Roles of intracellular calcium and NF-kappa B in the Clostridium difficile toxin A-induced up-regulation and secretion of IL-8 from human monocytes.

Clostridium difficile causes an intense inflammatory colitis through the actions of two large exotoxins, toxin A and toxin B. IL-8 is believed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of C. difficile-mediated colitis, although the mechanism whereby the toxins up-regulate the release of IL-8 from target cells is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which toxin A induces IL-8 secretion in human monocytes. We found that cellular uptake of toxin A is required for the up-regulation of IL-8, an effect that is not duplicated by a recombinant toxin fragment comprising the cell-binding domain alone. Toxin A induced IL-8 expression at the level of gene transcription and this effect occurred through a mechanism requiring intracellular calcium and calmodulin activation. Additionally, the effects of toxin A were inhibited by the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, but were unaffected by inhibitors of protein kinase C and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase. We determined that toxin A activates nuclear translocation of the transcription factors NF-kappa B and AP-1, but not NF-IL-6. NF-kappa B inhibitors blocked the ability of toxin A to induce IL-8 secretion, and supershift analysis indicated that the major isoform of NF-kappa B activated by the toxin is a p50-p65 heterodimer. This study is the first to identify intracellular signaling pathways and transcription factors involved in the C. difficile toxin-mediated up-regulation of IL-8 synthesis and release by target cells. This information should increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of C. difficile colitis and the nature of IL-8 gene regulation as well.

Effect of Rho and ADP-ribosylation factor GTPases on phospholipase D activity in intact human adenocarcinoma A549 cells.

Phospholipase D (PLD) has been implicated as a crucial signaling enzyme in secretory pathways. Two 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, Rho and ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), are involved in the regulation of secretion and can activate PLD in vitro. We investigated in intact (human adenocarcinoma A549 cells) the role of RhoA and ARF in activation of PLD by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, bradykinin, and/or sphingosine 1-phosphate. To express recombinant Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme (using double subgenomic recombinant Sindbis virus C3), an ADP-ribosyltransferase that inactivates Rho, or dominant-negative Rho containing asparagine at position 19 (using double subgenomic recombinant Sindbis virus Rho19N), cells were infected with Sindbis virus, a novel vector that allows rapid, high level expression of heterologous proteins. Expression of C3 toxin or Rho19N increased basal and decreased phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated PLD activity. Bradykinin or sphingosine 1-phosphate increased PLD activity with additive effects that were abolished in cells expressing C3 exoenzyme or Rho19N. In cells expressing C3, modification of Rho appeared to be incomplete, suggesting the existence of pools that differed in their accessibility to the enzyme. Similar results were obtained with cells scrape-loaded in the presence of C3; however, results with virus infection were more reproducible. To assess the role of ARF, cells were incubated with brefeldin A (BFA), a fungal metabolite that disrupts Golgi structure and inhibits enzymes that catalyze ARF activation by accelerating guanine nucleotide exchange. BFA disrupted Golgi structure, but did not affect basal or agonist-stimulated PLD activity, i.e. it did not alter a rate-limiting step in PLD activation. It also had no effect on Rho-stimulated PLD activity, indicating that RhoA action did not involve a BFA-sensitive pathway. A novel PLD activation mechanism, not sensitive to BFA and involving RhoA, was identified in human airway epithelial cells by use of a viral infection technique that preserves cell responsiveness.

Clostridial toxins: molecular probes of Rho-dependent signaling and apoptosis.

The Rho family small GTPases are members of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases. Rho proteins were first determined to act as key regulators of many types of actin cytoskeletal-dependent cellular functions. Recent work by several investigators indicates that Rho GTPases are also critical modulators of several important intracellular and nuclear signal transduction pathways. Certain clostridial toxins and exoenzymes covalently modify, and thereby inactivate, specific types of Rho family GTPases. As such, these microbial enzymes have proven invaluable in helping to identify structural and functional attributes of Rho GTPases.

How intestinal bacteria cause disease.

An improved understanding of how intestinal bacteria cause disease has become increasingly important because of the emergence of new enteric pathogens, increasing threats of drug resistance, and a growing awareness of their importance in malnutrition and diarrhea. Reviewed here are the varied ways that intestinal bacteria cause disease, which provide fundamental lessons about microbial pathogenesis as well as cell signaling. Following colonization, enteric pathogens may adhere to or invade the epithelium or may produce secretory exotoxins or cytotoxins. In addition, by direct or indirect effects, they may trigger secondary mediator release of cytokines that attract inflammatory cells, which release further products, such as prostaglandins or platelet-activating factor, which can also trigger secretion. An improved understanding of pathogenesis not only opens new approaches to treatment and control but may also suggest improved simple means of diagnosis and even vaccine development.

A balance of signaling by Rho family small GTPases RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 coordinates cytoskeletal morphology but not cell survival.

Rho family GTPases are known to be involved in cytoskeletal reorganization. We examined the possibility that these functions may be dictated by a balance of Rho family GTPase signaling. Using transient viral expression of RhoA, Rac1, Cdc42 and their mutants, as well as C3 exoenzyme, we altered cytoskeletal organization under normal growth conditions. Overexpression of wild-type or constitutively active forms of the Rho family GTPases led to their respective activation phenotypes. Overexpression of dominant negative forms of given Rho family GTPases led to a phenotype consistent with activation of the other Rho family GTPase. Treatment with C. difficile toxin A, that inactivates all Rho family GTPases, led to the transient appearance of a variety of activation phenotypes. Previously, we reported that inactivation of Rho led to induction of apoptosis, implying that Rho may play an important role in cell survival signaling. This signaling, however, is not affected by expression of any forms of Rac1 or Cdc42, and only inactivation of Rho led to induction of apoptosis. Rho family GTPases appear to coordinate cytoskeletal organization by a balance of signaling, while cell survival is regulated by a distinct Rho-mediated signaling pathway.

Clostridium difficile toxins A and B are cation-dependent UDP-glucose hydrolases with differing catalytic activities.

Toxins A and B of Clostridium difficile are UDP-glucose glucosyltransferases that exert their cellular toxicity primarily through their abilities to monoglucosylate, and thereby inactivate, Rho family small GTPases. Toxin A also hydrolyzes UDP-glucose, although this activity is not well characterized. In this study, we measured the kinetics of UDP-glucose hydrolysis by toxins A and B and found significant differences in the catalytic activities of these two structurally homologous toxins. The toxins displayed similar Michaelis constants (Km) for UDP-glucose, but the maximal velocity (Vmax) of toxin B was approximately 5-fold greater than that of toxin A. Toxins A and B exert their enzymatic actions intracellularly, and, interestingly, we found that each toxin absolutely required K+ for optimal hydrolase activity; Na+ was inactive. The toxins also required certain divalent cations for activity and exhibited a significantly greater Vmax and lower Km in the presence of Mn2+ as compared with Mg2+. We conclude that C. difficile toxins A and B are cation-dependent UDP-glucose hydrolases that differ significantly in their catalytic activities, a finding that may have important implications in understanding their different cytotoxic effects.

Inactivation of the small GTP binding protein Rho induces multinucleate cell formation and apoptosis in murine T lymphoma EL4.

The small G-protein Rho regulates the actin microfilament-dependent cytoskeleton. Exoenzyme C3 of Clostridium botulinum ADP-ribosylates Rho at Asn41, a modification that functionally inactivates Rho. Using a Sindbis virus-based transient gene expression system, we studied the role of Rho in murine EL4 T lymphoma cells. We generated a double subgenomic infectious Sindbis virus (dsSIN:C3) recombinant which expressed C3 in >95% of EL4 cells. This intracellular C3 resulted in modification and inactivation of virtually all endogenous Rho. dsSIN:C3 infection led to the formation of multinucleate cells, likely by inhibiting the actin microfilament-dependent step of cytokinesis. Intriguingly, in spite of the inhibition of cytokinesis, karyokinesis continued, with the result that cells containing a nuclear DNA content as high as 16N (eight nuclei) were observed. In addition, dsSIN:C3-mediated inactivation of Rho was a potent activator of apoptosis in EL4 cells. To discern whether the formation of multinucleate cells was responsible for the activation of apoptosis, 5-fluorouracil (5-FUra) was used to induce cell cycle arrest. As expected, EL4 cells treated with 5-FUra were prevented from forming multinucleate cells upon infection with dsSIN:C3. dsSIN:C3 infection, however, still caused marked apoptosis in 5-FUra-treated cells, indicating that this activation of apoptosis was independent of multinucleate cell formation.

