Transforming growth factor-beta1 down-regulates expression of chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1: functional consequences in cell migration and adhesion.

Chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is expressed by bone marrow (BM) stromal cells and plays key roles in BM cell migration. Modulation of its expression could affect the migratory capacity of cells trafficking the BM, such as hematopoietic progenitor and leukemic cells. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is present in the BM environment and constitutes a pivotal molecule controlling BM cell proliferation and differentiation. We used the BM stromal cell line MS-5 as a model to investigate whether SDF-1 expression constitutes a target for TGF-beta1 regulation and its functional consequences. We show here that TGF-beta1 down-regulates SDF-1 expression, both at the mRNA level, involving a decrease in transcriptional efficiency, and at the protein level, as detected in lysates and supernatants from MS-5 cells. Reduction of SDF-1 in supernatants from TGF-beta1-treated MS-5 cells correlated with decreased, SDF-1-dependent, chemotactic, and transendothelial migratory responses of the BM model cell lines NCI-H929 and Mo7e compared with their responses to supernatants from untreated MS-5 cells. In addition, supernatants from TGF-beta1-exposed MS-5 cells had substantially lower efficiency in promoting integrin alpha4beta1-mediated adhesion of NCI-H929 and Mo7e cells to soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and CS-1/fibronectin than their untreated counterparts. Moreover, human cord blood CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells displayed SDF-1-dependent reduced responses in chemotaxis, transendothelial migration, and up-regulation of adhesion to sVCAM-1 when supernatants from TGF-beta1-treated MS-5 cells were used compared with supernatants from untreated cells. These data indicate that TGF-beta1-controlled reduction in SDF-1 expression influences BM cell migration and adhesion, which could affect the motility of cells trafficking the bone marrow.

Functional interaction between the Ser/Thr kinase PKL12 and N-acetylglucosamine kinase, a prominent enzyme implicated in the salvage pathway for GlcNAc recycling.

PKL12 (STK16) is a ubiquitously expressed Ser/Thr kinase, not structurally related to the well known subfamilies, with a putative role in cell adhesion control. Yeast two-hybrid protein interaction screening was used to search for proteins that associate with PKL12 and to delineate signaling pathways and/or regulatory circuits in which this kinase participates. One positive clone contained an open reading frame highly similar to N-acetylglucosamine kinase (GlcNAcK) of several species. The PKL12/GlcNAcK interaction was further confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Protein expression analysis of GlcNAcK using a specific rabbit antiserum displayed a ubiquitous pattern in cell lines and animal tissues. Subcellular localization studies showed that GlcNAcK is a cytoplasmic protein with a dual subcellular localization, distributed between the perinuclear and peripheral cell reservoirs. After overexpression, GlcNAcK localizes in vesicular structures associated mainly with the cell membrane and colocalizes with the PKL12 protein. GlcNAcK is not otherwise a substrate for PKL12 activity and PKL12 does not appear to influence GlcNAcK activity either in vitro or in vivo. In vitro kinase assays have nonetheless revealed that functional GlcNAcK, although not able to modulate autophosphorylation of PKL12, greatly influences PKL12 kinase activity on a defined substrate protein. These results are interpreted to indicate a potential in vivo role for GlcNAcK in PKL12 translocation and a tentative regulatory role for PKL12-mediated phosphorylation on substrate proteins.