Role of Actin Depolymerization in the Surfactant Secretory Response of Alveolar Epithelial Type II Cells
- 1 January 1999
- journal article
- Published by American Thoracic Society in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Vol. 159 (1), 206-212
- https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.159.1.9801106
Abstract
Alveolar epithelial type II cells (AET2) respond with exocytosis of surfactant containing lamellar bodies to stimulation with mechanical stretch and secretagogues, a process that is fundamental for maintaining alveolar stability and lung gas exchange. In the present study in cultured rat AET2, we employed botulinum C2 toxin, a binary toxin which ADP ribosylates nonmuscle G-actin, as a specific tool to probe the role of the actin microfilament system in the surfactant secretory process. Incubation of AET2 with C2 toxin caused a dose-dependent decay of the cellular F-actin content to a minimum of 20% of baseline, concomitant with an increase in monomeric actin. In parallel, a significant augmentation of baseline surfactant secretion up to twofold elevated levels above control was noted, as assessed by the release of prelabeled phosphatidylcholine. Pretreatment with phalloidin, which stabilized F-actin and reduced the level of G-actin, prevented the C2 toxin-elicited enhancement of baseline surfactant secretion. Even low C2 toxin concentrations, resulting in a reduction of total cellular F-actin content of approximately 10%, sufficed to augment secretagogue (ATP) and, more impressively, mechanical stress elicited an increase in surfactant secretion; the response to the biophysical challenge more than doubled. When investigated in the absence of toxin, different secretagogues (ATP, phorbol ester, betamimetics) caused a rapid-onset, transient reduction of F-actin in the range between 15 and 25% as a consistent part of their secretory response pattern. These data suggest that the state of actin polymerization is intimately linked to the exocytosis process underlying surfactant secretion in AET2. Microfilament system-related compartmentalization effects and/or or the impact of the state of actin assembly on signaling events may be considered as underlying events.Keywords
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