scholarly journals PyK2 and FAK connections to p190Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor regulate RhoA activity, focal adhesion formation, and cell motility

2008 ◽  
Vol 180 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangmi Lim ◽  
Ssang-Taek Lim ◽  
Alok Tomar ◽  
Margaret Gardel ◽  
Joie A. Bernard-Trifilo ◽  
...  

Integrin binding to matrix proteins such as fibronectin (FN) leads to formation of focal adhesion (FA) cellular contact sites that regulate migration. RhoA GTPases facilitate FA formation, yet FA-associated RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) remain unknown. Here, we show that proline-rich kinase-2 (Pyk2) levels increase upon loss of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Additionally, we demonstrate that Pyk2 facilitates deregulated RhoA activation, elevated FA formation, and enhanced cell proliferation by promoting p190RhoGEF expression. In normal MEFs, p190RhoGEF knockdown inhibits FN-associated RhoA activation, FA formation, and cell migration. Knockdown of p190RhoGEF-related GEFH1 does not affect FA formation in FAK−/− or normal MEFs. p190RhoGEF overexpression enhances RhoA activation and FA formation in MEFs dependent on FAK binding and associated with p190RhoGEF FA recruitment and tyrosine phosphorylation. These studies elucidate a compensatory function for Pyk2 upon FAK loss and identify the FAK–p190RhoGEF complex as an important integrin-proximal regulator of FA formation during FN-stimulated cell motility.

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4070-4082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perihan Nalbant ◽  
Yuan-Chen Chang ◽  
Jörg Birkenfeld ◽  
Zee-Fen Chang ◽  
Gary M. Bokoch

Cell migration involves the cooperative reorganization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, as well as the turnover of cell–substrate adhesions, under the control of Rho family GTPases. RhoA is activated at the leading edge of motile cells by unknown mechanisms to control actin stress fiber assembly, contractility, and focal adhesion dynamics. The microtubule-associated guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF)-H1 activates RhoA when released from microtubules to initiate a RhoA/Rho kinase/myosin light chain signaling pathway that regulates cellular contractility. However, the contributions of activated GEF-H1 to coordination of cytoskeletal dynamics during cell migration are unknown. We show that small interfering RNA-induced GEF-H1 depletion leads to decreased HeLa cell directional migration due to the loss of the Rho exchange activity of GEF-H1. Analysis of RhoA activity by using a live cell biosensor revealed that GEF-H1 controls localized activation of RhoA at the leading edge. The loss of GEF-H1 is associated with altered leading edge actin dynamics, as well as increased focal adhesion lifetimes. Tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin at residues critical for the regulation of focal adhesion dynamics was diminished in the absence of GEF-H1/RhoA signaling. This study establishes GEF-H1 as a critical organizer of key structural and signaling components of cell migration through the localized regulation of RhoA activity at the cell leading edge.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masamitsu Kanada ◽  
Akira Nagasaki ◽  
Taro Q.P. Uyeda

Some mammalian cells are able to divide via both the classic contractile ring-dependent method (cytokinesis A) and a contractile ring-independent, adhesion-dependent method (cytokinesis B). Cytokinesis A is triggered by RhoA, which, in HeLa cells, is activated by the guanine nucleotide-exchange factor Ect2 localized at the central spindle and equatorial cortex. Here, we show that in HT1080 cells undergoing cytokinesis A, Ect2 does not localize in the equatorial cortex, though RhoA accumulates there. Moreover, Ect2 depletion resulted in only modest multinucleation of HT1080 cells, enabling us to establish cell lines in which Ect2 was constitutively depleted. Thus, RhoA is activated via an Ect2-independent pathway during cytokinesis A in HT1080 cells. During cytokinesis B, Ect2-depleted cells showed narrower accumulation of RhoA at the equatorial cortex, accompanied by compromised pole-to-equator polarity, formation of ectopic lamellipodia in regions where RhoA normally would be distributed, and delayed formation of polar lamellipodia. Furthermore, C3 exoenzyme inhibited equatorial RhoA activation and polar lamellipodia formation. Conversely, expression of dominant active Ect2 in interphase HT1080 cells enhanced RhoA activity and suppressed lamellipodia formation. These results suggest that equatorial Ect2 locally suppresses lamellipodia formation via RhoA activation, which indirectly contributes to restricting lamellipodia formation to polar regions during cytokinesis B.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
pp. 4265-4279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph C. Salem ◽  
Marta M. Reviriego-Mendoza ◽  
Lorraine C. Santy

