title: F-actin content and spatial distribution in resting and chemoattractant-stimulated human polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Which role for intracellular free calcium?
abstract: Intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) plays a pivotal role for many responses in polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) stimulated by chemoattractants such as N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe). The importance of [Ca2+]i in the morphological polarization was investigated by using calcium-manipulated PMNs. We loaded human PMNs with BAPTA/AM to buffer or chelate [Ca2+]i in the presence or the absence of extracellular calcium by using fluo-3/AM as calcium indicator. The shape changes of PMNs were determined by microscopic examination, and membrane ruffling by right-angle light-scatter changes. Actin polymerization and F-actin distribution were recorded by staining PMNs with bodipy-phallacidin and quantified by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. We found that calcium-free incubation of PMNs loaded or not with 50 microM BAPTA/AM did not modify morphological polarization, membrane ruffling, actin assembly and F-actin distribution of PMNs stimulated with fMet-Leu-Phe, suggesting that these responses were probably functionally linked. It should be noted that incubation of PMNs in calcium-free conditions resulted in a radial distribution of F-actin and a moderate polymerization of actin, but not in morphological polarization of PMNs. Moreover, both calcium-sensitive and calcium-insensitive mechanisms of actin polymerization were additive, and inhibitable by 5 micrograms/ml cytochalasin B.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Hôpital de Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zaffran
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lepidi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bongrand
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mege
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capo
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D002118:Calcium