Regulation of microtubule formation in activated mast cells by complexes of gamma-tubulin with Fyn and Syk kinases

J Immunol. 2006 Jun 15;176(12):7243-53. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.176.12.7243.

Abstract

Aggregation of the high-affinity IgE receptors (FcepsilonRIs) on the surface of granulated mast cells initiates a chain of signaling events culminating in the release of allergy mediators. Although microtubules are involved in mast cell degranulation, the molecular mechanism that controls microtubule rearrangement after FcepsilonRI triggering is poorly understood. In this study, we show that the activation of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) induced by FcepsilonRI aggregation or treatment with pervanadate leads to a rapid polymerization of microtubules. This polymerization was not dependent on the presence of Lyn kinase as determined by experiments with BMMCs isolated from Lyn-negative mice. One of the key regulators of microtubule polymerization is gamma-tubulin. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that gamma-tubulin from activated cells formed complexes with Fyn and Syk protein tyrosine kinases and several tyrosine phosphorylated proteins from both wild-type and Lyn(-/-) BMMCs. Pretreatment of the cells with Src-family or Syk-family selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors, PP2 or piceatannol, respectively, inhibited the formation of microtubules and reduced the amount of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in gamma-tubulin complexes, suggesting that Src and Syk family kinases are involved in the initial stages of microtubule formation. This notion was corroborated by pull-down experiments in which gamma-tubulin complex bounds to the recombinant Src homology 2 and Src homology 3 domains of Fyn kinase. We propose that Fyn and Syk kinases are involved in the regulation of binding properties of gamma-tubulin and/or its associated proteins, and thus modulate the microtubule nucleation in activated mast cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / enzymology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dimerization
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / physiology*
  • Mast Cells / enzymology
  • Mast Cells / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Microtubules / enzymology
  • Microtubules / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn / physiology*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Syk Kinase
  • Tubulin / chemistry
  • Tubulin / metabolism*
  • Tubulin / physiology
  • Tyrosine / metabolism
  • src-Family Kinases / deficiency
  • src-Family Kinases / genetics

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Tubulin
  • Tyrosine
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Fyn protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn
  • Syk Kinase
  • Syk protein, mouse
  • lyn protein-tyrosine kinase
  • src-Family Kinases