Chemokines fail to up-regulate beta 1 integrin-dependent adhesion in human Th2 T lymphocytes.

Th1 and Th2 cells are functionally distinct subsets of CD4+ T lymphocytes whose tissue-specific homing to sites of inflammation is regulated in part by the differential expression of P- and E-selectin ligands and selected chemokine receptors. Here we investigated the expression and function of beta 1 integrins in Th1 and Th2 cells polarized in vitro. Th1 lymphocytes adhere transiently to the extracellular matrix ligands laminin 1 and fibronectin in response to chemokines such as RANTES and stromal cell-derived factor-1, and this process is paralleled by the activation of the Rac1 GTPase and by a rapid burst of actin polymerization. Selective inhibitors of phosphoinositide-3 kinase prevent efficiently all of the above processes, whereas the protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide prevents chemokine-induced adhesion without affecting Rac1 activation and actin polymerization. Notably, chemokine-induced adhesion to beta 1 integrin ligands is markedly reduced in Th2 cells. Such a defect cannot be explained by a reduced sensitivity to chemokine stimulation in this T cell subset, nor by a defective activation of the signaling cascade involving phosphoinositide-3 kinase, Rac1, and actin turnover, as all these processes are activated at comparable levels by chemokines in the two subsets. We propose that reduced beta 1 integrin-mediated adhesion in Th2 cells may restrain their ability to invade and/or reside in sites of chronic inflammation, which are characterized by thickening of basement membranes and extensive fibrosis, requiring efficient interaction with organized extracellular matrices.

Activation of the exchange factor Ras-GRF by calcium requires an intact Dbl homology domain.

Ras-GRF is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that activates Ras proteins. Its activity on Ras in cells is enhanced upon calcium influx. Activation follows calcium-induced binding of calmodulin to an IQ motif near the N-terminus of Ras-GRF. Ras-GRF also contains a Dbl homology (DH) domain C-terminal to the IQ motif. In many proteins, DH domains act as exchange factors for Rho-GTPase family members. However, we failed to detect exchange activity of this domain on well characterized Rho family members. Instead, we found that mutations analogous to those that block exchange activity of Dbl prevented Ras-GRF activation by calcium/ calmodulin in vivo. All DH domains are followed immediately by a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. We found that a mutation at a conserved site within the PH domain following the DH domain also prevented Ras-GRF activation by calcium in vivo. These results suggest that in addition to playing a role as activators of Rho proteins, DH domains can also contribute to the coupling of cellular signals to Ras activation.

Calcium activation of Ras mediated by neuronal exchange factor Ras-GRF.

Tyrosine kinase receptors stimulate the Ras signalling pathway by enhancing the activity of the SOS nucleotide-exchange factor. This occurs, at least in part, by the recruitment of an SOS-GRB2 complex to Ras in the plasma membrane. Here we describe a different signalling pathway to Ras that involves activation of the Ras-GRF exchange factor in response to Ca2+ influx. In particular, we show that the ability of Ras-GRF to activate Ras in vivo is markedly enhanced by raised Ca2+ concentrations. Activation is mediated by calmodulin binding to an IQ motif in Ras-GRF, because substitutions in conserved amino acids in this motif prevent both calmodulin binding to Ras-GRF and Ras-GRF activation in vivo. So far, full-length Ras-GRF has been detected only in brain neurons. Our findings implicate Ras-GRF in the regulation of neuronal functions that are influenced by Ca2+ signals.

Interleukin-1 activates a novel protein kinase cascade that results in the phosphorylation of Hsp27.

An IL-1-stimulated protein kinase cascade resulting in phosphorylation of the small heat shock protein hsp27 has been identified in KB cells. It is distinct from the p42 MAP kinase cascade. An upstream activator kinase phosphorylated a 40 kDa kinase (p40) upon threonine and tyrosine residues, which in turn phosphorylated a 50 kDa kinase (p50) upon threonine (and some serine) residues. p50 phosphorylated hsp27 upon serine. p40 and p50 were purified to near homogeneity. All three components were inactivated by protein phosphatase 2A, and p40 was inactivated by protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B. The substrate specificity of p40 differed from that of p42 and p54 MAP kinases. The upstream activator was not a MAP kinase kinase. p50 resembled MAPKAPK-2 and may be identical.