Random migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes induced by GM-CSF involving a signal transduction pathway different from that of fMLP

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) induced random migration of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) but not chemotaxis. Chemoattractants such as N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) induced both random migration and chemotaxis. Other inflammatory cytokines, including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), did not induce either movement. One-minute exposure of PMNs to GM-CSF was sufficient for the induction of random migration, whereas fMLP-induced random migration required continued presence of fMLP. Inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K), protein kinase C (PKC), and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) had no effect on random migration induced by GM-CSF, whereas fMLP-induced movements were partially inhibited by PTK inhibitors but not by inhibitors of PI3-K inhibitors nor PKC inhibitors. Myosin light chain kinase inhibitors inhibited movements of PMNs induced by both GM-CSF and fMLP. These findings also imply that some aspects of the signal transduction pathway of GM-CSF leading to random migration is different from that of fMLP. Our findings suggest that cell movements are controlled through diverse signal transduction systems.