Loss of S100A9 (MRP14) results in reduced interleukin-8-induced CD11b surface expression, a polarized microfilament system, and diminished responsiveness to chemoattractants in vitro.

The S100A9 (MRP14) protein is abundantly expressed in myeloid cells and has been associated with various inflammatory diseases. The S100A9-deficient mice described here were viable, fertile, and generally of healthy appearance. The myelopoietic potential of the S100A9-null bone marrow was normal. S100A8, the heterodimerization partner of S100A9 was not detectable in peripheral blood cells, suggesting that even a deficiency in both S100A8 and S100A9 proteins was compatible with viable and mature neutrophils. Surprisingly, the invasion of S100A9-deficient leukocytes into the peritoneum and into the skin in vivo was indistinguishable from that in wild-type mice. However, stimulation of S100A9-deficient neutrophils with interleukin-8 in vitro failed to provoke an up-regulation of CD11b. Migration upon a chemotactic stimulus through an endothelial monolayer was markedly diminished in S100A9-deficient neutrophils. Attenuated chemokinesis of the S100A9-deficient neutrophils was observed by using a three-dimensional collagen matrix migration assay. The altered migratory behavior was associated with a microfilament system that was highly polarized in unstimulated S100A9-deficient neutrophils. Our data suggest that loss of the calcium-binding S100A9 protein reduces the responsiveness of the neutrophils upon chemoattractant stimuli at least in vitro. Alternative pathways for neutrophil emigration may be responsible for the lack of any effect in the two in vivo models we have investigated so far.

Wnt signaling regulates transendothelial migration of monocytes.

The Wnt-signaling pathway plays a critical role in directing cell fate during embryogenesis. Several lines of evidence also suggest a role in inflammatory processes. Here, we analyzed whether Wnt signaling plays a role in leukocyte inflammatory responses. Monocytes from healthy donors expressed different Frizzled receptors, which are ligands for the Wnt molecules. Activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway by LiCl or Wnt3a increased beta-catenin protein levels in monocytes but not in granulocytes. It is interesting that the activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling via Wnt3a in monocytes resulted in a decrease in migration through an endothelial layer (human dermal microvascular endothelial cell-1). Further experiments revealed that the decrease in transendothelial migration was associated with specific monocyte adherence to endothelial cells after Wnt exposure. The specificity was verified by a lack of Wnt3a-induced adhesion to fibronectin, laminin, or collagen compared with endothelial interaction. Analysis of the distribution of beta-catenin revealed a Wnt3a-induced increase of beta-catenin in the cytoplasm. Wnt3a exposure did not result in any activation of the classical Wnt-target gene c-myc or a Wnt-target gene involved in cell adhesion (Connexin43). Our study implicates for the first time a role of canonical Wnt signaling in inflammatory processes in monocytes.

Endothelial Rho signaling is required for monocyte transendothelial migration.

Bacterial toxins affecting Rho activity in microvascular endothelial cells were employed to elucidate whether endothelial Rho participates in regulating the migration of monocytes across monolayers of cultured endothelial cells. Inactivation of Rho by the Clostridium C3 exoenzyme resulted in an increased adhesion of peripheral blood monocytes to the endothelium and a decreased rate of transendothelial monocyte migration. Cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1-mediated activation of endothelial Rho also reduced the rate of monocyte transmigration, but did not affect monocyte-endothelium adhesion. Thus, efficient leukocyte extravasation requires Rho signaling not only within the migrating leukocytes but also within the endothelial lining of the vessel wall.

Agonists of proteinase-activated receptor-2 affect transendothelial migration and apoptosis of human neutrophils.

Skin is the first barrier preventing microorganism invasion in host. Wounds destroy this defense barrier and, without an appropriate care, may lead to sepsis. Neutrophil activation and immigration plays an important role at the inflammatory stage of wound healing. Neutrophils are known to express proteinase-activated receptors (PARs), which can be activated by serine proteases, also by enzymes involved in wound healing. We previously reported that PAR(2) agonists up-regulate cell adhesion molecule expression and cytokine production by human neutrophils. Here, we demonstrate that PAR(2) agonists (serine proteases as well as synthetic peptides) reduce transendothelial migration of neutrophils and prolong their life in vitro. Synthetic PAR(2) agonist also enhanced protective interferon (IFN)gamma-induced FcgammaRI expression at neutrophil cell surface. Of note, IFNgamma is a cytokine, which was used in clinical trials to reactivate human neutrophil functions during sepsis. Moreover, we observed a significant increase of PAR(2) expression on cell surface of neutrophils from septic patients as compared with healthy volunteers. Together, our results indicate that PAR(2) may be involved in the pathophysiology of neutrophil-endothelial interactions during wound healing or later during sepsis in humans, potentially by affecting neutrophil apoptosis, transendothelial migration and Fcgamma receptor-mediated phagocytosis.

Myeloid-related proteins 8 and 14 induce a specific inflammatory response in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Myeloid-related protein 8 (MRP8) and MRP14, S100 proteins secreted by activated phagocytes, bind specifically to endothelial cells. The endothelial response to MRP8/MRP14, however, is unknown. Using oligonucleotide microarray analysis, we show for the first time that MRP8/MRP14 induce a thrombogenic, inflammatory response in human microvascular endothelial cells by increasing the transcription of proinflammatory chemokines and adhesion molecules and by decreasing the expression of cell junction proteins and molecules involved in monolayer integrity. All changes on the gene expression level could be confirmed using biochemical and functional assays. We demonstrated that the expression of MRP8/MRP14 closely correlated with the inflammatory activity in systemic vasculitis, confirming the important role of these proteins for distinct inflammatory reactions in endothelia. MRP8/MRP14 may represent novel targets for anti-inflammatory strategies.

Cell-cell junctions of dermal microvascular endothelial cells contain tight and adherens junction proteins in spatial proximity.

Endothelial cell-cell contacts control the vascular permeability, thereby regulating the flow of solutes, macromolecules, and leukocytes between blood vessels and interstitial space. Because of specific needs, the endothelial permeability differs significantly between the tight blood-brain barrier endothelium and the more permeable endothelial lining of the non-brain microvasculature. Most likely, such differences are due to a differing architecture of the respective interendothelial cell contacts. However, while the molecules and junctional complexes of macrovascular endothelial cells and the blood-brain barrier endothelium are fairly well characterized, much less is known about the organization of intercellular contacts of microvascular endothelium. Toward this end, we developed a combined cross-linking and immunoprecipitation protocol which enabled us to map nearest neighbor interactions of junctional proteins in the human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line HMEC-1. We show that proteins typically located in tight or adherens junctions of epithelial cells are in the proximity in HMEC-1 cells. This contrasts with the separation of the different types of junctions observed in polarized epithelial cells and "tight" endothelial layers of the blood-brain barrier and argues for a need of the specific junctional contacts in microvascular endothelium possibly required to support an efficient transendothelial migration of leukocytes.

MRP8 and MRP14 control microtubule reorganization during transendothelial migration of phagocytes.

MRP14 (S100A9) is the major calcium-binding protein of neutrophils and monocytes. Targeted gene disruption reveals an essential role of this S100 protein for transendothelial migration of phagocytes. The underlying molecular mechanism comprises major alterations of cytoskeletal metabolism. MRP14, in complex with its binding partner MRP8 (S100A8), promotes polymerization of microtubules. MRP14 is specifically phosphorylated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). This phosphorylation inhibits MRP8/MRP14-induced tubulin polymerization. Phosphorylation of MRP14 is antagonistically regulated by binding of MRP8 and calcium. The biologic relevance of these findings is confirmed by the fact that MAPK p38 fails to stimulate migration of MRP14(-/-) granulocytes in vitro and MRP14(-/-) mice show a diminished recruitment of granulocytes into the granulation tissue during wound healing in vivo. MRP14(-/-) granulocytes contain significantly less polymerized tubulin, which subsequently results in minor activation of Rac1 and Cdc42 after stimulation of p38 MAPK. Thus, the complex of MRP8/MRP14 is the first characterized molecular target integrating MAPK- and calcium-dependent signals during migration of phagocytes.