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Allergy is an immunological disorder that develops in response to exposure to an allergen, and histamines mediate these effects via histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity at the intracellular level. In the present study, we developed a 3D model of Klebsiella pneumoniae histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and analyzed the HDC inhibitory potential of cinnamaldehyde (CA) and subsequent anti-allergic potential using a bacterial and mammalian mast cell model. A computational and in vitro study using K. pneumonia revealed that CA binds to HDC nearby the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) binding site and inhibited histamine synthesis in a bacterial model. Further study using a mammalian mast cell model also showed that CA decreased the levels of histamine in the stimulated RBL-2H3 cell line and attenuated the release of β-hexoseaminidase and cell degranulation. In addition, CA treatment also significantly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 and the nitric oxide (NO) level in the stimulated mast cells. A gene expression and Western blotting study revealed that CA significantly downregulated the expressions of MAPKp38/ERK and its downstream pro-allergic mediators that are involved in the signaling pathway in mast cell cytokine synthesis. This study further confirms that CA has the potential to attenuate mast cell activation by inhibiting HDC and modifying the process of allergic disorders.

Although some anti-allergic activities of the rhizome of Atractylodes japonica have been previously reported, the active principle(s) for anti-allergic action is not fully elucidated and the effect of this plant material on atopic dermatitis (AD) is not known. In this study, the 70% ethanol extract of the rhizome of A. japonica was found to significantly inhibit 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)-catalyzed leukotrienes (LT) production from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-1 cells. From the extract of A. japonica, three major sesquiterpene derivatives including atractylenolide I, atractylenolide III and eudesma-4,7-dien-8-one were successfully isolated. Among these compounds, only atractylenolide I was shown to strongly inhibit 5-LOX from RBL-1 cells (IC(50) = 18.6 μM). To evaluate the effects of experimental AD, the ethanol extract of A. japonica (200 mg/day) was administered orally to hapten-treated NC/Nga mice which is an animal model of AD. It was firstly found that the extract significantly inhibited AD-like symptoms in mice, as judged by severity score and scratching behavior. Taken together, it is concluded that A. japonica possesses the inhibitory activity on 5-LOX and an animal model of AD, and atractylenolide I may contribute, at least in part, to these anti-allergic actions of A. japonica.

The term serial engagement was introduced to describe the ability of a single peptide, bound to a MHC molecule, to sequentially interact with TCRs within the contact region between a T cell and an APC. In addition to ligands on surfaces, soluble multivalent ligands can serially engage cell surface receptors with sites on the ligand, binding and dissociating from receptors many times before all ligand sites become free and the ligand leaves the surface. To evaluate the role of serial engagement in Syk activation, we use a detailed mathematical model of the initial signaling cascade that is triggered when FcepsilonRI is aggregated on mast cells by multivalent Ags. Although serial engagement is not required for mast cell signaling, it can influence the recruitment of Syk to the receptor and subsequent Syk phosphorylation. Simulating the response of mast cells to ligands that serially engage receptors at different rates shows that increasing the rate of serial engagement by increasing the rate of dissociation of the ligand-receptor bond decreases Syk phosphorylation. Increasing serial engagement by increasing the rate at which receptors are cross-linked (for example by increasing the forward rate constant for cross-linking or increasing the valence of the ligand) increases Syk phosphorylation. When serial engagement enhances Syk phosphorylation, it does so by partially reversing the effects of kinetic proofreading. Serial engagement rapidly returns receptors that have dissociated from aggregates to new aggregates before the receptors have fully returned to their basal state.

The ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b is a negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt pathway, the survival pathway implicated in chemotherapy resistance. However, it remains unclear whether Cbl-b can regulate chemosensitivity through modulating Akt activation. In this study, VP-16-induced RBL-2H3 cells apoptosis was accompanied by the activation of Akt and ERK. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002, not the ERK inhibitor PD98059, enhanced the apoptosis. In addition, down-regulation of Cbl-b was also detected. Over expression of Cbl-b significantly enhanced VP-16-induced cell apoptosis with inhibition of Akt activity, while a dominant negative (DN) RING Finger domain mutation completely abolished this enhancement. On the other hand, ERK activity was enhanced by Cbl-b, and the ERK inhibitor PD98059 reversed Cbl-b-enhanced apoptosis. The consistent results were also showed in the process of Ara-c treatment. These observations indicate that Cbl-b promotes RBL-2H3 apoptosis induced by VP-16 or Ara-c, probably through inhibition of Akt and activation of ERK.

Based on the observation that 3 months alpha-tocopherol supplementation caused an up-regulation of the mRNA of vesicular transport proteins in livers of mice, the functional relevance was investigated in RBL-2H3 cells, a model for mast cell degranulation. In total, 24 h incubation with 100 muM alpha-tocopherol enhanced the basal and phorbol-12-myristyl-13-acetate/ionomycin-stimulated release of beta-hexosaminidase and cathepsin D as measured by enzymatic analysis as well as Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, respectively. beta-Tocopherol exerted the same effect, whereas alpha-tocopheryl phosphate and trolox were inactive, indicating that both the side chain and the 6-OH group at the chroman ring are essential for activation of degranulation. alpha-Tocopherol did not induce mRNA expression of soluble NSF-attachment protein receptor (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein receptor) proteins, such as N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion protein, complexin-2, SNAP23 or syntaxin-3, in the RBL-2H3 cell model. In view of the well known alpha-tocopherol-mediated activation of protein phosphatases, which regulate soluble NSF-attachment protein receptor activities by dephosphorylation, underlying mechanisms are discussed in terms of preventing oxidative inactivation of protein phosphatases and so far unknown functions in certain membrane domains.

Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) belongs to the family of clostridial glucosylating toxins. TcsL exhibits glucosyltransferase activity to inactivate Rho and Ras proteins. On cultured cells, TcsL causes actin reorganization ("cytopathic effect") and apoptotic cell death ("cytotoxic effect"). This study is based on the concept that the cytotoxic effects of TcsL depend on the glucosylation of critical substrate proteins rather than on the glucosyltransferase activity per se. The cytotoxic effects of TcsL depend on the glucosyltransferase activity of TcsL, as neither chemically inactivated TcsL nor a glucosyltransferase-deficient mutant version of TcsL caused it. The TcsL homologous toxin B from Clostridium difficile serotype F strain 1470 (TcdBF) also failed to cause cytotoxic effects. Correlation of the toxins' respective protein substrate specificities highlighted (H/K/N)Ras as critical substrate proteins for the cytotoxic effects. (H/K/N)Ras are critical upstream regulators of phosphatidylinositide 3'-OH kinase (PI3K)/Akt survival signaling. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) classified to activate PI3K/Akt signaling downstream of apoptosis-inducing stimuli prevented the cytotoxic effects of TcsL. In conclusion, (H/K/N)Ras glucosylation and subsequent inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling are critical for the cytotoxic effects of TcsL.

