The role of protein kinase C isoenzymes in the regulation of calcineurin activity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

It is known that PMA (phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate) can activate the classical and novel protein kinase C isoenzymes (cPKC alpha, beta, gamma and nPKC delta, epsilon, eta, theta), while the calcium ion can induce only the activity of cPKC. Calcineurin binding protein (Cabin 1) belongs to the group of endogenous inhibitors of calcineurin. Cabin 1 becomes hyperphosphorylated in response to PKC activation and may play a negative role in calcineurin signalling. It was observed that both PMA treatment and the increase in intracellular Ca2+ contributed to the reduction of calcineurin activity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells without modulating the mRNA and the protein levels of calcineurin. PMA and Ca-ionophore (A23187), the activating agents of PKC, applied alone or in combination, significantly increased the phosphorylation state of Cabin 1 as revealed by immunoprecipitation of Cabin 1 detecting its phospho-Ser content by specific antibodies. GF109203X, an inhibitor of the classic and the novel protein kinase C isoenzymes, and Gö6976, the selective inhibitor of the classical cPKC isoenzymes were able to abolish the effect of PMA or/and Ca-ionophore on the calcineurin activity with concomitant reversal of the hyperphosphorylation of Cabin 1. The calcineurin/Cabin 1 system was not influenced by Rottlerin, an inhibitor of PKC delta isoenzyme either in the absence or in the presence of Ca-ionophore and PMA. We presented evidence for the prominent role of cPKC alpha, beta, gamma isoenzymes in the inhibition of calcineurin as induced by PMA and Ca-ionophore. We demonstrated also that hyperphosphorylation of Cabin 1 by PMA/Ca2+-activated cPKC isoenzymes resulted in a simultaneous inhibition of calcineurin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results suggest a negative regulatory role for Cabin 1 in calcineurin signalling and provide a possible mechanism of feedback inhibition through cross-talk between PKC and calcineurin.

Hydrogen peroxide inhibits formation of cartilage in chicken micromass cultures and decreases the activity of calcineurin: implication of ERK1/2 and Sox9 pathways.

Calcineurin was found as a positive regulator of chondrogenesis in chondrifying chicken micromass cultures (HDCs), as cyclosporine A (CsA) reduced both the amount of cartilage and the expression of mRNAs of aggrecan and the chondrogenic transcription factor Sox9. Cartilage formation was inhibited by H(2)O(2) in a concentration-dependent manner without loss of cellular viability or severe decrease of cell number. Expression of both the mRNA and the unphosphorylated protein Sox9 was decreased, while its phosphorylation was stimulated by either H(2)O(2) or CsA. Oxidative stress decreased the activity of calcineurin but the phosphorylation of the member of MAPK family ERK1/2 was extremely elevated either by 1 mM H(2)O(2) or 2 muM CSA. The ERK inhibitor PD098059 attenuated the depletion of cartilage matrix as well as decreased the expression and phosphorylation of Sox9 in cultures treated with H(2)O(2) or CsA. Our results suggest that the chondrogenesis-inhibiting effect of H(2)O(2) is mediated, at least partly, by inhibition of calcineurin and by activation of ERK1/2. We also propose a regulatory role of calcineurin in the phosphorylation level of either ERK1/2 or Sox9 and a positive role of ERK1/2 in regulating both the expression level and the phosphorylation state of Sox9 in chicken HDCs.

Protein phosphatase 2A is involved in the regulation of protein kinase A signaling pathway during in vitro chondrogenesis.

We have evaluated the importance of the Ser/Thr protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation for chondrogenesis in high-density chicken limb bud mesenchymal cell cultures (HDCs) by using H89, a cell-permeable protein kinase inhibitor, and okadaic acid (OA), a phosphoprotein phosphatase (PP)-specific inhibitor molecule. When 20 nM OA was applied to the HDCs on Days 2 and 3 of culturing, it significantly inhibited protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), enhanced cartilage formation, and elevated the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Application of 20 microM H89 significantly decreased the activity of PKA and blocked the chondrogenesis in HDCs. Furthermore, OA enhanced cartilage formation and elevated the suppressed activity of PKA even in the H89-pretreated HDCs. cGMP-dependent protein kinase was not detected in HDCs, while protein kinase Cmu (PKCmu), which is also inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of H89, was present throughout the culturing period. Neither OA nor H89 influenced the expression of the catalytic subunit of PKA or the cAMP response element binding protein, CREB. However, a significantly elevated amount of Ser-133-phosphorylated-CREB (P-CREB) was detected following addition of OA, while H89 treatment resulted in a decrease of the amount of P-CREB. Our results demonstrate that PP2A plays a role in the regulation of the PKA signaling pathway and that the phosphorylation level of CREB is influenced by the activity of both enzymes during in vitro chondrogenesis.