophils (control cell-free system), the values of Km and Vmax for NADPH of the NADPH oxidase from control neutrophils continuously increased with increasing concentrations of cytosol, but with increasing concentrations of solubilized membranes from the control neutrophils, Km values continuously decreased, suggesting cytosolic activation factor-dependent continuous changes in the affinity of NADPH oxidase to NADPH. In a cell-free system containing solubilized membranes and cytosol prepared from PMA-stimulated neutrophils, NADPH oxidase was not activated after the addition of NADPH. However, cytosol from control neutrophils activated the NADPH oxidase of PMA-stimulated neutrophils in a cell-free system. Cytosol from PMA-stimulated neutrophils did not activate the control neutrophil oxidase, although it contained no inhibitors of NADPH oxidase activation. The results suggest that, in PMA-stimulated neutrophils, cytosolic activation factors may be consumed or exhausted with an increasing period of time after the stimulation of neutrophils, and that the affinity of PMA-stimulated neutrophil NADPH oxidase to NADPH may almost be the same as that of control neutrophil oxidase. It was concluded that the affinity of NADPH oxidase to NADPH was closely associated with interaction between solubilized membranes and cytosolic activation factors, as indicated by the concentration ratio.     

A carboxy-terminal peptide from p47-phox is a substrate for phosphorylation by protein kinase C and by a neutrophil protein kinase.

Agonist-activated phosphorylation of neutrophil proteins including p47-phox, a cytosolic component of the respiratory burst oxidase, has been implicated in the signal transduction cascade which leads to activation of the superoxide generating respiratory burst. We have previously reported (J. Biol. Chem. 265, 17550-59) that in a cell-free activation system consisting of cytosol plus plasma membrane from human neutrophils, diacylglycerol acts synergistically with an anionic amphiphile such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to augment superoxide generation and assembly of the oxidase, and that p47 phosphorylation can occur under these conditions. Herein, we show that a peptide corresponding to a carboxy terminal sequence of p47-phox is a substrate for phosphorylation both by purified protein kinase C (a mixture of alpha, beta, and gamma forms) and by a distinct kinase or kinases present in neutrophil cytosol. Based on its activator requirements, the neutrophil kinase differs from classical protein kinase C, but may be a protein kinase C variant, based on inhibition by a protein kinase C peptide. Although in the cell-free system phosphorylation occurs under conditions which are similar to those for activation of superoxide generation, phosphorylation is not required for activation (1). Rather, protein assembly or aggregation which occurs under activation conditions may also promote phosphorylation.     

Cytotoxicity testing of wound-dressing materials

A method was developed for testing the cytotoxicity of various bandage-like wound dressings and gel wound dressings. In this method, the ability of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) to initiate a respiratory burst after exposure to the various wound dressings is used as a marker of cytotoxicity. Luminol-amplified chemiluminescence stimulated with opsonised zymosan or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) is used to measure the degree of activation of the respiratory burst, i.e. the NADPH oxidase activity, after exposure to wound dressings. Opsonised zymosan (material from yeast cell walls) is a phagocytic stimulus that activates the NADPH oxidase by binding to FC-receptors and complement receptors, and functions as an artificial bacterium, whereas PMA activates the NADPH oxidase by direct activation of protein kinase C. NADPH oxidase activity was inhibited by several wound dressings. The down-regulation of the respiratory burst is detrimental to the bactericial effect of PMNs, and can be used as a marker for the cytotoxicity of wound dressing materials.     

Assembly of the neutrophil respiratory burst oxidase. Protein kinase C promotes cytoskeletal and membrane association of cytosolic oxidase components.