Tunisian olive oils have been traditionally used as a medicinal food for chronic inflammation. To investigate the antiallergic effect of virgin olive oil samples from five principal olive varieties grown in various regions of Tunisia, we used the type I allergy reaction model using rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells and different dilutions of olive oil samples to determine beta-hexosaminidase release inhibition at two different response stages. Results showed that the Sayali olive oil significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release by the IgE antibody-sensitized, BSA antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells at the antibody-antigen binding stage. The result of our experiment shows that the anti-allergic effect of olive oil at this binding stage may be dependent on their flavone content. The Zarrazi olive oil significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release at the antigen-receptor binding stage. Moreover, we investigated the effect of olive oil samples on histamine release and production of cytokines by activated human basophilic (KU812) cells. Different dilutions of Sayali olive oil dose-dependently inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), and different dilutions of Zarrazi olive oil dose-dependently inhibited histamine release and IL-4 production by calcium ionophore A23187 plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated KU812 cells.

In a previous study, we synthesized a novel inhibitor of ceramide kinase, K1. In this study, we determined that inhibition by K1 is non-competitive and that four intact six-membered rings are important to the inhibitory activity. Furthermore, we identified an effective in vivo concentration for K1, at which it did not influence any cellular lipid synthesis other than that of ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) using RBL-2H3 cells, and found that K1 suppressed the activation of mast cells.

Background and Purpose: There is good evidence that agents interacting with the endocannabinoid system in the body can also interact with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. The present study was designed to test whether the reverse is true, namely whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligands have direct effects upon the activity of the endocannabinoid metabolizing enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase., Experimental Approach: Fatty acid amide hydrolase activity was measured in rat brain homogenates, C6 glioma and RBL2H3 basophilic leukaemia cells. Cellular uptake of anandamide was also assessed in these cells., Key Results: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activators inhibited the metabolism of the endocannabinoid anandamide in rat brain homogenates with an order of potency MCC-555 > indomethacin approximately ciglitazone approximately 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) approximately pioglitazone > rosiglitazone > troglitazone. The antagonists BADGE, GW9662 and T0070907 were poor inhibitors of anandamide hydrolysis. The inhibition by ciglitazone was competitive and increased as the pH of the assay buffer was decreased; the K(i) value at pH 6.0 was 17 microM. In intact C6 glioma cells assayed at pH 6.2, significant inhibition of anandamide hydrolysis was seen at 3 microM ciglitazone, whereas 100 microM was required to produce significant inhibition at pH 7.4. Ciglitazone also interacted with monoacylglycerol lipase as well as with cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors., Conclusions and Implications: Ciglitazone may be useful as a template for the design of novel dual action anti-inflammatory agents which are both inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase and agonists at the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

Cross-linking of high-affinity IgE receptors by multivalent Ag on mast cells (rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3) induces the phosphorylation of ITAM motifs of an IgE receptor by Src family tyrosine kinase, Lyn. The phosphorylation of IgE receptors is followed by a series of intracellular signals, such as Ca(2+) mobilization, MAPK activation, and degranulation. Therefore, Lyn is a key molecule in the activation of mast cells, but the molecular mechanisms for the activation of Lyn are still unclear. Recently, it is suggested that the localization of Lyn in lipid rafts is critical for its activation in several cell lines, although the precise mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we found that flotillin-1, which is localized in lipid rafts, is involved in the process of Lyn activation. We obtained flotillin-1 knockdown (KD)(2) rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells, which express a low level of flotillin-1. In the flotillin-1 KD cells, we observed a significant decrease in Ca(2+) mobilization, the phosphorylation of ERKs, tyrosine phosphorylation of the gamma-subunit of IgE receptor, and IgE receptor-mediated degranulation. We also found that flotillin-1 is constitutively associated with Lyn in lipid rafts in RBL-2H3 cells, and Ag stimulation induced the augmentation of flotillin-1 binding to Lyn, resulting in enhancement of kinase activity of Lyn. These results suggest that flotillin-1 is an essential molecule in IgE receptor-mediated mast cell activation, and regulates the kinase activity of Lyn in lipid rafts.

Anandamide ( N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and other bioactive N-acylethanolamines are degraded to their corresponding fatty acids and ethanolamine. This hydrolysis is mostly attributed to catalysis by FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase), which exhibits an alkaline pH optimum. In addition, we have identified another amidase which catalyses the same reaction exclusively at acidic pH values [Ueda, Yamanaka and Yamamoto (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 35552-35557]. In attempts to find selective inhibitors of this acid amidase, we screened various derivatives of palmitic acid, 1-hexadecanol, and 1-pentadecylamine with N-palmitoylethanolamine as substrate. Here we show that N-cyclohexanecarbonylpentadecylamine inhibits the acid amidase from rat lung with an IC50 of 4.5 microM, without inhibiting FAAH at concentrations up to 100 microM. The inhibition was reversible and non-competitive. This compound also inhibited the acid amidase in intact alveolar macrophages. With the aid of this inhibitor, it was revealed that rat basophilic leukaemia cells possess the acid amidase as well as FAAH. Thus the inhibitor may be a useful tool to distinguish the acid amidase from FAAH in various tissues and cells and to elucidate the physiological role of the enzyme.

Leukotriene C(4) synthase (LTC(4) S) is a pivotal enzyme for generation of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cysLTs). LTC(4) S activity in rat basophilic leukemia-1 (RBL-1) cells increased after culture in the presence of retinoic acid (RA) analogues, which was inhibited by cycloheximide or actinomycin D (ACD). Unexpectedly, the co-addition of a low dose of ACD with RA further potentiated the upregulation of the LTC(4) S activity. Daunorubicin and mitomycin C also had a similar effect. When stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, control cells did not produce cysLTs, but RA-treated cells generated cysLTs and the co-addition of ACD further increased. While LTC(4) S mRNA and protein increased in the cells treated with RA, the co-addition of ACD further potentiated both in proportion to the LTC(4) S activity. The effect of ACD was considered to enhance the transcription rate of LTC(4) S gene, but not the mRNA-stability. The addition of methylprednisolone (MP) inhibited generation of cysLTs from the cells with A23187-stimulation and also did LTC(4) S activity, but did not inhibit 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). The suppression of LTC(4) S with MP showed a dependent manner on the time-point and duration of MP-treatment after RA-addition which was correlated with reduction in LTC(4) S mRNA and protein. The cells cultured with RA plus ACD contained more histamine, chymase activity, and granules in the cytoplasm than the control cells, suggesting differentiation to mature mast cells. In consideration of RA-differentiation therapy, it may be of pathophysiological relevance that the antineoplastic agents potentiate RA-induced, steroid-sensitive, induction of LTC(4) S in RBL-1 cells., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The synthesis of leukotriene B(4) from arachidonic acid requires the sequential action of two enzymes: 5-lipoxygenase and leukotriene A(4) hydrolase. 5-Lipoxygenase is known to be present in the cytoplasm of some leukocytes and able to accumulate in the nucleoplasm of others. In this study, we asked if leukotriene A(4) hydrolase co-localizes with 5-lipoxygenase in different types of leukocytes. Examination of rat basophilic leukemia cells by both immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence revealed that leukotriene A(4) hydrolase, like 5-lipoxygenase, was most abundant in the nucleus, with only minor occurrences in the cytoplasm. The finding of abundant leukotriene A(4) hydrolase in the soluble nuclear fraction was substantiated by two different cell fractionation techniques. Leukotriene A(4) hydrolase was also found to accumulate together with 5-lipoxygenase in the nucleus of alveolar macrophages. This result was obtained using both in situ and ex vivo techniques. In contrast to these results, peripheral blood neutrophils contained both leukotriene A(4) hydrolase and 5-lipoxygenase exclusively in the cytoplasm. After adherence of neutrophils, 5-lipoxygenase was rapidly imported into the nucleus, whereas leukotriene A(4) hydrolase remained cytosolic. Similarly, 5-lipoxygenase was localized in the nucleus of neutrophils recruited into inflamed appendix tissue, whereas leukotriene A(4) hydrolase remained cytosolic. These results demonstrate for the first time that leukotriene A(4) hydrolase can be accumulated in the nucleus, where it co-localizes with 5-lipoxygenase. As with 5-lipoxygenase, the subcellular distribution of leukotriene A(4) hydrolase is cell-specific and dynamic, but differences in the mechanisms regulating nuclear import must exist. The degree to which these two enzymes are co-localized may influence their metabolic coupling in the conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotriene B(4).

