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We report the novel observation that engagement of beta2 integrins on human neutrophils is accompanied by increased levels of the small GTPases Rap1 and Rap2 in a membrane-enriched fraction and a concomitant decrease of these proteins in a granule-enriched fraction. In parallel, we observed a similar time-dependent decrease of gelatinase B (a marker of specific and gelatinase B-containing granules) but not myeloperoxidase (a marker of azurophil granules) in the granule fraction, and release of lactoferrin (a marker of specific granules) in the extracellular medium. Furthermore, inhibition of Src tyrosine kinases, or phosphoinositide 3-kinase with PP1 or LY294002, respectively, blocked beta2 integrin-induced degranulation and the redistribution of Rap1 and Rap2 to a membrane-enriched fraction. Consequently, the beta2 integrin-dependent exocytosis of specific and gelatinase B-containing granules occurs via a Src tyrosine kinase/phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathway and is responsible for the translocation of Rap1 and Rap2 to the plasma membrane in human neutrophils.

We found that engagement of beta2 integrins on human neutrophils increased the levels of GTP-bound Rap1 and Rap2. Also, the activation of Rap1 was blocked by PP1, SU6656, LY294002, GF109203X, or BAPTA-AM, which indicates that the downstream signaling events in Rap1 activation involve Src tyrosine kinases, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, protein kinase C, and release of calcium. Surprisingly, the beta2 integrin-induced activation of Rap2 was not regulated by any of the signaling pathways mentioned above. However, we identified nitric oxide as the signaling molecule involved in beta2 integrin-induced activation of Rap1 and Rap2. This was illustrated by the fact that engagement of beta2 integrins increased the production of nitrite, a stable end-product of nitric oxide. Furthermore, pretreatment of neutrophils with Nomega-monomethyl-L-arginine, or 1400W, which are inhibitors of inducible nitric-oxide synthase, blocked beta2 integrin-induced activation of Rap1 and Rap2. Similarly, Rp-8pCPT-cGMPS, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent serine/threonine kinases, also blunted the beta2 integrin-induced activation of Rap GTPases. Also nitric oxide production and its downstream activation of cGMP-dependent serine/threonine kinases were essential for proper neutrophil adhesion by beta2 integrins. Thus, we made the novel findings that beta2 integrin engagement on human neutrophils triggers production of nitric oxide and its downstream signaling is essential for activation of Rap GTPases and neutrophil adhesion.

During phagocytosis, surface receptors on neutrophils interact with pathogens opsonized with complement factor C3b/iC3b and in some cases with antibodies. In human immune sera antibodies directed against surface-bound M proteins mediated killing of Streptococcus pyogenes by neutrophils. Surprisingly, blocking of the Fc receptors had little effect on the killing. In contrast, inhibition of C3b/iC3b generation, or blocking of the major neutrophil iC3b receptor CD11b/CD18, enabled S. pyogenes to grow efficiently in immune sera. Inhibition of CD11b/CD18, but not of CD32, the major neutrophil signaling Fc receptor, prevented Streptococcus-induced NADPH oxidase-dependent respiratory burst, and blocking of C3b/iC3b formation inhibited Streptococcus-induced activation of Cdc42, a small GTPase critically involved in transmitting pro-inflammatory signals to the cytoskeleton. Consequently, ligation of CD11b/CD18 by bacteria-bound iC3b is necessary for inducing a neutrophil response leading to elimination of S. pyogenes in immune human serum.

The induction of apoptosis in neutrophils is an essential event in the resolution of an inflammatory process. We found recently that the reduction of the activity of the neutrophil survival factor p38 MAPK and dephosphorylation and thus activation of caspases must occur to initiate such cell death in these leukocytes. Here, we report a previously undetected early and transient activation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in neutrophils undergoing apoptosis. The pharmacological inhibition of this phosphatase during Fas-induced apoptosis augmented the levels of phosphorylation of both p38 MAPK and caspase 3, resulting in a decreased activity of caspase 3 and an increased neutrophil survival. The complementary finding of a time-dependent association among PP2A, p38 MAPK, and caspase 3 in intact neutrophils indicated that there is a direct regulatory link among these signaling enzymes during Fas-provoked apoptosis. Moreover, immunoprecipitated active p38 MAPK and recombinant phosphorylated caspase 3 were dephosphorylated by exposure to purified PP2A in vitro. Consequently, the early and temporary activation of PP2A in neutrophils impaired not only the p38 MAPK-mediated inhibition of caspase 3 but also restored the activity to caspase 3 that had already been phosphorylated and thereby inactivated. These findings indicate that PP2A plays a pivotal dual role in the induction of neutrophil apoptosis and therefore also in the resolution of inflammation.

We found that engagement of beta2 integrins on human neutrophils triggered both tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of c-Cbl. Pretreatment of the neutrophils with the broad range protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF-109203X blocked the serine but not the tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Cbl. Moreover, the Src kinase inhibitor PP1 prevented the beta2 integrin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Cbl but not the simultaneous serine phosphorylation. These results indicate that Src family kinases and PKC can separately modulate the properties of c-Cbl. Indeed, tyrosine kinase-dependent phosphorylation of c-Cbl regulated the ubiquitin ligase activity of that protein, whereas PKC-dependent phosphorylation of c-Cbl had no such effect. Instead, c-Cbl that underwent PKC-induced serine phosphorylation associated with the scaffolding and anti-apoptotic 14-3-3 proteins. Consequently, c-Cbl can independently target proteins for degradation or intracellular localization and may initiate an anti-apoptotic signal in neutrophils.

Group A streptococci (GAS) are common human pathogens that express major surface-associated virulence factors designated M proteins. In this study, we explored directly the cellular mechanisms behind their supposed ability to prevent phagocytosis. Isolated human neutrophils killed an M-negative GAS mutant (DeltaM5), but not the wild-type parent strain (M5). After 3 h, 3-4 times as many DeltaM5 as M5 bacteria were associated with the neutrophils, and more DeltaM5 than M5 bacteria were ingested. However, there was no statistically significant difference between DeltaM5 and M5 bacteria in regard to the percentage of the neutrophil-associated bacteria that were ingested, indicating that M5 protein prevents an adhesion receptor-dependent association with neutrophils and not the phagocytic machinery per se. Different Abs against CD11b/CD18 (CR3) blocked adhesion and killing of DeltaM5 bacteria, whereas the blocking of two other complement receptors, CD11c/CD18 (CR4) and CD35 (CR1), did not. The CD11b/CD18-mediated killing of DeltaM5 bacteria resulted in protein tyrosine phosphorylations and Cdc42 activation. Furthermore, inhibition of CD11b/CD18 receptor engagement or tyrosine kinase activity blocked the DeltaM5-induced activation of Cdc42 as well as the killing of these bacteria. We conclude that M5 protein interferes with the CD11b/CD18-dependent association between GAS and neutrophils, and thereby blocks subsequent ingestion of the bacteria.

Neutrophil apoptosis occurs both in the bloodstream and in the tissue and is considered essential for the resolution of an inflammatory process. Here, we show that p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) associates to caspase-8 and caspase-3 during neutrophil apoptosis and that p38-MAPK activity, previously shown to be a survival signal in these primary cells, correlates with the levels of caspase-8 and caspase-3 phosphorylation. In in vitro experiments, immunoprecipitated active p38-MAPK phosphorylated and inhibited the activity of the active p20 subunits of caspase-8 and caspase-3. Phosphopeptide mapping revealed that these phosphorylations occurred on serine-364 and serine-150, respectively. Introduction of mutated (S150A), but not wild-type, TAT-tagged caspase-3 into primary neutrophils made the Fas-induced apoptotic response insensitive to p38-MAPK inhibition. Consequently, p38-MAPK can directly phosphorylate and inhibit the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and thereby hinder neutrophil apoptosis, and, in so doing, regulate the inflammatory response.

