No abstract

Smooth muscle cell migration has been implicated in the development of respiratory and cardiovascular systems; and airway/vascular remodeling. Cell migration is a polarized cellular process involving a protrusive cell front and a retracting trailing rear. There are three cytoskeletal systems in mammalian cells: the actin cytoskeleton, the intermediate filament network, and microtubules; all of which regulate all or part of the migrated process. The dynamic actin cytoskeleton spatially and temporally regulates protrusion, adhesions, contraction, and retraction from the cell front to the rear. c-Abl tyrosine kinase plays a critical role in regulating actin dynamics and migration of airway smooth muscle cells and nonmuscle cells. Recent studies suggest that intermediate filaments undergo reorganization during migration, which coordinates focal adhesion dynamics, cell contraction, and nucleus rigidity. In particular, vimentin intermediate filaments undergo phosphorylation and reorientation in smooth muscle cells, which may regulate cell contraction and focal adhesion assembly/disassembly. Motile cells are characterized by a front-rear polarization of the microtubule framework, which regulates all essential processes leading to cell migration through its role in cell mechanics, intracellular trafficking, and signaling. This review recapitulates our current knowledge how the three cytoskeletal systems spatially and temporally modulate the migratory properties of cells. We also summarize the potential role of migration-associated biomolecules in lung and vascular diseases.

No abstract

Inflammation-resolution is a protective response that is mediated by specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). The clearance of dead cells or efferocytosis is a critical cellular program of inflammation-resolution. Impaired efferocytosis can lead to tissue damage in prevalent human diseases, like atherosclerosis. Therefore understanding mechanisms associated with swift clearance of dead cells is of utmost clinical importance. Recently, the accumulation of necroptotic cells (NCs) was observed in human plaques and we postulated that this is due to defective clearance programs. Here we present evidence that NCs are inefficiently taken up by macrophages because they have increased surface expression of a well-known "don't eat me" signal called CD47. High levels of CD47 on NCs stimulated RhoA-pMLC signaling in macrophages that promoted "nibbling", rather than whole-cell engulfment of NCs. Anti-CD47 blocking antibodies limited RhoA-p-MLC signaling and promoted whole-cell NC engulfment. Treatment with anti-CD47 blocking antibodies to Ldlr −/− mice with established atherosclerosis decreased necrotic cores, limited the accumulation of plaque NCs and increased lesional SPMs, including Resolvin D1 (RvD1) compared with IgG controls. Mechanistically, RvD1 promoted whole-cell engulfment of NCs by decreasing RhoA signaling and activating CDC42. RvD1 specifically targeted NCs for engulfment by facilitating the release of the well-known "eat me signal" called calreticulin from macrophages in a CDC42 dependent manner. Lastly, RvD1 enhanced the clearance of NCs in advanced murine plaques. Together, these results suggest new molecules and signaling associated with the clearance of NCs, provide a new paradigm for the regulation of inflammation-resolution, and offer a potential treatment strategy for diseases where NCs underpin the pathology.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase that has been implicated in mitosis, cytokinesis, and smooth muscle cell proliferation. The role of Plk1 in smooth muscle contraction has not been investigated. Here, stimulation with acetylcholine induced Plk1 phosphorylation at Thr-210 (an indication of Plk1 activation) in smooth muscle. Contractile stimulation also activated Plk1 in live smooth muscle cells as evidenced by changes in fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal of a Plk1 sensor. Moreover, knockdown of Plk1 in smooth muscle attenuated force development. Smooth muscle conditional knock-out of Plk1 also diminished contraction of mouse tracheal rings. Plk1 knockdown inhibited acetylcholine-induced vimentin phosphorylation at Ser-56 without affecting myosin light chain phosphorylation. Expression of T210A Plk1 inhibited the agonist-induced vimentin phosphorylation at Ser-56 and contraction in smooth muscle. However, myosin light chain phosphorylation was not affected by T210A Plk1. Ste20-like kinase (SLK) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase that has been implicated in spindle orientation and microtubule organization during mitosis. In this study knockdown of SLK inhibited Plk1 phosphorylation at Thr-210 and activation. Finally, asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, which largely stems from airway smooth muscle hyperreactivity. Here, smooth muscle conditional knock-out of Plk1 attenuated airway resistance and airway smooth muscle hyperreactivity in a murine model of asthma. Taken together, these findings suggest that Plk1 regulates smooth muscle contraction by modulating vimentin phosphorylation at Ser-56. Plk1 activation is regulated by SLK during contractile activation. Plk1 contributes to the pathogenesis of asthma.