Identification of a compound that directly stimulates phospholipase C activity.
Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) plays a pivotal role in the signal transduction of various cellular responses. However, although it is undeniably important that modulators of PLC activity be identified, no direct PLC activity modulator has been identified until now. In this study, by screening more than 10,000 different compounds in human neutrophils, we identified a compound that strongly enhances superoxide-generating activity, which is well known to be PLC-dependent. The active compound 2,4,6-trimethyl-N-(meta-3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-benzenesulfonamide (m-3M3FBS) stimulated a transient intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) increase in neutrophils. Moreover, m-3M3FBS stimulated the formation of inositol phosphates in U937 cells, indicating that it stimulates PLC activity. The compound showed no cell-type specificity in terms of [Ca(2+)](i) increase in the various cell lines including leukocytes, fibroblasts, and neuronal cells. We also ruled out the possible involvement of heterotrimeric G proteins in m-3M3FBS-stimulated signaling by confirming the following: 1) pertussis toxin does not inhibit m-3M3FBS-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase; 2) m-3M3FBS does not stimulate cyclic AMP generation; and 3) the inhibition of G(q) by the regulator of G protein-signaling 2 does not affect the m-3M3FBS-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase. We also observed that m-3M3FBS stimulated PLC activity in vitro. The purified isoforms of PLC that were tested (i.e., beta2, beta3, gamma1, gamma2, and delta1) were activated by m-3M3FBS and showed no isoform specificity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that m-3M3FBS modulates neutrophil functions by directly activating PLC. Because m-3M3FBS is the first compound known to directly activate PLC, it should prove useful in the study of the basic molecular mechanisms of PLC activation and PLC-mediated cell signaling.
Bae
Yoe-Sik
YS
Medical Research Center for Cancer Molecular Therapy and Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.
Lee
Taehoon G
TG
Park
Jun Chul
JC
Hur
Jung Ho
JH
Kim
Youndong
Y
Heo
Kyun
K
Kwak
Jong-Young
JY
Suh
Pann-Ghill
PG
Ryu
Sung Ho
SH
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D020536:Enzyme Activators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020298:U937 Cells; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
D002118:Calcium; D020536:Enzyme Activators; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013481:Superoxides; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; C473783:2,4,6-trimethyl-N-(meta-3-trifluoromethylphenyl)benzenesulfonamide; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides