Analysis of the primary signals required for activation of the mitogenic pathway in murine thymocytes from protein phosphorylation patterns

It has been proposed that phorbol esters and the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 are effective comitogens for some species of lymphocytes because together they mimic the normal secondary signals for cell activation by mitogens that cause phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) breakdown (e.g., anti-TCR and anti-Thy-1 antibodies and Con A). To test whether activation of protein kinase C and an increase in [Ca2+]i account for the activation of the mitogenic pathway in murine thymocytes by the mitogens that cause PtdInsP2 breakdown, the two-dimensional phosphorylation patterns generated by the three classes of mitogens (protein kinase C activator, Ca2+ ionophore, and activator of PtdInsP2 breakdown) and by activators of cAMP-dependent kinases have been compared. From the phosphorylation patterns, by which each mitogen could be distinguished reproducibly, it was concluded that: 1) The phosphorylation patterns generated by the mitogens that activate PtdInsP2 breakdown are only slightly affected by the removal of extracellular Ca2+ under conditions that abolish the normal rise in [Ca2+]i and do not therefore depend on the activation of Ca2(+)-dependent protein kinases. In contrast, the phosphorylation pattern generated by A23187 is totally dependent on extracellular Ca2+. 2) Neither A23187 nor the mitogens that activate PtdInsP2 breakdown nor activators of cAMP-dependent kinases caused significant activation of protein kinase C assayed by phosphorylation of the diagnostic proteins 80b and 78a. Consistent with this conclusion, only the phorbol esters or oleoyl acyl glycerol caused translocation of protein kinase C activity from the cytosolic to the membrane fraction. 3) Neither A23187 nor the mitogens that cause PtdInsP2 breakdown activated cAMP-dependent kinases. Taken together the data imply that the mitogens that cause PtdInsP2 breakdown must generate an additional, independent primary mitogenic signal. It is suggested that this signal may be the activation of tyrosine kinases (e.g., p56lck) via the TCR and working hypotheses for effective combinations of primary mitogenic signals that will activate DNA synthesis are developed.

Leaf growth of Eucalyptus globulus seedlings under water deficit

Eucalyptus globulus Labill. seedlings grown under field conditions in Portugal were watered either daily (control) or every 6 days (drought-treated). Relative to those of control plants, rates of leaf production and leaf biomass accumulation were reduced by almost half in drought-treated plants. However, whereas expansion of new leaves on control plants slowed toward the end of the 30 day experiment, expansion of leaves of the same age on drought-treated plants accelerated as a change in weather conditions resulted in midday plant water potentials above -3.0 MPa. In plants that were left unwatered until they wilted and were then watered daily, expansion of the fifth leaf pair from the apex was slower than that of the same pair of leaves of plants watered daily throughout; but it continued for about twice as long and resulted in the same final leaf area. Drought treatment also caused a substantial reduction in the rate of leaf production, which, in part, accounted for the effect of drought on leaf biomass production. In a greenhouse study, witholding water for 15 days had only a slight effect on the length or width of adaxial epidermal cells, and the effect was quickly reversed on rewatering.

Mitogen-stimulated activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter does not regulate S6 phosphorylation or protein synthesis in murine thymocytes or Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

The activation of protein synthesis by mitogens in quiescent (G0) mammalian cells is obligatory for progression from G0 through G1 to DNA synthesis in S phase. When the activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter which occurs in mitogen-stimulated Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts or murine fibroblasts is completely blocked by dimethylamiloride, there is little or no effect on the phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 or the activation of protein synthesis assayed by [35S]methionine incorporation. Furthermore, the accumulation of the protein product of the activated c-myc gene is unaffected by dimethylamiloride in 3T3 fibroblasts. The data show that there is no requirement for activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter for the activation of S6 phosphorylation or protein synthesis by mitogens but do not preclude the possibility that activation of the antiporter is necessary for some other response(s) obligatory for DNA synthesis. These data are contrasted with previous reports for Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts that the increase in intracellular pH which results from activation of the Na+/H+ antiporter in bicarbonate-free media is necessary for S6 phosphorylation, protein synthesis, and hence, for subsequent DNA synthesis (Pouyssegur, J., Chambard, J. C., Franchi, A., Paris, S., and Van Obberghen-Schilling, E. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 3935-3939; Chambard, J.C., and Pouyssegur, J. (1986) Exp. Cell Res. 164, 282-294).

Ca2+ transient, Mg2+, and pH measurements in the cardiac cycle by 19F NMR

19F NMR indicators have been used to measure the free cytosolic cation concentrations ([Mn+]i, where M is the atomic symbol and n is the value of the charge) of Ca2+, H+, and Mg2+ in perfused ferret hearts. The [Ca2+]i transient, cytosolic pH (pHi), and [Mg2+]i have also been followed at 16 phases in the cardiac cycle in hearts paced at 1.25 Hz at 30 degrees C. The initial [Ca2+]i rose rapidly after a 50-ms delay, was maximal at greater than 1.5 microM after 150 ms, and declined thereafter to the initial concentration. In contrast, no significant changes in pHi (pH 7.03 +/- 0.08) or [Mg2+]i (1.2 +/- 0.1 mM) were detected in the cycle. A decrease in developed pressure when the [Ca2+]i indicator (but not the pHi or [Mg2+]i indicator) was loaded into hearts was substantially reversed by the addition of 50 microM ZnCl2 to the perfusion medium. The Zn2+ was taken up into the myoplasm and displaced Ca2+ bound to the indicator, a symmetrically substituted difluoro derivative of 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (5FBAPTA), as evidenced by the appearance of the Zn-5FBAPTA resonance. The decrease in developed pressure caused by 5FBAPTA, therefore, may be due to its Ca2+ buffering effect on the myoplasm. By coloading hearts with the [Ca2+]i and pHi indicators, simultaneous measurement of several [Mn+]i was demonstrated, which should provide a useful addition to the methods available to monitor cardiac function and pharmacology.

Ca2+ and pH responses to sequential additions of mitogens in single 3T3 fibroblasts: correlations with DNA synthesis

The progression of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts from the quiescent state (G0) through G1 to DNA synthesis in S phase generally requires the synergistic action of two mitogens. The main aim of this study was to compare systematically the early Ca2+ and pH responses in quiescent cells to all of the pair combinations of eight mitogens (bombesin, platelet-derived growth factor, vasopressin, prostaglandin F2 alpha, epidermal growth factor, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, insulin, 8-bromo-cAMP) with their subsequent effects on DNA synthesis. Each of the mitogens which caused inositol phosphate accumulation (bombesin, platelet-derived growth factor, vasopressin, prostaglandin F2 alpha) also activated Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) and generated both the Ca2+ and pH responses, although epidermal growth factor also generated the ionic responses without causing release of inositol phosphates or activation of protein kinase C. For sequential mitogen additions the ionic signals were measured in single cells as well as in cell populations to avoid ambiguities due to heterogeneity in the responses of the cells to the various mitogens. The modulating effects of the mitogens on the [Ca2+]i responses to subsequent mitogen additions varied widely, but detailed comparisons showed that the pattern of blocking effects could not be attributed solely to the effect of the first mitogen causing either maximal breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate or complete depletion of the intracellular Ca2+ pool or activation of protein kinase C. From these analyses it was concluded that the requirement for two mitogens for effective DNA synthesis could not be attributed to the summation to a critical threshold of either the ionic signals or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate breakdown, and that these responses are insufficient by themselves to cause the cells to progress to DNA synthesis in S phase.

C-fos gene activation in murine thymocytes by a mechanism independent of protein kinase C or a Ca2+ signal

The accumulation of c-fos mRNA in mouse thymocytes was compared when the cells were stimulated by concanavalin A (Con A), the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 or the phorbol ester, TPA, either separately or by combinations of these mitogens. The c-fos response to mitogenic concentrations of Con A could not be attributed either to the rise in [Ca2+]i it induces or to activation of protein kinase C. Thus, although Con A causes the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in these cells, neither of the signals which can be generated by this response was responsible for the activation of the c-fos gene by Con A. This implies that some other unidentified signal generated by Con A activates the c-fos gene.

Design and properties of a fluorescent indicator of intracellular free Na+ concentration

We have recently described a cryptand structure, FCryp-1, with appropriate properties for an indicator of intracellular free Na+ concentration using the 19F-n.m.r. chemical shift of the incorporated 5FBAPTA [1,2-bis-(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-NNN'N'-tetra-acetic acid] reporter group to measure the free cytosolic Na+ concentration [( Na+]i) [Smith, Morris, Hesketh and Metcalfe (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 889, 82-83]. FCryp-1 carries four carboxylate groups to confer aqueous solubility and the indicator is membrane-permeant when the carboxyls are esterified with acetoxymethyl ester groups. Here we describe the synthesis of FCryp-2 to provide a fluorescent indicator of [Na+]i. FCryp-2 retains the parent tribenzo (2:2:1) cryptand structure of FCryp-1, in which the benzenoid ring at C-21 in FCryp-1 is replaced by an indole derivative which acts as the fluorophor in FCryp-2. With excitation at 340 nm, FCryp-2 gives an emission maximum at 460 nm in the absence of Na+ which shifts to 395 nm when FCryp-2 is saturated with Na+, with an isosbestic point at 455 nm. The apparent dissociation constant of FCryp-2 in a buffer solution of 100 mM-KCl/20 mM-KH2PO4/K2HPO4, pH 7.0, at 37 degrees C is 6.0 mM and the free Na+ concentration can be measured either from the calibrated fluorescence intensity at 395 nm, which increases 25-fold when Na+ is bound to FCryp-2, or from the ratio of fluorescence intensities at 395 nm and 455 nm. The measurement of free [Na+] by either method is unaffected by K+, Ca2+ or Mg2+ in the normal intracellular concentration ranges. Free [Na+] measurements by the ratio method are unaffected by pH from 6.6 to 7.6.

Phosphoinositide metabolism and the calcium response to concanavalin A in S49 T-lymphoma cells. A comparison with thymocytes

Comparisons were made between transformed S49 T-lymphoma cells and normal murine thymocytes in their polyphosphoinositides, inositol polyphosphates and cytosolic free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i), and the effects of the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) on these properties. 1. The ratios of the polyphosphoinositides to phosphatidylinositol in both exponential-phase S49 cells and mitogen-stimulated thymocytes (G1 phase) were greater than in quiescent (G0-phase) thymocytes. 2. In response to Con A, the amount of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) in S49 cells decreased slightly (17% in 30 min), and this was sufficient to account for the small amounts of inositol phosphates that accumulated. In contrast, it has been shown previously that Con A stimulates a rapid resynthesis of PtdInsP2 in thymocytes and the amounts of inositol phosphates released rapidly exceed the steady-state amount of the PtdInsP2 precursor [Taylor, Metcalfe, Hesketh, Smith & Moore (1984) Nature (London) 312, 462-465]. 3. The [Ca2+]i did not differ significantly in S49 cells and thymocytes before the addition of Con A, and the increases in [Ca2+]i in response to Con A were similar in both types of cell. 4. The [Ca2+]i increase in response to Con A was inhibited by similar concentrations of intracellular cyclic AMP (2-10 microM) in S49 cells and thymocytes, suggesting that similar regulatory mechanisms act on this response in both types of cell. The data demonstrate that the basal [Ca2+]i and phosphoinositide metabolism is similar in both the normal cells and their transformed counterparts. In addition, they suggest that the activated Con A receptors generate very similar signals in the two cell types, and that any perturbations of primary signal transduction to the secondary phosphoinositide and [Ca2+]i responses in the S49 phenotype are quantitative rather than qualitative.

GTP gamma S activation of proto-oncogene expression in transiently permeabilised Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts

A technique of transient permeabilisation has been used to show that the introduction of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S), a non-hydrolysable analogue of GTP, into intact Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis, cyclic AMP accumulation and the activation of c-fos and c-myc proto-oncogenes. Of a number of nucleotide triphosphates introduced into the cells, only GTP and its non-hydrolysable analogues activated inositol phosphate release, suggesting that this response is mediated by guanine nucleotide regulatory (G) protein(s). The data demonstrate that transient permeabilisation provides a method of examining the involvement of G-proteins in nuclear activation.

Synergistic signals in the mechanism of antigen-induced exocytosis in 2H3 cells: evidence for an unidentified signal required for histamine release

The aim of this study was to determine whether the increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in response to antigen (aggregated ovalbumin) on IgE-primed 2H3 cells was sufficient to account for exocytosis. When the [Ca2+]i responses to antigen and the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 were compared, A23187 was much less effective at releasing histamine at equivalent [Ca2+]i increases, and little or no stimulated histamine release occurred with A23187 concentrations that matched the [Ca2+]i response to antigen concentrations that stimulated maximal histamine release. The [Ca2+]i response to antigen is not, therefore, sufficient to account for exocytosis, although extracellular Ca2+ is necessary to initiate both the [Ca2+]i response and histamine release: the antigen must generate an additional, unidentified, signal that is required for exocytosis. To determine whether this signal was the activation of protein kinase C, the effects of the phorbol ester 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on the responses to antigen were examined. TPA blocked the antigen-induced [Ca2+]i response and the release of inositol phosphates but had little effect on histamine release and did not stimulate exocytosis by itself. The unidentified signal from the antigen is therefore distinct from the activation of protein kinase C and is generated independently of the [Ca2+]i response or the release of inositol phosphates. Taken together with other data that imply that there is very little activation of protein kinase C by antigen when the rate of histamine release is maximal, it is concluded that the normal exocytotic response to antigen requires the synergistic action of the [Ca2+]i signal together with an unidentified signal that is not mediated by protein kinase C.