Conservation of a 23-kDa human transplantation antigen in mammalian species.

A group of transplantation antigens, referred to as tum- antigens, were identified in mouse tumor cells that had been mutagenized to produce variant cells and were recognized by clonal cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). Alterations in these variant cells that were recognized by CTL resulted from point mutations in the genes of specific proteins. We have isolated human and bovine cDNA clones that encode the homologs of the mouse tum- antigen P198. This 23.6-kDa protein is highly basic with a predicted pI of 11.55. p23/P198 is highly conserved across mammalian species, with > 94% identity (97% including conservative substitutions) among the human, bovine, and mouse deduced amino acid sequences. The nucleotide sequences of both the coding and 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions from human, bovine, and mouse are also highly conserved with > 88% identity in the coding regions. Hybridization of poly(A)+ RNA from various mammalian sources with cDNA and oligonucleotides specific for the coding region identified two mRNAs of 1.2 and 0.8 kb, whereas probes specific for the 3'-untranslated region between two consensus polyadenylation signals hybridized with the 1.2-kb, but not the 0.8-kb, mRNA. The abundance of the 1.2-kb mRNA relative to that of the 0.8-kb species varied depending upon the cell type. A single predominant transcription initiation site was mapped by primer extension. These studies indicate that this highly basic 23.6-kDa protein is encoded by two major mRNA species that differ only in the length of their 3'-untranslated regions and that the mechanism that gives rise to these two mRNAs, utilization of alternative polyadenylation sites, is conserved across species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

GTP but not GDP analogues promote association of ADP-ribosylation factors, 20-kDa protein activators of cholera toxin, with phospholipids and PC-12 cell membranes.

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are a family of approximately 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins initially identified by their ability to enhance cholera toxin ADP-ribosyltransferase activity in the presence of GTP. ARFs have been purified from both membrane and cytosolic fractions. ARF purified from bovine brain cytosol requires phospholipid plus detergent for high affinity guanine nucleotide binding and for optimal enhancement of cholera toxin ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. The phospholipid requirements, combined with a putative role for ARF in vesicular transport, suggested that the soluble protein might interact reversibly with membranes. A polyclonal antibody against purified bovine ARF (sARF II) was used to detect ARF by immunoblot in membrane and soluble fractions from rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cell homogenates. ARF was predominantly cytosolic but increased in membranes during incubation of homogenates with nonhydrolyzable GTP analogues guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), guanylyl-(beta gamma-imido)-diphosphate, and guanylyl-(beta gamma-methylene)-diphosphate, and to a lesser extent, adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). GTP, GDP, GMP, and ATP were inactive. Cytosolic ARF similarly associated with added phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, or cardiolipin in GTP gamma S-dependent fashion. ARF binding to phosphatidylserine was reversible and coincident with stimulation of cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation. These observations may reflect a mechanism by which ARF could cycle between soluble and membrane compartments in vivo.

Pre-ligation of CR1 enhances IgG-dependent phagocytosis by cultured human monocytes.

Opsonization of the C3b receptor (CR1) on phagocytic cells with C3b enhances both attachment of targets to the cells and subsequent IgG-dependent ingestion of these targets. To explore mechanisms involved in this increased phagocytosis, we adhered cultured human monocytes to surfaces pre-coated with CR1 ligand or control proteins and quantitated ingestion of sheep E opsonized with IgG alone. Three ligands for CR1 resulted in markedly enhanced phagocytosis of targets when compared individually to a panel of non-ligands, as determined by both the proportion of monocytes ingesting targets (percent phagocytosis) and by the number of targets ingested per 100 monocytes (phagocytic index). The ligands included purified C3b, iC3, and Fab fragments of 1B4, a monoclonal anti-CR1, which resulted in a percent phagocytosis of 56.3 (p less than 0.01), 59.0 (p less than 0.01), and 54.4 (p less than 0.02) and a phagocytic index of 281.2 (p less than 0.01), 281.1 (p less than 0.01), and 247.1 (p less than 0.02), respectively. Control proteins including human serum albumin, hemoglobin, Fab fragments of anti-fibronectin, anti-beta 2 microglobulin, and MOPC 21, and Fc fragments of 1B4 and MOPC 21 produced no significant stimulation of phagocytosis, nor did F(ab')2 fragments of monoclonal anti-CR3, M1/70. CR1-specific augmentation of target ingestion was apparent with monocytes cultured in serum-free medium for 1 to 7 days, but was not seen with freshly elutriated cells. Phagocytosis of unopsonized or IgM-coated targets was minimal. These results suggest that the adherent monocytes are primed by CR1 cross-linking for enhanced FcR-mediated phagocytosis even when the CR1 ligand is not present on the targets. This contrasts with the behavior of CR3, and demonstrated functional divergence between these C3 fragment receptors in the phagocytic process.

