Glucosamine prevents polarization of cytotoxic granules in NK-92 cells by disturbing FOXO1/ERK/paxillin phosphorylation

PLoS One. 2018 Jul 17;13(7):e0200757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200757. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Glucosamine (GlcN) is a naturally occurring derivative of glucose and an over-the-counter food additive. However, the mechanism underlying GlcN action on cells is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of GlcN on natural killer (NK) cells. We demonstrate that GlcN affects NK-92 cell cytotoxicity by altering the distribution of cathepsin C, a cysteine protease required for granzyme processing in cytotoxic granules. The relocation of cathepsin C due to GlcN was shown to be accompanied by a decrease in the intracellular enzyme activity and its extracellular secretion. Similarly, the relocation of endosomal aspartic cathepsin E was observed. Furthermore, we elucidated that repositioning of cathepsin C is a consequence of altered signaling pathways of cytotoxic granule movement. The inhibition of phosphorylation upstream and downstream of ERK by GlcN disturbed the polarized release of cytotoxic vesicles. Considerable changes in the ERK phosphorylation dynamics, but not in those of p38 kinase or JNK, were observed in the IL2-activated NK-92 cells. We found decreased phosphorylation of the transcription factor FOXO1 and simultaneous prolonged phosphorylation of ERK as well as its nuclear translocation. Additionally, a protein downstream of the ERK phosphorylation cascade, paxillin, was less phosphorylated, resulting in a diffuse distribution of cytotoxic granules. Taken together, our results suggest that dietary GlcN affects signaling pathway activation of NK-92 immune cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Cathepsin C / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoplasmic Granules / metabolism*
  • Diet
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism*
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1 / metabolism*
  • Glucosamine / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • K562 Cells
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Paxillin / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • FOXO1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • PXN protein, human
  • Paxillin
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Cathepsin C
  • Glucosamine
  • Acetylglucosamine

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the Slovenian Research Agency research program P1-0140 lead by Dr. Boris Turk. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.