Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) signalling enhances osteogenesis in UMR-106 cell line.

Presence of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) signalling has been proved in various peripheral tissues. PACAP can activate protein kinase A (PKA) signalling via binding to pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide type I receptor (PAC1), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor (VPAC) 1 or VPAC2 receptor. Since little is known about the role of this regulatory mechanism in bone formation, we aimed to investigate the effect of PACAP on osteogenesis of UMR-106 cells. PACAP 1-38 as an agonist and PACAP 6-38 as an antagonist of PAC1 were added to the culture medium. Surprisingly, both substances enhanced protein expressions of collagen type I, osterix and alkaline phosphatase, along with higher cell proliferation rate and an augmented mineralisation. Although expression of PKA was elevated, no alterations were detected in the expression, phosphorylation and nuclear presence of CREB, but increased nuclear appearance of Runx2, the key transcription factor of osteoblast differentiation, was shown. Both PACAPs increased the expressions of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) 2, 4, 6, 7 and Smad1 proteins, as well as that of Sonic hedgehog, PATCH1 and Gli1. Data of our experiments indicate that activation of PACAP pathway enhances bone formation of UMR-106 cells and PKA, BMP and Hedgehog signalling pathways became activated. We also found that PACAP 6-38 did not act as an antagonist of PACAP signalling in UMR-106 cells.

Mechanical loading stimulates chondrogenesis via the PKA/CREB-Sox9 and PP2A pathways in chicken micromass cultures.

Biomechanical stimuli play important roles in the formation of articular cartilage during early foetal life, and optimal mechanical load is a crucial regulatory factor of adult chondrocyte metabolism and function. In this study, we undertook to analyse mechanotransduction pathways during in vitro chondrogenesis. Chondroprogenitor cells isolated from limb buds of 4-day-old chicken embryos were cultivated as high density cell cultures for 6 days. Mechanical stimulation was carried out by a self-designed bioreactor that exerted uniaxial intermittent cyclic load transmitted by the culture medium as hydrostatic pressure and fluid shear to differentiating cells. The loading scheme (0.05 Hz, 600 Pa; for 30 min) was applied on culturing days 2 and 3, when final commitment and differentiation of chondroprogenitor cells occurred in this model. The applied mechanical load significantly augmented cartilage matrix production and elevated mRNA expression of several cartilage matrix constituents, including collagen type II and aggrecan core protein, as well as matrix-producing hyaluronan synthases through enhanced expression, phosphorylation and nuclear signals of the main chondrogenic transcription factor Sox9. Along with increased cAMP levels, a significantly enhanced protein kinase A (PKA) activity was also detected and CREB, the archetypal downstream transcription factor of PKA signalling, exhibited elevated phosphorylation levels and stronger nuclear signals in response to mechanical stimuli. All the above effects were diminished by the PKA-inhibitor H89. Inhibition of the PKA-independent cAMP-mediators Epac1 and Epac2 with HJC0197 resulted in enhanced cartilage formation, which was additive to that of the mechanical stimulation, implying that the chondrogenesis-promoting effect of mechanical load was independent of Epac. At the same time, PP2A activity was reduced following mechanical load and treatments with the PP2A-inhibitor okadaic acid were able to mimic the effects of the intervention. Our results indicate that proper mechanical stimuli augment in vitro cartilage formation via promoting both differentiation and matrix production of chondrogenic cells, and the opposing regulation of the PKA/CREB-Sox9 and the PP2A signalling pathways is crucial in this phenomenon.

Calcineurin regulates endothelial barrier function by interaction with and dephosphorylation of myosin phosphatase.

