Cleavage of PDGF receptor on periodontal ligament cells by elastase.
Human leukocyte elastase, a neutrophil serine protease, is considered to be a potential immunoregulatory protease. Since the PDGF receptor (PDGFR) on periodontal ligament (PDL) cells is a crucial element for various functions, such as wound healing in periodontal tissue, we investigated the effect of elastase on the expression of PDGFR on PDL cells by flow cytometry and Western blotting. We found that PDGFR-alpha disappeared with an increasing dose of elastase, and PDGFR-beta was degraded into several fragments. Elastase degraded both receptors on fixed cells, indicating that the degradation resulted from direct proteolysis on the cell surface. Elastase also then disturbed the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK/SARK, and p38, triggered by PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB, suggesting that elastase inhibited PDGFR-dependent cell activation in PDL cells. These results suggest that elastase may modulate the PDGF-mediated activity of PDL cells during periodontal wound healing.
Nemoto
E
E
Division of Periodontology and Endodontology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. e-nemoto@umin.ac.jp
Kanaya
S
S
Minamibuchi
M
M
Shimauchi
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase