Role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in oxidative stress-induced disruption of tight junctions

A recent study (Nusrat, A., Chen, J. A., Foley, C. S., Liang, T. W., Tom, J., Cromwell, M., Quan, C., and Mrsny, R. J. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 29816-29822) suggested that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) may interact with occludin; however, there exists no evidence of direct interaction of PI 3-kinase with the tight junctions. Activation of PI 3-kinase by oxidative stress and its role in disruption of tight junctions was examined in Caco-2 cell monolayer. The oxidative stress-induced decrease in electrical resistance, increase in inulin permeability, and redistribution of occludin and ZO-1 were reduced by a PI 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002. Oxidative stress-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and dissociation from the actin cytoskeleton of occludin and ZO-1 were reduced by LY294002. The regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase, p85, and the PI 3-kinase activity were co-immunoprecipitated with occludin, which were rapidly increased by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress resulted in increased translocation of p85 from the intracellular compartment into the intercellular junctions. Pair-wise glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay showed that glutathione S-transferase-occludin (C-terminal tail) binds to recombinant p85. This study shows that oxidative stress increases the association of PI 3-kinase with the occludin, and that PI 3-kinase activity is involved in oxidative stress-induced disruption of tight junction.