Roles for glycerophospholipids in exocytosis have been proposed, but remain controversial. Phospholipases are stimulated following the activation of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE) in mast cells. To study the biochemical sequelae that lead to degranulation, broken cell systems were employed. We demonstrate that the addition of three distinct types of exogenous phospholipases (i.e., bcPLC, scPLD, and tfPLA(2)), all of which hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine (PC), trigger degranulation in permeabilized RBL-2H3 cells, a mucosal mast cell line. Production of bioactive lipids by these phospholipases promotes release of granule contents through the plasma membrane and acts downstream of PKC, PIP(2), and Rho subfamily GTPases in regulated secretion. These exogenous phospholipase-induced degranulation pathways circumvent specific factors activated following stimulation of the IgE receptor as well as in ATP- and GTP-dependent intracellular pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that regulated secretion may be achieved in vitro in the absence of cytosolic factors via phospholipase activation and that products of PC hydrolysis can promote exocytosis in mast cells.

To further characterize the development of mast cells from human hemopoietic pluripotent cells we have investigated the expression of telomerase activity in cultured human peripheral blood CD34+ cells, and CD34+ /CD117+ /CD13+ progenitor mast cells selected therefrom, with the idea that induction of telomerase is associated with clonal expansion of CD34+ /CD117+ /CD13+ cells. A rapid increase in telomerase activity preceded proliferation of both populations of cells in the presence of stem cell factor and either IL-3 or IL-6. The induction was transient, and telomerase activity declined to basal levels well before the appearance of mature mast cells. Studies with pharmacologic inhibitors suggested that this induction was initially dependent on the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, but once cell replication was underway telomerase activity, but not cell replication, became resistant to the effects of inhibitors. Tumor mast cell lines, in contrast, expressed persistently high telomerase activity throughout the cell cycle, and this expression was unaffected by inhibitors of all known signaling pathways in mast cells even when cell proliferation was blocked for extended periods. These results suggest that the transient induction of telomerase activity in human progenitor mast cells was initially dependent on growth factor-mediated signals, whereas maintenance of high activity in tumor mast cell lines was not dependent on intracellular signals or cell replication.

The role of protein kinases on store-operated Ca2+ entry in rat basophilic leukaemia cells (RBL) has been studied using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique and Ca2+ imaging with fura-2. Specific inhibitors of tyrosine kinase (lavendustin A), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (SB 203580, PD 98059), Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK, KN-62, KN-93) and protein kinase C (PKC, bisindolylmaleimide I) had no significant effect on peak current amplitude and time constant of activation. Likewise, the broad spectrum kinase blockers H-7 and staurosporine did not alter Ca2+ entry compared to control recordings. Store-mediated Ca2+ entry was unaffected if intracellular ATP was substituted by either adenosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (ADPbetaS) or adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP). Similarly, buffering intracellular Mg2+, an essential cofactor for protein kinases, had no effect on Ca2+ influx. These results indicate that protein phosphorylation by various kinases is not required for the activation of the store-operated Ca2+ current in RBL cells.

Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were performed to examine the mechanism underlying the inability of intracellular Ins(1,4,5)P(3) to activate the Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) current (I(CRAC)) in rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL)-1 cells under conditions of weak cytoplasmic Ca(2+) buffering. Dialysis with Ins(1,4,5)P(3) in weak Ca(2+) buffer did not activate any macroscopic I(CRAC) even after precautions had been taken to minimize the extent of Ca(2+) entry during the experiment. Following intracellular dialysis with Ins(1,4,5)P(3) for >150 s in weak buffer, external application of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic-reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) pump blocker thapsigargin activated I(CRAC), and the current developed much more quickly than when thapsigargin was applied in the absence of Ins(1,4,5)P(3). This indicates that the Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors had not inactivated much over this timecourse. When external Ca(2+) was replaced by Ba(2+), Ins(1,4,5)P(3) still failed to generate any detectable I(CRAC) even though Ba(2+) permeates CRAC channels and is not taken up into the intracellular Ca(2+) stores. In strong Ca(2+) buffer, I(CRAC) could be activated by muscarinic-receptor stimulation, provided protein kinase C (PKC) was blocked. In weak buffer, however, as with Ins(1,4,5)P(3), stimulation of these receptors with carbachol did not activate I(CRAC) even after inhibition of PKC. The inability of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) to activate macroscopic I(CRAC) in weak Ca(2+) buffer was not altered by inhibition of Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation/dephosphorylation reactions. Our results suggest that the inability of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) to activate I(CRAC) under conditions of weak intracellular Ca(2+) buffering is not due to strong inactivation of the Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors. Instead, a futile Ca(2+) cycle across the stores seems to be occurring and SERCA pumps resequester sufficient Ca(2+) to ensure that the threshold for activation of macroscopic I(CRAC) has not been exceeded.

The implications of phospholipase D (PLD) in cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activation were studied in a mast cell line, RBL-2H3, upon stimulation with antigen. Antigen-stimulated prostaglandin D2 generation was apparently suppressed by ethanol with a concomitant decrease in phosphatidic acid (PA) formation. The prostaglandin D2 generation was also inhibited almost completely by methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP), an inhibitor of cPLA2, but not by diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor. Furthermore, stimulation with antigen resulted in an increase in lysophosphatidic acid formation, which was suppressed by MAFP in parallel with an increase in PA formation. These results suggest that PA formed by the catalytic action of PLD is used as a substrate for cPLA2, thus PLD regulates cPLA2 activation in antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells.

