Expression and regulation of RAB3 proteins in osteoclasts and their precursors.

The ruffled membrane, the resorptive organelle of the osteoclast, is generated by fusion of intracytoplasmic acidifying vesicles with the plasma membrane, an event analogous to regulated exocytosis. While the ruffled membrane is essential to the bone resorptive process, the mechanisms governing its generation are unknown. However, regulated exocytosis is mediated, in part, by isoforms of the Rab3 subset of Rab GTPases. Because of similarities between exocytosis and ruffled membrane formation, we asked if Rab3 proteins are expressed by osteoclasts or their precursors, and if so, are these molecules regulated by agents known to prompt the osteoclast phenotype? We find murine osteoclast precursors, in the form of bone marrow macrophages (BMMs), express at least two Rab3 isoforms, namely A and B/C, which are individually enhanced by a variety of hematopoietic cytokines. Consistent with the osteoclastogenic properties of a number of these cytokines, differentiation of BMMs into osteoclasts, in vitro, is associated with increased expression of both isoforms, particularly Rab3B/C. Finally, Rab3B/C localizes with the avian osteoclast H+ATPase (vacuolar proton pump) and pp60c-src, both intracellularly and within acidifying vesicles derived largely from the ruffled membrane. Thus, expression of specific rab3 proteins, an event which may control formation of the osteoclast ruffled membrane, is modulated by cytokines during osteoclastogenesis.

Aggregated bovine IgG inhibits mannose receptor expression of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages via activation.

We previously described the presence of an inhibitory protein contained in the 20 to 40% (NH4)2SO4 precipitable fraction of FCS that down-regulates expression of mannose receptors on bone marrow-derived macrophages. We now identify aggregated bovine IgG as the main inhibitory component. Heat-aggregated bovine IgG was capable of down-regulating expression of the macrophage mannose receptor in a dose-dependent manner without inducing changes in ligand affinity whereas neither F(ab')2 fragments nor nonaggregated IgG displayed any inhibitory effect. Depleting of IgG from heat inactivated FCS by protein G affinity chromatography completely removes the inhibitory activity. Moreover, readdition of the Ig eluate from the protein G chromatography column restored inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Macrophages were able to clear exogenously added aggregated bovine IgG, thus leading to loss of inhibitory activity in macrophage-conditioned media as compared to sham-conditioned media containing aggregated IgG. These results indicate that aggregated IgG down-regulates mannose receptor expression by macrophage activation via interaction with Fc-gamma R.

Prostaglandin E specifically upregulates the expression of the mannose-receptor on mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages.

The macrophage mannose receptor (MMR) facilitates the binding and internalization of microorganisms and glycoproteins with terminal mannose residues. The receptor is progressively upregulated as bone marrow precursor cells mature into macrophages and thus may serve as a marker of differentiation. Prostaglandins of the E series (PGE) are known inhibitors of monocyte and macrophage precursor proliferation, an effect often associated with cellular maturation. MMR expression was therefore assessed after exposure of bone marrow macrophage precursor (BMMP) cells to these prostanoids. Receptor expression was determined by ligand binding and via immunoprecipitation of newly synthesized receptor molecules. PGE1 and PGE2 at 10(-9)-10(-6) M upregulated MMR surface expression and biosynthesis four- to sixfold in a dose-dependent manner. BMMPs responsive to prostaglandins were characterized by plastic adherence, F4/80 antigen expression, and nonspecific esterase activity. Prostaglandins accelerated the expression of the MMR in cells by 48-72h, with maximal levels of receptor expression being identical in control or treated cells. Thus, prostaglandins enhanced mannose receptor expression in adherent but not fully differentiated macrophage precursors. This effect is specific for PGE and is mimicked by dibutyrl cyclic AMP. These results indicate that prostaglandins accelerate MMR expression and hence the differentiation of macrophage precursor cells. Cells resident in the bone marrow secrete abundant prostaglandins, suggesting that a paracrine mechanism may exist to regulate MMR expression and function.

Bone marrow-derived mononuclear phagocytes autoregulate mannose receptor expression.

This study extends our previous observation that surface mannose receptor expression by pure populations of CSF-1-dependent bone marrow-derived macrophages increases with time (Clohisy, D. R., Bar-Shavit, Z., Chappel, J. C., and Teitelbaum, S. L. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 15922-15929). We presently find, however, that the progressive enhancement of 125I-mannose-bovine serum albumin (125I-Man-BSA) binding per cell reflects cell number rather than duration of culture. In fact, macrophages plated at high density bind 8-fold more 125I-Man-BSA than do their low density counterparts, with no difference in receptor-ligand affinity. Furthermore, cells cultured at high density are ultimately subjected to lower levels of exogenously provided macrophage growth factor, and fewer are in interphase. By obtaining synchronous populations of quiescent bone marrow macrophages, however, we demonstrate that neither cell cycling nor attendant levels of colony stimulating factor-1 influence mannose receptor expression. Our next series of experiments established that density-related mannose receptor expression reflects removal, by marrow macrophages, of a "down-regulating" factor contained in culture medium. To this end, we treated mononuclear phagocytes with either macrophage- or control-conditioned medium and found that, via a fetal calf serum-residing protein(s), only control medium is capable of noncompetitively reducing 125I-Man-BSA binding in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, reconstituted 20-40% (NH4)2SO4-precipitable fractions derived from either sham-conditioned medium or fetal calf serum are capable of down-regulating mannose receptor expression. Alternatively, the same fraction obtained from macrophage-conditioned medium contains no such activity. Finally, initial characterization of the down-regulating factor reveals it to be acid-activable and trypsin-sensitive, yet resistant to heating to at least 80 degrees C, ribonuclease A, or freezing and thawing. We conclude that bone marrow macrophages up-regulate expression of their own plasma membrane mannose receptor by inactivating a noncompetitive, serum-residing inhibitory protein(s).

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 modulates bone marrow macrophage precursor proliferation and differentiation. Up-regulation of the mannose receptor.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), the biologically active form of vitamin D3, has been shown to inhibit proliferation and promote monocytic differentiation of leukemic cell lines. In the present communication, we extend these observations to normal bone marrow macrophage precursors, and 1) identify the stage of monocytic maturation wherein the steroid exerts its antiproliferative effect, and 2) demonstrate that 1,25-(OH)2D3 promotes bone marrow macrophage differentiation as manifest by specific up-regulation of the lineage-specific membrane protein, the mannose-fucose receptor. In these experiments, the 1,25-(OH)2D3-mediated inhibitory effect on colony formation was shown to be independent of attendant levels of colony stimulating factor-1 and targeted through the adherent bone marrow macrophage precursor. Examination of this steroid-sensitive adherent precursor population demonstrates that its specific binding of 125I-mannose bovine serum albumin spontaneously and progressively increases with time in culture. Whereas adherent bone marrow macrophages cultured for 2 days express 3 X 10(4) mannose receptors/cell, the number of binding sites increases to 7 X 10(4)/cell by day 4. When bone marrow macrophage precursors are exposed to 1,25-(OH)2D3, an additional stepwise enhancement of 125I-mannose bovine serum albumin obtains with time. Four days of culture with the steroid results in 1.6 X 10(5) mannose receptors/cell, a 100% increase as compared to control cells. Neither duration of culture nor exposure to 1,25-(OH)2D3 alters the KD of 125I-mannose bovine serum albumin which approximates 3-5 X 10(-9) ml-1. Finally, the "specificity" of vitamin D-mediated up-regulation of the mannose receptor was established by demonstrating that the steroid does not alter binding of 125I-alpha-thrombin by bone marrow-derived macrophage precursors.

Interleukin 1 stimulates proliferation of a nontransformed T lymphocyte line in the absence of a co-mitogen.

