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O Stendahl

Publications and source records attributed to O Stendahl.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Stimulus-induced dissociation of alpha subunits of heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins from the cytoskeleton of human neutrophils.

Previous studies on the mechanism responsible for terminating the generation of second messengers induced by chemotactic factor-receptor complexes have, on one hand, suggested a direct role of a GTP-binding protein(s) (G protein), and, on the other hand, proposed that there is a lateral segregation of the ligand-receptor complexes into G protein-depleted domains of the plasma membrane. In the present investigation, which addresses these apparently contradictory findings, we found that a substantial part of the alpha subunits of the Gn protein (Gn alpha) in unstimulated neutrophils were associated with a cytoskeletal fraction and that release of these subunits occurred upon stimulation with the chemotactic factor fMet-Leu-Phe. An identical Gn alpha release could also be induced by direct activation of G proteins with guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate or AIF4-. In contrast, the alpha subunits of the stimulatory G protein (Gs alpha) also found associated with the cytoskeletal fraction of unstimulated cells were not released by fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation. However, they were effectively released by direct G-protein activation with guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate. In addition, inhibition of the fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated modulation of the actin network by pertussis toxin did not affect the fMet-Leu-Phe-induced release of Gn alpha from the cytoskeletal fraction. These observations indicate that fMet-Leu-Phe-induced activation of neutrophils involves a specific dissociation of Gn alpha from the cytoskeleton and that this release is not a consequence of the well-known effect of fMet-Leu-Phe on the cytoskeleton of neutrophils. The present data contribute ideas concerning the transducing properties of G proteins in cellular signaling and seem to reconcile the apparently contradictory concepts of how the cytoskeleton participates in the termination of the chemotactic-factor-induced generation of second messengers in human neutrophils.

Cell Membrane Permeability↗
PubMed1993

Roles of Ca2+ and F-actin in intracellular aggregation of Chlamydia trachomatis in eucaryotic cells.

The effect of intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) on the intracellular aggregation of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars L2 and E in McCoy and HeLa cells is investigated. Loading the cells with the Ca2+ chelator MAPT/AM (1,2-bis-5-methyl-amino-phenoxylethane-N,N-n'-tetra-acetoxymethyl acetate), thereby decreasing the [Ca2+]i from 67 to 19 nM, decreased the number of cells with a local aggregation of chlamydiae in a dose-dependent manner. Neither the attachment nor the uptake of elementary bodies (EBs) was, however, affected after depletion of Ca2+ from the cells. There was no significant difference in the level of measured [Ca2+]i between infected and uninfected cells. Reducing the [Ca2+]i also significantly inhibited chlamydial inclusion formation. Differences in the organization of the actin filament network were observed in response to [Ca2+]i depletion. In Ca(2+)-depleted cells, where few EB aggregates were formed, few local accumulations of F-actin were observed in the cytosol. These results suggest that the aggregation of EBs in eucaryotic cells requires a normal homeostasis of intracellular Ca2+. By affecting F-actin reorganization and putatively certain Ca(2+)-binding proteins, [Ca2+]i plays a vital role in the infectious process of chlamydiae.

Actins↗
PubMed1993

Actin dynamics in human neutrophils during adhesion and phagocytosis is controlled by changes in intracellular free calcium.

The role of changes in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the assembly and disassembly of actin during adhesion and phagocytosis was evaluated. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining combined with quantitative fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to measure local F-actin changes in single adherent human neutrophils phagocytosing yeast particles on different surfaces and under different calcium conditions. Cells were suspended in a) calcium-containing medium (CCM) or b) calcium-free medium (CFM) or c) were first depleted of calcium (i.e., MAPT/AM-loaded in CFM) and then suspended in CFM (MAPT). In parallel, local [Ca2+]i changes were monitored using a fura-2 ratio imaging system. In CCM or CFM, attachment to the substrate and formation of pseudopods around a yeast particle generated, within a few seconds, rises in [Ca2+]i, both around the phagosome and in the cell body. During continued phagocytosis, [Ca2+]i was more elevated around the phagosome compared to the rest of the cell. No [Ca2+]i fluctuations were observed in MAPT cells. Adhesion and phagocytosis led to a several-fold increase in F-actin. The increase was transient in cells in CCM and CFM, but remained high in Ca-depleted neutrophils. A distinct ring of F-actin was formed around a phagosome with a yeast particle. Twenty min after ingestion the amount of this actin decreased more than 50% in CCM and CFM cells but increased by 40 to 100% in MAPT cells. The accumulation of F-actin in MAPT cells was reduced to resting levels by adding Ca2+ and ionomycin after ingestion. This treatment reestablished the periphagosomal [Ca2+]i rises, as observed in CCM cells. In conclusion, the present study shows that the actin polymerization, occurring in human neutrophils during adhesion and phagocytosis, is not influenced by changes in [Ca2+]i, whereas the subsequent depolymerization is. The accumulation of actin filaments around the phagosome in calcium-depleted cells could be involved in the inhibition of phagolysosome fusion seen in the absence of [Ca2+]i changes (Jaconi et al., J. Cell Biol. 110, 1555-1564 (1990)). This suggests that the actin network, controlled by [Ca2+]i, regulates the movement of granules during phagocytosis.

Actins↗
PubMed1992

N-acetylcysteine enhances receptor-mediated phagocytosis by human neutrophils.

The effect of the sulphur compound N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on certain receptor-mediated cellular functions [chemiluminescence (CL), phagocytosis and degranulation] in human neutrophils was studied, to evaluate how a scavenger of certain toxic oxygen product can protect the phagocyte and the bystander tissue cells from oxidative damage. When using IgG-opsonized yeast particles as stimulating agent, preincubating the neutrophils with NAC (0.25 mg/ml = 1.5 mM) increased both the CL response and phagocytosis. Higher concentrations of NAC (0.50-1.00 mg/ml = 3-6 mM) decreased the CL response, whereas the phagocytic capacity was still enhanced. This effect was more pronounced with adherent neutrophils than with neutrophils in suspension. No increased CL or phagocytic activity was, however, induced by NAC when C3bi-opsonized particles were used as a prey. From the fact that NAC (i) inhibited extracellularly localized myeloperoxidase dependent activities, and (ii) had no effect on neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), we conclude that the scavenger effect of NAC not only reduces the accumulation of oxidative metabolites per se, but also enhances receptor-mediated phagocytosis by protecting Fc(IgG)-receptors from oxidative damage mediated by myeloperoxidase (MPO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Since NAC can increase phagocytosis and reduce the extracellularly produced oxidative metabolites, we furthermore conclude that NAC possesses some ideal properties as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1992

Phagocyte killing of Campylobacter jejuni in relation to oxidative activation.

When studying the interaction between Campylobacter jejuni and human neutrophils, we found that four different clinical isolates showed a great variability in this association. Also the ability to induce neutrophil production of oxidative metabolites, measured as chemiluminescence (CL), differed between the strains. Surprisingly, strain 1, which showed weak interaction with neutrophils and high resistance to killing, induced the highest CL response. All strains evoked an intracellular CL response, and three strains also gave rise to an extracellular response. This extracellular release of toxic oxygen species might contribute to the local tissue damage during infection. There was no clear correlation between association, killing and oxidative response. However, one strain that only evoked an intracellular generation of oxygen metabolites also showed the highest sensitivity to killing. Phagocytosis was increased up to ten times after opsonization with normal human serum. The intracellular CL production increased several fold, whereas the extracellular generation of oxygen species disappeared or was considerably decreased after opsonization. These results indicate that complement-opsonized C. jejuni are phagocytosed and readily attacked by the oxidative defence system within the phagosome.

Campylobacter jejuni↗
PubMed1991

Actin assembly and regulation of neutrophil function: effects of cytochalasin B and tetracaine on chemotactic peptide-induced O2- production and degranulation.

