Novel Role for p110ß PI 3-Kinase in Male Fertility through Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity in Sertoli Cells.

The organismal roles of the ubiquitously expressed class I PI3K isoform p110ß remain largely unknown. Using a new kinase-dead knockin mouse model that mimics constitutive pharmacological inactivation of p110ß, we document that full inactivation of p110ß leads to embryonic lethality in a substantial fraction of mice. Interestingly, the homozygous p110ß kinase-dead mice that survive into adulthood (maximum ~26% on a mixed genetic background) have no apparent phenotypes, other than subfertility in females and complete infertility in males. Systemic inhibition of p110ß results in a highly specific blockade in the maturation of spermatogonia to spermatocytes. p110ß was previously suggested to signal downstream of the c-kit tyrosine kinase receptor in germ cells to regulate their proliferation and survival. We now report that p110ß also plays a germ cell-extrinsic role in the Sertoli cells (SCs) that support the developing sperm, with p110ß inactivation dampening expression of the SC-specific Androgen Receptor (AR) target gene Rhox5, a homeobox gene critical for spermatogenesis. All extragonadal androgen-dependent functions remain unaffected by global p110ß inactivation. In line with a crucial role for p110ß in SCs, selective inactivation of p110ß in these cells results in male infertility. Our study is the first documentation of the involvement of a signalling enzyme, PI3K, in the regulation of AR activity during spermatogenesis. This developmental pathway may become active in prostate cancer where p110ß and AR have previously been reported to functionally interact.

The p110δ isoform of the kinase PI(3)K controls the subcellular compartmentalization of TLR4 signaling and protects from endotoxic shock.

Lipopolysaccharide activates plasma-membrane signaling and endosomal signaling by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) through the TIRAP-MyD88 and TRAM-TRIF adaptor complexes, respectively, but it is unclear how the signaling switch between these cell compartments is coordinated. In dendritic cells, we found that the p110δ isoform of phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) induced internalization of TLR4 and dissociation of TIRAP from the plasma membrane, followed by calpain-mediated degradation of TIRAP. Accordingly, inactivation of p110δ prolonged TIRAP-mediated signaling from the plasma membrane, which augmented proinflammatory cytokine production while decreasing TRAM-dependent endosomal signaling that generated anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 and interferon-ß). In line with that altered signaling output, p110δ-deficient mice showed enhanced endotoxin-induced death. Thus, by controlling the 'topology' of TLR4 signaling complexes, p110δ balances overall homeostasis in the TLR4 pathway.

Regulation of p110delta PI 3-kinase gene expression.

BACKGROUND: Despite an intense interest in the biological functions of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling enzymes, little is known about the regulation of PI3K gene expression. This also applies to the leukocyte-enriched p110delta catalytic subunit of PI3K, an enzyme that has attracted widespread interest because of its role in immunity and allergy. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show that p110delta expression is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level. In fibroblasts, lymphocytes and myeloid cells, p110delta gene transcription appears to be constitutive and not subject to acute stimulation. 5'RACE experiments revealed that p110delta mRNA transcripts contain distinct upstream untranslated exons (named exon -1, -2a, -2b, -2c and -2d), which are located up to 81 kb upstream of the translational start codon in exon 1. The levels of all the different p110delta transcripts are higher in leukocytes compared to non-leukocytes, with the p110delta transcript containing exon -2a most abundantly expressed. We have identified a highly conserved transcription factor (TF) binding cluster in the p110delta gene which has enhanced promoter activity in leukocytes compared to non-leukocytes. In human, this TF cluster is located immediately upstream of exon -2a whilst in mouse, it is located within exon -2a. CONCLUSION: This study identifies a conserved PIK3CD promoter region that may account for the predominant leukocyte expression of p110delta.

Distinct roles of class IA PI3K isoforms in primary and immortalised macrophages.

The class IA isoforms of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p110alpha, p110beta and p110delta) often have non-redundant functions in a given cell type. However, for reasons that are unclear, the role of a specific PI3K isoform can vary between cell types. Here, we compare the relative contributions of PI3K isoforms in primary and immortalised macrophages. In primary macrophages stimulated with the tyrosine kinase ligand colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), all class IA PI3K isoforms participate in the regulation of Rac1, whereas p110delta selectively controls the activities of Akt, RhoA and PTEN, in addition to controlling proliferation and chemotaxis. The prominent role of p110delta in these cells correlates with it being the main PI3K isoform that is recruited to the activated CSF1 receptor (CSF1R). In immortalised BAC1.2F5 macrophages, however, the CSF1R also engages p110alpha, which takes up a more prominent role in CSF1R signalling, in processes including Akt phosphorylation and regulation of DNA synthesis. Cell migration, however, remains dependent mainly on p110delta. In other immortalised macrophage cell lines, such as IC-21 and J774.2, p110alpha also becomes more prominently involved in CSF1-induced Akt phosphorylation, at the expense of p110delta.These data show that PI3K isoforms can be differentially regulated in distinct cellular contexts, with the dominant role of the p110delta isoform in Akt phosphorylation and proliferation being lost upon cell immortalisation. These findings suggest that p110delta-selective PI3K inhibitors may be more effective in inflammation than in cancer.

Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinases are obligate p85-p110 heterodimers.

Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) signal downstream of tyrosine kinases and Ras and control a wide variety of biological responses. In mammals, these heterodimeric PI3Ks consist of a p110 catalytic subunit (p110alpha, p110beta, or p110delta) bound to any of five distinct regulatory subunits (p85alpha, p85beta, p55gamma, p55alpha, and p50alpha, collectively referred to as "p85s"). The relative expression levels of p85 and p110 have been invoked to explain key features of PI3K signaling. For example, free (i.e., non-p110-bound) p85alpha has been proposed to negatively regulate PI3K signaling by competition with p85/p110 for recruitment to phosphotyrosine docking sites. Using affinity and ion exchange chromatography and quantitative mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that the p85 and p110 subunits are present in equimolar amounts in mammalian cell lines and tissues. No evidence for free p85 or p110 subunits could be obtained. Cell lines contain 10,000-15,000 p85/p110 complexes per cell, with p110beta and p110delta being the most prevalent catalytic subunits in nonleukocytes and leukocytes, respectively. These results argue against a role of free p85 in PI3K signaling and provide insights into the nonredundant functions of the different class IA PI3K isoforms.