Although interleukin (IL) 2-responsive T cell lines provide an opportunity to study the cellular effects of this lymphokine on homogeneous T lymphocyte populations, T cell clones which proliferate in response to IL-1 alone have not been available. We have isolated from cultures of the nontransformed murine T helper cell line, D10 . G4 . 1, a variant (MD10 cells) which proliferates (no lectin or antigen needed) in response to IL-1 alone. The MD10 cells are markedly sensitive to either murine or human recombinant IL-alpha (HrIL-1 alpha) with half-maximal responses observed at monokine concentrations as low as 0.4 X 10(-12) M or 0.8 U/ml, respectively. MD10 cells show the maximal IL-1 effect at 72 hr where the response exceeds the base line by 100-fold (approximately 3,000----300,000 cpm of [3H]thymidine). Whereas both HrIL-2 and purified murine B cell-stimulatory factor 1 (MpBSF-1) induce MD10 proliferation, the maximal response to either is much lower (HrIL-2: 50X baseline; MpBSF-1: less than 20X base line) than to IL-1. Conditioned media from control, concanavalin A-, or IL-1-treated MD10 cells fail to stimulate CTLL or HT-2 cell proliferation alone or inhibit CTLL mitogenesis in the presence of added HrIL-2. Furthermore, monoclonal antibodies to BSF-1 fail to inhibit IL-1-stimulated MD10 replication, and neither HT-2 nor CTLL cells proliferate despite direct cell-to-cell contact with IL-1-treated MD10 cells. When combined, IL-1 (10(-13), 10(-12) M) and IL-2 (10(-13) to 10(-10) M) act synergistically in their MD10 cell growth-promoting effects. MD10 proliferation induced by either IL-1 or IL-2 is relatively resistant to cyclosporine A, with the ID50 of cyclosporine for both IL-1- and IL-2-exposed MD10 cells (ID50 5000 ng/ml) exceeding that for concanavalin A-activated splenocytes (ID50 20 ng/ml) by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. Finally, MD10 cells bear the L3T4 antigen, IL-2 receptors, and the same clonotypic antigen receptor as the parent clone as recognized by monoclonal antibody 3D3. These data suggest that, in respect to this particular T cell line, IL-1 is directly growth-promoting or, alternatively, induces the production of undetectable, intermediate growth factor(s) resistant to inhibition by cyclosporine A.

Vitamin D affects proliferation of a murine T helper cell clone.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), the biologically active form of vitamin D3, has been shown to inhibit the activation of T cell hybridomas and heterogeneous populations of mononuclear leukocytes. Because the response of various clones to 1,25(OH)2D3 may differ, we have examined the proliferative effects of the steroid on an antigen-specific cloned, nontransformed T helper cell line (D10.G4.1 [D10 cells]), and find that in contrast to these previous studies, the steroid is a potent stimulator of lectin-induced proliferation. In these experiments, D10 cells were incubated with concanavalin A and 1,25(OH)2D3, and although the lectin or steroid alone has minimal proliferative effects, their co-addition prompts up to a 50-fold increase in 3H-TdR incorporation at a concentration of 2.5 to 5 X 10(-9) M 1,25(OH)2D3, with significant mitogenesis occurring at 0.1 to 0.3 X 10(-9) M 1,25(OH)2D3. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25(OH)2D3 have similar activity, but at concentrations two to three times greater than that of 1,25(OH)2D3, reflecting their relative affinities for the 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor. In addition, lectin treatment enhances 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor capacity fourfold to fivefold, an event coupled with the appearance of positive cooperativity. Although the steroid does not affect the quantity of bioassayable T cell growth factors as assessed by HT-2 cell proliferation, the expression of immunoreactive IL 2 receptors by lectin-activated D10 cells exposed to 1,25(OH)2D3 is enhanced. In contrast to its proliferative effect in the absence of IL 1, 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts biphasic effects on D10 replication when this monokine is present. Specifically, this steroid augments D10 proliferation at low concentrations of recombinant IL 1, but as the abundance of the monokine increases in the presence of 10(-10) to 10(-8) M 1,25(OH)2D3, the peak response of D10 cells to optimal IL 1 concentrations is diminished. Therefore, in this clone, 1,25(OH)2D3 presents itself as a regulator of T helper cell proliferation.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 metabolism in a human leukemia cell line.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is a potent inducer of monocytic differentiation of the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60. We have noted that 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) in high doses is also capable of promoting monocytic differentiation of this cell line. To test the possibility that the latter activity is due to conversion of 25OHD3 to 1,25(OH)2D3 by HL-60, we exposed HL-60 cells to 25OHD3 and analyzed the products by HPLC and radioreceptor assay. When chromatographed in the traditional solvent system (isopropanol-hexane), a new peak appears which migrates with authentic 1,25(OH)2D3. However, in a solvent system containing dichloromethane, 90% of the peak migrates with another metabolite, 19-Nor-10-Keto-25OHD3 (19-Nor-25OHD3). Production of this metabolite is enhanced by living cells and is synthesized by both virgin HL-60 and those which have undergone differentiation. We next determined if authentic 19-Nor-25OHD3 also promotes differentiation of this cell. As assessed by appearance of the monocyte-specific surface antigen (63D3) and macrophage-specific esterase activity, we find that this metabolite does, in fact, induce monocytic differentiation of HL-60 with a potency of approximately 1/200 that of 1,25(OH)2D3 and similar to that of 25OHD3. In agreement with the effect upon cell maturation, 19-Nor-25OHD3 displaces 3H-1,25(OH)2D3 from its HL-60 receptor with an efficiency comparable to 25OHD3. Hence, HL-60 cells convert 25OHD3 to 19-Nor-25OHD3, and 19-Nor-25OHD3 induces monocytic differentiation of HL-60 with comparable efficiency to its precursor, 25OHD3.