Several studies indicate that the actin filament system is not only involved in cell motility, but also in the regulation of other neutrophil functions. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the mechanisms by which actin filament formation participates in the control of the respiratory burst and degranulation in human neutrophils. The approach taken was to use both an inhibitor (cytochalasin B) and a potentiator (tetracaine) of formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe)-induced actin polymerization. The total inhibition of fMet-Leu-Phe-induced actin polymerization in cytochalasin B-treated cells was accompanied by an impressive potentiation of both oxidase activity and degranulation (azurophilic and specific granules). However, preincubation with tetracaine, which causes an enhanced accumulation of F-actin in the periphery of fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated cells, also augmented the rate and duration of peptide-induced superoxide anion production, but inhibited degranulation (specific granules). A likely explanation for the potentiating effects of cytochalasin B and tetracaine is provided by our observation that both of these substances reduced the acid-resistant binding of fMet-Leu-Phe (interpreted as a decrease in the internalization of fMet-Leu-Phe-receptor-complexes), resulting in an enhanced formation of second messengers (diacylglycerol). The findings that tetracaine potentiated the activity of the oxidase, whereas it inhibited degranulation (specific granules), suggest that actin polymerization per se plays a role in the latter process. Consequently, this study argues against the idea of a direct inhibitory effect of F-actin on chemotactic factor-induced oxidase activation, but supports an active role of actin filaments in the translocation and release of granule components.

Actins↗
PubMed1991

Internalization pathway of C3b receptors in human neutrophils and its transmodulation by chemoattractant receptors stimulation.

On the surface of phagocytes, C3b receptors (CR1) bind C3b-coated particles and promote their ingestion after activation by appropriate stimuli such as lymphokines or the chemoattractant formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (fMLP) and fibronectin. The aims of the present study were 1) to define at the electron microscopic level the nature of the process responsible for CR1 internalization and 2) to dissect the mechanism by which a physiological activator (fMLP) stimulates this process. CR1 was visualized either by the immunogold technique or by quantitative electron microscopic autoradiography using a monoclonal anti-CR1 antibody. Both techniques revealed that after anti-CR1 binding, CR1 cluster on the neutrophil surface in a time-, temperature-, and antibody-dependent fashion, but do not concentrate in coated pits. CR1 internalization requires receptor cross-linking (does not occur in the presence of Fab fragments of anti-CR1) and intact microfilaments. It results in the association of the internalized material with large flattened vacuoles, organized in stacks. Together with the surface localization of CR1 close to cytoplasmic projections (ruffles), these observations suggest that uptake of CR1 occurs through a macropinocytotic process. Eventually, CR1 concentrate in lysosomal structures. fMLP markedly stimulates this pattern of CR1 internalization without affecting their clustering or their lack of association with coated pits. Stimulation by fMLP is inhibited by pertussis toxin, unaffected by preventing receptor-triggered cytosolic free calcium [Ca2+]i elevations, and mimicked by phorbol myristate acetate. Taken together our data demonstrate 1) that, in neutrophils, CR1 is internalized via a coated pit independent macropinocytotic process, dependent on intact microfilaments and receptor cross-linking; 2) that, in the same cells, fMLP is internalized via the classical coated pits pathway; and 3) that fMLP amplifies CR1 uptake possibly via protein kinase C stimulation.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1991

Anti-granulocyte antibodies (C-ANCA, P-ANCA, GS-ANA) studied by confocal scanning laser fluorescence microscopy, ELISA, and chemiluminescence techniques.

Fifty-nine patient sera with antibodies against human polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocyte (PMN) antigens, as determined primarily by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (IIF) screening, were further analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The antibodies were primarily characterized by their immunomorphological staining patterns on ethanol-fixed PMN as judged by conventional IIF microscopy, i.e. anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) giving a pancytoplasmic granular staining pattern (C-ANCA) or a diffuse perinuclear cytoplasmic pattern (P-ANCA), or granulocyte-specific anti-nuclear antibodies (GS-ANA) producing a homogeneous or peripheral nuclear staining pattern. The three distinct patterns were confirmed by confocal scanning laser IIF microscopy. As antigen substrates in the ELISA tests we used an extract from azurophil PMN granules, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lactoferrin. As expected, most (but not all) of the C-ANCA positive sera turned out positive in the alpha-ELISA assay. Both P-ANCA and GS-ANA positive sera had high frequencies of antibodies against MPO. Occasional P-ANCA positive sera contained antilactoferrin antibodies. Although P-ANCA and GS-ANA in general probably represent the same type of auto-antibodies, we regard it appropriate to make a distinction between the two patterns, until the existence of 'true' granulocyte-specific ANAs has been ruled out. All sera were analysed for their ability to activate PMN in vitro as judged by the generation of a chemiluminescence (CL) response. Sera containing C-ANCA, as well as sera containing P-ANCA or GS-ANA, showed high frequencies of positive CL tests using 'resting' isolated PMN. The reactions were diminished, but not always abolished, by heat-treatment of the sera.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1990

Involvement of GTP-binding proteins in actin polymerization in human neutrophils.

The motility of human neutrophils, which is of vital importance for the role of these cells in host defense, is based on rapid and dynamic changes of the filamentous actin F-actin) network. Consequently, to understand how neutrophils move and ingest particles, we need to know how polymerization and depolymerization of actin are regulated. Previous studies by several investigators have, based on indirect evidence obtained with pertussis toxin, suggested a role for GTP-binding protein(s) (G protein) in chemotaxis-induced, but not phagocytosis-induced, reorganization of the F-actin network. The aim of the present investigation was to study the effects of directly activated G proteins (i.e., without prior ligand-receptor complex formation) on the F-actin content in human neutrophils. AlF4- induced a pronounced and sustained increase in F-actin in intact neutrophils. This effect coincided with an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+, indicating that phospholipase C and the subsequent transduction mechanism were also activated. Inhibition of phospholipase C activity by extensive depression of the cytosolic free Ca2+ level (less than 20 nM) only marginally affected the AlF4(-)-induced rise in F-actin content. The major part of the AlF4(-)-induced rise in F-actin content was also resistant to pertussis toxin, suggesting that pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins in neutrophils are also able to trigger actin polymerization. The specificity of AlF4- in activating G proteins was also tested in permeabilized cells. In this case the effect was more rapid and could be totally abolished by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate. In analogy, in permeabilized cells guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate mimicked the effect of AlF4- on actin polymerization, and the effect induced by this nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue could also be totally abolished by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate. In summary, the present data support our previous hypothesis that G proteins are intimately linked to actin polymerization in human neutrophils.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

Cytosolic free calcium elevation mediates the phagosome-lysosome fusion during phagocytosis in human neutrophils.

Cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) and fusion of secondary granules with the phagosomal membrane (phagosome-lysosome fusion, P-L fusion) were assessed in single adherent human neutrophils during phagocytosis of C3bi-opsonized yeast particles. Neutrophils were loaded with the fluorescent dye fura2/AM and [Ca2+]i was assessed by dual excitation microfluorimetry. Discharge of lactoferrin, a secondary granule marker into the phagosome was verified by immunostaining using standard epifluorescence, confocal laser scanning and electron microscopy. In Ca2(+)-containing medium, upon contact with a yeast particle, a rapid rise in [Ca2+]i was observed, followed by one or more Ca2+ peaks (maximal value 1,586 nM and median duration 145 s): P-L fusion was detected in 80% of the cells after 5-10 min. In Ca2(+)-free medium the amplitude, frequency and duration of the [Ca2+]i transients were decreased (maximal value 368 nM, mostly one single Ca2+ peak and median duration 75 s): P-L fusion was decreased to 52%. Increasing the cytosolic Ca2+ buffering capacity by loading the cells with MAPT/AM led to a dose-dependent inhibition both of [Ca2+]i elevations and P-L fusion. Under conditions where basal [Ca2+]i was reduced to less than 20 nM and intracellular Ca2+ stores were depleted, P-L fusion was drastically inhibited while the cells ingested yeast particles normally. P-L fusion could be restored in Ca2(+)-buffered cells containing ingested particles by elevating [Ca2+]i with the Ca2(+)-ionophore ionomycin. The present findings directly indicate that although the ingestion step of phagocytosis is a Ca2(+)-independent event, [Ca2+]i transients triggered upon contact with opsonized particles are necessary to control the subsequent fusion of secondary granules with the phagosomal membrane.