Calcium regulates inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate production in lysed thymocytes and in intact cells stimulated with concanavalin A

Lysed mouse thymocytes release [3H]inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate from [3H]inositol-labelled phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate in response to GTP gamma S, and rapidly phosphorylate [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. The rate of phosphorylation is increased approximately 7-fold when the free [Ca2+] in the lysate is increased from 0.1 to 1 microM, the range in which the cytosolic free [Ca2+] increases in intact thymocytes in response to the mitogen concanavalin A. Stimulation of the intact cells with concanavalin A also results in a rapid and sustained increase in the amount of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, and a much smaller transient increase in 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Lowering [Ca2+] in the medium from 0.4 mM to 0.1 microM before addition of concanavalin A reduces accumulation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate by at least 3-fold whereas the increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is sustained rather than transient. The data imply that in normal medium the activity of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate kinase increases substantially in response to the rise in cytosolic free [Ca2+] generated by concanavalin A, accounting for both the transient accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and the sustained high levels of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate is a strong candidate for the second messenger for Ca2+ entry across the plasma membrane. This would imply that the inositol polyphosphates regulate both Ca2+ entry and intracellular Ca2+ release, with feedback control of the inositol polyphosphate levels by Ca2+.

Permeabilization of thymocytes by photon activation of erythrosin

Thymocytes previously loaded with quin 2 were rapidly permeabilized by the photon activation of erythrosin and the rate of permeabilization monitored by measuring fluorimetrically the increasing saturation of quin 2 with calcium. The extent of permeabilization was assessed also by the loss of [3H]quin 2 from the thymocytes and penetration of the cells by eosin and trypan blue. Lactate dehydrogenase leakage from the permeabilized cells was markedly delayed compared to the rapid increase in permeability to calcium and quin 2. The rate of permeabilization was dependent upon the concentration of erythrosin, the duration of illumination, the presence of oxygen, and the temperature. These results are consistent with the rapid photochemical generation of highly reactive singlet oxygen which alters thymocyte membrane structure and permeability.

Design of an indicator of intracellular free Na+ concentration using 19F-NMR

The development is described of an Na+ chelator with appropriate properties for an indicator of intracellular free Na+ concentration ([Na+]i). The new indicator, FCryp-1, is a tribenzo derivative of the parent (2:2:1) cryptand structure, incorporating the same F-substituted dibenzo 19F-NMR reporter group as the free [Ca2+] indicator, 5FBAPTA (Smith, G.A., Hesketh, T.R., Metcalfe, J.C., Feeney, J. and Morris, P.G. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 80, 7178-7182). FCryp-1 has appropriate affinity for Na+ (KNa = 10(1.3) M-1) and selectivity over other intracellular cations (KK; KCa; K Mg less than 10(-1) M(-1)) for a [Na]i indicator. There is an 19F-NMR chemical shift of 2.00 ppm between free FCryp-1 and the Na-FCryp-1 complex which provides a direct read out of free [Na+]. FCryp-1 carries four carboxylate groups to confer aqueous solubility which can be esterified with acetoxymethyl groups to render the indicator membrane permeant. Experiments on pig lymphocytes loaded with FCryp-1 gave an indicated [Na+]i of 13.8 +/- 1.8 mM (n = 4). The FCryp-1 structure can also be readily modified to provide fluorescent [Na+]i indicators.

