Filling the GAPs in cell dynamics control: BPGAP1 promotes cortactin translocation to the cell periphery for enhanced cell migration

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1110-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.L. Lua ◽  
B.C. Low

Cells undergo dynamic changes in morphology or motility during cellular division and proliferation, differentiation, neuronal pathfinding, wound healing, apoptosis, host defense and organ development. These processes are controlled by signalling events relayed through cascades of protein interactions leading to the establishment and maintenance of cytoskeletal networks of microtubules and actin. Various regulators, including the Rho small GTPases (guanine nucleotide triphosphatases), serve as master switches to fine-tune the amplitude, duration as well as the integration of such circuitry responses. Rho GTPases are activated by guanine nucleotide-exchange factors and inactivated by GAPs (GTPase-activating proteins). Although normally down-regulating signalling pathways by catalysing their GTPase activity, many GAPs exist with various protein modules, the functions of which still largely remain unknown. BPGAP1 is a novel RhoGAP that co-ordinately regulates pseudopodia and cell migration through the interplay of its BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP homology domains serving as a homophilic/heterophilic interaction device, an enzymic RhoGAP domain that inactivates RhoA and a proline-rich region that binds the Src homology-3 domain of cortactin. Both proteins co-localize to cell periphery and enhance cell migration. As a molecular scaffold in cortical actin assembly and organization, cortactin and its interaction with small GTPases, GAPs and tyrosine kinases seems set to provide further insights to the multiplicity and complexity of cell dynamics control. Elucidating how these processes might be individually or co-ordinately regulated through cortactin remains an exciting future challenge.

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2873-2883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bee Leng Lua ◽  
Boon Chuan Low

Rho GTPases control cell dynamics during growth and development. They are activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors and inactivated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Many GAPs exist with various protein modules, the functions of which largely remain unknown. We recently cloned and identified BPGAP1 as a novel RhoGAP that coordinately regulates pseudopodia and cell migration via the interplay of its BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP homology, RhoGAP, and the proline-rich domains. To further elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying cell dynamics control by BPGAP1, we used protein precipitations and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and identified cortactin, a cortical actin binding protein as a novel partner of BPGAP1 both in vitro and in vivo. Progressive deletion studies confirmed that cortactin interacted directly and constitutively with the proline-rich motif 182-PPPRPPLP-189 of BPGAP1 via its Src homology 3 domain. Together, they colocalized to periphery and enhanced cell migration. Furthermore, substitution of prolines at 184 and 186 with alanines abolished their interaction. Consequently, this BPGAP1 mutant failed to facilitate translocation of cortactin to the periphery, and no enhanced cell migration was observed. These results provide the first evidence that a RhoGAP functionally interacts with cortactin and represents a novel determinant in the regulation of cell dynamics.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 3823-3835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeo Hara ◽  
Etsuko Kiyokawa ◽  
Shun-ichiro Iemura ◽  
Tohru Natsume ◽  
Thomas Wassmer ◽  
...  

DOCK180 is the archetype of the DOCK180-family guanine nucleotide exchange factor for small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42. DOCK180-family proteins share two conserved domains, called DOCK homology region (DHR)-1 and -2. Although the function of DHR2 is to activate Rac1, DHR1 is required for binding to phosphoinositides. To better understand the function of DHR1, we searched for its binding partners by direct nanoflow liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and we identified sorting nexins (SNX) 1, 2, 5, and 6, which make up a multimeric protein complex mediating endosome-to-trans-Golgi-network (TGN) retrograde transport of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-MPR). Among these SNX proteins, SNX5 was coimmunoprecipitated with DOCK180 most efficiently. In agreement with this observation, DOCK180 colocalized with SNX5 at endosomes. The RNA interference-mediated knockdowns of SNX5 and DOCK180, but not Rac1, resulted in the redistribution of CI-MPR from TGN to endosomes. Furthermore, expression of the DOCK180 DHR1 domain was sufficient to restore the perturbed CI-MPR distribution in DOCK180 knockdown cells. These data suggest that DOCK180 regulates CI-MPR trafficking via SNX5 and that this function is independent of its guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity toward Rac1.


2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1417-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bulgin ◽  
Benoit Raymond ◽  
James A. Garnett ◽  
Gad Frankel ◽  
Valerie F. Crepin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Subversion of Rho family small GTPases, which control actin dynamics, is a common infection strategy used by bacterial pathogens. In particular, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) translocate type III secretion system (T3SS) effector proteins to modulate the Rho GTPases RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1, which trigger formation of stress fibers, filopodia, and lamellipodia/ruffles, respectively. The Salmonella effector SopE is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates Rac1 and Cdc42, which induce “the trigger mechanism of cell entry.” Based on a conserved Trp-xxx-Glu motif, the T3SS effector proteins IpgB1 and IpgB2 of Shigella, SifA and SifB of Salmonella, and Map of EPEC and EHEC were grouped together into a WxxxE family; recent studies identified the T3SS EPEC and EHEC effectors EspM and EspT as new family members. Recent structural and functional studies have shown that representatives of the WxxxE effectors share with SopE a 3-D fold and GEF activity. In this minireview, we summarize contemporary findings related to the SopE and WxxxE GEFs in the context of their role in subverting general host cell signaling pathways and infection.