Mechanism of activation of cholera toxin by ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF): both low- and high-affinity interactions of ARF with guanine nucleotides promote toxin activation.

Activation of adenylyl cyclase by cholera toxin A subunit (CT-A) results from the ADP-ribosylation of the stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein (GS alpha). This process requires GTP and an endogenous guanine nucleotide binding protein known as ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF). One membrane (mARF) and two soluble forms (sARF I and sARF II) of ARF have been purified from bovine brain. Because the conditions reported to enhance the binding of guanine nucleotides by ARF differ from those observed to promote optimal activity, we sought to characterize the determinants influencing the functional interaction of guanine nucleotides with ARF. High-affinity GTP binding by sARF II (apparent KD of approximately 70 nM) required Mg2+, DMPC, and sodium cholate. sARF II, in DMPC/cholate, also enhanced CT-A ADP-ribosyltransferase activity (apparent EC50 for GTP of approximately 50 nM), although there was a delay before achievement of a maximal rate of sARF II stimulated toxin activity. The delay was abolished by incubation of sARF II with GTP at 30 degrees C before initiation of the assay. In contrast, a maximal rate of activation of toxin by sARF II, in 0.003% SDS, occurred without delay (apparent EC50 for GTP of approximately 5 microM). High-affinity GTP binding by sARF II was not detectable in SDS. Enhancement of CT-A ADP-ribosyltransferase activity by sARF II, therefore, can occur under conditions in which sARF II exhibits either a relatively low affinity or a relatively high affinity for GTP. The interaction of GTP with ARF under these conditions may reflect ways in which intracellular membrane and cytosolic environments modulate GTP-mediated activation of ARF.

Complement component C1q enhances invasion of human mononuclear phagocytes and fibroblasts by Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes.

Internalization and infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes by macrophages is enhanced by prior treatment of parasites with normal human serum. Heating serum or removing C1q from serum abrogates the enhancement, but augmentation of attachment and infectivity is restored by addition of purified C1q to either serum source. Although both noninfective epimastigotes (Epi) and vertebrate-stage tissue culture trypomastigotes (TCT) bind C1q in saturable fashion at 4 degrees C, internalization by monocytes and macrophages of TCT but not Epi-bearing C1q is enhanced in comparison to untreated parasites. Adherence of human monocytes and macrophages to surfaces coated with C1q also induces a marked enhancement of the internalization of native TCT. C1q enhances attachment of both Epi and TCT to human foreskin fibroblasts, but only when C1q is on the parasite and not when the fibroblasts are plated on C1q-coated surfaces. Only TCT coated with C1q show enhanced invasion into fibroblasts. Although trypomastigotes produce an inhibitor of the complement cascade which limits C3 deposition during incubation in normal human serum, C1q binds to the parasite and enhances entry of trypomastigotes into target cells.

Activation of immobilized, biotinylated choleragen AI protein by a 19-kilodalton guanine nucleotide-binding protein.

Cholera toxin catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation that results in activation of the stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein of the adenylyl cyclase system, known as Gs. The toxin also ADP-ribosylates other proteins and simple guanidino compounds and auto-ADP-ribosylates its AI protein (CTA1). All of the ADP-ribosyltransferase activities of CTAI are enhanced by 19-21-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins known as ADP-ribosylation factors, or ARFs. CTAI contains a single cysteine located near the carboxy terminus. CTAI was immobilized through this cysteine by reaction with iodoacetyl-N-biotinyl-hexylenediamine and binding of the resulting biotinylated protein to avidin-agarose. Immobilized CTAI catalyzed the ARF-stimulated ADP-ribosylation of agmatine. The reaction was enhanced by detergents and phospholipid, but the fold stimulation by purified sARF-II from bovine brain was considerably less than that observed with free CTA. ADP-ribosylation of Gsa by immobilized CTAI, which was somewhat enhanced by sARF-II, was much less than predicted on the basis of the NAD:agmatine ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. Immobilized CTAI catalyzed its own auto-ADP-ribosylation as well as the ADP-ribosylation of the immobilized avidin and CTA2, with relatively little stimulation by sARF-II. ADP-ribosylation of CTA2 by free CTAI is minimal. These observations are consistent with the conclusion that the cysteine near the carboxy terminus of the toxin is not critical for ADP-ribosyltransferase activity or for its regulation by sARF-II. Biotinylation and immobilization of the toxin through this cysteine may, however, limit accessibility to Gsa or SARF-II, or perhaps otherwise reduce interaction with these proteins whether as substrates or activator.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression of human ADP-ribosylation factors: two guanine nucleotide-dependent activators of cholera toxin.

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are small guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that enhance the enzymatic activities of cholera toxin. Two ARF cDNAs, ARF1 and ARF3, were cloned from a human cerebellum library. Based on deduced amino acid sequences and patterns of hybridization of cDNA and oligonucleotide probes with mammalian brain poly(A)+ RNA, human ARF1 is the homologue of bovine ARF1. Human ARF3, which differs from bovine ARF1 and bovine ARF2, appears to represent a newly identified third type of ARF. Hybridization patterns of human ARF cDNA and clone-specific oligonucleotides with poly(A)+ RNA are consistent with the presence of at least two, and perhaps four, separate ARF messages in human brain. In vitro translation of ARF1, ARF2, and ARF3 produced proteins that behaved, by SDS/PAGE, similar to a purified soluble brain ARF. Deduced amino acid sequences of human ARF1 and ARF3 contain regions, similar to those in other G proteins, that are believed to be involved in GTP binding and hydrolysis. ARFs also exhibit a modest degree of homology with a bovine phospholipase C. The observations reported here support the conclusion that the ARFs are members of a multigene family of small guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. Definition of the regulation of ARF mRNAs and of function(s) of recombinant ARF proteins will aid in the elucidation of the physiologic role(s) of ARFs.

C1q acts synergistically with phorbol dibutyrate to activate CR1-mediated phagocytosis by human mononuclear phagocytes.

The adherence of human monocytes and culture-derived macrophages to surfaces coated with complement subcomponent C1q has been previously shown to enhance Fc receptor (FcR)-mediated phagocytosis by these cells. We examined the effects of C1q on C3b/C4b receptor (CR1)-mediated phagocytosis by mononuclear phagocytes. A small percentage of human monocytes cultured in the presence of serum became competent to ingest sheep erythrocytes bearing IgM and C4b (EAC4b). This phagocytic activity was enhanced when these cultured-derived macrophages were adhered to C1q-coated surfaces. However, when cultured in a defined serum-free medium, these cells did not ingest EAC4b, even in the presence of C1q. To investigate this differential responsiveness, we studied the effects of C1q in conjunction with cell-activating agents on CR1 activation. Treatment of serum-free cultured monocytes with phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu), prior to addition of the targets, induced these cells to ingest EAC4b. In addition, when exposed to C1q, both the percentage of these PDBu mononuclear phagocytes ingesting EAC4b and the number of targets ingested increased threefold over the level achieved by macrophages treated with PDBu alone. The chemoattractant N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine did not activate CR1-mediated phagocytosis and did not substitute for PDBu in causing synergy with C1q. Freshly isolated monocytes adhered to human serum albumin-coated glass slides in the absence or presence of PDBu did not phagocytose EAC4b. Also C1q did not stimulate monocyte CR1-mediated phagocytosis. However, addition of PDBu to cells adherent to the C1q surface triggered phagocytosis of EAC4b. The concentration of PDBu and the time of addition of PDBu relative to addition of the EAC4b targets were found to be important parameters for the achievement of maximal synergy in both the freshly isolated and cultured cell systems. This enhanced phagocytic activity was also seen with cells adhered to the purified collagen-like, pepsin-resistant, fragment of C1q. Since this region was previously shown to interact with C1q surface receptors, it appears that occupancy of this receptor is triggering events contributing to the enhanced cellular function. These experiments suggest that C1q and PDBu promote ingestion via CR1 by different but synergistic mechanisms. These data also demonstrate that the CR1-mediated enhancement of phagocytosis is not specific for FcR-mediated ingestion, but also applies to phagocytosis via CR1.