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This version published online on September 13, 2007
Endocrinology, doi:10.1210/en.2007-0767
A more recent version of this article appeared on December 1, 2007
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Submitted on June 8, 2007
Accepted on September 6, 2007

TNF-{alpha}-induced anterior pituitary folliculostellate TtT/GF cell uncoupling is mediated by Cx43 dephosphorylation

Mélissa-Anne Meilleur, Casimir D. Akpovi, R.-Marc Pelletier, and María Leiza Vitale*

Département de pathologie et biologie cellulaire, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: maria.leiza.vitale{at}umontreal.ca.

The anterior pituitary folliculostellate cells are key elements of the paracrine control of the pituitary function. These cells are the source and the target of growth factors and cytokines and are connected to other pituitary cells via Cx43-mediated gap junctions. Here, we show that acute treatment of the folliculostellate TtT/GF cell line with TNF-{alpha} caused a transient cell uncoupling that was accompanied by the dephosphorylation of Cx43 in Ser368. These TNF-{alpha}-evoked effects were dependent on protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and PKC activities. TNF-{alpha} did not affect total cell Cx43-PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) interaction, but it did induce PP2Ac recruitment to the Triton-X-100-insoluble subcellular fraction where Cx43-gap junction plaques are recovered. This recruitment temporally coincided with P(Ser368)-Cx43 dephosphorylation. Cx43 did not interact with the conventional PKC-{alpha}, but it did interact with the atypical PKC-{zeta}. Moreover, this interaction was weakened by TNF-{alpha}. Cx43 dephosphorylation in Ser368 was followed by the tyrosine phosphorylation of the protein. The temporary closure of gap junctions during acute TNF-{alpha} challenge may constitute a protective mechanism to limit or confine the spread of inflammatory signals amongst the FS cells.


Key words: folliculostellate cells • connexin • TNF-{alpha} • gap junction • hypophysis




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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




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