Activated human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) convert molecular oxygen into superoxide anion, a process known as the respiratory burst, through the activity of a latent multicomponent NADPH-dependent oxidase. Components of this respiratory burst oxidase include the membrane-bound cytochrome b558 and the cytosolic factors p47-phox and p67-phox. We initiated these studies based on three observations: 1) that stimulation of PMN oxidase activity is associated with translocation of the cytosolic oxidase components to the plasma membrane; 2) that p47-phox is phosphorylated during PMN activation and that there is a sequential relationship between phosphorylation of p47-phox in the cytosol and appearance of the phosphoprotein in the membran; and 3) that the predicted amino acid sequences of p47-phox and of p67-phox contain regions of homology to the SH3 or A domain of the src family of tyrosine kinases, a region found in a variety of proteins which interact with the cytoskeleton or the subplasmalemmal cytoskeleton. Thus the purpose of our studies was to examine the role of protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphorylation in the stimulus-induced association of p47-phox and p67-phox with the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton. Using the PKC activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) as the agonist, we found that activation of the respiratory burst oxidase was associated with translocation of cytosolic p47-phox and p67-phox to the plasma membrane as well as redistribution of p47-phox to the Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton. Furthermore, the PKC inhibitor staurosporine inhibited phosphorylation of p47-phox, interrupted the redistribution of cytosolic oxidase factors, and blocked PMA-induced generation of superoxide anion. Taken together these results indicate that PKC-dependent phosphorylation of p47-phox correlates with association of p47-phox with the cytoskeleton and with translocation of p47-phox and p67-phox to the plasma membrane, with the ensuing assembly of an active superoxide-generating NADPH-dependent oxidase.     

Receptor-mediated activation of electropermeabilized neutrophils. Evidence for a Ca2+- and protein kinase C-independent signaling pathway

Electrically permeabilized neutrophils were used to study the mechanism of activation of the respiratory burst by the chemotactic agent formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). Permeabilization was assessed by flow cytometry, radioisotope trapping, and by the requirement for exogenous NADPH for oxygen consumption. A respiratory burst could be elicited by fMLP, phorbol ester, or diacylglycerol in permeabilized cells suspended in EGTA-buffered medium with 100 nM free Ca2+. The fMLP response persisted even in cells depleted of intracellular Ca2+ stores by pretreatment with ionomycin. Therefore, a change in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) is not required for receptor-mediated stimulation of the respiratory burst. The responses induced by phorbol ester and diacylglycerol were largely inhibited by H7, a protein kinase C antagonist. In contrast, the stimulation of oxygen consumption by fMLP was unaffected by H7. These results suggest that a third signaling pathway, distinct from changes in [Ca2+]i and activation of protein kinase C, is involved in the response of neutrophils to chemoattractants.     

Phosphorylation of p22phox is mediated by phospholipase D-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Correlation of NADPH oxidase activity and p22phox phosphorylation

Human neutrophils participate in the host innate immune response, partly mediated by the multicomponent superoxide-generating enzyme NADPH oxidase. A correlation between phosphorylation of cytosolic NADPH oxidase components and enzyme activation has been identified but is not well understood. We previously showed that p22(phox), the small subunit of the membrane-bound oxidase component flavocytochrome b(558), is an in vitro substrate for both a phosphatidic acid-activated kinase and conventional protein kinase C isoforms (Regier, D. S., Waite, K. A., Wallin, R., and McPhail, L. C. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 36601-36608). Here we show that several neutrophil agonists (phorbol myristate acetate, opsonized zymosan, and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) induce p22(phox) phosphorylation in intact neutrophils. To determine if phospholipase D (PLD) is needed for p22(phox) phosphorylation, cells were pretreated with ethanol, which reduces phosphatidic acid production by PLD in stimulated cells. Phorbol myristate acetate-induced phosphorylation of p22(phox) and NADPH oxidase activity were not reduced by ethanol. In contrast, ethanol reduced both activities when cells were stimulated by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or opsonized zymosan. Varying the time of stimulation with opsonized zymosan showed that the phosphorylation of p22(phox) coincides with NADPH oxidase activation. GF109203X, an inhibitor of protein kinase C and the phosphatidic acid-activated protein kinase, decreased both p22(phox) phosphorylation and NADPH oxidase activity in parallel in opsonized zymosan-stimulated cells. Stimulus-induced phosphorylation of p22(phox) was on Thr residue(s), in agreement with in vitro results. Overall, these data show that NADPH oxidase activity and p22(phox) phosphorylation are correlated and suggest two mechanisms (PLD-dependent and -independent) by which p22(phox) phosphorylation occurs.     

Fluoride-mediated activation of guinea pig neutrophils

In guinea pig periotoneal neutrophils NaF at a concentration of above 5 mM elicited a dose-dependent, delayed and sustained activation of NADPH oxidase. Unlike in human neutrophils, in guinea pig cells, this response was independent of extracellular calcium. Fura2 fluorescence measurements indicated also a fluoride-mediated moderate elevation in the level of cytosolic calcium concentration. Pretreatment of neutrophils with pertussis toxin, blocked fluoride-promoted activation of NADPH oxidase, indicating that NaF stimulation was mediated by a G protein which is a pertussis toxin substrate. NaF-elicited calcium elevation was insensitive to the toxin. Upon transfer of NaF-stimulated cells to a fluoride-free medium, superoxide release declined and calcium levels diminished. The response of the deactivated, fluoride-prestimulated guinea pig neutrophils to a secondary stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or fMet-Leu-Phe, was either unaffected by the previous challenge with NaF (PMA) or augmented by it (the chemotactic peptide). In parallel to the activation of NADPH oxidase, NaF also induced translocation of protein kinase C to cell membranes. This effect was also abolished by a pretreatment with pertussis toxin.     