We have observed an inhibitory action of magnolol on the production of leukotriene (LT) C4 and LTB4, important lipid mediators in allergy and inflammation. IgE- and A23187-stimulated production of LTC4 and LTB4 was measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA) in the absence or presence of various concentrations of magnolol in intact rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells. Magnolol dose-dependently inhibited synthesis of LTC4 and LTB4. Magnolol inhibited the IgE-mediated increase of intracellular calcium ion concentration, resulting in the inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and possibly 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), both calcium ion-dependent enzymes. In cell-free studies magnolol inhibited LTC4 synthase activity. LTA4 hydrolase activity was only inhibited at the higher concentration (2.5 x 10(-5)M). These results indicate that magnolol inhibits production of LTs by inhibiting PLA2, 5-LO, LTC4 synthase and LTA4 hydrolase which are essential for LT-synthesis. Magnolol may have anti-allergic effect by blocking LT-synthesis.

The supposed 5-LO inhibitory activity of two N-omega-ethoxycarbonyl-4-quinolones was tested determining leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in RBL-1 cell cultures, pretreated with the two compounds of interest. LTB4, obtained by solid-phase extraction (SPE) from cell cultures supernatants, was determined by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The analysis was performed using an uncoated capillary, filled with borate buffer at pH 8.3, containing 12.5 mM SDS as micelles generator. Therefore, following the decreasing of LTB4 it was possible to verify the 5-LO inhibitory activity of two quinolone derivatives. To asses the suitability of the use of LTB4 as marker of the activity of the new compounds, the analysis was repeated using quercetin, a well known 5-LO inhibitor.

Cross-linking the heterotrimeric (alpha beta gamma 2) IgE receptor, Fc epsilon RI, of mast cells activates two tyrosine kinases: Lyn, which phosphorylates beta and gamma subunit immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs, and Syk, which binds gamma-phospho-immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs and initiates cellular responses. We studied three Fc epsilon RI-dimerizing mAbs that maintain similar dispersed distributions over the surface of RBL-2H3 mast cells but elicit very different signaling responses. Specifically, mAb H10 receptor dimers induce very little inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate synthesis, Ca2+ mobilization, secretion, spreading, ruffling, and actin plaque assembly, whereas dimers generated with the other anti-Fc epsilon RI mAbs induce responses that are only modestly lower than that to multivalent Ag. H10 receptor dimers activate Lyn and support Fc epsilon RI beta and gamma subunit phosphorylation but are poor Syk activators compared with Ag and the other anti-Fc epsilon RI mAbs. H10 receptor dimers have two other distinguishing features. First, they induce stable complexes between activated Lyn and receptor subunits. Second, the predominant Lyn-binding phospho-beta isoform found in mAb H10-treated cells is a less tyrosine phosphorylated, more electrophoretically mobile species than the predominant isoform in Ag-treated cells that does not coprecipitate with Lyn. These studies implicate Lyn dissociation from highly phosphorylated receptor subunits as a new regulatory step in the Fc epsilon RI signaling cascade required for Syk activation and signal progression.

We examined the effects of caffeic acid-containing compounds such as chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid and rabdosiin on anti-allergic activities involving active oxygens scavenging activity as well as inhibitory activities of hyaluronidase and beta-hexosaminidase release. Rabdosiin exhibited the highest hyaluronidase-inhibitory activity and scavenging activities against active oxygens species such as superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals among the tested compounds. Both rabdosiin and caffeic acid inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from cultured cells more than 90% at 2 mM. The inhibition by rosmarinic acid and chlorogenic acid were weaker than that of rabdosiin. From these results, rabdosiin has been proposed to possess anti-allergic activity.

Cross-linking of the surface receptor with high affinity for IgE (Fc epsilonRI) by multivalent antigen/immunoglobulin E complexes, as well as aggregation of Thy-1 glycoprotein by monoclonal antibodies lead in rat basophilic leukemia cells, clone RBL-2H3, to tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins, followed by a release of secretory components. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of Fc epsilonRI- and Thy-1-mediated transmembrane signaling and to map a step at which they converge into a common secretory pathway, we used a novel Src family-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, 4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (PP1), and analyzed its inhibitory activity on cell activation. Here we show that in RBL-2H3 cells PP1 demonstrates substrate specificity for a Src family kinase Lyn. In immunocomplex kinase assays in vitro, PP1 inhibited the Lyn kinase activity at nanomolar levels without any effect on Syk kinase activity. However, in RBL cells activated via aggregation of Fc epsilonRI, phosphorylation of both Syk and Lyn kinases was inhibited. Fc epsilonRI- and Thy-1-mediated early (protein-tyrosine phosphorylation) and late (release of beta-hexosaminidase) activation events were similarly affected by PP1. The inhibition was specific for membrane receptor-mediated signaling and was not observed in cells activated by an exposure to pervanadate. The combined data suggest that activation of Lyn is the early activation step at which the Fc epsilonRI- and Thy-1-mediated activation pathways of mast cells and basophils may converge.

Objective and Design: The effect of tenidap on the metabolism of arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway was investigated in vitro and in vivo., Materials and Treatment: In vitro (cells). Arachidonic acid (AA) stimulated rat basophilic leukemia, (RBL) cells; A23817 activated neutrophils (human rat, and rabbit), macrophages (rat), and blood (human). In vitro (enzyme activity). RBL-cell homogenate; purified human recombinant 5-LO. In vivo: Rat (Sprague-Dawley) models in which peritoneal leukotriene products were measured after challenge with zymosan (3 animals per group), A23187 (11 animals per group), and immune complexes (3-5 animals per group), respectively., Methods: 5-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) and dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (diHETEs, including LTB4) were measured as radiolabeled products (derived from [14C]-AA) or by absorbance at 235 or 280 nm, respectively, after separation by HPLC. Radiolabeled 5-HPETE was measured by a radio-TLC analyser after separation by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Deacylation of membrane bound [14C]-AA was determined by measuring radiolabel released into the extracellular medium. 5-LO translocation from cytosol to membrane was assessed by western analysis. Rat peritoneal fluid was assayed for PGE, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, LTE4 or LTB4 content by EIA and for TXB2 by RIA., Results: Tenidap suppressed 5-LO mediated product production in cultured rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cells from exogenously supplied AA, and in human and rat neutrophils, and rat peritoneal macrophages stimulated with A23187 (IC50, 5-15 microM). In addition, tenidap was less potent in inhibiting the release of radiolabeled AA from RBL-1 cells (IC50, 180 microM), suggesting that the decrease in 5-LO derived products could not be explained by an effect on cellular mobilization of AA (i.e., phospholipase). Tenidap blocked 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) production by dissociated RBL-1 cell preparations (IC50, 7 microM), as well as by a 100000 x g supernatant of 5-LO/hydroperoxidase activity, suggesting a direct effect on the 5-LO enzyme itself. In addition, tenidap impaired 5-LO translocation from cytosol to its membrane-bound docking protein (FLAP) which occurs when human neutrophils are stimulated with calcium ionophore, indicating a second mechanism for inhibiting the 5-LO pathway. Surprisingly, tenidap did not block the binding of radiolabeled MK-0591, an indole ligand of FLAP, to neutrophil membranes. Although its ability to inhibit the cyclooxygenase pathway was readily observed in whole blood and in vivo, tenidap's 5-LO blockade could not be demonstrated by ionophore stimulated human blood, nor after oral dosing in rat models in which peritoneal leukotriene products were measured after challenge with three different stimuli. The presence of extracellular proteins greatly reduced the potency of tenidap as a 5-LO inhibitor in vitro, suggesting that protein binding is responsible for loss of activity in animal models., Conclusions: Tenidap inhibits 5-lipoxygenase activity in vitro both directly and indirectly by interfering with its translocation from cytosol to the membrane compartment in neutrophils. A potential mechanism for the latter effect is discussed with reference to tenidap's ability to lower intracellular pH. Tenidap did not inhibit 5-LO pathway activity in three animal models.

Stimulation of the IgE receptors on mast cells and basophils activates protein tyrosine kinases and phospholipases leading to histamine release. However, the mechanism by which protein tyrosine kinases regulate the phospholipases is not clearly defined yet. In this study, we examined the possibility that phospholipase C gamma 1 associates with protein tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphorylated molecules as a result of activation of RBL-2H3 cells, and that this association involves the Src homology 2 domains of phospholipase C gamma 1. An increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ level and tyrosine phosphorylations of proteins, including 72 and 40 kDa proteins, were observed after the cross-linking of the IgE receptors on RBL-2H3 rat basophilic cells by dinitrophenyl-specific IgE and dinitrophenyl-conjugated human serum albumin. Immunoprecipitation and coprecipitation experiments were performed to determine if the activation of protein tyrosine kinases is linked to the activation of phospholipase C gamma 1 via its SH2 domains. Tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C gamma 1 was observed in 1 min following IgE receptor stimulation. several proteins (72, 50, 40, and 33 kDa) were identified to be tyrosine phosphorylated and specifically associated with phospholipase C gamma 1 by its Src homology 2 domains. In addition, the coprecipitated complex contains the tyrosine kinase activity which phosphorylates 72, 40, and 33 kDa proteins in the complex. In conclusion, these studies establish that tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins of 72, 40, and 33 kDa associate with phospholipase C gamma 1 via its SH2 domains following IgE receptor stimulation of RBL-2H3 basophilic cells, implying that protein tyrosine kinases may tyrosine-phosphorylate and recruit signaling proteins around the phospholipase C gamma 1 and that phospholipase C gamma 1 activation induces calcium mobilization, PKC activation and degranulation in mast cells or basophils.

Compound 4k N-[5-(4-fluoro)phenoxythien-2-yl]methanesulfonamide is representative of a new class of potent inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). These versatile compounds exhibit dose-dependent inhibition of 5-LO with IC50s ranging from 20-100 nM in the rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cell homogenate assay and submicromolar IC50s in both the RBL-1 and human peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) whole cell assays. Compound 4k also showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in the adjuvant arthritic rat at an oral dose of 3 mg/kg.

Rat basophilic leukemia cells will adhere to and spread out on fibronectin coated surfaces in an integrin dependent manner. Adhesion and spreading on fibronectin leads to increased degranulation, inositol phosphate production, phospholipase D activation, and increased production of prostaglandin D2 and leukotriene C4 when the cells are activated through the high affinity IgE receptor. Rat basophilic leukemia cells will also adhere to surfaces coated with anti-rat class I antibodies, poly-L-lysine, and a lectin purified from Tetragonolobus purpureas. In all cases, antigen activated cells, which were adherent, displayed increased signaling, degranulation and eicosanoid production as compared to cells which were non-adherent. Cells which adhere to either anti-rat class I antibodies or poly-L-lysine also spread even though this is not mediated through integrins. In contrast, adhesion to the lectin from Tetragonolobus did not cause any appreciable spreading unless the cells were also triggered through the IgE receptor. Cells were also able to bind to fibronectin immobilized on polystyrene beads which mimics adhesion but does not allow spreading. However, these cells exhibited no increased signaling, degranulation, or eicosanoid production. Furthermore, rat basophilic leukemia cells can be modified by incubating them in the presence of biotinylated-phosphatidylserine which becomes incorporated into the membrane. These modified cells will adhere to streptavidin coated plates while unmodified cells will not. However, these modified cells do not spread, even after activation with antigen, and they show no increased degranulation or production of eicosanoids. These results indicate that adhesion itself is not sufficient for upregulation of the cells in response to antigen and that spreading of the cells may be the critical component.

Background: A circulating inhibitor of the sodium, potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+ ATPase) enzyme has been described in allergic subjects. Recent studies have suggested that the Na+,K+ ATPase, enzyme may be involved in the signal transduction pathways of various cell types and that inhibition of its activity can modulate histamine release from basophils and mast cells., Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if modulation of Na+,K+ ATPase activity alters degranulation in the 2H3 subline of rat basophilic leukaemia cells (RBL-2H3), a mucosal mast cell model bearing high-affinity Fc receptors for IgE., Methods: Degranulation was measured by the release of both exogenous serotonin and endogenous histamine. Na+,K+ ATPase activity was assessed by ouabain-sensitive [86rubidium] uptake ([86Rb] uptake) and ex situ enzyme activity., Results: Ouabain-sensitive [86Rb] uptake and degranulation increased in parallel and in a dose-response fashion with increasing Fc receptor cross-linking. Additionally, incubation with ouabain, a known inhibitor of Na+,K+ ATPase activity, decreased both anti-IgE and calcium ionophore-induced degranulation, but increased spontaneous degranulation, each in a dose-response manner. Moreover, the effect of ouabain on degranulation was reversed by rinsing and mimicked by other known inhibitors of Na+,K+ ATPase activity. Finally, in the absence of anti-IgE or calcium ionophore, stimulation of ouabain-sensitive [86Rb] uptake by the sodium (Na+) ionophore monensin was associated with a corresponding dose-response increase in ouabain-sensitive degranulation. These experiments demonstrate that ouabain-sensitive [86Rb] uptake increases following IgE receptor cross-linking in RBL-2H3, and that factors which modulate Na+,K+ ATPase activity in these cells may also regulate degranulation., Conclusion: The results of this study suggest an important role for Na+,K+ ATPase activation in the signal transduction pathway of stimulated RBL-2H3.

Synthetic routes were developed to access a variety of novel 1-aryl-2H,4H-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazin-3-one analogs which were evaluated as 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors. The parent structure, 1-phenylperhydro-1,2,4-triazin-3-one (4), was found to be a selective inhibitor of 5-LO in broken cell, intact cell, and human blood assays with IC50 values of 5-21 microM. In a rat anaphylaxis model, 4 blocked leukotriene formation with an ED50 = 7 mg/kg when administered orally. Compound 4 exhibited selectivity for inhibition of 5-LO with little activity against related enzymes: 12-LO from human platelets, 15-LO from soybean, and cyclooxygenase (COX) from sheep seminal vesicle. In pilot subacute toxicity testing, 4 did not produce methemoglobinemia in rats (400 mg/kg po daily for 9 days) or in dogs (200 mg/kg po daily for 28 days). These results indicated that the triazinone structure provided a 5-LO inhibitor template devoid of the toxicity problems observed in the related phenidone (1) and pyridazinone (3) classes of 5-LO inhibitors. The parent compound 4 is a selective, orally bioavailable 5-LO inhibitor which can serve as a useful reference standard for in vivo pharmacological studies involving leukotriene-mediated phenonmena.