In human neutrophils, beta2 integrin engagement mediated a decrease in GTP-bound Rac1 and Rac2. Pretreatment of neutrophils with LY294002 or PP1 (inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and Src kinases, respectively) partly reversed the beta2 integrin-induced down-regulation of Rac activities. In contrast, beta2 integrins induced stimulation of Cdc42 that was independent of Src family members. The PI 3-kinase dependence of the beta2 integrin-mediated decrease in GTP-bound Rac could be explained by an enhanced Rac-GAP activity, since this activity was blocked by LY204002, whereas PP1 only had a minor effect. The fact that only Rac1 but not Rac2 (the dominating Rac) redistributed to the detergent-insoluble fraction and that it was independent of GTP loading excludes the possibility that down-regulation of Rac activities was due to depletion of GTP-bound Rac from the detergent-soluble fraction. The beta2 integrin-triggered relocalization of Rac1 to the cytoskeleton was enabled by a PI 3-kinase-induced dissociation of Rac1 from LyGDI. The dissociations of Rac1 and Rac2 from LyGDI also explained the PI 3-kinase-dependent translocations of Rac GTPases to the plasma membrane. However, these accumulations of Rac in the membrane, as well as that of p47phox and p67phox, were also regulated by Src tyrosine kinases. Inasmuch as Rac GTPases are part of the NADPH oxidase and the respiratory burst is elicited in neutrophils adherent by beta2 integrins, our results indicate that activation of the NADPH oxidase does not depend on the levels of Rac-GTP but instead requires a beta2 integrin-induced targeting of the Rac GTPases as well as p47phox and p67phox to the plasma membrane.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (SPP) is associated with the regulation of apoptosis, although its role in neutrophil apoptosis remains poorly investigated. Here, we show that exogenous SPP antagonizes spontaneous and anti-Fas-induced apoptosis in neutrophils. Pre-treatment with pertussis toxin clearly reduced the apoptosis-inhibiting capacity of SPP. Consequently, we investigated the involvement of potential modulators of apoptosis that are activated downstream of Gi/G0-coupled receptors. Neither Akt activity nor change in basal activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinases was detected during apoptosis or after adding SPP. In contrast, there was a transient decrease in phosphorylation of both extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) during both spontaneous and anti-Fas-induced apoptosis. Although exogenous SPP reversed these reductions in kinase activity, experiments with inhibitors of ERK (PD98059) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) revealed that only SB203580 counteracted the effect of SPP. Thus, SPP counteracts neutrophil apoptosis via a Gi/G0 protein survival-signalling pathway that includes modulation of p38 MAPK activity.

An early and critical event in beta(2) integrin signalling during neutrophil adhesion is activation of Src tyrosine kinases and Syk. In the present study, we report Src kinase-dependent beta(2) integrin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl occurring in parallel with increased Cbl-associated tyrosine kinase activity. These events concurred with activation of Fgr and, surprisingly, also with dissociation of this Src tyrosine kinase from Cbl. Moreover, the presence of the Src kinase inhibitor PP1 in an in vitro assay had only a limited effect on the Cbl-associated kinase activity. These results suggest that an additional active Src-dependent tyrosine kinase associates with Cbl. The following observations imply that Syk is such a kinase: (i) beta(2) integrins activated Syk in a Src-dependent manner, (ii) Syk was associated with Cbl much longer than Fgr was, and (iii) the Syk inhibitor piceatannol (3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxy- trans -stilbene) abolished the Cbl-associated kinase activity in an in vitro assay. Effects of the mentioned interactions between these two kinases and Cbl may be related to the finding that Cbl is a ubiquitin E3 ligase. Indeed, we detected beta(2) integrin-induced ubiquitination of Fgr that, similar to the phosphorylation of Cbl, was abolished in cells pretreated with PP1. However, the ubiquitination of Fgr did not cause any apparent degradation of the protein. In contrast with Fgr, Syk was not modified by the E3 ligase. Thus Cbl appears to be essential in beta(2) integrin signalling, first by serving as a matrix for a subsequent agonist-induced signalling interaction between Fgr and Syk, and then by mediating ubiquitination of Fgr which possibly affects its interaction with Cbl.

The adhesion receptor CD-31 is expressed on neutrophils and endothelial cells and participates in transendothelial migration of neutrophils. Although necessary, information on CD-31-induced signaling and its influence on the shape-forming actin network is scarce. Here, we found that antibody engagement of CD-31 on suspended neutrophils triggered a prompt intracellular Ca(2+) signal, providing the cells had been primed with a chemotactic factor. Inhibition of Src-tyrosine kinases blocked this Ca(2+) signal, but not a fMet-Leu-Phe-induced Ca(2+) signal. Despite the ability of fMet-Leu-Phe to activate Src-tyrosine kinases, it did not per se induce tyrosine phosphorylation of CD-31. However, fMet-Leu-Phe did enable such a phosphorylation following an antibody-induced engagement of CD-31. This clustering also triggered a Ca(2+)-dependent depolymerization of actin and, surprisingly enough, a simultaneous polymerization. The ability of CD-31 to signal dynamic alterations in the cytoskeleton, particularly the Ca(2+)-induced actin depolymerization, further explains how neutrophils can squeeze themselves out between adjacent endothelial cells., ((c)2002 Elsevier Science (USA).)

Neutrophil apoptosis is essential for resolution of inflammatory reactions. Here, we studied the role of two apoptosis/survival-associated protein kinases in this process. We discovered a previously undetected early and transient inhibition of the activity of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) during both spontaneous and Fas-induced apoptosis. Pharmacological inhibition of this enzyme augmented the activation of caspases and the apoptotic response, which suggests that the p38 MAPK signals survival in neutrophils. Our finding that caspase-3 activity was initiated during the transient inhibition of p38 MAPK suggests that apoptosis is initiated during this inhibition. Furthermore, such transient inhibition was counteracted by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, which elicits survival. We also found that neither this inhibition of p38 MAPK nor the spontaneous apoptotic response depended on Fas. Instead, the early inhibition of p38 MAPK concurred with a Fas-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, inhibition of which reduced apoptosis. Thus, the Fas-induced augmentation of spontaneous apoptosis can be explained by its activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. We conclude that p38 MAPK activity represents a survival signal that is inactivated transiently during both spontaneous and Fas-induced apoptosis, whereas Fas-induced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity is a proapoptotic signal in isolated human neutrophils.

We found that engagement of beta(2) integrins on human neutrophils induced activation of RhoA, as indicated by the increased ratio of GTP:GTP + GDP recovered on RhoA and translocation of RhoA to a membrane fraction. The clustering of beta(2) integrins also induced a time-dependent increase in GDP bound to RhoA, which correlated with beta(2) integrin-induced activation of p190RHOGAP: The activation of p190RhoGAP was completely blocked by [4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine] (PP1), a selective inhibitor of Src family tyrosine kinases. However, clustering of beta(2) integrins did not increase the basal tyrosine phosphorylation of p190RhoGAP, nor did it affect the amount of p120RasGAP bound to p190RHOGAP: Instead, the beta(2) integrin-induced activation of p190RhoGAP was accompanied by increased tyrosine phosphorylation of a p190RhoGAP-associated protein, p120RasGAP, and accumulation of both p120RasGAP and p190RhoGAP in a membrane fraction. PP1 blocked the beta(2) integrin-induced phosphorylation of p120RasGAP, as well as the translocation of p190RhoGAP and p120RasGAP, but it did not affect the accumulation of RhoA in the membrane fraction. In agreement with the mentioned findings, PP1 also increased the GTP:GTP + GDP ratio recovered on RhoA immunoprecipitated from beta(2) integrin-stimulated cells. Thus, in neutrophils, beta(2) integrin-induced activation of p190RhoGAP requires a signal from a Src family tyrosine kinase, but it does not occur via the signaling pathway responsible for activation of RHOA:

The beta(2)-integrins on leukocytes can serve as a signaling unit during cell adhesion and locomotion, and to further clarify this important property we investigated the possible mechanisms of beta(2)-integrin-induced activation of PtdIns 3-kinase. It has previously been demonstrated that clustering of beta(2)-integrins activates p21(ras) by a tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway, and here we show that active p21(ras) interacts with its downstream target, PtdIns 3-kinase. Engagement of beta(2)-integrins also activates the tyrosine kinases p58(c-fgr) and p59/61(hck) and causes them to associate with the p85 subunit of PtdIns 3-kinase. These findings suggest a mechanism whereby p58(c-fgr) and p59/61(hck) are directly involved in the activation of PtdIns 3-kinase. No coupling between p58(c-fgr) and p59/61(hck) could be detected; hence these kinases probably trigger independent but parallel signals to PtdIns 3-kinase. The effect of beta(2)-integrin clustering on PtdIns 3-kinase activity was monitored as the activation of protein kinase B (PKB). Stimulation of PKB by beta(2)-integrins was abolished by genistein and wortmannin but not by using methyl transferase inhibitors to abrogate the influence of p21(ras)-related proteins. Thus, even if PtdIns 3-kinase is not activated by p21(ras), it can maintain full enzyme activity due to the mentioned interaction with p58(c-fgr) or p59/61(hck). These tyrosine kinases apparently activate similar pathways that operate in parallel and therefore have the potential to substitute for each other in mediating adhesion and regulating cell locomotion., (Copyright 2000 Academic Press.)

The monomeric G-protein Ras is now considered to function as an initial regulator of multiple signaling pathways in both normal and transformed cell types. Adhesion and chemoattractant receptors are known to trigger activation of Ras in human neutrophils, but the signaling mechanism that activates Ras has only been partially elucidated. The present results show that in neutrophils, a time- and dose-dependent f-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP)-induced activation of Ras is mediated by Gi2-proteins, because such activation is inhibited by pertussis toxin and because direct stimulation of heterotrimeric G-proteins with AlF4- is sufficient to activate Ras. Pretreatment of neutrophils with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, i.e. genistein or erbstatin that completely block FMLP-stimulated protein tyrosine phosphorylations, did not affect the FMLP-induced activation of Ras. Moreover, FMLP did not induce any detectable translocation of Grb2 and Sos to the plasma membrane of neutrophils. Other signaling molecules, such as protein kinase C, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Ca2+, do not appear to be involved in the FMLP-induced Ras activation. Instead, stimulation of neutrophils with FMLP or C5a, the latter of which also activates Gi2-proteins, resulted in transient inhibition of the activity of Ras GTPase-activating proteins (GAP) with kinetics that correlated well with the kinetics of Ras activation. Moreover, decreased Ras-GAP activity was found in p120-GAP but not in neurofibromin immunoprecipitates of FMLP-stimulated cells. These results suggest that tyrosine kinase-dependent Ras exchange factors do not contribute to the FMLP-induced activation of Ras but that such activation is mediated via inhibition of p120-GAP in neutrophils.

A sequential activation of L-selectin and beta 2-integrins on neutrophils is crucial for the rolling, adherence and subsequent migration of these cells on the endothelium. However, little is known about a possible interplay between these adhesion receptors in the final regulation of cell motility. The results presented here show that sulfatides themselves (here used as tools to activate L-selectins), have no major effect on the cellular content of filamentous actin (F-actin), but cause a time-related decrease in the beta 2-integrin-induced formation of F-actin. This effect of sulfatides was abolished in cells lacking L-selectin as a result of pretreatment with chymotrypsin. A similar sulfatide-induced activation of L-selectin also caused a pronounced and time-related decrease of a subsequent chemotactic peptide-induced F-actin response. The effect of sulfatides on both beta 2-integrin- and chemotactic peptide-induced F-actin were abolished if L-selectin were blocked by preincubating the cells with specific antibodies to L-selectin. These effects of L-selectin engagement on cellular F-actin content were neither abolished by blocking the cytosolic free Ca2+ signal with bis-(2-amino-5-methylphenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraaceticacid tetraacetoxymethyly ester (MAPT/AM) nor by blocking a cAMP-induced activation of protein kinase A by pretreating the cells with adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophos-phorothioate (Rp-cAMPS). Instead we found that L-selectin engagement impaired an early beta 2-integrin-induced tyrosine kinase activation, an event shown to be necessary for a normal beta 2-integrin-mediated F-actin response. The present demonstration of a negative feed-back function of L-selectin on beta 2-integrin-induced modulations of the actin cytoskeleton, suggests that the relative distribution and/or density of the respective L-selectin and beta 2-integrin ligands on endothelial cells might be important factors in determining the final site of firm adhesion and extravasation of neutrophils.

It is known that beta 2 integrins are crucial for leukocyte cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and accumulating evidence now suggests that integrins serve not only as a structural link but also as a signal-transducing unit that controls adhesion-induced changes in cell functions. In the present study, we plated human neutrophils on surface-bound anti-beta 2 (CD18) antibodies and found that the small GTP-binding protein p21ras is activated by beta 2 integrins. Pretreatment of the cells with genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, led to a complete block of p21ras activation, an effect that was not achieved with either U73122, which abolishes the beta 2 integrin-induced Ca2+ signal, or wortmannin, which totally inhibits the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. Western blot analysis revealed that antibody-induced engagement of beta 2 integrins causes tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in the cells. One of these tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins had an apparent molecular mass of 95 kDa and was identified as the protooncogene product Vav, a p21ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is specifically expressed in cells of hematopoietic lineage. A role for Vav in the activation of p21ras is supported by the observations that antibody-induced engagement of beta 2 integrins causes an association of Vav with p21ras and that the effect of genistein on p21ras activation coincided with its ability to inhibit both the tyrosine phosphorylation of Vav and the Vav-p21ras association. Taken together, these results indicate that antibody-induced engagement of beta 2 integrins on neutrophils triggers tyrosine phosphorylation of Vav and, possibly through its association, a downstream activation of p21ras.

Engagement of beta 2 integrins triggers a tyrosine kinase-dependent intracellular mobilization and influx of Ca2+ in human neutrophils. However, the transduction pathway involved in generating this Ca2+ signal is obscure. In the present study we identified phospholipase C gamma 2 (PLC gamma 2) as one of the major proteins that was phosphorylated on tyrosine in response to beta 2 integrin activation. This beta 2 integrin-induced phosphorylation of PLC gamma 2 occurred in parallel with an increased accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3. The relevance of these observations for the beta 2 integrin-induced Ca2+ signal was investigated using an inhibitor of PLC signalling pathways, 1-(6-{[17 beta-3-methoxyoestra-1,3.5(10)-trien-17-yl] amino}hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione(U73122). U73122 dose-dependently (IC50, approx. 0.15 microM) inhibited both the beta 2 integrin-induced release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and the subsequent influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane. These effects were not observed with the inactive analogue 1-(6-{[17 beta-3-methoxyoestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl] amino}hexyl)-pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (U73343). To gain further support for an involvement of PLC-induced Ins(1,4,5)P3 formation in the beta 2 integrin-induced Ca2+ signal, we searched for the molecular event(s) underlying the effects of U73122. Our experiments revealed that U73122 had no effect on either beta 2 integrin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 2 (or any of the other proteins) or on the formation of Ins(1,4,5)P3, but it reduced the Ins(1,4,5)P3-induced release of 45Ca2+ from intracellular stores of electropermeabilized cells. Taken together, the present data suggest that the beta 2 integrin-induced Ca2+ signal in human neutrophils is generated through activation of a PLC gamma 2-dependent pathway.

The role of prenylated proteins such as low molecular weight G-proteins (LMW G-proteins) in beta 2 integrin-dependent neutrophil signal transduction was investigated using two methyltransferase inhibitors, N-Acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (AFC) and N-acetyl-s-geranylgeranyl-L-cysteine (AGGC), and an inactive control, N-acetyl-S-geranyl-L-cysteine (AGC). The drugs did not affect beta 2 integrin-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylations or cytosolic calcium transients. However, AGGC inhibited beta 2 integrin-induced actin polymerization (IC50 of approximately 45nM), as did AFC(IC50 of approximately 5.5 microM), but not AGC. Thus, prenylated proteins, such as LMW G-proteins, are responsible for beta 2 integrin regulation of actin filament reorganization downstream of tyrosine kinase(s) activation, and represent a beta 2 integrin signaling mechanism distinct from the pathway which regulates cytosolic calcium transients.

The binding of ligands to N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptors in human neutrophils results in a rapid association of these receptors with a cytoskeletal fraction and a specific activation and release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from this fraction. In the present study we could show that pretreating neutrophils with GDPbetaS prevented the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced association of its receptor with a cytoskeletal fraction and also blocked the release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from the same cytoskeletal fraction. In contrast, direct activation of Gi2 proteins by addition of GTPgammaS or AlF4- not only caused a release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from the cytoskeleton but also an association of formyl peptide receptors with the cytoskeleton. The receptor for complement fragment 5a, which transduces its signaling through the same Gi2 protein, triggers both a release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from the cytoskeleton fraction and, of even greater interest, an association between formyl peptide receptors and the cytoskeleton. The close relationship between the activation and release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from the cytoskeleton and the association of formyl peptide receptors with the cytoskeleton might, however, not be a matter of protein-protein exchange, since the increased binding of formyl peptide receptors to the cytoskeleton occurs more rapidly than the release of Gi2 alpha-subunits from the cytoskeleton. The present findings suggest a possible mechanism for the initiation of formyl peptide receptor desensitization during neutrophil locomotion.

The phosphorylation state of the CD18-chain of beta 2-integrins have been shown not to mediate changes in the avidity of these receptors (i.e., inside-out signaling); however, no alternative functional significance has been proposed. Our study focused on how changes in the phosphorylation state of beta 2-integrin-receptors on HL60-granulocytic cells are related to its intracellular signal transduction properties (i.e., outside-in signaling). Engagement of beta 2-integrins on differentiated HL60 cells induced a transient increase in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration and an increased tyrosine phosphorylation of three major protein bands (70, 115, and 140 kDa). These signaling events occurred without any detectable phosphorylation of the CD18-chain. However, a strong phosphorylation of the CD18-chain by preexposure to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) coincided with an abolishment of both the beta 2-integrin-induced Ca2+ signal and the protein tyrosine phosphorylations. By comparison, none of these effects were exhibited by 4-alpha-PMA, an analogue that does not activate protein kinase C. Thus, phosphorylation of the CD18-chain of beta 2-integrins is not required for outside-in signal transduction by these receptors, but it could constitute an effective mechanism by which the signaling properties of beta 2-integrins can be modulated by exogenous factors and possibly also by intracellular signals induced by other receptors. The fact that both the cytosolic free Ca2+ signal and protein tyrosine phosphorylations were abrogated by PMA suggests an intimate relationship between these two intracellular signals. To explore this possible relationship, we chelated the beta 2-integrin-induced Ca2+ signal with BAPTA. The beta 2-integrin-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylations were blocked by BAPTA but not by abolishment of the Ca2+ signal due to chelation with MAPT or by pretreatment with thapsigargin. These findings and the observation that pretreatment of cells with methyl-2,5-dihydroxycinnamate (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) blocked the beta 2-integrin- but not the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced Ca2+ signal suggest that beta 2-integrin-induced tyrosine kinase activation occurs prior to and is a prerequisite for the subsequent Ca2+ signal.

Beta 2 integrins are involved in the adhesion of leukocytes to other cells and surfaces. Although adhesion is required for cell locomotion, little is known regarding the way beta 2 integrin-receptors affect the actin network in leukocytes. In the present study filamentous actin (F-actin) levels in non-adherent human neutrophils have been measured by phalloidin staining after antibody cross-linking of beta 2 integrins. Antibody engagement of beta 2 integrins resulted in a rapid and sustained (146 and 131% after 30 and 300 s, respectively) increase in the neutrophil F-actin content. This is in contrast to stimulation with N-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine (fMLP), which causes a prompt and pronounced but rapidly declining rise in F-actin (214 and 127% after 15 and 300 s, respectively). Priming neutrophils with 1 nM PMA, a low concentration that did not influence the F-actin content per se, increased the magnitude of the beta 2 integrin-induced response but had no effect on the kinetics (199% after 30 s and 169% after 300 s). Removal of extracellular Ca2+ only marginally affected the beta 2 integrin-induced F-actin response for cells that were pretreated with PMA whereas the response for nonprimed cells was reduced by half. This suggests that even though extracellular Ca2+ has a modulatory effect it is not an absolute requirement for beta 2 integrin-induced actin polymerization. beta 2 integrin engagement did not affect the resting cellular level of cAMP arguing against a role of cAMP in beta 2 integrin-induced actin assembly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Previous studies on the mechanism responsible for terminating the generation of second messengers induced by chemotactic factor-receptor complexes have, on one hand, suggested a direct role of a GTP-binding protein(s) (G protein), and, on the other hand, proposed that there is a lateral segregation of the ligand-receptor complexes into G protein-depleted domains of the plasma membrane. In the present investigation, which addresses these apparently contradictory findings, we found that a substantial part of the alpha subunits of the Gn protein (Gn alpha) in unstimulated neutrophils were associated with a cytoskeletal fraction and that release of these subunits occurred upon stimulation with the chemotactic factor fMet-Leu-Phe. An identical Gn alpha release could also be induced by direct activation of G proteins with guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate or AIF4-. In contrast, the alpha subunits of the stimulatory G protein (Gs alpha) also found associated with the cytoskeletal fraction of unstimulated cells were not released by fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation. However, they were effectively released by direct G-protein activation with guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate. In addition, inhibition of the fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated modulation of the actin network by pertussis toxin did not affect the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced release of Gn alpha from the cytoskeletal fraction. These observations indicate that fMet-Leu-Phe-induced activation of neutrophils involves a specific dissociation of Gn alpha from the cytoskeleton and that this release is not a consequence of the well-known effect of fMet-Leu-Phe on the cytoskeleton of neutrophils. The present data contribute ideas concerning the transducing properties of G proteins in cellular signaling and seem to reconcile the apparently contradictory concepts of how the cytoskeleton participates in the termination of the chemotactic-factor-induced generation of second messengers in human neutrophils.