Studies on molecular regulation of phagocytosis in neutrophils. Con A-mediated ingestion and associated respiratory burst independent of phosphoinositide turnover, rise in [Ca2+]i, and arachidonic acid release

The role of the activation of phosphoinositide turnover and of the increase in cytosolic free calcium, [Ca2+]i, in the phagocytosis and associated activation of the respiratory burst was investigated. We report the results obtained on the phagocytosis of yeast cells mediated by Con A in normal and in Ca2+-depleted human neutrophils. In normal neutrophils the phagocytosis was associated with a respiratory burst, a stimulation in the formation of [3H] inositol phosphates and [32P]phosphatidic acid, the release of [3H]arachidonic acid, and a rise in [Ca2+]i. Ca2+-depleted neutrophils are able to perform the phagocytosis of yeast cells mediated by Con A and to activate the respiratory burst without stimulation of [3H]inositol phosphates and [32P]phosphatidic acid formation, [3H]arachidonic acid release, and rise in [Ca2+]i. In both normal and Ca2+-depleted neutrophils the phagocytosis and the associated respiratory burst, 1) were inhibited by cytochalasin B; 2) were insensitive to H-7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C; and 3) did not involve GTP-binding protein sensitive to pertussis toxin. These findings indicate that the activation of phosphoinositide turnover, the liberation of arachidonic acid, the rise in [Ca2+]i, and the activity of protein kinase C are not necessarily required for ingestion of Con A-opsonized particles and for associated activation of the NADPH oxidase, the enzyme responsible for the respiratory burst. The molecular mechanisms of these phosphoinositide and Ca2+-independent responses are discussed.     

Fluoride-mediated activation of guinea pig neutrophils

In guinea pig peritoneal neutrophils NaF at a concentration of above 5 mM elicited a dose-dependent, delayed and sustained activation of NADPH oxidase. Unlike in human neutrophils, in guinea pig cells, this response was independent of extracellular calcium. Fura2 fluorescence measurements indicated also a fluoride-mediated moderate elevation in the level of cytosolic calcium concentration. Pretreatment of neutrophils with pertussis toxin, blocked fluoride-promoted activation of NADPH oxidase, indicating that NaF stimulation was mediated by a G protein which is a pertussis toxin substrate. NaF-elicited calcium elevation was insensitive to the toxin. Upon transfer of NaF-stimulated cells to a fluoride-free medium, superoxide release declined and calcium levels diminished. The response of the deactivated, fluoride-prestimulated guinea pig neutrophils to a secondary stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or fMet-Leu-Phe, was either unaffected by the previous challenge with NaF (PMA) or augmented by it (the chemotactic peptide). In parallel to the activation of NADPH oxidase, NaF also induced translocation of protein kinase C to cell membranes. This effect was also abolished by a pretreatment with pertussis toxin.     

Diradylglycerol synergizes with an anionic amphiphile to activate superoxide generation and phosphorylation of p47phox in a cell-free system from human neutrophils

The superoxide-generating respiratory burst oxidase (NADPH oxidase) from human neutrophils can be activated in a cell-free system consisting of plasma membranes, cytosol, and an anionic amphiphile such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or arachidonate, and guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate (GTP(gamma)S) augments activation. We report herein that short-chain diacylglycerols (e.g. dioctanoylglycerol (diC8)) synergize with SDS in the activation of superoxide generation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, resulting in rates up to 1400 nmol/min/mg plasma membrane protein, or 250-700% higher than the rate seen with SDS alone. diC8 did not affect significantly the dose response for either cytosol or SDS, indicating that the activation was not due to increased sensitivity of the oxidase toward either of these components. At optimal concentrations of SDS and diC8, additional activation was observed in the presence of GTP(gamma)S, indicating that diC8 and GTP activate by separate mechanisms. In contrast to diC8, other known activators of protein kinase C (phorbol myristate acetate and mezerein) augmented SDS activation only minimally (typically 20-30%), and neither diacylglycerols nor tumor promoters activated in the absence of SDS. Activation by diC8 was calcium and phosphatidylserine independent, and the specificity for neutral lipids was atypical for protein kinase C. Inhibitors of protein kinase C (staurosporine and a peptide substrate analog) also failed to inhibit the response. Nevertheless, phosphorylation of several neutrophil proteins including p47phox was seen with both SDS and diC8, and synergistic phosphorylation of p47phox was seen when both activating factors were present. Thus, diacylglycerol synergizes with SDS in activating both superoxide generation and p47phox phosphorylation in the cell-free activation system, but the activation is atypical of a protein kinase C mechanism.     

