Preliminary characterization of phosphotyrosine phosphatase activities in human peripheral blood lymphocytes: identification of CD45 as a phosphotyrosine phosphatase

Molybdate modulates mitogen and cyclosporin responses of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

The trace element molybdenum (Mo) is an essential component of key physiological systems in animals, plants and microorganisms. The molybdate oxoanion MoO(4)(2-) has been demonstrated to cause diverse yet poorly understood biochemical and pharmacological effects, such as non-specific inhibition of phosphatases and stabilization of steroid receptors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of molybdate on the activation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hPBLs) ex vivo and its potential interaction with the widely used immunosuppressant drug cyclosporin A (CsA). Lymphocyte activation was evaluated by performing multiple experiments determining blastogenesis in cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from 5 healthy volunteers, following stimulation induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), in the absence or presence of 0.05-10 mM sodium molybdate or/and 2.5-30 μg/mL CsA. Blastogenesis was assessed by a morphometric assay based on the relative proportions of unactivated lymphocytes, activated lymphoblasts and cells with aberrant morphology after PHA-induced activation. Molybdate concentrations up to 1 mM showed no effect on lymphocyte blastogenesis, while higher concentrations exerted immunosuppressive actions on cultured hPBLs. Co-administration of 0.1 mM sodium molybdate with CsA, at doses up to 20 μg/mL, induced no alteration in the response of cultured hPBLs to CsA. However, molybdate potentiated the immunosuppressive action of higher CsA concentrations, implying a likely dose-related synergistic interaction of the two agents in PHA-stimulated blood lymphocytes. These observations are indicative of the possible biological importance of molybdate oxoanions in the modulation of hPBL activation that may have pharmacological consequences during the therapeutic application of immunomodulatory drugs.

Redox-linked signal transduction pathways for protein tyrosine kinase activation

The signaling for activation of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) is usually started by binding of ligands to cell-surface receptors. However, recent evidence suggests the presence of ligand binding-independent signaling pathways that are mediated by oxidative stress. Oxidation and reduction of protein cysteine sulfhydryl (SH) groups may work as a molecular switch to start or to stop the signaling. It is known that oxidation of cysteine SH groups on protein tyrosine phosphatases switches off the action of protein tyrosine phosphatases. This event may not, however, signal for initial autophosphorylation of previously unphosphorylated PTKs, whereas it certainly prevents dephosphorylation of once-phosphorylated PTKs. We have suggested new mechanisms for oxidative stress-mediated PTK activation. First, cell-surface glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchoring proteins and a phosphoglycolipid/cholesterol-enriched membrane microdomain termed a "raft" can be the direct targets of oxidative stress for inducing their clustering through an S-S-bonded or S-X-S-bonded crosslinking of cell-surface proteins and subsequent activation of raft-associating Src family PTKs. Second, intracellular specific cysteine SH groups on PTK proteins can be another target of oxidative stress for inducing a conformational change necessary for initial activation of PTKs. A possible relationship between cell-surface and intracellular events is that the former frequently induces superoxide production as the second messenger for the latter.

Acrolein induces activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor of human keratinocytes for cell death

Acrolein, which is a highly reactive formaldehyde generated by lipid peroxidation, can affect skin and cause various disorders. The effect of exposure of human keratinocytes to acrolein on cell surface-oriented signal transduction into cells was examined. Incubation of human keratinocytes with a relatively low concentration (50 microM) of acrolein caused a prompt and selective induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a 180-kDa molecule during the period from 5-30 min after the start of incubation. This early event was followed by an increase in the density and number of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins during the period from 60-120 min after the start of incubation. The catalytic activity of EGFR as measured by the levels of autophorphorylation and phosphorylation of an exogenously added substrate, casein, in in vitro kinase assay, greatly increased as early as 1 min after the start of incubation and then decreased gradually 30 min later. MAP family kinases, including ERK, JNK, and p38 kinase, and the potentially downstream transcription factor c-Jun were all promoted for phosphorylation/activation during a period of 5-30 min. Selective prompt phosphorylation/activation of EGFR followed by phosphorylation of MAP family kinases and c-Jun and their blockade by a specific EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, suggested that activation of EGFR is the major, and possibly single, cell surface element for intracellular signal transduction in acrolein-treated cells. Incubation of human keratinocytes with 50 microM of acrolein induced atypical apoptosis with morphologic apoptotic features with low-grade oligonucleoside-sized DNA fragmentation. Partial inhibition of such a cytopathic effect of acrolein on human keratinocytes by preincubation with AG1478 suggests the involvement of an EGFR-mediated signal pathway for atypical apoptosis. These results provide new information on acrolein-induced cell surface-oriented signal transduction to human keratinocytes, and this information may be useful for understanding the pathogenesis of a number of skin diseases in response to environmental acrolein and acrolein-generating ultraviolet irradiation.

