Spleen tyrosine kinase Syk is critical for sustained leukocyte adhesion during inflammation in vivo

Background: During inflammation, beta(2)-integrins mediate leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium accompanied by the activation of the spleen tyrosine kinase Syk. Results: We investigated leukocyte adhesion and rolling in cremaster muscle venules before and during stimulation with fMLP using mice with a Syk(-/-) hematopoietic system. In unstimulated venules, Syk(-/-) leukocytes adhered less efficiently than control leukocytes while rolling was similar between Syk(-/-) and control leukocytes. During fMLP-superfusion, control mice showed significantly increased adhesion accompanied by reduced rolling. For Syk(-/-) leukocytes, an increase in adhesion with a concomitant decrease in rolling was only observed during the first three minutes during fMLP stimulation, but not at later time points. We also investigated leukocyte spreading against the vessel wall during fMLP stimulation and found a significant impairment of spreading for Syk(-/-) leukocytes. Additional in vitro experiments revealed that the adhesion and spreading defect seen in Syk(-/-) chimeric mice was due to compromised beta(2)-integrin-mediated outside-in signaling. Conclusion: We provide substantial evidence for an important role of Syk in mediating beta(2)-integrin dependent outside-in signaling leading to sustained leukocyte adhesion and spreading during the inflammatory response in vivo

Coordinate interactions of Csk, Src, and Syk kinases with αIIbβ3 initiate integrin signaling to the cytoskeleton

Integrins regulate cell adhesion and motility through tyrosine kinases, but initiation of this process is poorly understood. We find here that Src associates constitutively with integrin αIIbβ3 in platelets. Platelet adhesion to fibrinogen caused a rapid increase in αIIbβ3-associated Src activity, and active Src localized to filopodia and cell edges. Csk, which negatively regulates Src by phosphorylating Tyr-529, was also constitutively associated with αIIbβ3. However, fibrinogen binding caused Csk to dissociate from αIIbβ3, concomitant with dephosphorylation of Src Tyr-529 and phosphorylation of Src activation loop Tyr-418. In contrast to the behavior of Src and Csk, Syk was associated with αIIbβ3 only after fibrinogen binding. Platelets multiply deficient in Src, Hck, Fgr, and Lyn, or normal platelets treated with Src kinase inhibitors failed to spread on fibrinogen. Inhibition of Src kinases blocked Syk activation and inhibited phosphorylation of Syk substrates (Vav1, Vav3, SLP-76) implicated in cytoskeletal regulation. Syk-deficient platelets exhibited Src activation upon adhesion to fibrinogen, but no spreading or phosphorylation of Vav1, Vav3, and SLP-76. These studies establish that platelet spreading on fibrinogen requires sequential activation of Src and Syk in proximity to αIIbβ3, thus providing a paradigm for initiation of integrin signaling to the actin cytoskeleton

MASP-1 Induces a Unique Cytokine Pattern in Endothelial Cells: A Novel Link between Complement System and Neutrophil Granulocytes

Microbial infection urges prompt intervention by the immune system. The complement cascade and neutrophil granulocytes are the predominant contributors to this immediate anti-microbial action. We have previously shown that mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-1 (MASP-1), the most abundant enzyme of the complement lectin pathway, can induce p38-MAPK activation, NFkappaB signaling, and Ca(2+)-mobilization in endothelial cells. Since neutrophil chemotaxis and transmigration depends on endothelial cell activation, we aimed to explore whether recombinant MASP-1 (rMASP-1) is able to induce cytokine production and subsequent neutrophil chemotaxis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We found that HUVECs activated by rMASP-1 secreted IL-6 and IL-8, but not IL-1alpha, IL-1ra, TNFalpha and MCP-1. rMASP-1 induced dose-dependent IL-6 and IL-8 production with different kinetics. rMASP-1 triggered IL-6 and IL-8 production was regulated predominantly by the p38-MAPK pathway. Moreover, the supernatant of rMASP-1-stimulated HUVECs activated the chemotaxis of neutrophil granulocytes as an integrated effect of cytokine production. Our results implicate that besides initializing the complement lectin pathway, MASP-1 may activate neutrophils indirectly, via the endothelial cells, which link these effective antimicrobial host defense mechanisms

Neutrophils in animal models of autoimmune disease

Neutrophils have traditionally been thought to play only a peripheral role in the genesis of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. However, recent studies in a variety of animal models suggest that these cells are central to the initiation and propagation of autoimmunity. The use of mouse models, which allow either deletion of neutrophils or the targeting of specific neutrophil functions, has revealed the many complex ways these cells contribute to autoimmune/inflammatory processes. This includes generation of self antigens through the process of NETosis, regulation of T-cell and dendritic cell activation, production of cytokines such as BAFF that stimulate self-reactive B-cells, as well as indirect effects on epithelial cell stability. In comparing the many different autoimmune models in which neutrophils have been examined, a number of common underlying themes emerge - such as a role for neutrophils in stimulating vascular permeability in arthritis, encephalitis and colitis. The use of animal models has also stimulated the development of new therapeutics that target neutrophil functions, such as NETosis, that may prove beneficial in human disease. This review will summarize neutrophil contributions in a number of murine autoimmune/inflammatory disease models. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

Spleen tyrosine kinase Syk is critical for sustained leukocyte adhesion during inflammation in vivo

Abstract Background During inflammation, β2-integrins mediate leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium accompanied by the activation of the spleen tyrosine kinase Syk. Results We investigated leukocyte adhesion and rolling in cremaster muscle venules before and during stimulation with fMLP using mice with a Syk-/- hematopoietic system. In unstimulated venules, Syk-/- leukocytes adhered less efficiently than control leukocytes while rolling was similar between Syk-/- and control leukocytes. During fMLP-superfusion, control mice showed significantly increased adhesion accompanied by reduced rolling. For Syk-/- leukocytes, an increase in adhesion with a concomitant decrease in rolling was only observed during the first three minutes during fMLP stimulation, but not at later time points. We also investigated leukocyte spreading against the vessel wall during fMLP stimulation and found a significant impairment of spreading for Syk-/- leukocytes. Additional in vitro experiments revealed that the adhesion and spreading defect seen in Syk-/- chimeric mice was due to compromised β2-integrin-mediated outside-in signaling. Conclusion We provide substantial evidence for an important role of Syk in mediating β2-integrin dependent outside-in signaling leading to sustained leukocyte adhesion and spreading during the inflammatory response in vivo.</p

Class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase β and δ regulate neutrophil oxidase activation in response to aspergillus fumigatus hyphae

An effective immune response to the ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is dependent upon production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the NADPH oxidase. This is evidenced by the acute sensitivity of oxidase-deficient humans and mice to invasive aspergillosis. Neutrophils are recruited to the lungs shortly postinfection and respond by phagocytosing conidia and mediating extracellular killing of germinated hyphae in a ROS-dependent manner. However, the signaling mechanisms regulating the generation of ROS in response to hyphae are poorly understood. PI3Ks are important regulators of numerous cellular processes, with much recent work describing unique roles for the different class I PI3K isoforms. We showed by live-cell imaging that the lipid products of class I PI3Ks accumulated at the hyphal-bound neutrophil plasma membrane. Further, we used pharmacological and genetic approaches to demonstrate essential, but overlapping, roles for PI3Kβ and PI3Kδ in the ROS and spreading responses of murine neutrophils to Aspergillus hyphae. Hyphal-induced ROS responses were substantially inhibited by deletion of the common β2-integrin subunit CD18, with only a minor, redundant role for Dectin-1. However, addition of soluble algal glucans plus the genetic deletion of CD18 were required to significantly inhibit activation of the PI3K-effector protein kinase B. Hyphal ROS responses were also totally dependent on the presence of Syk, but not its ITAM-containing adaptor proteins FcRγ or DAP12, and the Vav family of Rac-guanine nucleotide exchange factors. These results start to define the signaling network controlling neutrophil ROS responses to A. fumigatus hyphae