To study the involvement of serine/threonine phosphatase in the signal transduction of mast cells, we examined the effects of okadaic acid (OA), an inhibitor of type-1 and -2A phosphatase on histamine release, cell morphology, calcium influx and protein phosphorylation of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, human basophils and rat peritoneal mast cells. OA inhibited IgE-mediated histamine release from RBL-2H3 cells and human basophils dose-dependently. There was a remarkable enhancement of IgE-mediated histamine release when rat peritoneal mast cells were suboptimally challenged. OA induced a marked change of cell features, detached RBL-2H3 cells from plastic well and kept the 18- and 68-kD proteins phosphorylated. These findings show that phosphatase may play a role in the modulation of secretion in mast cells.

The effects of honokiol, a diphenyl compound extracted from a Chinese herbal medicine, on leukotriene (LT) synthesis were evaluated in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells. The production of LTC4 and LTB4 stimulated by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was measured in RBL-1 cells by high-performance liquid chromatography. Honokiol inhibited the production of LTC4 and LTB4 stimulated by A23187 in RBL-1 cells. Honokiol did not inhibit either phospholipase A2 activity, measured by the release of 3H-arachidonic acid (AA), or LTC4 synthase and LTA4 hydrolase activities, measured with LTA4-free acid as substrate. The synthesis of LTC4 and LTB4 from AA in RBL-1 cell lysates in the presence of Ca2+ was inhibited by honokiol. These results indicate that honokiol blocks LT synthesis by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase activity. Honokiol also inhibited immunoglobulin E-mediated production of these LTs in RBL-2H3 cells, which was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). These results suggest that honokiol may exhibit antiallergic actions by inhibiting LT synthesis in immediate-type hyperreactivity.

Background: Azelastine, oxatomide, and ketotifen are used for patients with allergic diseases. These drugs inhibit the release of chemical mediators including the leukotrienes; however, the mechanism involved is unclear., Objective: To clarify the mechanism of inhibition, we investigated the effects of three drugs on the function of phospholipase A2, 5-lipoxygenase, leukotriene C4 synthase, and leukotriene A4 hydrolase, which are all catabolic enzymes involved in synthesizing leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-1 cells., Methods and Results: The production of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All three drugs inhibited the production of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 when cells were stimulated with A23187. All three drugs also inhibited the A23187-stimulated release of 3H-arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids. Azelastine inhibited the production of leukotriene C4, but not leukotriene B4, when either arachidonic acid or leukotriene A4 free acid was used as the substrate in our cell free system. Oxatomide and ketotifen did not inhibit the synthesis of either leukotriene C4 or leukotriene B4 in the same cell free study., Conclusion: Results indicated that oxatomide and ketotifen inhibit the production of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 by inhibiting phospholipase A2 activity, whereas, azelastine inhibits the leukotriene C4 production by inhibiting phospholipase A2 and leukotriene C4 synthase.

Ceramide, a product of sphingomyelin hydrolysis by sphingomyelinase, elicits various cellular functions and has recently been regarded as a second messenger. To investigate the role of ceramide in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, the effects of a cell-permeable analogue, N-acetylsphingosine (C2-ceramide), on Ag-mediated cellular responses were examined. C2-Ceramide inhibited Ag- or PMA-induced activation of phospholipase D (PLD), whereas Ca2+ ionophore A23187-induced PLD activation was not affected. C2-Ceramide failed to inhibit PLD activity in two different in vitro assay systems. Since PLD activity is known to be regulated by several factors, the effects of C2-ceramide on these factors were examined. We have previously reported the possible involvement of protein tyrosine kinase in Ag-mediated PLD activation. However, C2-ceramide had no effect on Ag-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation, including mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. In fura-2-loaded RBL-2H3 cells, C2-ceramide suppressed Ag-induced Ca2+ influx, leaving initial Ca2+ increase and inositol phosphate production unaffected. Western blot analysis revealed that Ag caused translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) alpha, beta 1, beta 2, delta and epsilon isozymes from cytosol to membrane fraction. Translocation of alpha, beta 1, and beta 2 isozymes was specifically prevented by C2-ceramide. Moreover, C2-ceramide suppressed Ag-induced serotonin release. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, Ag-induced PLD activation and release reaction were greatly reduced. The inhibitory profile was nearly the same as that obtained in C2-ceramide-treated cells. These results suggest that C2-ceramide inhibits Ag-induced PLD activation and serotonin release, probably through the blockage of Ca2+ influx and translocation of Ca(2+)-dependent PKC isozymes in RBL-2H3 cells.

Western blot analysis shows the presence of protein kinase C (PKC) alpha, beta1, beta2, delta, epsilon, zeta isozymes in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. Antigen stimulation caused preferential translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) delta and epsilon to membranes. On the other hand, when the cells were stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or ionophore (A23187), PKCalpha and beta were predominantly translocated. Phospholipase D (PLD) was activated by three stimulants in order: A23187 > PMA >> antigen. Therefore, PKCalpha and beta seem to be involved in the activation of PLD in RBL cells. The translocation of all PKC isozymes in A23187 stimulation was weak. Therefore, PLD activation in A23187 stimulation may require some other factors than PKC which are associated with the increase of Ca2+ in the cells. The cells stimulated by antigen secreted serotonin to the same level as the cells stimulated by A23187. In both stimulation, PKCalpha and epsilon were translocated to almost similar level, suggesting that PKCalpha and epsilon are involved in the secretion. All PKC isozymes except zeta were markedly translocated in PMA stimulation, but secretion did not occur. These results indicate that translocation of PKC alpha and beta may be associated with PLD activation and also that both translocation of PKCalpha and epsilon and intracellular calcium increase are required for serotonin secretion in RBL cells.

Leukotriene (LT) synthesis involves the translocation of enzymatically active 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) from a soluble site to a bound site, where it interacts with 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP). In human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), 5-LO moves from the cytosol to the nuclear envelope (NE) to interact with FLAP. However, 5-LO has recently been found within the nucleus, as well as the cytosol, of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells and alveolar macrophages (AMs). To assess whether nuclear 5-LO can contribute to LT synthesis in these cells, we investigated whether this enzyme pool 1) translocates upon cell activation, 2) colocalizes with FLAP, and 3) is enzymatically active. By cell fractionation followed by immunoblotting, both cytosolic and nuclear soluble 5-LO decreased dramatically in RBL cells following activation with the calcium ionophore A23187. Concurrently, 5-LO increased in the pelletable nuclear pool, where FLAP was also detected. The loss of both cytosolic and nuclear soluble 5-LO, with concomitant increase exclusively at the NE, as well as co-localization with FLAP, were confirmed by indirect immunofluorescent and confocal microscopy. In AMs, the nuclear soluble pool of 5-LO moved to the NE, where FLAP was also found; however, the cytosolic 5-LO pool did not translocate. Application of these methods to PMNs confirmed that cytosolic 5-LO moved to the nuclear envelope and co-localized with FLAP. By cell-free assay, nuclear soluble proteins from both RBL cells and AMs, but not PMNs, were able to generate 5-LO products from arachidonate, and this was inhibited by the direct 5-LO inhibitor zileuton. Cytosolic proteins from all cell types also showed cell-free 5-LO activity. These results demonstrate three distinct patterns of 5-LO translocation that are specific for each cell type: translocation of only a cytosolic pool in PMNs, of only a nuclear pool in AMs, and of both cytosolic and nuclear pools in RBL cells. By virtue of its enzymatic activity and ability to translocate, nuclear 5-LO has the potential to contribute to LT synthesis in RBL cells and AMs. Finally, these results provide a foundation for considering the individual functions of discrete pools of 5-LO in future studies.

1. Carbachol-induced homologous desensitization of the secretory response was investigated by transfecting RBL-2H3 cells with cDNA encoding the human m3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (RBL-m3). 2. Exposure of RBL-m3 cells to 100 microM carbachol for 30 min in Ca2+-free medium inhibited the secretion induced by the subsequent addition of 10 microM carbachol plus Ca2+. 3. Desensitized cells bound [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate with a similar Bmax and Kd to those of control cells. 4. The carbachol-induced transient increase in levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was not changed by desensitization. 5. Homologous desensitization persisted when desensitized cells were permeabilized with Staphylococcal alpha-toxin.

A cDNA encoding rat mast cell tryptase (rMCT) was successfully cloned, and sequenced, from peritoneal cells of Lewis rats infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods. The cDNA was 1,097 base-pairs long, and included 822 base-pairs of an open reading frame. As judged from the deduced amino acid sequence, rMCT is highly homologous to mouse mast cell protease-6, and is considered to be translated as a prepro-enzyme with a 19-amino acid signal peptide, a 10-amino acid activation peptide, and a 245-amino acid mature enzyme. The rMCT mRNA was not detected in peritoneal cells of mast cell-deficient Ws/Ws rats, though it was strongly detected in ones of littermate +/+ and Lewis rats. In addition to in peritoneal mast cells, the rMCT mRNA was detected in the tongue. However, mRNA signals were not detected in the small intestine regardless of N. brasiliensis infection. Nor were mRNA signals detected in RBL2H3 rat basophilic leukemia cells. In the lung, the rMCT mRNA was strongly detected after infection with N. brasiliensis, though it was only faintly detected before infection. These results suggest that the rMCT is basically specific for connective tissue mast cells, but not for mucosal mast cells and that it is up-regulated in the lung during the inflammatory process of a parasitic infection.

An anti-allergic drug, permirolast potassium (TBX), inhibited antigen (Ag)-induced phospholipase D (PLD) activation in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. The concentration-dependent inhibitory profile for Ag-induced PLD activation was parallel to those for secretory response and inositol phosphate formation. In contrast, TBX had no effect on PLD activation caused by calcium ionophore A23187 or phorbol myristate acetate. These results suggest that TBX inhibits Ag-induced PLD activation by interfering with the signal transduction pathway upstream of Ca2+ mobilization and protein kinase C activation.

Ghosts prepared from rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL cell ghosts) and permeabilized with alpha-toxin from S. aureus are a simplified system for the study of Fc epsilon RI-mediated activation of phospholipase C (PLC). This activity is dependent upon ATP and magnesium, and is enhanced by the addition of another compound containing an energetic phosphate group, either phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) or phosphocreatine (PCr). This effect appears to be specific for PEP and PCr in that other compounds with energetic phosphate bonds including fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and additional ATP are not effective. On the contrary, GTP-gamma-S, an activator of G proteins, activates PLC in the presence of ATP alone and this is not further enhanced by the addition of PEP. In addition to Fc epsilon RI and GTP-gamma-S, two other stimuli lead to enhanced activity of PLC in permeabilized RBL cell ghosts: 1) an inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatases (Na3VO4) and 2) an analog of adenosine (NECA). Data presented here extend previous results to show that activation of PLC by GTP-gamma-S is not enhanced either by the addition of PCr or by the addition of a more MgATP. Further new findings include the observations that activation of PLC by Na3VO4 is augmented by PEP and PCr in a fashion similar to that observed for Fc epsilon RI-mediated activation of PLC and that activation of PLC by NECA shows even more marked dependency on PEP than does activation by Fc epsilon RI or Na3VO4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunoglobulin E high affinity receptor-mediated signal transduction in mast cells results in a number of protein tyrosine kinases being activated as very early events in the process leading to degranulation. Some of these, such as the src kinases and the syk kinase, are known to be involved in this receptor-associated activation. In this paper we describe the search for other activation-associated tyrosine kinases by the ability to phosphorylate a cytoplasmic domain peptide of the Fc epsilon RI gamma-subunit. In utilizing a purification step previously used to isolate the 72 kDa syk kinase, we detected another kinase of molecular weight 79 kDa which we designated cd gamma kinase. The kinase was purified to near homogeneity by Heparin-agarose, Mono Q, and CM Sepharose chromatographies. The yield of enzyme was approx. 200 micrograms/10(9) cells. We characterized this kinase by its ability to phosphorylate both the cd gamma peptide (Km = 0.2 mM) and the cytoplasmic fragment of the Band III protein. The cd gamma kinase was distinguished from syk by inability to be precipitated by anti-syk antiserum and by partial peptide mapping. Cd gamma kinase was also distinguished from syk by cd gamma peptide and Band III substrate specificity. We identified the cd gamma kinase by Western blotting and by partial phosphopeptide mapping as Btk, the B-cell tyrosine kinase found to be defective in X-linked agammaglobulinemia.

Cross-linking of the immunoglobulin E receptor on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)1 cells by multivalent antigen activates phosphatidylinositol (PI) kinase and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) kinase leading to the increased production of PIP and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Activators of protein kinase C (PKC), such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and the synthetic diacylglycerol, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (diC8), were found to have the same effect even though PMA and diC8 do not cause the activation of phospholipase C. Although the kinetics are different depending on the stimulant, activation of PKC using multivalent antigen, PMA or diC8 also causes the polymerization of actin and an increase in the F-actin content of the cells. In all cases, a good correlation was observed between F-actin levels, activation of PI and PIP kinases, and the increased production of PIP and PIP2. However, in the case of antigen, there is no correlation between actin polymerization and the total amount of PIP and PIP2. Staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinases, blocks the F-actin response and the increased synthesis of PIP and PIP2 with similar dose dependencies. Furthermore, depletion of PKC activity through long-term exposure to PMA, inhibited both the F-actin response and the increased synthesis of PIP and PIP2 induced by either DNP-BSA or diC8. These results suggest that activation of PKC precedes the activation of PI and PIP kinases and that under certain circumstances activation of the kinases and the increased synthesis of PIP and PIP2 may be involved in the polymerization of actin in RBL cells, possibly through the interaction of the polyphosphoinositides with actin-binding proteins such as gelsolin and profilin.

