Characterization of a 64-kd protein phosphorylated during chemotactic activation with IL-8 and fMLP of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. I. Phosphorylation of a 64-kd protein and other proteins.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) such as LUCT (lung giant cell carcinoma-derived chemotactic protein), NAP (neutrophil activating protein) and MDNCF (monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor), and formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) are well-known chemoattractants for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and are able to stimulate phosphorylation of 64-kd protein (p64) in these leukocytes. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of PMN activation with chemoattractants, we investigated the phosphorylation process of p64 in an intact cell. 32P-Labeled PMNs were stimulated with LUCT/IL-8, fMLP, leukotriene B4, or C5a, and phosphorylated proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and autoradiography. A marked phosphorylation of p64 was observed after stimulation. A new spot of phosphorylated p64 (pp64) could be detected on the gel stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, indicating that the isoelectric point (pI) of p64 shifted from 5.3 to a more acidic pI by the phosphorylation forming pp64. The spot of pp64 was shown to be dephosphorylated to p64 by treatment with calf intestine alkaline phosphatase. Other proteins having molecular masses 82, 66, 58, 55 and 50 kd were also phosphorylated. The fMLP-stimulated phosphorylation was time-dependent and saturated within 5 min. Maximum stimulation was achieved with 10 nM fMLP. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed phosphorylation of serine residues in pp64. Staurosporine (100 nM) and W-7 (100 microM) significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of p64, but H-7 slightly inhibited it. H-8 and herbimycin A did not effect phosphorylation. Phorbol myristate acetate was found to stimulate significantly. Protein kinase C did not stimulate the phosphorylation. These data suggest that protein kinase C and calmodulin-like protein are indirectly involved in the phosphorylation of p64 during chemoattractant-activation of PMN.