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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-7-30
pubmed:abstractText
The function and regulation of keratin 8 (K8) and 18 (K18), intermediate filament (IF) proteins of the liver, are not fully understood. We employed the liver damage induced by microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a liver-specific inhibitor of type-1 and type-2A protein phosphatases, in normal and in keratin assembly-incompetent mouse strains as a model to elucidate the roles of IF phosphorylation in situ. The mouse strains used were wild-type (wt) mice and mice with abnormal filament assembly, caused by a targeted null mutation of the K8 gene or caused by expression of a point-mutated dominant negative human K18. In vivo 32P-labeled wt mice, subsequently injected with a lethal dose of MC-LR, showed hyperphosphorylation, disassembly, and reorganization of K8/K18, in particular K18, indicating high phosphate turnover on liver keratins in situ. At lethal doses, the keratin assembly-incompetent mice displayed liver lesions faster than wt mice, as indicated histopathologically and by liver-specific plasma enzyme elevations. The histological changes included centrilobular hemorrhage in all mouse strains. The assembly-incompetent mice showed a marked vacuolization of periportal hepatocytes. Indistinguishable MC-LR-induced reorganization of microfilaments was observed in all mice, indicating that this effect on microfilaments is not dependent on the presence of functional K8/K18 networks. At sublethal doses of MC-LR, all animals had the same potential to recover from the liver damage. Our study shows that K8/K18 filament assembly is regulated in vivo by serine phosphorylation. The absence or occurrence of defective K8/K18 filaments render animals more prone to liver damage, which supports the previously suggested roles of keratin IFs in maintenance of structural integrity.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0270-9139
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
28
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
116-28
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Protein phosphatase inhibition in normal and keratin 8/18 assembly-incompetent mouse strains supports a functional role of keratin intermediate filaments in preserving hepatocyte integrity.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Biology, Abo Akademi University, BioCity, Turku, Finland.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't