1997 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 797-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank N. van Leeuwen ◽  
Hendrie E.T. Kain ◽  
Rob A. van der Kammen ◽  
Frits Michiels ◽  
Onno W. Kranenburg ◽  
...  

The invasion-inducing T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) protein functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the small GTPase Rac1. Differentiation-dependent expression of Tiam1 in the developing brain suggests a role for this GEF and its effector Rac1 in the control of neuronal morphology. Here we show that overexpression of Tiam1 induces cell spreading and affects neurite outgrowth in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. These effects are Rac-dependent and strongly promoted by laminin. Overexpression of Tiam1 recruits the α6β1 integrin, a laminin receptor, to specific adhesive contacts at the cell periphery, which are different from focal contacts. Cells overexpressing Tiam1 no longer respond to lysophosphatidic acid– induced neurite retraction and cell rounding, processes mediated by Rho, suggesting that Tiam1-induced activation of Rac antagonizes Rho signaling. This inhibition can be overcome by coexpression of constitutively active RhoA, which may indicate that regulation occurs at the level of Rho or upstream. Conversely, neurite formation induced by Tiam1 or Rac1 is further promoted by inactivating Rho. These results demonstrate that Rac- and Rho-mediated pathways oppose each other during neurite formation and that a balance between these pathways determines neuronal morphology. Furthermore, our data underscore the potential role of Tiam1 as a specific regulator of Rac during neurite formation and illustrate the importance of reciprocal interactions between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix during this process.


2002 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Souchet ◽  
Elodie Portales-Casamar ◽  
David Mazurais ◽  
Susanne Schmidt ◽  
Isabelle Léger ◽  
...  

The Rho small GTPases are crucial proteins involved in regulation of signal transduction cascades from extracellular stimuli to cell nucleus and cytoskeleton. It has been reported that these GTPases are directly associated with cardiovascular disorders. In this context, we have searched for novel modulators of Rho GTPases, and here we describe p63RhoGEF a new Db1-like guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). P63RhoGEF encodes a 63 kDa protein containing a Db1 homology domain in tandem with a pleckstrin homology domain and is most closely related to the second Rho GEF domain of Trio. Northern blot and in situ analysis have shown that p63RhoGEF is mainly expressed in heart and brain. In vitro guanine nucleotide exchange assays have shown that p63RhoGEF specifically acts on RhoA. Accordingly, p63RhoGEF expression induces RhoA-dependent stress fiber formation in fibroblasts and in H9C2 cardiac myoblasts. Moreover, we show that p63RhoGEF activation of RhoA in intact cells is dependent on the presence of the PH domain. Using a specific anti-p63RhoGEF antibody, we have detected the p63RhoGEF protein by immunocytochemistry in human heart and brain tissue sections. Confocal microscopy shows that p63RhoGEF is located in the sarcomeric I-band mainly constituted of cardiac sarcomeric actin. Together, these results show that p63RhoGEF is a RhoA-specific GEF that may play a key role in actin cytoskeleton reorganization in different tissues, especially in heart cellular morphology.


1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (12) ◽  
pp. 1825-1834 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Seipel ◽  
Q.G. Medley ◽  
N.L. Kedersha ◽  
X.A. Zhang ◽  
S.P. O'Brien ◽  
...  

Rho family GTPases regulate diverse cellular processes, including extracellular signal-mediated actin cytoskeleton reorganization and cell growth. The functions of GTPases are positively regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, which promote the exchange of GDP for GTP. Trio is a complex protein possessing two guanine nucleotide exchange factor domains, each with adjacent pleckstrin homology and SH3 domains, a protein serine/threonine kinase domain with an adjacent immunoglobulin-like domain and multiple spectrin-like domains. To assess the functional role of the two Trio guanine nucleotide exchange factor domains, NIH 3T3 cell lines stably expressing the individual guanine nucleotide exchange factor domains were established and characterized. Expression of the amino-terminal guanine nucleotide exchange factor domain results in prominent membrane ruffling, whereas cells expressing the carboxy-terminal guanine nucleotide exchange factor domain have lamellae that terminate in miniruffles. Moreover, cells expressing the amino-terminal guanine nucleotide exchange factor domain display more rapid cell spreading, haptotactic cell migration and anchorage-independent growth, suggesting that Trio regulates both cell motility and cell growth. Expression of full-length Trio in COS cells also alters actin cytoskeleton organization, as well as the distribution of focal contact sites. These findings support a role for Trio as a multifunctional protein that integrates and amplifies signals involved in coordinating actin remodeling, which is necessary for cell migration and growth.


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