p21-Activated Kinases Regulate Directional Migration and Cytoskeletal Organization in Human Neutrophils

Abstract 834

Neutrophil chemotaxis is controlled by coordinated processes of directional sensing, polarization and motility. This study was designed to characterize the role of p21-activated kinases (PAKs) during the chemotaxis of human primary neutrophils. PAKs are known as effectors of the Rho GTPases Rac and Cdc42. It has been shown that PAK1 and PAK2 are strongly activated downstream of the f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) receptor via Rac (Huang et al., MCB 1998). PAK1 is known to localize in lamellipodia at the leading edge of human neutrophils (Dharmawardhane et al., JLB 1999) and mediate persistent directional migration via Cdc42 in a neutrophil-like cell line (Li et al., Cell 2003). However, little is known about the specific role of PAK isoforms in spatial/temporal regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics in human neutrophils.

Our data show that human neutrophils express PAK1, 2 and 4. Under an fMLP gradient, human neutrophils developed morphological polarity with a distinct leading edge and rear, and migrated up the fMLP gradient at the speed of 7.5 ± 0.56 μm/min. Inhibition of Rac or PI3K impaired directionality but did not significantly affect migration speed of chemotaxing neutrophils (6.3 ± 0.56 μm/min or 6.2 ± 0.85 μm/min, respectively). In contrast, neutrophils treated with the PAK inhibitor, PF3758309 (PF), displayed random migration, less polarization and reduced motility (3.1 ± 0.21 μm/min). These results suggest that PAK regulates neutrophil chemotaxis independently of the Rac-PI3K axis. The presence of PF did not abrogate intracellular Ca²⁺mobilization in fMLP-driven chemotactic condition. Instead, the decreased migratory ability by PAK inhibition was associated with multiple Ca²⁺ spikes. Immunofluorescence imaging shows that PAK2 but not PAK1, was phosphorylated and translocated from cytosol to actin-rich leading edge in the proximity to GTP-bound Rac within 3 min of fMLP stimulation. Notably, PF treatment resulted in partial neutrophil spreading and actin/myosin II translocation in the absence of extracellular stimuli, suggesting that basal level of PAK phosphorylation may be required for cytoskeletal integrity of resting neutrophils. Neutrophils pretreated with PF displayed less activation and translocation of PAK2 and Rac.

In summary, our data demonstrate for the first time the distinct roles of PAK isoforms in human neutrophil morphological polarity and directional migration and suggest that PAK2 is activated downstream of fMLP receptor through Rho-family small GTPases.