c-fos and c-myc gene activation, ionic signals, and DNA synthesis in thymocytes

Among the earliest responses to mitogens that have been detected in normal quiescent cells are ionic changes: we have described rapid increases in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]i) and in the intracellular pH (pHi) in mitogen-stimulated thymocytes and fibroblasts (Hesketh, T. R., Moore, J. P., Morris, J. D. H., Taylor, M. V., Rogers, J., Smith, G. A., and Metcalfe, J. C. (1985) Nature 313, 482-484). Here we investigate the relationship between these ionic signals and the subsequent expression of the c-fos and c-myc proto-oncogenes in murine thymocytes. We show that the plant lectin concanavalin A (ConA), the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and the Ca2+-ionophore A23187 each causes a rapid increase in both c-fos and c-myc mRNAs. The activation of both genes is completely dependent on the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]o) for A23187 and independent of [Ca]o for TPA. Activation of c-myc, but not c-fos, by ConA is partially dependent on [Ca]o. The pHi increases generated by ConA or TPA are not necessary for expression of mRNA from either gene in response to these mitogens. Exogenous 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (but not 8-bromo-cyclic GMP) inhibits the c-myc responses to ConA and TPA. The data also show that neither early c-fos nor c-myc expression is sufficient to commit the cells to DNA synthesis.

Free cytosolic Ca2+ measurements with fluorine labelled indicators using 19FNMR

Characterisation by 19F NMR of fluorine-labelled indicators of cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration (by 5FBAPTA) and pH (by Fquene) is described, together with the techniques used to load the cell suspensions with the indicators for NMR spectroscopy. Useful features of the 19F NMR indicators include direct identification of the intracellular cation bound to the indicators, internal calibration of [Ca]i and pHi from the spectra, and simultaneous measurements of two or more indicators in the same cell suspension. Perturbations of cellular functions by 5FBAPTA and quin 2 are very similar, but vary widely in different cell systems. The [Ca]i and pHi responses of normal and transformed cells to mitogens and growth factors in serum are compared with data from similar experiments using fluorescence indicators. The only major discrepancy in [Ca]i measurements using the two independent assays was observed in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells. These cells have a high intracellular Zn2+ content which substantially quenches the quin 2 fluorescence, but does not affect [Ca]i measurements by 5FBAPTA. The Zn2+ present in the cells is detected as a separate response in the 5FBAPTA spectrum. The time course of the Ca signal in 2H3 cells stimulated by antigen to release histamine by exocytosis has been defined using 5FBAPTA and quin 2. Extension of the 19F NMR technique to [Ca] i and pHi measurements in perfused organs is illustrated in rat heart and responses to pharmacological agents are demonstrated. Developments in prospect to improve sensitivity and to measure [Na]i with a new family of indicators are outlined.

A common sequence of calcium and pH signals in the mitogenic stimulation of eukaryotic cells

When normal quiescent (G0) cells are stimulated by mitogens to enter the cell cycle, the metabolic derepression which occurs is similar in a variety of cells. The mechanisms initiating these responses and their relationship to subsequent progression through G1 to DNA synthesis in S phase, however, are generally undefined. The clearest evidence has been obtained in sea urchin eggs, where fertilization by sperm causes a rapid, transient increase in the concentration of free cytoplasmic Ca2+ [(Ca]i), followed by a sustained increase in cytoplasmic pH (pHi). It has been demonstrated clearly that these ionic responses are obligatory for progression to DNA synthesis by the normal pathway after fertilization, although the Ca2+ signal can be bypassed by parthenogenetic agents which elevate directly pHi (for example, NH+4 ions). These observations raise the questions of whether other eukaryotic cells show the same sequence of ionic responses when stimulated by mitogens and whether such signals are an obligatory component of their mitogenic pathways. We show here that a common sequence of [Ca]i and pHi responses occurs in both quiescent mouse thymocytes and Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts stimulated by appropriate mitogens. Furthermore, 'opportunistic' mitogens (those that do not act on the cells in vivo, such as concanavalin A (Con A), the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate CTPA] that are mitogenic for both mouse thymocytes and 3T3 fibroblast, each produce characteristic ionic responses that are the same in both types of cell.

Early response pattern analysis of the mitogenic pathway in lymphocytes and fibroblasts

The early biochemical responses stimulated by the action of mitogens and growth factors on mouse thymocytes and 3T3 fibroblasts are analysed as part of a systematic attempt to define the mitogenic pathways from G0 to S phase in these cells. Although the primary response to each mitogen can be distinguished by the pattern of secondary responses they initiate, there is substantial overlap in these responses. The aim is therefore to determine whether there is early convergence on a common mitogenic pathway, defined by a sequence of responses obligatory for progression from G0 to S phase for different mitogens and cell types. The 'dual-signal' hypothesis for the mitogenic stimulation of thymocytes is a simple version of a common mitogenic pathway. It proposes that the T-cell receptor initiates the pathway via the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate to generate a Ca signal (from the release of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate) and to activate protein kinase C (from the release of diacylglycerol). The rationale for this hypothesis lies in the co-mitogenic action of the Ca2+-ionophore, A23187, and the phorbol ester, 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate, which is assumed to activate specifically protein kinase C. However, detailed analysis of the coupling between some of the early responses, including the Ca and pH signals, phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate metabolism, c-myc gene activation and general metabolic stimulation, indicates clearly that the hypothesis is inadequate to account for the initiation of the normal mitogenic pathway in thymocytes.

Mitogens increase phosphorylation of phosphoinositides in thymocytes

In many cell systems the interaction of ligands with their receptors causes rapid breakdown and resynthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2). Recent work has focused on the role of the degradation products of PtdIns(4,5)P2 as intermediates in the activation of cell function and growth: inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) can release Ca2+ from intracellular stores and diacylglycerol is thought to activate protein kinase C. This enzyme is also activated by phorbol esters (for example, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate, TPA) and this is assumed to account for the pleiotropic effects of TPA on cell function and growth. Mouse thymocytes are not mitogenically stimulated by TPA alone, but it is a potent co-mitogen in combination with either concanavalin A (Con A) or A23187 (A. N. Corps and J.C.M., unpublished observations). Here we show that mitogenic concentrations of TPA, A23187 and Con A each cause an increase in the net phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) to PtdIns(4,5)P2 in mouse thymocytes. This is consistent with simulation by the mitogens of the same phosphoinositide phosphorylations in intact cells as recently demonstrated for the isolated products of the src and ros viral oncogenes in a cell-free system.

Calcium signals and phospholipid methylation in eukaryotic cells

Rat basophil leukaemic (2H3) cells, mast cells and mouse thymocytes respond to stimulation by specific ligands with an increase in the free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. The time courses of these Ca signals and the biological responses have been compared with changes in phospholipid metabolism. Increased phosphoinositide metabolism coincides with the Ca signals and the responses in each cell system, whereas any increase in phospholipid methylation during the response is less than one molecule per receptor and at least 5-50-fold less than the increases reported previously. Furthermore, no significant changes were detected in the concentration of S-adenosylmethionine, the methyl-group donor in the synthesis of methylated phospholipids. The hypothesis that phospholipid methylation is obligatory for receptor-mediated Ca signals is not supported by these data and requires critical re-evaluation.

The mechanism of the calcium signal and correlation with histamine release in 2H3 cells

Rat basophil leukemic (2H3) cells ( Siraganian , R.P., McGivney , A., Barsumian , E. L., Crews, F. T., Hirata , F., and Axelrod , J. (1982) Fed. Proc. 41, 30-34) loaded with fluorescent Ca2+ indicator quin 2 ( Tsien , R. Y. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 2396-2404) showed a rapid increase in free cytosol calcium concentration [( Ca]i) when histamine release was induced. Intracellular quin 2 concentrations up to 7 mM did not affect release of histamine in response to antigen (aggregated ovalbumin) or concanavalin A with cells primed with antigen-specific monoclonal IgE, or in response to Ca2+ ionophores. The [Ca]i increased from approximately 105 nM to a maximum of approximately 1200 nM within 2 to 3 min after antigenic stimulation and then declined slowly over 30 min toward the level in unstimulated cells. Histamine release was most rapid as [Ca]i reached the maximum value and then decreased continuously with [Ca]i over the subsequent 30 min. Neither the Ca signal nor histamine release was observed when the Ca2+ concentration in the medium [( Ca]o) was less than 50 microM, but both responses were restored on readdition of Ca2+ to 1 mM. The maximal Ca signal was obtained when [Ca]o was approximately greater than 1 mM and was half-maximal at [Ca]o congruent to 0.4 mM. In marked contrast [Ca]i in unstimulated cells varied very little with [Ca]o from 0.1 to 1 mM. Maintenance of the Ca signal required the continuous presence of stimulating ligand, external Ca2+, and the maintenance of cellular ATP; metabolic inhibitors blocked or reversed the Ca signal. La+ ions also caused a rapid and reversible block of the Ca signal and histamine release. The data are interpreted in a model in which the Ca signal is generated by a La3+-sensitive signal influx pathway that is functionally independent of the normal Ca2+ influx pathway in unstimulated cells, and that allows a 10-fold or greater increase in rate of Ca2+ entry. The Ca signal is maintained dynamically by the balance between the increased Ca2+ influx and active Ca2+ efflux across the plasma membrane.