Protein kinase C mediates erythrocyte "programmed cell death" following glucose depletion

• Published in: American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2006-01, Vol.290 (1), p.C244-C253
• Main Authors: Klarl, Barbara A, Lang, Philipp A, Kempe, Daniela S, Niemoeller, Olivier M, Akel, Ahmad, Sobiesiak, Malgorzata, Eisele, Kerstin, Podolski, Marlis, Huber, Stephan M, Wieder, Thomas, Lang, Florian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Antimetabolites - pharmacology; Autophagy - physiology; Deoxyglucose - pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Erythrocyte Membrane - enzymology; Erythrocytes - cytology; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - enzymology; Glucose - pharmacology; Humans; Okadaic Acid - pharmacology; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase C-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0363-6143; 1522-1563
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00283.2005

Department of Physiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany Submitted 14 June 2005 ; accepted in final form 12 August 2005 Glucose depletion of erythrocytes leads to activation of Ca 2+ -permeable cation channels, Ca 2+ entry, activation of a Ca 2+ -sensitive erythrocyte scramblase, and subsequent exposure of phosphatidylserine at the erythrocyte surface. Ca 2+ entry into erythrocytes was previously shown to be stimulated by phorbol esters and to be inhibited by staurosporine and chelerythrine and is thus thought to be regulated by protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, presumably via protein kinase C (PKC) and the corresponding phosphoserine/threonine phosphatases. The present experiments explored whether PKC could contribute to effects of energy depletion on erythrocyte phosphatidylserine exposure and cell volume. Phosphatidylserine exposure was estimated from annexin binding and cell volume from forward scatter in fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. Removal of extracellular glucose led to depletion of cellular ATP, stimulated PKC activity, led to translocation of PKC , enhanced serine phosphorylation of membrane proteins, decreased cell volume, and increased annexin binding, the latter effect being blunted but not abolished in the presence of 1 µM staurosporine or 50 nM calphostin C. The PKC stimulator phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (3 µM) and the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (1–10 µM) mimicked the effect of glucose depletion and similarly led to translocation of PKC and enhanced serine phosphorylation, increased annexin binding, and decreased forward scatter, the latter effects being abrogated by PKC inhibitor staurosporine (1 µM). Fluo-3 fluorescence measurements revealed that okadaic acid also enhanced erythrocyte Ca 2+ activity. The present observations suggest that protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation via PKC and the corresponding protein phosphatases contribute to phosphatidylserine exposure and cell shrinkage after energy depletion. cell volume; eryptosis; calcium; okadaic acid; staurosporine Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: Prof. Dr. F. Lang, Physiologisches Institut der Universität Tübingen, Gmelinstrasse 5, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany (e-mail: florian.lang{at}uni-tuebingen.de )