Vitamin K1 reduction in human liver. Location of the coumarin-drug-insensitive enzyme.

The protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine influenced in different ways the functions of human neutrophils. Staurosporine prevented the enhanced protein phosphorylation in phorbol ester- and N-formylmethyionyl-leucylphenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated cells, and was a powerful inhibitor of the respiratory burst induced by phorbol myristate acetate [IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) 17 nM] and the chemotactic peptides fMLP and C5a (IC50 24 nM). It did not alter, however, the superoxide production by cell-free preparations of NADPH oxidase. Staurosporine had no effect on agonist-dependent changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ and exocytosis of specific and azurophil granules, and showed only a slight inhibition of the release of vitamin B12-binding protein induced by phorbol myristate acetate (decreased by 40% at 200 nM). On the other hand, staurosporine also exhibited neutrophil-activating properties: it induced the release of gelatinase (from secretory vesicles) and vitamin-B12-binding protein (from specific granules). These effects were protracted, concentration-dependent, insensitive to Ca2+ depletion, and strongly enhanced by cytochalasin B. Staurosporine, however, did not induce the release of beta-glucuronidase or elastase (from azurophil granules). Except for the sensitivity to cytochalasin B, these properties suggest a similarity between the exocytosis-inducing actions of staurosporine and PMA. The results obtained with staurosporine provide further evidence that different signal-transduction processes are involved in neutrophil activation, and suggest that protein phosphorylation is required for the induction of the respiratory burst, but not for exocytosis.     

1-O-hexadecyl-2-Q-methylglycerol, a novel inhibitor of protein kinase C, inhibits the respiratory burst in human neutrophils

To assess the role of protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme) in the activation of the human neutrophil respiratory burst, we have utilized an ether lipid of the type 1-O-alkyl-2-O-methylglycerol (AMG), recently shown to be an inhibitor of this kinase. AMG-C16 (with an hexadecyl chain at the sn-1 position) was found to inhibit the respiratory burst induced by sub-optimal concentrations of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Respiratory burst activity was recovered by subsequent addition of a supraoptimal dose of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, indicating that in the presence of the inhibitor only the activation of the NADPH:O2 oxidoreductase via protein kinase C is inhibited, but not the oxidoreductase itself. The respiratory burst induced by the chemoattractant N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was also inhibited in the presence of AMG-C16, the extent of inhibition being dependent on the concentration of fMLP. At the concentrations applied in these studies, AMG-C16 had no effect on cell viability, did not affect the formation of inositol phosphates induced by fMLP, and did not affect the characteristics of the Ca2+ fluxes induced by the same stimulus. In a cell-free assay system, AMG-C16 had no effect on the activity of cAMP-dependent or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase but inhibited protein kinase C in a dose-dependent fashion. To characterize the inhibitory action of AMG-C16 on the respiratory burst activity in more detail, we studied protein phosphorylation in relation to respiratory burst activity in neutrophil cytoplasts. We focused on the phosphorylation of the 47-kDa protein, because this protein is functionally associated with the NADPH:O2 oxidoreductase. At suboptimal concentrations of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, AMG-C16 inhibited phosphorylation of proteins, including that of the 47-kDa protein. Recovery of protein phosphorylation in parallel to recovery of respiratory burst activity was obtained by addition of increasing doses of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. Recovery of respiratory burst activity at intermediate concentrations of fMLP did not result in a proportional increase in 47-kDa protein phosphorylation; phosphorylation of the 47-kDa protein was recovered only at high concentrations of fMLP. From these data we conclude that protein kinase C is involved in the activation of the respiratory burst by phorbol esters and fMLP. However, with fMLP as a stimulus, a second signal seems to be triggered, which is insensitive to AMG-C16.     