AIMS: Calcineurin (CN) influences myosin phosphorylation and alters endothelial barrier function; however, the molecular mechanism is still obscure. Here we examine whether CN controls myosin phosphorylation via mediating the phosphorylation state of Thr696 in myosin phosphatase (MP) target subunit 1 (MYPT1), the phosphorylation site inhibitory to the catalytic activity of MP. METHODS AND RESULTS: Exposure of bovine or human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs or HPAECs) to the CN inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) induces a rise in intracellular Ca(2+) and increases the phosphorylation level of cofilin(Ser3) and MYPT1(Thr696) in a Ca(2+)-and Rho-kinase-dependent manner. An active catalytic fragment of CN overexpressed in tsA201 cells decreases endogenous MYPT-phospho-Thr696 (MYPT1(pThr696)) levels. Purified CN dephosphorylates (32)P-labelled MYPT1, suggesting direct action of CN on this substrate. Interaction of MYPT1 with CN is revealed by MYPT1 pull-down experiments and colocalization in both BPAECs and HPAECs as well as by surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based binding studies. Stabilization of the MYPT1-CN complex occurs via the MYPT1(300PLIEST305) sequence similar to the CN substrate-docking PxIxIT-motif. Thrombin induces a transient increase of MYPT1(pThr696) in BPAECs, whereas its combination with CsA results in maintained phosphorylation levels of both MYPT1(pThr696) and myosin. These phosphorylation events might correlate with changes in endothelial permeability since CsA slows down the recovery from the thrombin-induced decrease of the transendothelial electrical resistance of the BPAEC monolayer. CONCLUSION: CN may improve endothelial barrier function via inducing dephosphorylation of cofilin(pSer3) and by interaction with MYPT1 and activating MP through MYPT1(pThr696) dephosphorylation, thereby affecting actin polymerization and decreasing myosin phosphorylation.

Role of calcineurin in thrombin-mediated endothelial cell contraction.

Barrier function and shape changes of endothelial cells (EC) are regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of key signaling and contractile elements. EC contraction results in intercellular gap formation and loss of the selective vascular barrier to circulating macromolecules. EC dysfunction elicited by thrombin was found to correlate with actin microfilament redistribution. It is known that calcineurin (Cn) is involved in thrombin-induced EC dysfunction because inhibition of Cn potentiates PKC activity and the phosphorylation state of EC myosin light chain is also affected by Cn activity. Immunofluorescent detection of Cn catalytic subunit (CnA) isoforms coexpressed with GFP was visualized on paraformaldehyde (PFA) fixed bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC). Actin microfilaments were stained with Texas Red-phalloidin. Cytotoxic effects of transfections or treatments and the efficiency of transfections were assessed by flow cytometry. Treatment of BPAEC with Cn inhibitors (cyclosporin A and FK506) hindered recovery of the cells from thrombin-induced EC dysfunction. Inhibition of Cn in the absence of thrombin had no effect on cytoskeletal actin filaments. We detected attenuated thrombin-induced stress fiber formation and changes in cell shape only when cells were transfected with constitutively active CnA and not with various CnA isoforms. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis has proved that cytotoxic effect of treatments is negligible. We observed that Cn is involved in the recovery from thrombin-induced EC dysfunction. Inhibition of Cn caused prolonged contractile effect, while overexpression of constitutively active CnA resulted in reduced thrombin-induced stress fiber formation.

Phosphatase 2A is involved in endothelial cell microtubule remodeling and barrier regulation.

We have recently shown that microtubule (MT) inhibitor, nocodazole (2-5 microM) significantly increases endothelial cells (EC) actomyosin contraction and permeability indicating the importance of MT in maintaining the EC barrier (Verin et al. [2001]: Cell Mol Physiol 281:L565-L574). Okadaic acid (OA, 2-5 nM), a powerful inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), significantly potentiates the effect of submaximal concentrations of nocodazole (50-200 nM) on transendothelial electrical resistance (TER) suggesting the involvement of PP2A activity in the MT-mediated EC barrier regulation. Immunofluorescent staining of EC revealed that in control cells PP2A distributes in a pattern similar to MT. Consistent with these results, we demonstrated that significant amounts of PP2A were present in MT-enriched EC fractions indicating tight association of PP2A with MT in endothelium. Treatment of EC with OA leads to disappearance of MT-like PP2A staining suggesting dissociation of PP2A from the MT network. Next, we examined the effect of PP2A inhibition on phosphorylation status of MT-associated protein tau, which in its unphosphorylated form promotes MT assembly. OA caused significant increases in tau phosphorylation confirming that tau is a substrate for PP2A in endothelium. Immunofluorescent experiments demonstrated that the OA-induced increases in tau phosphorylation strongly correlated with translocation of phospho-tau to cell periphery and disassembly of peripheral MT. These results suggest the involvement of PP2A-mediated tau dephosphorylation in alteration of EC MT structure and highlight the potential importance of PP2A in the regulation of EC the MT cytoskeleton and barrier function.

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.