Signaling mechanisms involved in the activation of arachidonic acid metabolism in human astrocytoma cells by tumor necrosis factor-alpha: Phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) and transactivation of cyclooxygenase-2
M. Hernandez et al., Signaling mechanisms involved in the activation of arachidonic acid metabolism in human astrocytoma cells by tumor necrosis factor-alpha: Phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) and transactivation of cyclooxygenase-2, J NEUROCHEM, 73(4), 1999, pp. 1641-1649
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytokine that elicits cell res
ponses by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) casc
ade and transcription factors such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B).
As these elements play a central role in the mechanisms of signaling involv
ed in the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) and cyclooxy
genase-2 (COX-2), the effect of TNF-alpha on arachidonate (AA) metabolism i
n 1321N1 astrocytoma cells was assayed. TNF-alpha produced a phosphorylatio
n of cPLA(2), which was preceded by an activation of both c-Jun N-terminal
kinase (JNK) and p38-MAP kinase, and this was associated with the release o
f [H-3]AA. In contrast, TNF-alpha did not activate the extracellular signal
-regulated kinase (MAP kinase) p42, nor did it elicit a mitogenic response,
Analysis of [H-3]AA metabolites by reverse-phase HPLC showed that all of t
he [H-3]AA released during the first hour after TNF-alpha addition eluted a
s authentic AA, whereas in samples obtained at 24 h after addition of TNF-a
lpha, 25% of the [H-3]AA had been converted into COX products as compared w
ith only 9% in control cells, In keeping with these findings, TNF-alpha pro
duced an increase of COX-2 expression, as judged from both RT-PCR studies a
nd immunoblot of COX-2 protein, and a long-lasting activation of NF-kappa B
. These data show that TNF-alpha produces in astrocytoma cells an early act
ivation of both p38-MAP kinase and JNK, which is followed by the phosphoryl
ation of cPLA(2) and the release of AA. On the other hand, the activation o
f NF-kappa B may explain the induction of the expression of COX-2 and the d
elayed generation of prostanoids.