Activated mutant of Galpha(12) enhances the hyperosmotic stress response of NIH3T3 cells.

Heterotrimeric G protein G12 stimulates diverse physiological responses including the activities of Na+/H+ exchangers and Jun kinases. We have observed that the expression of the constitutively activated, GTPase-deficient mutant of Galpha(12) (Galpha(12)QL) accelerates the hyperosmotic response of NIH3T3 cells as monitored by the hyperosmotic stress-stimulated activity of JNK1. The accelerated response appears to be partly due to the increased basal activity of JNK since cell lines-such as NIH3T3 cells expressing JNK1-in which JNK activity is elevated, show a similar response. NIH3T3 cells expressing Galpha(12)QL also display heightened sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress. This is in contrast to JNK1-NIH3T3 cells that failed to enhance sensitivity although they do exhibit an accelerated hyperosmotic response. Reasoning that the increased sensitivity seen in Galpha(12)QL cells is due to a signaling component other than JNK, the effect of dimethyamiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchanger in this response, was assessed. Treatment of vector control NIH3T3 cells with 50 microM dimethylamiloride potently inhibited their hyperosmotic response whereas the response was only partially inhibited in Galpha(12)QL-NIH3T3 cells. These results, for the first time, identify that NHEs are upstream of the JNK module in the hyperosmotic stress-signaling pathway and that Galpha(12) can enhance this response by modulating either or both of these components namely, JNKs and NHEs in NIH3T3 cells.

Oncogenic mutant of Galpha12 stimulates cell proliferation through cycloxygenase-2 signaling pathway.

Expression of the GTPase-deficient, activated mutant alpha-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein G12 (Galpha12QL) leads to the neoplastic transformation of fibroblast cell lines. The mitogenic pathway regulated by Galpha12QL includes an extensive signaling network involving several small GTPases and various kinases. In addition, Galpha12QL has been shown to potentiate the serum-induced phospholipase-A2 activity in NIH3T3 cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathway is involved in the mitogenic pathway activated by Galpha12QL. Expression of Galpha12QL and not Galpha13QL, stimulates the serum-induced release of arachidonic acid in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, expression of Galpha12QL or the stimulation of wild-type Galpha12 induces the expression of COX-2. Our results also indicate that the COX-2 inhibitor acutely disrupts the DNA-synthesis stimulated by Galpha12QL in NIH3T3 cells. These studies, for the first time, identify the crucial role of COX-2 in Galpha12-mediated regulation of cell proliferation and suggest a role for prostaglandin-derived autocrine loop in Galpha12-mediated signaling pathways.

Regulation of cell proliferation by G proteins.

G Proteins provide signal transduction mechanisms to seven transmembrane receptors. Recent studies have indicated that the alpha-subunits as well as the betagamma-subunits of these proteins regulate several critical signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Of the 17 alpha-subunits that have been cloned, at least ten of them have been shown to couple mitogenic signaling in fibroblast cells. Activating mutations in G alpha(s), G alpha(i)2, and G alpha12 have been correlated with different types of tumors. In addition, the ability of the betagamma-subunits to activate mitogenic pathways in different cell-types has been defined. The present review briefly summarizes the diverse and novel signaling pathways regulated by the alpha- as well as the betagamma-subunits of G proteins in regulating cell proliferation.

Signaling by the G12 class of G proteins.

The G12 class of G proteins are defined by the alpha-subunits of mammalian G12 and G13. Biochemical and mutational characterization of G alpha 12/13 have identified several novel signaling pathways regulated by these alpha-subunits. Studies with the constitutively activated mutants of G alpha 12 and G alpha 13 have indicated that they stimulate mitogenic signaling pathways leading to the oncogenic transformation of fibroblast cell lines. Recent analyses have indicated that G alpha 12 and G alpha 13 regulate cytoplasmic as well as nuclear signaling events such as activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase signaling module, Na+/H+ exchangers, focal adhesion assemblies, and transcriptional activation of specific primary response genes. The emerging view suggests that these signaling events represent an integrated response regulated by G12 and G13. This review discusses the diverse signaling responses regulated by G12 and G13, and the interrelationship of these responses.

Activation of Jun kinase/stress-activated protein kinase by GTPase-deficient mutants of G alpha 12 and G alpha 13.

Signal transduction pathways regulated by G12 and G13 heterotrimeric G proteins are largely unknown. Expression of activated, GTPase-deficient mutants of alpha 12 and alpha 13 alter physiological responses such as Na+/H+ exchanger activity, but the effector pathways controlling these responses have not been defined. We have found that the expression of GTPase-deficient mutants of alpha 12 (alpha 12Q229L) or alpha 13 (alpha 13Q226L) leads to robust activation of the Jun kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) pathway. Inducible alpha 12Q229L and alpha 13Q226L expression vectors stably transfected in NIH 3T3 cells demonstrated JNK/SAPK activation but not extracellular response/mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Transient transfection of alpha 12Q229L and alpha 13Q226L also activated the JNK/SAPK pathway in COS-1 cells. Expression of the GTPase-deficient mutant of alpha q (alpha qQ209L) but not alpha i (alpha iQ205L) or alpha s (alpha sQ227L) was also able to activate the JNK/SAPK pathway. Functional Ras signaling was required for alpha 12Q229L and alpha 13Q226L activation of the JNK/SAPK pathway; expression of competitive inhibitory N17Ras inhibited JNK/SAPK activation in response to both alpha 12Q229L and alpha 13Q226L. The results describe for the first time a Ras-dependent signal transduction pathway involving JNK/SAPK regulated by alpha 12 and alpha 13.

Protein kinase C-dependent and -independent activation of Na+/H+ exchanger by G alpha 12 class of G proteins.

Constitutively activated mutants of the G alpha 12 class of G proteins, G alpha 12(Q229L) and G alpha 13(Q226L), were transiently expressed in COS-1 cells, and the activity of amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchanger was measured. The expression of either G alpha 12(Q229L) or G alpha 13(Q226L) increased the basal activity of the amiloride-sensitive exchanger by 2-5-fold. Regulation of this activation by other G protein signaling pathways was investigated by the transient expression of constitutively activated G protein mutants of G alpha s(Q227L), G alpha i2(Q205L), and G alpha q(Q209L) in COS-1 cells. Only G alpha q showed a similar activation of the exchanger. Chronic treatment of the transfected cells with 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate to deplete the endogenous protein kinase C completely inhibited the activation of the antiporter by G alpha 12(Q229L), whereas activation by G alpha 13(Q226L) remained unaffected. These results indicated that both G alpha 12 and G alpha 13 can activate Na+/H+ exchanger by two distinct signaling pathways. G alpha 12 activation of the exchanger was dependent on protein kinase C pathway, whereas G alpha 13 activation was not. These studies define the involvement of G alpha 12 class of G proteins, for which no function has been assigned yet, in the activation of Na+/H+ exchanger.