Serotonin stimulated parathyroid hormone related protein induction in the mammary epithelia by transglutaminase-dependent serotonylation

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 23;15(10):e0241192. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241192. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Mammary-derived serotonin has been implicated in breast-to-bone communication during lactation by increasing parathyroid hormone related-protein (PTHrP) in the mammary gland. It is well established that PTHrP acts on the bone to liberate calcium for milk synthesis during lactation; however, the mechanism of serotonin's regulation of PTHrP has not been fully elucidated. Recently, serotonylation has been shown to be involved in a variety of physiological processes mediated by serotonin. Therefore, we investigated whether serotonylation is involved in serotonin's regulation of PTHrP in the mammary gland using lactogenically differentiated mouse mammary epithelial cells. We investigated the effect of increased intracellular serotonin using the antidepressant fluoxetine or 5-hydroxytryptophan (serotonin precursor), with or without transglutaminase inhibition and the corresponding action on PTHrP induction and activity. Treatment with fluoxetine or 5-hydroxytryptophan significantly increased intracellular serotonin concentrations and subsequently increased PTHrP gene expression, which was reduced with transglutaminase inhibition. Furthermore, we determined that transglutaminase activity is increased with lactogenic differentiation and 5-hydroxytryptophan or fluoxetine treatment. We investigated whether RhoA, Rac1, and Rab4 were potential serotonylation target proteins. We speculate that RhoA is potentially a serotonylation target protein. Our data suggest that serotonin regulates PTHrP induction in part through the process of serotonylation under lactogenic conditions in mouse mammary epithelial cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 5-Hydroxytryptophan / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Fluoxetine / pharmacology
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / agonists
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Lactation / drug effects
  • Lactation / metabolism
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / cytology
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein / metabolism*
  • Prolactin / pharmacology
  • Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2
  • Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Transglutaminases / metabolism*
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein
  • Fluoxetine
  • Serotonin
  • Prolactin
  • 5-Hydroxytryptophan
  • Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2
  • Transglutaminases
  • GTP-Binding Proteins
  • RhoA protein, mouse
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
  • Calcium