title: Decreased glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta levels and related physiological changes in Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin-treated macrophages.
abstract: The lethal factor (LF) component of Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin (LeTx) cleaves mitogen activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) in a variety of different cell types, yet only macrophages are rapidly killed by this toxin. The reason for this selective killing is unclear, but suggests other factors may also be involved in LeTx intoxication. In the current study, DNA membrane arrays were used to identify broad changes in macrophage physiology after treatment with LeTx. Expression of genes regulated by MAPKK activity did not change significantly, yet a series of genes under glycogen synthase kinase-3-beta (GSK-3beta) regulation changed expression following LeTx treatment. Correlating with these transcriptional changes GSK-3beta was found to be below detectable levels in toxin-treated cells and an inhibitor of GSK-3beta, LiCl, sensitized resistant IC-21 macrophages to LeTx. In addition, zebrafish embryos treated with LeTx showed signs of delayed pigmentation and cardiac hypertrophy; both processes are subject to regulation by GSK-3beta. A putative compensatory response to loss of GSK-3beta was indicated by differential expression of three motor proteins following toxin treatment and Kif1C, a motor protein involved in sensitivity to LeTx, increased expression in toxin-sensitive cells yet decreased in resistant cells following toxin treatment. Differential expression of microtubule-associating proteins and a decrease in the level of cellular tubulin were detected in LeTx-treated cells, both of which can result from loss of GSK-3beta activity. These data provide new information on LeTx's overall influence on macrophage physiology and suggest loss of GSK-3beta contributes to cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman 73019, USA.
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Isabelle I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Voth
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Leduc
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dozmorov
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Centola
authors.forename: Jimmy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ballard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D016547:Kinesins / Q000235:genetics; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014404:Tubulin; C030325:anthrax toxin; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D016547:Kinesins