Arachidonate metabolism by 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) coincides with the translocation of the enzyme from a soluble to a pelletable fraction in thoroughly disrupted granulocytic cells. While immunoelectron microscopy has identified the nuclear membrane as the site at which 5-LO, as well as 5-LO activating protein (FLAP), are localized in activated cells, the locale of soluble 5-LO in unstimulated cells could not be established by this technique. We asked whether the nucleus might also be the site for soluble 5-LO in unstimulated cells, and utilized rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells as model granulocytic cells to address this question. Using three different techniques to disrupt cells while leaving nuclei intact (mild nitrogen cavitation, Dounce homogenization, and detergent lysis), immunoblot analysis indicated abundant 5-LO in isolated nuclei. Within purified nuclei, 5-LO existed in two pools: a soluble pool that was readily released upon nuclear disruption and a bound pool that was not removed by 300 mM NaCl treatment. In all cases, 5-LO was also found in cytosolic and non-nuclear membrane fractions. Indirect immunofluorescent microscopy confirmed the presence of abundant 5-LO within the nucleus with minimal extranuclear signal in most cells. However, a minority of cells, characterized by condensed chromatin, showed no nuclear-associated staining with increased cytoplasmic staining for 5-LO. This suggested that some of the cytosolic 5-LO found by cell fractionation resulted from these dividing cells. When the contribution from dividing cells was minimized, either by overnight serum deprivation or by isolating cytoplasts of nucleus-containing cells, 5-LO was prominent in the nuclear fraction but negligible in the cytosolic fraction. In contrast to this distribution in RBL cells, 5-LO in unstimulated human neutrophils was predominantly cytosolic, by both immunoblot and immunofluorescence analyses. In both RBL cells and human neutrophils, FLAP was localized at the nuclear membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum. These data provide the first evidence for the localization of 5-LO in unstimulated granulocytic cells. The finding that a substantial proportion of enzyme is localized within the nucleus of unstimulated RBL cells suggests potentially novel roles for 5-LO or its products within the nucleus.

Aggregation of the high affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilon RI) on rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells results in protein tyrosine phosphorylations. Previously we reported that there is prominent tyrosine phosphorylation of approximately 72-kDa proteins (pp72) and that the tyrosine kinase p72syk is one component of pp72. Here we studied further the relationship of p72syk to pp72. The aggregation of Fc epsilon RI induced the activation of p72syk which was parallel to its tyrosine phosphorylation. By in vitro kinase assay of immune complexes purified with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, p72syk was the major pp72 tyrosine kinase. However, by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, p72syk was a minor component of pp72. The heterogeneous nature of pp72 was indicated by different studies. Under optimum conditions of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, pp72 consisted of a heterogeneous group of 69-, 71-, and 72-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. There were differences in the tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins in cells activated in the absence of extracellular calcium or when stimulation was with the calcium ionophore A23187 or with phorbol myristate acetate. One of the proteins migrating at 69 kDa was p72syk. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis pp72 was found to consist of multiple tyrosine-phosphorylated protens including 71-80-kDa proteins that associate with p53/56lyn. A 75-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein, different from pp72, was identified as p75HS1 (SPY75). These results demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of the pp72 and that p72syk is activated after Fc epsilon RI aggregation.

Overnight (10-16 h) incubation of retinoic acid (RA), a derivative of vitamin A, specifically induced LTC4 synthase activity (5 to 10-fold), but not LTA4 hydrolase activity in the lysate of rat basophilic leukemia-1 (RBL-1) cells. A time course study revealed that the increase of LTC4 synthase activity was time dependent and that the peak value was obtained after a 24-hour incubation with RA. The induction of enzyme activity was specifically localized to the microsomal fraction. Glutathione (GSH) S-transferase activity measured by using the same cell lysate as an enzyme source and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB) as a substrate was not influenced by RA treatment, indicating that the induction by RA is specific for membrane-bound LTC4 synthase. The induction of LTC4 synthase may be an important regulatory mechanism of peptide-LT synthesis in allergy and inflammatory diseases.

5-Lipoxygenase has been recognized to be an important enzyme that catalyzes the first step in leukotriene production. In this study we examine whether or not phospholipids containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) affect 5-lipoxygenase activity of a rat basophilic leukemia cell line (RBL-1). Among the synthesized phospholipids examined, 1-oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-oleoyl-2-DHA-PC) was found to be the most potent inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase. The inhibition was dose-dependent and the ID50 value was 4.0 microM. When the fatty acid at the sn-2-position was replaced by other unsaturated fatty acids, the inhibitory activity decreased with decreasing numbers of both carbon atoms and double bonds in the fatty acids. Substitution at the 1-position of the DHA-containing PC also affected the inhibitory potency. If oleic acid was substituted with palmitic acid, the inhibition activity was completely abolished. Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis showed that the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase by 1-oleoyl-2-DHA-PC was non-competitive. The inhibition by this synthesized phospholipid was very specific to 5-lipoxygenase; that is, it did not extend to fatty acid cyclooxygenase, 12-lipoxygenase or 15-lipoxygenase. These results suggest that endogenously existing DHA-containing phospholipids may affect 5-lipoxygenase activity and thus control leukotriene biosynthesis in vivo.

L-Histidine decarboxylase (HisDC) is the enzyme catalyzing the formation of histamine from L-histidine. HisDC activity is expressed specifically in mast cells/basophils, endocrine cells in stomach, and histaminergic neurons in brain. As a first step in the analysis of the regulation of HisDC gene expression, we have cloned the cDNA coding for HisDC from a cDNA library of a human basophilic leukemia cell line, KU-812-F. We identified two types of HisDC cDNA, representing the 2.4-kb and 3.4-kb HisDC mRNA constitutively expressed in these cells. Sequence analysis of these cDNA revealed that the 3.4-kb mRNA contains the insert sequence of 824 bases and suggests that both 2.4-kb and 3.4-kb mRNA may represent the alternatively spliced transcripts of the HisDC gene. Using expression plasmids containing a cDNA for each HisDC mRNA, we analyzed the function of possible HisDC isoforms. We show that only the 2.4-kb mRNA encodes functional HisDC and is expressed in human brain and lung. However, we were unable to detect the 3.4-kb mRNA in these tissues. Thus, the 3.4-kb mRNA may be generated by KU-812-F cell-specific splicing of the HisDC gene transcripts. Furthermore, we demonstrated the increase in the level of 2.4-kb HisDC mRNA and HisDC activity in KU-812-F cells following treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate.