Heterologous desensitization of the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors by purinoceptor activation in renal mesangial cells

Abstract

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is considered a potent mitogen for mesangial cells and activates the classical mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade via S1P receptors. In this study, we show that S1P signalling is rapidly desensitized upon S1P receptor activation. A complete loss of S1P sensitivity occurs after 10 min of S1P pretreatment and remains for at least 8h. A similar desensitization is also seen with the S1P mimetic FTY720-phosphate, but not with the nonphosphorylated FTY720, nor with sphingosine or ceramide. Prestimulating the cells with extracellular ATP or UTP, which bind to and activate P2Y receptors on mesangial cells, a similar rapid desensitization of the S1P receptor occurs, suggesting a heterologous desensitization of S1P receptors by P2Y receptor activation. Furthermore, adenosine binding to P1 receptors triggers a similar desensitization. In contrast, two other growth factors, PDGF-BB and TGFβ 2, have no significant effect on S1P-induced MAPK activation. S1P also triggers increased inositol trisphosphate (IP 3) formation, which is completely abolished by S1P pretreatment but only partially by ATP pretreatment, suggesting that IP 3 formation and MAPK activation stimulated by S1P involve different receptor subtypes. Increasing intracellular cAMP levels by forskolin pretreatment has a similar effect on desensitization as adenosine. Moreover, a selective A 3 adenosine receptor agonist, which couples to phospholipase C and increases IP 3 formation, exerted a similar effect. Pretreatment of cells with various protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors prior to ATP prestimulation and subsequent S1P stimulation leads to a differential reversal of the ATP effect. Whereas the broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine potently reverses the effect, the PKC-α inhibitor CGP41251, the PKC-δ inhibitor rottlerin and calphostin C show only a partial reversal at maximal concentrations. Suramin, which is reported as a selective S1P 3 receptor antagonist compared to the other S1P receptor subtypes, has no effect on the S1P-induced MAPK activation, thus excluding the involvement of S1P 3 in this response. In summary, these data document a rapid homologous and also heterologous desensitization of S1P signalling in mesangial cells, which is mechanistically triggered by PKC activation and eventually another staurosporine-sensitive protein kinase, as well as by increased cAMP formation.