Human neutrophils preincubated with antibodies against complement receptor type 1 (CR1) (anti-CD35) and/or complement receptor type 3 (CR3) (anti-CD11b or anti-CD18) exhibited a reduced ability to engulf complement-opsonized yeast particles, whereas cellular adhesion of these particles was reduced only in the presence of anti-CD35 antibodies. These data support the idea that CR1 primarily promotes the adhesion of particles and CR3 mediates the subsequent engulfment. However, the effects of anti-CR1 and anti-CR3 antibodies on particle-induced diglyceride production correlate with the effects of these antibodies on the cellular uptake of the particles. Hence, it seems reasonable to suggest that CR1 also participates in mediating the signal(s) that induce particle uptake. This idea is further supported by the findings that cross-linking surface-bound anti-CD11b, anti-CD18 as well as anti-CD35 antibodies results in activation of phospholipase D (PLD), a signal closely associated with phagocytosis of complement-opsonized yeast particles in human neutrophils. The signaling property of CR1 was further revealed by the observation that cross-linking of surface-bound anti-CD35 triggered a rapid and transient mobilization of intracellular Ca2+, a signal most likely involved in the phagosome-lysosome fusion that occurs after the uptake of a particle. Pretreatment with PMA, which positively modulates CR-mediated engulfment of particles, was found to potentiate the CR3- and CR1-induced activation of PLD but impair the activation of phospholipase C, giving added support to the idea that PLD activation is the principal signal for the engulfment process. The activation of PLD was also increased by stimulating the cells with anti-CD18 or anti-CD35 antibodies prefixed on Staphylococcus aureus particles, instead of cross-linking cellular-bound antibodies, suggesting that the form of ligand presentation is a critical parameter of phagocytic signaling. Taken together, the present results demonstrate that both CR1 and CR3 can initiate transmembrane signaling in human neutrophils and, in particular, activation of PLD. This activation was also further recognized as an important signal regulating the engulfment of complement-opsonized particles.

The generation of oxygen radicals by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) plays a pivotal role for host defense. Since ethanol reduced FMLP- but not PMA-induced superoxide ion (O2-) formation by PMNL, the effects of ethanol on second messenger systems in PMNL were studied. FMLP induced a biphasic rise in cytosolic calcium concentrations, [Ca2+]i. Ethanol treatment abolished the second phase (believed to reflect Ca2+ influx), an effect also observed in PMNL treated with La3+ or suspended in Ca(2+)-free buffer. The FMLP-induced inositol trisphosphate generation was unaffected by ethanol, whereas diacylglycerol formation was, as expected, markedly reduced. Propranolol, an inhibitor of diacylglycerol formation from phosphatidic acid, caused a prolonged transmembrane influx of Ca2+ and partially reversed the inhibitory effect of ethanol on FMLP-induced O2- production. Thus, the ability of ethanol to inhibit FMLP-induced O2- generation in neutrophils seems to be due to both impaired influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane and reduced phospholipase D-mediated generation of phosphatidic acid.

Complement receptor (CR)-mediated phagocytosis is associated with an increased accumulation of diglyceride (sn-1,2-diacylglycerol and/or 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-glycerol) in human neutrophils. The C3bi-mediated increase in diglyceride (5-20 min) was only partially impaired when phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activity was abolished by reduction of cytosolic free Ca2+. At an early time point (1 min), however, diglyceride production was barely detectable in control cells, whereas production was considerable in cells with a reduced cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration. C3bi stimulation of 32P-labeled neutrophils caused a rapid and significant breakdown of [32P]phosphatidylcholine (PC) which was not affected by inhibition of Ca(2+)-dependent phosphoinositide-specific PLC. Thus, PC hydrolysis could be involved in C3bi-induced diglyceride formation. Stimulation of cells labeled with [3H]1-O-alkyl-lyso-PC ([3H]alkyl-lyso-PC), resulted in an increased formation of [3H]1-O-alkyl-phosphatidic acid ([3H]alkyl-PA) and a later and slower formation of [3H]1-O-alkyl-diglyceride ([3H]alkyl-diglyceride); this suggests activation of phospholipase D (PLD). When these labeled cells were stimulated in the presence of 0.5% ethanol a marked accumulation of [3H]1-O-alkyl-phosphatidylethanol ([3H]alkyl-PEt) was observed in both controls and calcium-reduced cells, further strengthening the suggested involvement of PLD activity. In parallel with the sustained increase in diglyceride formation, CR-mediated phagocytosis was also associated with phosphorylation of a cellular protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS). Therefore it seems reasonable to suggest a causal relationship between C3bi-induced PLD activation, which results in diglyceride formation, and activation of protein kinase C. In electropermeabilized cells which were incapable of ingesting particles, C3bi particles were still able to activate PLD and induce formation of diglyceride. This signaling event must therefore be triggered by binding of particles to the cell and not by the engulfment process. Most importantly, introduction of the protein kinase C inhibitor peptides, PKC(19-36) and PKC(19-31), into these permeabilized cells resulted in a clear reduction of the C3bi-induced production of diglyceride, indicating that CR-mediated activation of protein kinase C directly triggers a positive feedback mechanism for additional diglyceride formation. Taken together, these data further clarify the mechanisms of CR-mediated diglyceride formation and give added support to the concept that protein kinase C plays an important role in the phagocytic process.

The CD11b/CD18 integrin is a major cell adhesion molecule of myelomonocytic cells. Exposure of human neutrophils in suspension to CD11b or CD18 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)2 does not affect the resting level of cytosolic free Ca2+ in these cells; however, a subsequent cross-linking of either of these antibodies triggers a prompt and significant cytosolic-free Ca2+ transient lasting about 10 min. The rise in cytosolic-free Ca2+ (from 130 +/- 2 to 414 +/- 12 nM or 111 +/- 12 to 331 +/- 22 nM caused by cross-linking of CD11b or CD18 subunits, respectively) is due to both mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and influx of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane. Cross-linking of the common leukocyte antigen (CD45) did not alter the basal level of cytosolic free Ca2+. In accordance with other adherence-induced phenomena and with CD11/CD18-mediated phagocytosis, these Ca2+ signals were only modestly affected by pertussis toxin. Thus, the present data clearly indicate that the CD11b/CD18 integrin on human neutrophils is capable of inducing a prompt cytosolic-free Ca2+ signal. These findings directly support the recent suggestion that the CD11b/CD18 integrin is responsible for the "spontaneous oscillations" of cytosolic-free Ca2+ observed in adherent neutrophils and, at least partially, also explain how integrin-mediated adherence can modify the functional responsiveness of neutrophils to a subsequent agonist stimulation.