Parathyroid hormone receptors in circulating human mononuclear leukocytes.

In this article we demonstrate receptors for parathyroid hormone in circulating mononuclear leukocytes using the radioiodinated analogue (8,18 norleucine, 34 tyrosine) bPTH 1-34 (bovine parathyroid hormone 1-34). Specific binding, which is reversible and saturable, equilibrates within 5 min at 0-4 degrees C with a calculated KD of 8.9 X 10(-11) M. This binding has a pH maximum of 7.0, is magnesium-dependent, and is inversely related to medium calcium concentration. Such binding is completely inhibited by simultaneous addition of 4 ng/ml of bovine parathyroid hormone 1-34, 5 ng/ml of bovine parathyroid hormone 1-84, or 5 ng/ml (8,18 norleucine, 34 Tyr) of 3-34 bPTH, but is unaffected by a biologically inactive parathyroid hormone fragment or other unrelated peptide hormones. Cyclic AMP accumulation increases 3-fold after 5 min exposure of mononuclear leukocytes to bPTH 1-34 in concentrations as low as 1 X 10(-9) M. Lymphocytes appear to be the circulating cells which interact with PTH as indicated by the observations that: 1) lymphocyte-enriched preparations bind three times as much radioligand/cell as do mixed mononuclear leukocytes, 2) monocytes, platelets, granulocytes, and erythrocytes do not bind PTH, and 3) monocytes, but not lymphocytes, degrade the hormone.

Calcitonin response in circulating human lymphocytes.

The concentration of cAMP increases in human mononuclear leukocytes after exposure to salmon calcitonin (SCT). This response is lost when the cells are separated into adherent (monocytic) and nonadherent (lymphocytic) cells, although the appropriate response to prostaglandin E2 remains in both groups. Adherent and nonadherent cells, each cultured alone for 16 h, do not regain the SCT response. Coculturing adherent and nonadherent cells together for 16 h restores the SCT response in the lymphocytes. The addition of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor to this culture system prevents development of the SCT response. The SCT response may be induced in nonadherent cells by culturing them for 16 h in medium previously conditioned by the growth of mixed mononuclear leukocytes.

Monoclonal antibody with high affinity for 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.

We have developed a monoclonal antibody capable of detecting 1 pg/ml of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. At a dilution of 1:80,000 of ascitic fluid this antibody has an apparent KD of 3.3 X 10(-11) ML-1. The immunogen used was a vitamin D analogue, calcitroic acid [1 alpha, 3 beta-dihydroxy-9, 10 seco-24-nor 5, 7, 10 (19) cholatriene-23-oic acid], conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Although this antibody is extremely sensitive, it also recognizes other important vitamin D3 metabolites.