Expression of functional formyl peptide receptors by human astrocytoma cell lines

• Published in: Journal of neuroimmunology Vol. 111; no. 1; pp. 102 - 108
• Main Authors: Le, Yingying, Hu, Jinyue, Gong, Wanghua, Shen, Weiping, Li, Baoqun, Dunlop, Nancy M, Halverson, Douglas O, Blair, Donald G, Wang, Ji Ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.11.2000
• Subjects: Astrocytoma; Astrocytoma cells; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium mobilization; chemotactic peptide receptor; Chemotaxis; Chemotaxis - drug effects; Chemotaxis - immunology; Cytokines; Formyl peptide receptors; FPRL1 protein; Gene Expression - physiology; Humans; Interleukin-6 - biosynthesis; N-formyl peptide receptors; N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - metabolism; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - pharmacology; Receptors, Formyl Peptide; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - metabolism; Receptors, Lipoxin; Receptors, Peptide - genetics; Receptors, Peptide - metabolism; Tritium; Tumor Cells, Cultured - cytology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - immunology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - metabolism; Calcium mobilization; Cytokines; Astrocytoma cells; Chemotaxis; Formyl peptide receptors
• ISSN: 0165-5728; 1872-8421
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-5728(00)00373-8

Activation of astrocytes is important in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases in the central nervous system, such as infection and neurodegeneration. We found that the bacterial chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) induced potent migration and Ca 2+ mobilization in human astrocytoma cell lines. The effect of fMLF was pertussis toxin-sensitive, suggesting the involvement of seven transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor(s) for fMLF. Scatchard analyses revealed that astrocytoma cell lines express both high- and low-affinity binding sites for [ 3H]fMLF. RT-PCR confirmed the expression of transcripts of fMLF receptors, the high-affinity FPR and the low-affinity FPRL1 by these cells. Both fMLF and F peptide, a synthetic peptide domain of HIV-1 envelope protein which specifically activates FPRL1, increased secretion of IL-6 by astrocytoma cells. Our study demonstrates for the first time that FPR and FPRL1 expressed by astrocytoma cell lines are functional, and suggests a molecular basis for the involvement of these receptors in host defense in the brain.