Effects of metal ions on the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatase VHR: highly potent and reversible oxidative inactivation by Cu2+ ion

The posttranslational regulation of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) has been suggested to have a crucial role in maintaining the phosphotyrosine level in cells. Here we examined the regulatory effects of metal ions on human dual-specificity vaccinia H1-related protein tyrosine phosphatase (VHR) in vitro. Among various metal ions examined, Fe3+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ exerted their inactivational effects on VHR, and Cu2+ is the most potent inactivator. The VHR activity inactivated by the metal ions except Cu2+ was significantly restored by EDTA. The efficacy of Cu2+ for the VHR inactivation was about 200-fold more potent than that of H2O2. Cu2+ also inactivated other PTPs including PTP1B and SHP-1. The Cu2+-mediated inactivation at the submicromolar range was eradicated by dithiothreitol treatment. The loss of VHR activity correlated with the decreased [14C]iodoacetate labeling of active-site cysteine, suggesting that Cu2+ brought about the oxidation of the active-site cysteine. On the contrary, Zn2+ that exerted an inactivational effect at millimolar concentrations appeared not directly linked to the active-site cysteine, as indicated by the fact that [14C]iodoacetate labeling was unaffected and that the effect of Zn2+ on the Y78F mutant was increased. The reduction potential of VHR was estimated to be -331 mV by utilizing the reversibility of the redox state of VHR. Thus, we conclude that the highly potent Cu2+ inactivation of VHR is a consequence of the oxidation of the active-site cysteine and the mode of Zn2+ inactivation is distinct from that of Cu2+.

Multiphasic modulation of signal transduction into T lymphocytes by monoiodoacetic acid as a sulfhydryl reagent

Actions of monoiodoacetic acid (MIA) as a sulfhydryl reagent on the different stages of the T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signal transduction were examined. MIA (1 mM) prevented anti-TCR (CD3) monoclonal antibody (mAb)-induced energy-dependent receptor capping but at the same time promoted the anti-CD3 mAb/mitogen-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the T cell activation-linked cellular proteins of 120, 80, 70, 56, and 40 kDa. Relatively low concentration (0.01 mM) of MIA further promoted anti-CD3 mAb-induced transcription of c-fos, production of IL-2, and cell surface expression of IL-2 receptors. The MIA-promoted TCR-mediated IL-2 production actually required signal transduction that could be inhibited by cyclosporin A, genistein, or H-7. In contrast, the same concentration of MIA as promoted the signal transduction for cell activation severely inhibited the anti-CD3 mAb-triggered signal delivery for cell proliferation, selectively at its early stage. We conclude from these results that MIA differentially affects various steps of signaling into T lymphocytes, suggesting that there exist multiple sites of MIA-sensitive or redox-linked control in the signal cascade.

Expression of CD45 isoforms by Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B lymphocytes

CD45 is the most common protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) in the membrane of white blood cells, serving as a potent regulator of lymphocyte activation and signal transduction. While the amino acid sequence of the intracellular domain of the molecule is conserved, that of the extracellular domain occurs in multiple isoforms, each of the result of alternative mRNA splicing. In T lymphocytes, the lowest relative molecular mass (Mr) form, CD45RO, is associated with acquisition of memory function, whereas the highest Mr isoform, CD45RA, occurs in "naive" T cells. Recently, B cells were also found to express CD45RO following in vitro activation. In order to more fully characterize the expression of CD45 on activated B cells, we have studied its appearance on Epstein-Barr virus-transformed (EBV-t) cells and have found heterogeneous expression of CD45RO and CD45RA. CD45RO expression was unstable with eventual loss by some EBV-t lines, and loss followed by reappearance in others. CD45RA and CD45RO varied independently whereas CD45 remained stable and high, suggesting a fluctuation in other CD45 isoforms. Immunostaining for CD45RB indicates that a probable 190-kDa isoform may be responsible for this observation. A similar bidirectional reversible shifting between CD45RA and CD45RO on T-cell lines has also been reported by Rothstein et al. In contrast to some reports on normal B cells, neither CD45RA nor CD45RO expression was associated with PCA-1 expression. Further evidence that these EBV-t lines may not correspond to a well-defined stage of B-cell differentiation is provided by the observation that a disproportionate loss of CD20 compared to CD19 was noted for several lines. The basis for the CD45 isoform switching, or any functional difference(s) in the expressed isoforms, is not yet known for human B cells.

Phosphoamino acid phosphatases in normal and cancerous tissues of the human uterus, cervix and ovary

The activities of phosphoamino acid phosphatases were measured in human myometrium and fibroma and normal and cancerous tissues of the cervix and ovary. Phosphoserine and phosphothreonine phosphatases were detected only in myometrium and fibroma and the values were relatively low. Phosphotyrosine phosphatase activities in myometrium and fibroma fell within a similar range; this was also the case for ovary and ovarian carcinoma, whereas values for cervical tumours were significantly higher than for normal cervix. Activities of phosphotyrosine phosphatase in serum from patients with cervical or other tumours were, in most cases, within the range of values obtained for normal serum.