To date, there have been nine receptors cloned that are specifically activated by the recently recognized class of PLGFs. These receptors belong to two distinct gene families, including one in the PSP24 family and eight in the LPA-sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) family.
6 8 9 PSP24 and LPA
1-3 all bind LPA, whereas S1P
1-5 most avidly bind S1P. All the PLGF receptors studied to date have been linked to a G-protein signaling cascade. LPA
1 has been linked to Gα
i,
10 11 LPA
2 appears to be linked to both Gα
i and Gα
q,
11 12 and LPA
3 appears to be linked only to Gα
q.
13 We have published functional evidence that the LPA-activated response in acutely isolated wound-activated keratocytes (WAKs) is receptor mediated.
4 7 The evidence from these studies indicates that the receptors mediating ICl
LPA responses in WAKs are activated by both alkenyl-GP and LPA, but not by lysophosphatidyl choline. All these previous rabbit keratocyte electrophysiology studies were performed in acutely isolated cells, whereas the functional studies were performed in cultured cells. The present study was designed in part to determine whether, indeed, cultured rabbit corneal keratocytes also contain ICl
LPA. Because many cell types change their ion channel profiles once placed in culture, this is an important question. If cultured keratocytes contain ICl
LPA, these cells can serve as a model to examine the transduction pathways underlying the receptor-mediated response, as well as the functional significance of ICl
LPA activation in WAKs. This is significant, in that with the exception of its activation in keratocytes, this current is typically found to be activated by increases in cell volume and not through a receptor-mediated pathway.
4 7 This study was also designed to determine whether cultured keratocytes have minimal K
+ and Na
+ current expression, as seen in WAKs. Finally, the study was designed to determine the effect of activation of ICl
LPA on the resting voltage (
E m) of these cells and to examine the possibility that S1P also activates ICl
LPA.