Phorbol 12, myristate 13, acetate potentiates the respiratory burst while inhibits phosphoinositide hydrolysis and calcium mobilization by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine in human neutrophils

It is widely believed that the transduction pathway in the activation of the NADPH oxidase by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) in neutrophils involves the stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis, the increase in [Ca2+]i and the activity of the Ca2+ and phospholipid dependent protein kinase C. The results presented here show that the activation of the respiratory burst by FMLP can be dissociated by the stimulation of the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and Ca2+ changes. In fact, in neutrophils pretreated (primed) with non stimulatory doses of phorbol myristate acetate the respiratory burst by chemotactic peptide is greatly potentiated while the increase in [3H] inositol phosphates formation and in [Ca2+]i are depressed due to the inhibition of phospholipase C. This finding indicates that FMLP can trigger also a sequence of transduction reactions for the activation of the NADPH oxidase different from that involving the formation of the second messengers diacylglycerol and inositol phosphates and the increase in free Ca2+ concentration.     

Divergence of mechanisms regulating respiratory burst in blood and sputum eosinophils and neutrophils from atopic subjects

Eosinophil respiratory burst is an important event in asthma and related inflammatory disorders. However, little is known concerning activation of the respiratory burst NADPH oxidase in human eosinophils. Conversely, neutrophils are known to assemble NADPH oxidase in intracellular and plasma membranes. We hypothesized that eosinophils and neutrophils translocate NADPH oxidase to distinct intracellular locations, consistent with their respective functions in O(2)(-)-mediated cytotoxicity. PMA-induced O(2)(-) release assayed by cytochrome c was 3.4-fold higher in atopic human eosinophils than in neutrophils, although membrane-permeable dihydrorhodamine-123 showed similar amounts of release. Eosinophil O(2)(-) release was dependent on Rac, in that it was 54% inhibited by Clostridium difficile toxin B (400-800 ng/ml). In eosinophils stimulated with PMA, a pronounced shift of cytosolic Rac to p22(phox)-positive plasma membrane was observed by confocal microscopy, whereas neutrophils directed Rac2 mainly to intracellular sites coexpressing p22(phox). Similarly, ex vivo sputum eosinophils from asthmatic subjects exhibited predominantly plasma membrane-associated immunoreactivity for Rac, whereas sputum neutrophils exhibited cytoplasmic Rac2 staining. Thus, activated sputum eosinophils, rather than neutrophils, may contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of asthma by extracellular release of tissue-damaging O(2)(-). Our findings suggest that the differential modes of NADPH oxidase assembly in these cells may have important implications for oxidant-mediated tissue injury.     

Kinase-dependent change in the conformation of the leukocyte NADPH oxidase subunit p47phox

The leukocyte NADPH oxidase of neutrophils is a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the production of O2- from oxygen using NADPH as the electron donor. Dormant in resting neutrophils, the enzyme acquires catalytic activity when the cells are exposed to appropriate stimuli. During activation, the cytosolic oxidase components p47phox and p67phox migrate to the plasma membrane, where they associate with cytochrome b558, a membrane-integrated flavohemoprotein, to assemble the active oxidase. In whole cells and under certain circumstances in the cell-free system, the phosphorylation of p47phox mediates the activation process. It has been proposed that conformational changes in the protein structure of cytosolic factor p47phox may be an important part of the activation mechanism. The total protein steady-state intrinsic fluorescence (an emission maximum of 338 nm) exhibited by the tryptophan residues of p47phox was substantially decreased, reflecting on the conformational change that occurs when p47phox was phosphorylated with protein kinase C. We show here that the phosphorylation of p47phox by protein kinase A or mitogen-activated protein kinase, however, had little effect on the intrinsic fluorescence of p47phox. In addition, the present experiments indicate that in the mutant p47phoxS379A, only the single S-->A mutation appears to be a major importance for the function of p47phox, which is able to undergo the change in conformation that takes place when p47phox is phosphorylated by protein kinase C.     

Guanine nucleotides induce tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the respiratory burst in neutrophils.

Activation of the NADPH oxidase was examined in electrically permeabilized human neutrophils exposed to non-hydrolysable guanine nucleotides. Guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) induced a marked increase in the rate of O2 consumption, which was partially resistant to staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, under conditions where the response to diacylglycerol was virtually abolished. The respiratory burst elicited by GTP[S] was dependent on the presence of ATP and Mg2+, suggesting involvement of phosphorylation reactions. Accordingly, phosphoprotein formation was greatly stimulated by the guanine nucleotide. The polypeptide phosphorylation pattern induced by GTP[S] was similar to, but not identical with, that observed with diacylglycerol, indicating the activation of kinases other than protein kinase C by the guanine nucleotide. The possible involvement of tyrosine kinases was assessed by immunoblotting using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Treatment of electroporated cells with GTP[S] stimulated the accumulation of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. This effect was not induced by diacylglycerol, indicating that tyrosine phosphorylation is not secondary to stimulation of protein kinase C. The results indicate that, in neutrophils, activated G-proteins can stimulate tyrosine kinase and/or inhibit tyrosine phosphatase activity. Changes in the amounts of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins may signal activation of the respiratory burst.     

Fluoride-mediated activation of the respiratory burst in electropermeabilized neutrophils

Electropermeabilization creates small pores in the plasma membrane allowing the introduction of low-molecular-weight modulatory components, such as ions and nucleotides, into the cytosol. The present study investigates fluoride-mediated stimulation of the signal transduction pathway that activates the respiratory burst in electropermeabilized neutrophils. In marked contrast to intact (i.e., non-electropermeabilized) neutrophils, cells permeabilized by this technique demonstrated an immediate and potent stimulation of the superoxide (O2-)-generating NADPH oxidase in response to the addition of fluoride. Furthermore, permeabilization of neutrophils in the presence of exogenously added ATP enhanced the rate of F(-)-mediated O2- production. Fluoride-stimulated O2- production in electropermeabilized neutrophils was antagonized by GDP beta S and dependent upon the presence of Mg2+ in the medium, but was insensitive to pertussis toxin treatment, consistent with the hypothesis that fluoride activates a G protein, probably Gp, by interacting with the nucleotide-binding site on the G alpha subunit. In addition, electropermeabilized neutrophil O2- release triggered by F- was blocked by staurosporine and H-7, indicating that this pathway proceeds largely through protein kinase C activation. However, nucleotide-enhanced O2- production was only partially blocked by these inhibitors, suggesting that under such conditions ATP either competes with the inhibitor-protein kinase interaction or affects the signaling pathway(s) in such a way that protein kinase C may no longer be necessary for the activation of NADPH oxidase.     

Studies of signal transduction in the respiratory burst-associated stimulation of fMet-Leu-Phe-induced tubulin tyrosinolation and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced posttranslational incorporation of tyrosine into multiple proteins in activated neutrophils and HL-60 cells

A specific stimulation of tubulin tyrosinolation in human neutrophils (PMNs) is induced by the synthetic peptide chemoattractant N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), and this stimulation is closely associated with activation of the NADPH oxidase-mediated respiratory burst (Nath, J., and Gallin, J. I. (1983) J. Clin. Invest. 71, 1273-1281). In contrast, along with tubulin tyrosinolation, a distinctly different respiratory burst-associated random posttranslational incorporation of tyrosine into multiple PMN proteins is observed in PMNs stimulated with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (DAG). In studies exploring the mechanism(s) of signal transduction for these distinct neutrophil responses, we found that the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced stimulation of tubulin tyrosinolation in PMNs and in differentiated HL-60 cells is completely blocked by pertussis toxin, while the PMA-induced random incorporation of tyrosine is not inhibited. We also found that expression of the fMet-Leu-Phe-mediated stimulation of tubulin tyrosinolation in HL-60 cells is correlated with increases in the specific activity of protein kinase C and with the acquisition of respiratory burst activity which occur during induced myeloid maturation of these cells. Furthermore, both the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced stimulation of tubulin tyrosinolation and the PMA or DAG-induced random posttranslational incorporation of tyrosine into multiple proteins in activated neutrophils, were found to be reversibly inhibited (greater than 70%) by the protein kinase inhibitors 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)piperazine (C-I) and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), in parallel with inhibition of superoxide (O2-) generation. In related studies, we also found that fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated O2- production is comparably inhibited by C-I and H-7, but in a highly temperature-dependent manner. Inhibition was observed only when C-I or H-7 is added to PMNs at physiologic temperature, i.e. 37 degrees C. Interestingly, inhibition of the PMA-induced O2- generation by C-I or H-7 was not found to be similarly temperature-dependent. Considered together, these findings argue against the suggestion that there is a protein kinase C-independent pathway for activation of the respiratory burst in neutrophils stimulated with N-formyl peptides.