Several studies indicate that the actin filament system is not only involved in cell motility, but also in the regulation of other neutrophil functions. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the mechanisms by which actin filament formation participates in the control of the respiratory burst and degranulation in human neutrophils. The approach taken was to use both an inhibitor (cytochalasin B) and a potentiator (tetracaine) of formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe)-induced actin polymerization. The total inhibition of fMet-Leu-Phe-induced actin polymerization in cytochalasin B-treated cells was accompanied by an impressive potentiation of both oxidase activity and degranulation (azurophilic and specific granules). However, preincubation with tetracaine, which causes an enhanced accumulation of F-actin in the periphery of fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells, also augmented the rate and duration of peptide-induced superoxide anion production, but inhibited degranulation (specific granules). A likely explanation for the potentiating effects of cytochalasin B and tetracaine is provided by our observation that both of these substances reduced the acid-resistant binding of fMet-Leu-Phe (interpreted as a decrease in the internalization of fMet-Leu-Phe-receptor-complexes), resulting in an enhanced formation of second messengers (diacylglycerol). The findings that tetracaine potentiated the activity of the oxidase, whereas it inhibited degranulation (specific granules), suggest that actin polymerization per se plays a role in the latter process. Consequently, this study argues against the idea of a direct inhibitory effect of F-actin on chemotactic factor-induced oxidase activation, but supports an active role of actin filaments in the translocation and release of granule components.

We have recently been able to correlate closely the "spontaneous" oscillatory activity of cytosolic free Ca2+ in adherent human neutrophils with the ability of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to induce secretion of granule proteins from these cells. In the present work we show with a single-cell technique that preincubation of human neutrophils with antibodies to CD18, the common beta chain of leukocyte adhesion proteins, inhibits TNF-induced secretion of lactoferrin in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Similar effects of CD18 antibodies were found on chemotactic factor (fMet-Leu-Phe)- but not on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced secretion, suggesting that cell-surface-receptor-mediated secretion is dependent on integrin-associated signals. Similarly, antibodies to CD11b (alpha chain of macrophage 1) also inhibited TNF- and fMet-Leu-Phe- but not phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated release of lactoferrin. Antibodies to CD11a (alpha chain of lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1) or CD11c (alpha chain of p150,95) had only a minimal effect on agonist-induced secretion. Data obtained in several laboratories, including our own, made us suspect that integrin interaction with the surface is responsible for the oscillatory activity of cytosolic free Ca2+ in adherent cells. Indeed, preincubation with antibodies to either CD18 or CD11b, but not to CD11c, inhibited the oscillations of cytosolic free Ca2+ in adherent neutrophils. This inhibitory effect was evident both as a reduction of the number of responding cells and as a reduction of the oscillatory activity in the cells. In conclusion, the oscillatory activity of cytosolic free Ca2+ in adherent neutrophils is mediated through the CD18/CD11b integrins. The generation of this Ca2+ signal may explain how adherence, by way of the integrins, changes the functional properties of the cell and enables TNF to induce secretion.

Auranofin, an antiarthritic gold compound, modulates a number of chemotactic factor-induced inflammatory responses in human neutrophils. In order to unravel the mechanism involved, the present study investigated the effects of auranofin on early signal transduction events in these cells. Auranofin did not affect the chemotactic peptide (fMetLeuPhe)-induced formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), neither in the presence nor in the absence of extracellular calcium ions. In contrast, there was a progressive inhibition by auranofin on the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced mobilization of intracellular calcium. This demonstrates that auranofin can dissociate the generation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 from the subsequent release of intracellular calcium, perhaps by interfering with the intracellular binding of Ins(1,4,5)P3 to its receptor. In experiments performed in electro-permeabilized cells, however, a relatively high concentration of the drug failed to abolish the specific binding of Ins(1,4,5)P3. In addition, in the same system, auranofin also failed to abolish the Ins(1,4,5)P3-induced release of Ca2+. Consequently, auranofin-mediated dissociation of fMLP-induced Ins(1,4,5)P3 formation and intracellular calcium release can not be explained merely by an antagonistic effect of auranofin on the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor. Instead the interaction between auranofin and the plasma membrane seems to be an initial and important part of the mechanism by which this drug interferes with the transduction signalling system.

By using a hemolytic plaque assay to detect release of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was shown previously to induce secretion of these granule proteins from single adherent neutrophils. Secretion was inhibited by loading neutrophils with calcium chelators, indicating a crucial role of cytosolic free [Ca2+] in the signal transduction mechanism of TNF. In the present study, using a microfluorometer technique to follow changes in the cytosolic free [Ca2+] in single adherent neutrophils, we were not able to detect any TNF-induced [Ca2+] transients. However, these adherent cells exhibited spontaneous oscillations of their cytosolic free [Ca2+], as previously reported (Jaconi, M.E.E., Rivest, R.W., Schlegel, W., Wollheim, C.B., Pittet, D., and Lew, P.D. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 10557-10560). A close correlation was found between a reduced oscillatory activity of cytosolic free [Ca2+] and a reduced ability of TNF to induce degranulation, by reducing the extracellular [Ca2+] or loading the cells with a calcium chelator (1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid). In addition, when the cells were incubated at 37 degrees C for 3 h there was a parallel decline in the spontaneous oscillatory activity of cytosolic free [Ca2+] and TNF-induced secretion of lactoferrin. Control experiments showed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced secretion was not affected under the same conditions, indicating that the secretory process per se was not disturbed. We conclude that TNF by itself does not give rise to any changes of the cytosolic free [Ca2+] but that the spontaneous oscillatory activity of cytosolic free [Ca2+] in adherent neutrophils is necessary for TNF-induced degranulation.

The motility of human neutrophils, which is of vital importance for the role of these cells in host defense, is based on rapid and dynamic changes of the filamentous actin F-actin) network. Consequently, to understand how neutrophils move and ingest particles, we need to know how polymerization and depolymerization of actin are regulated. Previous studies by several investigators have, based on indirect evidence obtained with pertussis toxin, suggested a role for GTP-binding protein(s) (G protein) in chemotaxis-induced, but not phagocytosis-induced, reorganization of the F-actin network. The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of directly activated G proteins (i.e., without prior ligand-receptor complex formation) on the F-actin content in human neutrophils. AlF4- induced a pronounced and sustained increase in F-actin in intact neutrophils. This effect coincided with an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+, indicating that phospholipase C and the subsequent transduction mechanism were also activated. Inhibition of phospholipase C activity by extensive depression of the cytosolic free Ca2+ level (less than 20 nM) only marginally affected the AlF4(-)-induced rise in F-actin content. The major part of the AlF4(-)-induced rise in F-actin content was also resistant to pertussis toxin, suggesting that pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins in neutrophils are also able to trigger actin polymerization. The specificity of AlF4- in activating G proteins was also tested in permeabilized cells. In this case the effect was more rapid and could be totally abolished by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate. In analogy, in permeabilized cells guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate mimicked the effect of AlF4- on actin polymerization, and the effect induced by this nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue could also be totally abolished by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate. In summary, the present data support our previous hypothesis that G proteins are intimately linked to actin polymerization in human neutrophils.

Human neutrophils pretreated with 17-hydroxywortmannin responded to the chemotactic agonist formyl-Met-Leu-Phe with a transient doubling in filamentous actin content which was characterized by prominent oscillations. These oscillations closely matched transient oscillations in suspension turbidity measured in parallel. The experimental data could be simulated using A----B----C stochastic series kinetic models with an oscillating intermediate species (B), allowing quantitative comparison of the frequencies of the oscillations (0.092 +/- 0.006 and 0.094 +/- 0.004 Hz) and the overall reaction rate constants for actin mobilization and turbidity changes (0.11 +/- 0.02 and 0.14 +/- 0.03 s-1, respectively). The total cell volume remained constant, indicating that stimulus-induced extension of lamellipods reduces the body volume by an amount proportional to the mass displaced outward. Light scattering theory predicts that a decrease in body size decreases the turbidity and that fluctuations in body size due to lamellipod extension and retraction cycles like those exhibited by crawling neutrophils result in turbidity oscillations (lamellipods scatter very little by comparison to the cell body, and both aggregation and degranulation were absent). The experiments thus suggest that the cyclic variations in F-actin content are correlated with periodic fluctuations in lamellipod size. The available evidence appears to be consistent with the hypothesis that actin polymerization provides the main driving force for lamellipod extension and that depolymerization causes lamellipod retraction.

The mechanism of neutrophil activation by the chemotactic peptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) has been studied by pretreatment of human neutrophils with pertussis toxin. Upon stimulation with FMLP, the cytosolic-free calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i, is increased both by stimulation of calcium influx and mobilization of cellular calcium. We have measured [Ca2+]i as well as the generation of the phospholipid breakdown product inositol trisphosphate (IP3), which is thought to mediate Ca2+ mobilization. As the phosphoinositide pool in human neutrophils is difficult to prelabel with [3H]myoinositol, experiments were also carried out in the cultured human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 after differentiation with dimethylsulfoxide. Pertussis toxin pretreatment of both cell types inhibited FMLP stimulated membrane depolarization, exocytosis, and superoxide production in a dose-dependent manner. This toxin effect was selective for the receptor agonist, since stimulation of these parameters by two substances bypassing the transduction mechanism, the calcium ionophore ionomycin and the phorbolester phorbol myristate acetate, were unaffected. Rises in [Ca2+]i, as well as generation of IP3 in response to FMLP, were inhibited in parallel; for the inhibition of functional responses, slightly lower toxin concentrations were required. The attentuation of the [Ca2+]i rise was more marked in the absence of extracellular calcium, i.e., when the rise is due only to calcium mobilization. The results provide evidence that phospholipase C stimulation by FMLP resulting in IP3 generation is involved in the signal transduction mechanism. Coupling of FMLP receptor occupancy to phospholipase C activation is sensitive to pertussis toxin, suggesting the involvement of a GTP binding protein (N protein), which has been shown to be a pertussis toxin substrate. The parallel changes in [Ca2+]i and IP3 further support the hypothesis that IP3 is the calcium-mobilizing mediator in FMLP-activated cells.

Human neutrophils stimulated with a phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristrate 13-acetate or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate) responded with an increase in diacylglycerol, considered the natural activator of protein kinase C. The amounts of diacylglycerol formed were considerable, reaching 700-900% of basal after 20 min. In contrast, 4-alpha-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate did not induce any detectable formation of diacylglycerol. Simultaneously, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate exposure caused increased breakdown of both phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. These results suggest that once activated, protein kinase C can positively modulate its own activity by inducing additional formation of diacylglycerol from at least two different sources.

It was previously demonstrated that C3bi- but not IgG-mediated phagocytosis in human neutrophils is a Ca2+-independent process [(1985) Nature 315, 509-511]. The objective of this study was to elucidate the nature of an additional messenger signal(s) that may be involved in receptor-mediated phagocytosis in these cells. The C3bi- and IgG-mediated phagocytic ability of neutrophils was inhibited by forskolin, a potent activator of adenylate cyclase. It was found that forskolin induced a 3-fold increase in cAMP levels and simultaneously reduced the uptake of both C3bi- and IgG-opsonized particles by 65%. This inhibition was reversed by exposure to either phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or diacylglycerol (OAG), which are both activators of protein kinase C, but not by the inactive analog 4 alpha-PMA. PMA could also restore the phagocytic ability of neutrophils with an experimentally impaired calcium response. These results suggest that activation of protein kinase C might be an important transducing signal controlling receptor-mediated phagocytosis in human neutrophils.

The relationship between fMet-Leu-Phe-induced changes in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i), plasma membrane potential depolarization, and metabolic responses was studied in human neutrophils. Receptor-activated depolarization occurred both at high and resting [Ca2+]i, but was inhibited at very low [Ca2+]i. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced plasma membrane depolarization, on the contrary, was independent of [Ca2+]i. The threshold fMet-Leu-Phe concentration for plasma membrane depolarization (10(-8) M) was at least 1 log unit higher than that for [Ca2+]i increases (5 X 10(-10) M) and coincident with that for NADPH oxidase activation. Nearly maximal [Ca2+]i increases were elicited by 3 X 10(-9) fMet-Leu-Phe in the absence of any significant plasma membrane potential change. This observation allowed us to investigate the effects of artificially induced plasma membrane depolarization and hyperpolarization at low fMet-Leu-Phe concentrations (10(-9) to 3 X 10(-9) M) which did not perturb plasma membrane potential. Depolarizing (gramicidin D at 10(-7) to 10(-6) M or KCl at 50 mM) and hyperpolarizing (valinomycin at 4 microM) treatments had little influence on unstimulated [Ca2+]i levels, whereas fMet-Leu-Phe-induced transients were significantly altered. Gramicidin D and KCl decreased the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced [Ca2+]i increases in Ca2+-containing or in Ca2+-free media. Valinomycin, on the contrary, increased receptor-stimulated [Ca2+]i increases, and the effect was larger in the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Valinomycin also strongly potentiated secretion. It is suggested that plasma membrane depolarization in human neutrophils is a physiological feedback mechanism inhibiting receptor-dependent [Ca2+]i changes.

N-Formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) stimulation of human neutrophils leads to a rapid increase of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, which is significantly reduced by removal of extracellular calcium. In the present study we show that fMet-Leu-Phe-induced [Ca2+]i increases are, in part, mediated by an increase of the plasma membrane permeability to Ca2+. This conclusion is based on the following evidence. In the presence of extracellular calcium, addition of La3+ reduced the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced [Ca2+]i increase to approximately the same level as that observed in the absence of extracellular calcium. A net increase of the plasma membrane permeability for Mn2+ could be observed after fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation, as revealed by intracellular quenching of the quin2 signal. The influx of Mn2+, like that of Ca2+, was inhibited by La3+ and was more pronounced in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting competition for the same pathway. Temporal dissociation of intracellular Ca2+ release from stores and Ca2+ influx from the medium could be demonstrated by readdition of calcium to cells stimulated in the absence of this cation. This second [Ca2+]i increase could be abolished either by giving the specific chemotactic peptide receptor antagonist, BOC-Met-Leu-Phe, or Co2+. We could also show that the fMet-Leu-Phe-dependent Ca2+ influx was not due to the activation of voltage-dependent calcium channels since depolarization either by K+ or gramicidin D did not affect the resting [Ca2+]i, nor did it affect a subsequent [Ca2+]i increase induced by fMet-Leu-Phe. Furthermore, nifedipine and verapamil, at concentrations known to block classical voltage-dependent calcium channels, had no significant effects on the Ca2+ influx induced by fMet-Leu-Phe. We suggest that fMet-Leu-Phe promotes influx of Ca2+ ions across the plasma membrane of human neutrophils by opening of receptor-dependent calcium channels.

We have studied how cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) changes and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) exposure affects ligand-independent cell surface expression of fMet-Leu-Phe receptors on human neutrophils. Mere incubation primed neutrophils to double their binding of fMet-Leu-Phe. This spontaneous increase of peptide binding was unaffected by changes in the extracellular calcium concentration. However, depression of the [Ca2+]i totally abolished the increased binding of fMet-Leu-Phe. Scatchard-Plot analysis revealed that the observed increase of peptide binding was due to an increased number of receptors. Normalization of the [Ca2+]i in cells where it was initially depressed resulted in a slow but progressive increase in fMet-Leu-Phe binding. The rate of receptor recruitment could be enhanced by rapidly increasing the [Ca2+]i by addition of ionomycin. Addition of PMA to cells with near maximal receptor expression led to a marked reduction of fMet-Leu-Phe binding without affecting [Ca2+]i. These observations suggest the existence of a dual regulatory mechanism for up- and down-regulation of fMet-Leu-Phe receptors on the cell surface of human neutrophils.