Benzofurans↗
PubMed1990

Neutrophil killing of two type 1 fimbria-bearing Escherichia coli strains: dependence on respiratory burst activation.

The production of reactive oxygen metabolites by neutrophils is thought to play a key role in host defense against invading microorganisms. In this study, the generation of oxygen metabolites induced by two uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains, ABU2 and PN7, and their subsequent killing in neutrophils were investigated. Both strains were grown to promote type 1 (mannose-sensitive) fimbria formation, but they differ with respect to other surface structures. When interacting with human neutrophils, the ABU2 bacteria adhered to and were phagocytized by the neutrophils, whereas PN7 bacteria adhered to the neutrophils but resisted phagocytosis. Both strains induced a pronounced neutrophil chemiluminescence response. However, when the intracellular and extracellular parts of the oxidative response were separated, we found that the predominant part of the response was of intracellular origin with the ABU2 bacteria as prey, whereas a large fraction of the response induced by the PN7 bacteria was extracellular. The general opinion is that production of reactive oxygen metabolites should be intraphagosomal to minimize the tissue-damaging effects of the metabolites and to optimize their bactericidal effects. However, since the surface-adherent bacteria (the PN7 cells) are killed in an aerobic but not an anaerobic milieu, whereas the ingested bacteria (the ABU2 cells) are killed in both aerobic and anaerobic milieu, we propose that extracellularly generated oxygen metabolites are of importance in killing E. coli strains that can resist neutrophil engulfment.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1990

Neutrophil bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus adherent on biological surfaces. Surface-bound extracellular matrix proteins activate intracellular killing by oxygen-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

The activation patterns of surface adherent neutrophils are modulated via interaction of extracellular matrix proteins with neutrophil integrins. To evaluate neutrophil bactericidal activity, Staphylococcus aureus adherent to biological surfaces were incubated with neutrophils and serum, and the survival of surface bacteria was determined. When compared to albumin-coated surfaces, the bactericidal activity of neutrophils adherent to purified human extracellular matrix was markedly enhanced (mean survival: 34.2% +/- 9.0% of albumin, P less than 0.0001) despite similar efficient ingestion of extracellular bacteria. Enhancement of killing was observed when surfaces were coated with purified constituents of extracellular matrix, i.e., fibronectin, fibrinogen, laminin, vitronectin, or type IV collagen. In addition to matrix proteins, the tetrapeptide RGDS (the sequence recognized by integrins) crosslinked to surface bound albumin was also active (survival: 74.5% +/- 5.5% of albumin, P less than 0.02), and fibronectin-increased killing was inhibited by soluble RGDS. Chemiluminescence measurements and experiments with CGD neutrophils revealed that both oxygen-dependent and -independent bactericidal mechanisms are involved. In conclusion, matrix proteins enhance intracellular bactericidal activity of adherent neutrophils, presumably by integrin recognition of RGDS-containing ligands. These results indicate a role for extracellular matrix proteins in the enhancement of the host defense against pyogenic infections.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Phorbol ester-induced activation of protein kinase C leads to increased formation of diacylglycerol in human neutrophils.

Human neutrophils stimulated with a phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristrate 13-acetate or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate) responded with an increase in diacylglycerol, considered the natural activator of protein kinase C. The amounts of diacylglycerol formed were considerable, reaching 700-900% of basal after 20 min. In contrast, 4-alpha-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate did not induce any detectable formation of diacylglycerol. Simultaneously, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate exposure caused increased breakdown of both phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. These results suggest that once activated, protein kinase C can positively modulate its own activity by inducing additional formation of diacylglycerol from at least two different sources.

Calcium↗
PubMed1989

Association of ligand-receptor complexes with actin filaments in human neutrophils: a possible regulatory role for a G-protein.

Most ligand-receptor interactions result in an immediate generation of various second messengers and a subsequent association of the ligand-receptor complex to the cytoskeleton. Depending on the receptor involved, this linkage to the cytoskeleton has been suggested to play a role in the termination of second messenger generation and/or the endocytic process whereby the ligand-receptor complex is internalized. We have studied how the binding of chemotactic peptide-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton of human neutrophils is accomplished. As much as 76% of the tritiated formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe) specifically bound to intact cells, obtained by a 30-s stimulation with 20 nM fMet-Leu-[3H]Phe, still remained after Triton X-100 extraction. Preincubating intact cells with dihydrocytochalasin B (dhCB) or washing the cytoskeletal preparation with a high concentration of potassium, reduced the binding of ligand-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton by 46% or more. Inhibition of fMet-Leu-Phe-induced generation of second messengers by ADP-ribosylating the alpha-subunit of the receptor-coupled G-protein with pertussis toxin, did not reduce the binding of ligand-receptor complexes to the cytoskeleton. However, using guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) to prevent the dissociation of the fMet-Leu-Phe-associated G-protein within electrically permeabilized cells, led to a pronounced reduction (62%) of the binding between ligand-receptor complexes and the cytoskeleton. In summary, in human neutrophils the rapid association between chemotactic peptide-receptor complexes and the cytoskeleton is dependent on filamentous actin. This association is most likely regulated by the activation and dissociation of the fMet-Leu-Phe-associated G-protein.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

Receptor-mediated phagocytosis in human neutrophils is associated with increased formation of inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. Elevation in cytosolic free calcium and formation of inositol phosphates can be dissociated from accumulation of diacylglycerol.

Phagocytosis of C3bi- or IgG-opsonized yeast particles in human neutrophils was found to be associated with an increased formation of inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. Pertussis toxin only marginally affected phagocytosis of IgG- and C3bi-opsonized particles and the associated formation of second messengers. Forskolin, which induced a threefold rise of cellular cAMP, however, markedly inhibited both C3bi- and IgG-mediated phagocytosis as well as the particle-induced formation of inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. These observations are in contrast to what was found to occur with chemotactic factors and indicate that chemotactic and phagocytic signaling can be regulated independently in human neutrophils. Since C3bi-mediated phagocytosis has been shown to occur at vanishingly low cytosolic free calcium levels, calcium-depleted cells were used to study the importance of the inositol cycle for the engulfment of C3bi-opsonized particles. Despite a total lack of receptor-induced formation of inositol phosphates, a significantly increased accumulation of diacylglycerol accompanied the ingestion of C3bi-opsonized particles. These data show that the engulfment of C3bi-opsonized particles can occur independently of both a calcium transient and an increased inositol phosphate production. However, the observed accumulation of diacylglycerol, not derived from phosphoinositides, suggests that this second messenger play a role in the control of the engulfment process.

Antigens, Differentiation↗
PubMed1988

Increased breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate is not an initiating factor for actin assembly in human neutrophils.

The present study examined the possible role of increased phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) breakdown in the regulation of actin assembly in human neutrophils. Tetracaine, a local anesthetic, was used since it has recently been proposed to inhibit the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate to form PtdIns(4,5)P2. Surprisingly, it was found that incubation with tetracaine alone increased the breakdown of PtdIns(4,5)P2, measured as total inositol trisphosphate formation. This occurred without any rise above basal in the cellular content of filamentous actin. However, in the presence of formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe), tetracaine potentiated the chemotactic-induced increase of both inositol trisphosphate formation and actin polymerization. To further explore the relationship between increased PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown and actin polymerization, the activity of phospholipase C was depressed by lowering the cytosolic free calcium ion level or by incubating the cells with ionomycin. In these cells, fMet-Leu-Phe stimulation still raised the cellular content of filamentous actin to a level similar to levels in nontreated cells, despite the absence of PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. Consequently, increased breakdown of PtdIns(4,5)P2 alone is not enough to initiate actin polymerization, nor is the polymerization of actin dependent on an increased PtdIns(4,5)P2 breakdown. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that increased turnover of phosphoinositides might act as a modulator of actin assembly.

Actins↗