When expressed in epithelial cells, cytohesin-2/ARNO, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for ARF small GTPases, causes a robust migration response. Recent evidence suggests that cytohesin-2/ARNO acts downstream of small the GTPase R-Ras to promote spreading and migration. We hypothesized that cytohesin-2/ARNO could transmit R-Ras signals by regulating the recycling of R-Ras through ARF activation. We found that Eps15-homology domain 1 (EHD1), a protein that associates with the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC), colocalizes with active R-Ras in transiently expressed HeLa cells. In addition, we show that EHD1-positive recycling endosomes are a novel compartment for cytohesin-2/ARNO. Knockdown or expression of GEF-inactive (E156K) cytohesin-2/ARNO causes R-Ras to accumulate on recycling endosomes containing EHD1 and inhibits cell spreading. E156K-ARNO also causes a reduction in focal adhesion size and number. Finally, we demonstrate that R-Ras/ARNO signaling is required for recycling of α5-integrin and R-Ras to the plasma membrane. These data establish a role for cytohesin-2/ARNO as a regulator of R-Ras and integrin recycling and suggest that ARF-regulated trafficking of R-Ras is required for R-Ras–dependent effects on spreading and adhesion formation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Jiao ◽  
Di Wu ◽  
Qize Wei

Blebs are involved in various biological processes such as cell migration, cytokinesis, and apoptosis. While the expansion of blebs is largely an intracellular pressure-driven process, the retraction of blebs is believed to be driven by RhoA activation that leads to the reassembly of the actomyosin cortex at the bleb membrane. However, it is still poorly understood how RhoA is activated at the bleb membrane. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that myosin II–interacting guanine nucleotide exchange factor (MYOGEF) is implicated in bleb retraction via stimulating RhoA activation and the reassembly of an actomyosin network at the bleb membrane during bleb retraction. Interaction of MYOGEF with ezrin, a well-known regulator of bleb retraction, is required for MYOGEF localization to retracting blebs. Notably, knockout of MYOGEF or ezrin not only disrupts RhoA activation at the bleb membrane, but also interferes with nonmuscle myosin II localization and activation, as well as actin polymerization in retracting blebs. Importantly, MYOGEF knockout slows down bleb retraction. We propose that ezrin interacts with MYOGEF and recruits it to retracting blebs, where MYOGEF activates RhoA and promotes the reassembly of the cortical actomyosin network at the bleb membrane, thus contributing to the regulation of bleb retraction.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 622-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather S. Carr ◽  
Christopher A. Morris ◽  
Sarita Menon ◽  
Eun Hyeon Song ◽  
Jeffrey A. Frost

ABSTRACTRhoA is overexpressed in human cancer and contributes to aberrant cell motility and metastatic progression; however, regulatory mechanisms controlling RhoA activity in cancer are poorly understood. Neuroepithelial transforming gene 1 (Net1) is a RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is overexpressed in human cancer. It encodes two isoforms, Net1 and Net1A, which cycle between the nucleus and plasma membrane. Net1 proteins must leave the nucleus to activate RhoA, but mechanisms controlling the extranuclear localization of Net1 isoforms have not been described. Here, we show that Rac1 activation causes relocalization of Net1 isoforms outside the nucleus and stimulates Net1A catalytic activity. These effects do not require Net1A catalytic activity, its pleckstrin homology domain, or its regulatory C terminus. We also show that Rac1 activation protects Net1A from proteasome-mediated degradation. Replating cells on collagen stimulates endogenous Rac1 to relocalize Net1A, and inhibition of proteasome activity extends the duration and magnitude of Net1A relocalization. Importantly, we demonstrate that Net1A, but not Net1, is required for cell spreading on collagen, myosin light chain phosphorylation, and focal adhesion maturation. These data identify the first physiological mechanism controlling the extranuclear localization of Net1 isoforms. They also demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for Net1A in regulating cell adhesion.


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