Secretory phospholipase A2 activates the cascade of mitogen-activated protein kinases and cytosolic phospholipase A2 in the human astrocytoma cell line 1321N1.

The biological effects of type IIA 14-kDa phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) on 1321N1 astrocytoma cells were studied. sPLA2 induced a release of [3H]arachidonic acid ([3H]AA) similar to that elicited by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a messenger acting via a G-protein-coupled receptor and a product of sPLA2 on lipid microvesicles. In contrast, no release of [1-14C]oleate could be detected in cells labeled with this fatty acid. As these findings pointed to a selective mechanism of [3H]AA release, it was hypothesized that sPLA2 could act by a signaling mechanism involving the activation of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), i.e. the type of PLA2 involved in the release of [3H]AA elicited by agonists. In keeping with this view, stimulation of 1321N1 cells with sPLA2 elicited the decrease in electrophoretic mobility that is characteristic of the phosphorylation of cPLA2, as well as activation of p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, c-Jun kinase, and p38 MAP kinase. Incubation with sPLA2 of quiescent 1321N1 cells elicited a mitogenic response as judged from an increased incorporation of [3H]thymidine. Attempts to correlate the effect of extracellular PLA2 with the generation of LPA were negative. Incubation with pertussis toxin prior to the addition of either sPLA2 or LPA only showed abrogation of the response to LPA, thus suggesting the involvement of pertussis-sensitive Gi-proteins in the case of LPA. Treatments with inhibitors of the catalytic effect of sPLA2 such as p-bromophenacyl bromide and dithiothreitol did not prevent the effect on cPLA2 activation. In contrast, preincubation of 1321N1 cells with the antagonist of the sPLA2 receptor p-aminophenyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside-bovine serum albumin, blocked cPLA2 activation with a EC50 similar to that described for the inhibition of binding of sPLA2 to its receptor. Moreover, treatment of 1321N1 cells with the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor PD-98059 inhibited the activation of both cPLA2 and p42 MAP kinase produced by sPLA2. In summary, these data indicate the existence in astrocytoma cells of a signaling pathway triggered by engagement of a sPLA2-binding structure, that produces the release of [3H]AA by activating the MAP kinase cascade and cPLA2, and leads to a mitogenic response after longer periods of incubation.