title: Calcium-induced ERK activation in human T lymphocytes occurs via p56(Lck) and CaM-kinase.
abstract: We previously demonstrated that stimulation of human T-lymphocytes with calcium ionophores induced the phosphorylation and enzymatic activation of ERK2. We now report on the mechanism by which calcium-ionophore-induced activation of ERK1 and 2 occurs in these cells. The activation of ERK1 and 2 by increases in intracellular calcium was inhibited by calmidazolium suggesting the involvement of calmodulin in this response. To further elucidate the mechanism by which calcium-induced ERK activation occurs, we used the CaM-kinase inhibitor KN-93 and an inactive analog of KN-93 (KN-92). KN-93, but not KN-92, blocked ionomycin-induced activation of ERK1 and 2 in human T lymphocytes. We previously demonstrated that stimulation of T lymphocytes with ionomycin or A23187 resulted in a CaM-kinase-dependent shift in the mobility of p56(Lck). To determine if p56(Lck) was involved in calcium-induced ERK activation, we stimulated the p56(Lck) negative Jurkat cell derivatives, J.CaM1.6 and J.CaM1/Rep3, with ionomycin. In these p56(Lck) negative cell lines, activation of ERK1 and 2 in response to ionomycin was only minimally detected. When J.CaM1 cells were reconstituted with p56(Lck), ionomycin induced ERK1 and 2 activation. Treatment of Jurkat cells with PP2, an inhibitor of p56(Lck), inhibited calcium-induced, but not PMA-induced, ERK1 and 2 activation. Treatment of Jurkat cells with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 blocked ionomycin-induced ERK activation, but not the shift in the mobility of p56(Lck). Our data suggests that increases in intracellular calcium induce the activation of ERK1 and 2 in human T lymphocytes via sequential activation of CaM-kinase and phosphorylation of p56(Lck).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Brody Building, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. franklinr@mail.ecu.edu
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Atherfold
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCubrey
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D054734:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000502:physiology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); C517683:CAMK4 protein, human; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D054734:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 4; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium