Growth and differentiation of cells derived from the embryonic palate are critically dependent on the intracellular cAMP-mediated signal transduction pathway. Human embryonic palate mesenchymal (HEPM) cells have been widely used to examine the effect of teratogens on palatal tissue growth and differentiation, as well as a prescreen for environmental teratogens. This study examined responsiveness of HEPM cells to agents known to stimulate adenylate cyclase, characterized cAMP-dependent protein kinases (cAMP-dPK) (EC 2.7.1.37) and investigated to what extent HEPM cells reveal adaptational responses to cAMP at the level of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. HEPM cells exhibited a total cell cycle transit time of approximately 22 h and responded maximally, when confluent, to prostacyclin (PGI2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and isoproterenol with time- and dose-dependent increases in intracellular levels of cAMP. The order of sensitivity to hormonal activation of adenylate cyclase was PGE2 > isoproterenol > PGI2. Basal cAMP-dependent protein kinases activity was 0.184 fmol phosphate transferred from ATP to histone per microgram protein per minute under conditions where endogenous phosphatases did not significantly affect protein phosphorylation. Regulatory subunits of cAMP-dPK in HEPM cells were characterized by the binding of [3H]cAMP to cytosolic fractions. Specific binding was saturable at approximately 50 nM indicating the presence of binding sites that are finite in number. Calculation of half-maximal binding yielded an estimated Kd of 25 nM indicating the presence of high affinity binding sites. Cyclic AMP-dPK regulatory subunits were also photoaffinity labeled with 8-N3-[32P]-cAMP, subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and radiolabeled bands visualized by autoradiography. Photoactivated incorporation of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP was detected into two proteins of molecular weight (M(r)) 45,000 and M(r) 51,000 representing, respectively, the RI alpha and RII beta subunits of cAMP-dPK. Binding of [32P]8-azido cAMP to proteins of M(r) 45,000 (RI alpha) and M(r) 51,000 (RII beta) was increased in response to elevation of intracellular cAMP via inhibition of its breakdown with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, or by direct activation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin. HEPM cells thus revealed adaptational responses to cAMP at the level of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Characterization of the cAMP signal transduction pathway in HEPM cells, derived from embryonic palatal tissue which is critically dependent on this pathway for normal development, may provide information fundamental to a clear understanding of cellular events involved in palatal ontogeny. These results highlight several important differences between HEPM cells and murine embryonic palate mesenchymal cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Normal growth and differentiation of embryonic palatal tissue depends on regulated levels of intracellular cAMP. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA) act to mediate the biological activities of cAMP. PKA isozyme protein profiles demonstrate a clear pattern of temporal alterations in embryonic palatal tissue during its development. In order to ascertain the molecular basis for changing PKA isozyme profiles during palatal ontogeny, the spatial and temporal expression of mRNAs for regulatory (RI alpha, RII alpha, and RII beta) and catalytic (C alpha) subunits of PKA was examined. RNA extracted from murine embryonic palatal tissue (days 12-14 of gestation) was examined by Northern blot analysis. Significant levels of constitutively expressed RI alpha and C alpha mRNA were seen on all days of gestation examined. RI alpha transcripts were substantially less abundant in palate mesenchymal cells in vitro than in palatal tissue in vivo. Levels of RII alpha and RII beta mRNA were highest on gestational day (GD) 12, a period characterized by pronounced palatal tissue growth. In addition, patterns of tissue distribution of RII beta, not previously described, were examined in the developing embryonic palate. A dramatic developmental shift in tissue distribution of RII beta was seen. The isozyme was evenly distributed between palatal epithelial and mesenchymal cells on GD 12 but by GD 14, RII beta was predominantly localized to palatal epithelial cells. Direct activation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin in murine embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cells resulted in an increase in RII alpha mRNA levels but had no effect on steady state levels of RII beta or C alpha mRNA. In addition, elevation of intracellular levels of cAMP resulted in a shift in the transcriptional profile of RI alpha mRNAs. Results of this study document specific patterns of expression for the genes encoding the various cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory and C alpha subunits in murine embryonic palatal tissue. In addition, we have demonstrated adaptational changes of this kinase in MEPM cells in response to conditions of increased intracellular levels of cAMP.
The avian secondary palate exhibits the unique feature of a midline cleft. Cryostat sections indicated that although extensive contact between homologous shelves was present, chick palatal medial edge epithelium (MEE) failed to fuse. The failure of fusion and subsequent clefting of the avian palate were correlated with continued proliferation of the avian MEE, a failure of selective MEE cell death, and an absence of elevated levels of intracellular cAMP. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining for cAMP and microspectrophotometric quantitation of staining intensity indicated that staining of chick MEE was significantly (p less than .01) less than murine MEE at comparable gestational ages. These data indicate that differentiation of the avian secondary palate is fundamentally different than reported for the mammalian palate in that many developmental events known to be associated with normal mammalian palate formation (cessation of MEE proliferation, MEE cell death, elevated levels of MEE cAMP) fail to occur in the chick. The developing avian secondary palate, with its midline cleft, thus provides an interesting and useful model system with which to compare mammalian palate formation where the palate is normally fused in the midline.
Murine embryonic palate mesenchyme (MEPM) cells are responsive to a number of endogenous factors found in the local embryonic tissue environment. Recently, it was shown that activation of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) or the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) signal transduction pathways modulates the proliferative response of MEPM cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF). Since the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a signal transduction pathway that mediates cellular responsiveness to EGF, we examined the possibility that several signaling pathways which abrogate EGF-stimulated proliferation do so via the p42/p44 MAPK signaling pathway. We demonstrate that EGF stimulates MAPK phosphorylation and activity in MEPM cells maximally at 5 minutes. Tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of MAPK was unaffected by treatment of MEPM cells with TGFbeta or cholera toxin. Similarly, TGFbeta altered neither EGF-induced MAPK tyrosine phosphorylation nor activity. However, the calcium ionophore, A23187, significantly increased MAPK phosphorylation which was further increased in the presence of EGF, although calcium mobilization reduced EGF-induced proliferation. Despite the increase in phosphorylation, we could not demonstrate induction of MAPK activity by A23187. Like EGF, phorbol ester, under conditions which activate PKC isozymes in MEPM cells, increased MAPK phosphorylation and activity but was also growth inhibitory to MEPM cells. The MEK inhibitor, PD098059, only partially abrogated EGF-induced phosphorylation. Likewise, depletion of PKC isozymes partially abrogated EGF-induced MAPK phosphorylation. Inhibition of both MEK and PKC isozymes resulted in a marked decrease in MAPK activity, confirming that EGF uses multiple pathways to stimulate MAPK activity. These data indicate that the MAPK cascade does not mediate signal transduction of several agents that inhibit growth in MEPM cells, and that there is a dissociation of the proliferative response and MAP kinase activation. Furthermore, other signaling pathways known to play significant roles in differentiation of palatal tissue converge with the MAPK cascade and may use this pathway in the regulation of alternative cellular processes.
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