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First published online 26 July 2005
doi: 10.1242/jcs.02507

Journal of Cell Science 118, 3695-3703 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
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Research Article

Hydrogen peroxide alters membrane and cytoskeleton properties and increases intercellular connections in astrocytes

Donghui Zhu1, Kevin S. Tan2, Xiaolin Zhang2, Albert Y. Sun3, Grace Y. Sun2 and James C.-M. Lee1,*

1 Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
2 Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
3 Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: Leejam{at}missouri.edu)

Accepted 23 May 2005

Excess hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is produced in the pathogenesis of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. H2O2 may damage cells through direct oxidation of lipids, proteins and DNA or it can act as a signaling molecule to trigger intracellular pathways leading to cell death. In this study, H2O2 caused plasma membranes of primary astrocytes to become more gel-like, while artificial membranes of vesicles composed of rat brain lipid extract became more liquid crystalline-like. Besides the effects on membrane phase properties, H2O2 promoted actin polymerization, induced the formation of cell-to-cell tunneling nanotube (TNT)-like connections among astrocytes and increased the colocalization of myosin Va with F-actin. Myosin Va was also observed in the H2O2-induced F-actin-enriched TNT-like connections. Western blot analysis suggests that H2O2 triggered the phosphorylation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and that SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, suppressed the changes in membrane phase properties and cytoskeleton resulting from H2O2 treatment. These results suggest that H2O2 alters astrocyte membranes and the cytoskeleton through activation of the p38 MAPK pathway.

Key words: actin, cytoneme, nanotube, oxidative stress, p38 MAPK




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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2005