Mercuric ions inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase dephosphorylation by inducing reactive oxygen species

Mercury intoxication profoundly affects the immune system, in particular, signal transduction of immune cells. However, the mechanism of the interaction of mercury with cellular signaling pathways, such as mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), remains elusive. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate three potential ways in which Hg2+ ions could inhibit MAPK dephosphorylation in the human T-cell line Jurkat: (1) by direct binding to phosphatases; (2) by releasing cellular zinc (Zn2+); and (3) by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hg2+ causes production of ROS, measured by dihydrorhodamine 123, and triggers ROS-mediated Zn2+ release, detected with FluoZin-3. Yet, phosphatase-inhibition is not mediated by binding of Zn2+ or Hg2+. Rather, phosphatases are inactivated by at least two forms of thiol oxidation; initial inhibition is reversible with reducing agents such as Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine. Prolonged inhibition leads to non-reversible phosphatase oxidation, presumably oxidizing the cysteine thiol to sulfinic- or sulfonic acid. Notably, phosphatases are a particularly sensitive target for Hg2+-induced oxidation, because phosphatase activity is inhibited at concentrations of Hg2+ that have only minor impact on over all thiol oxidation. This phosphatase inhibition results in augmented, ROS-dependent MAPK phosphorylation. MAPK are important regulators of T-cell function, and MAPK-activation by inhibition of phosphatases seems to be one of the molecular mechanisms by which mercury affects the immune system.