Both TNF and and granulocyte/macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) can activate neutrophils. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of these cytokines on neutrophil degranulation. The secretion of lactoferrin of secondary granules and myeloperoxidase (MPO) of primary granules from single adherent human neutrophils was assayed by use of a reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Both rTNF and rGM-CSF caused secretion of lactoferrin in a dose-dependent manner. Both agents also caused secretion of MPO, but only in the presence of cytochalasin B. Preincubation with pertussis toxin inhibited rGM-CSF-induced secretion of both lactoferrin and MPO. rTNF-induced MPO secretion was also blocked by pertussis toxin, whereas lactoferrin secretion was only slightly affected. Neither rTNF nor rGM-CSF caused any detectable changes in the concentration of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ in fura-2-loaded cells. However, when neutrophils were loaded with increasing concentrations of quin-2 to buffer any local, not detectable, changes in the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+, both rTNF- and rGM-CSF-induced secretion of lactoferrin and MPO were almost totally abolished at a relatively low quin-2 concentration. These results suggest a role of a regulatory G-protein and minute local changes in the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ in TNF- and GM-CSF-induced neutrophil degranulation.

The phagocytic function of neutrophils is a crucial element in host defence against invading microorganisms. Two main specific receptor-mediated mechanisms operate in the phagocyte plasma membrane, one recognizing the C3b/bi fragment of complement and the other the Fc domain of immunoglobulin G (ref. 1). There is evidence that phagocytosis mediated by these receptors differs in the number and nature of the intracellular signals generated. However, the mechanisms by which receptor binding is transduced into a signal that generates the formation of the phagocyte pseudopod is not known, although extensive biochemical evidence has allowed the postulate that calcium ion gradients in the peripheral cytoplasm, by interacting with calcium-sensitive contractile proteins, initiate the process of engulfment. Using the high-affinity fluorescent calcium indicator quin2 both to measure and to buffer intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), we show here that in human neutrophils two mechanisms of phagocytosis coexist: a [Ca2+]i-dependent and modulated phagocytosis, triggered by activation of the Fc receptor, and a [Ca2+]i-independent mechanism triggered by the activation of the C3b/bl receptors.

Most ligand-receptor interactions result in an immediate generation of various second messengers and a subsequent association of the ligand-receptor complex to the cytoskeleton. Depending on the receptor involved, this linkage to the cytoskeleton has been suggested to play a role in the termination of second messenger generation and/or the endocytic process whereby the ligand-receptor complex is internalized. We have studied how the binding of chemotactic peptide-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton of human neutrophils is accomplished. As much as 76% of the tritiated formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe) specifically bound to intact cells, obtained by a 30-s stimulation with 20 nM fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe, still remained after Triton X-100 extraction. Preincubating intact cells with dihydrocytochalasin B (dhCB) or washing the cytoskeletal preparation with a high concentration of potassium, reduced the binding of ligand-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton by 46% or more. Inhibition of fMet-Leu-Phe-induced generation of second messengers by ADP-ribosylating the alpha-subunit of the receptor-coupled G-protein with pertussis toxin, did not reduce the binding of ligand-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton. However, using guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) to prevent the dissociation of the fMet-Leu-Phe-associated G-protein within electrically permeabilized cells, led to a pronounced reduction (62%) of the binding between ligand-receptor complexes and the cytoskeleton. In summary, in human neutrophils the rapid association between chemotactic peptide-receptor complexes and the cytoskeleton is dependent on filamentous actin. This association is most likely regulated by the activation and dissociation of the fMet-Leu-Phe-associated G-protein.

The present study examined the possible role of increased phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) breakdown in the regulation of actin assembly in human neutrophils. Tetracaine, a local anesthetic, was used since it has recently been proposed to inhibit the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate to form PtdIns(4,5)P2. Surprisingly, it was found that incubation with tetracaine alone increased the breakdown of PtdIns(4,5)P2, measured as total inositol trisphosphate formation. This occurred without any rise above basal in the cellular content of filamentous actin. However, in the presence of formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), tetracaine potentiated the chemotactic-induced increase of both inositol trisphosphate formation and actin polymerization. To further explore the relationship between increased PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown and actin polymerization, the activity of phospholipase C was depressed by lowering the cytosolic free calcium ion level or by incubating the cells with ionomycin. In these cells, fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation still raised the cellular content of filamentous actin to a level similar to levels in nontreated cells, despite the absence of PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. Consequently, increased breakdown of PtdIns(4,5)P2 alone is not enough to initiate actin polymerization, nor is the polymerization of actin dependent on an increased PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that increased turnover of phosphoinositides might act as a modulator of actin assembly.

Phagocytosis of C3bi- or IgG-opsonized yeast particles in human neutrophils was found to be associated with an increased formation of inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. Pertussis toxin only marginally affected phagocytosis of IgG- and C3bi-opsonized particles and the associated formation of second messengers. Forskolin, which induced a threefold rise of cellular cAMP, however, markedly inhibited both C3bi- and IgG-mediated phagocytosis as well as the particle-induced formation of inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. These observations are in contrast to what was found to occur with chemotactic factors and indicate that chemotactic and phagocytic signaling can be regulated independently in human neutrophils. Since C3bi-mediated phagocytosis has been shown to occur at vanishingly low cytosolic free calcium levels, calcium-depleted cells were used to study the importance of the inositol cycle for the engulfment of C3bi-opsonized particles. Despite a total lack of receptor-induced formation of inositol phosphates, a significantly increased accumulation of diacylglycerol accompanied the ingestion of C3bi-opsonized particles. These data show that the engulfment of C3bi-opsonized particles can occur independently of both a calcium transient and an increased inositol phosphate production. However, the observed accumulation of diacylglycerol, not derived from phosphoinositides, suggests that this second messenger play a role in the control of the engulfment process.

We have addressed the important question as to if and how the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, is involved in fMet-Leu-Phe induced actin polymerization in human neutrophils. Stimulation of human neutrophils with the chemotactic peptide (10(-7) M), known to result in a prompt rise of the [Ca2+]i to above 500 nM, also induced a rapid decrease of monomeric actin, G-actin, content (to 35% of basal) and increase of filamentous actin, F-actin, content (to 320% of basal). A reduction of the fMet-Leu-Phe induced [Ca2+]i transient to about 250 nM, resulted in a less pronounced decrease of G-actin content (to 80% of basal) and increase of F-actin content (to 235% of basal). A total abolishment of the chemotactic peptide induced [Ca2+]i rise, still led to a decrease of the G-actin content (to 85% of basal) and increase of F-actin (to 200% of basal). These results indicate that the [Ca2+]i rise is not an absolute requirement, but has a modulating role for the fMet-Leu-Phe induced actin polymerization. Another possible intracellular candidate for fMet-Leu-Phe induced actin polymerization is protein kinase C. However, direct activation of protein kinase C by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) only resulted in a minor increase of F-actin content. The recent hypothesis that a metabolite of the polyphosphoinositide cycle, independently of [Ca2+]i and protein kinase C, is responsible for actin polymerization agrees well with these results and by the fact that preexposure to pertussis toxin totally abolished a subsequent increase of F-actin content induced by fMet-Leu-Phe.