scholarly journals Cloning and characterization of Ras-GRF2, a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ras.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 1396-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
N P Fam ◽  
W T Fan ◽  
Z Wang ◽  
L J Zhang ◽  
H Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Calcium Influx ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Northern Analysis ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Iq Motif ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange

Conversion of Ras proteins into an activated GTP-bound state able to bind effector proteins is catalyzed by specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors in response to a large number of extracellular stimuli. Here we report the isolation of mouse cDNAs encoding Ras-GRF2, a multidomain 135-kDa protein containing a COOH-terminal Cdc25-related domain that stimulates release of GDP from Ras but not other GTPases in vitro. Ras-GRF2 bound specifically to immobilized Ras lacking bound nucleotides, suggesting stabilization of the nucleotide-free form of Ras as a mechanism of catalyzing nucleotide exchange. The NH2-terminal region of Ras-GRF2 is predicted to contain features common to various signaling proteins including two pleckstrin homology domains and a Dbl homology region. Ras-GRF2 also contains an IQ motif which was required for its apparent constitutive association with calmodulin in epithelial cells ectopically expressing Ras-GRF2. Transient expression of Ras-GRF2 in kidney epithelial cells stimulated GTP binding by Ras and potentiated calcium ionophore-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1) dependent upon the IQ motif. Calcium influx caused Ras-GRF2 subcellular localization to change from cytosolic to peripheral, suggesting a possible mechanism for controlling Ras-GRF2 interactions with Ras at the plasma membrane. Epithelial cells overexpressing Ras-GRF2 are morphologically transformed and grow in a disorganized manner with minimal intercellular contacts. Northern analysis indicated a 9-kb GRF2 transcript in brain and lung, where p135 Ras-GRF2 is known to be expressed, and RNAs of 12 kb and 2.2 kb were detected in several tissues. Thus, Ras-GRF2 proteins with different domain structures may be widely expressed and couple diverse extracellular signals to Ras activation.

scholarly journals Activation of the Rap1 Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Gene,CalDAG-GEF I, in BXH-2 Murine Myeloid Leukemia

2001 ◽  
Vol 276 (15) ◽  
pp. 11804-11811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Dupuy ◽  
Kelly Morgan ◽  
Friederike C. von Lintig ◽  
Haifa Shen ◽  
Hasan Acar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Saturation Density ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Morphological Transformation ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Acute Myeloid

Here we report the recurrent proviral activation of the Rap1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factorCalDAG-GEF I(Kawasaki, H., Springett, G. M., Toki, S., Canales, J. J., Harlan, P., Blumenstiel, J. P., Chen, E. J., Bany, I. A., Mochizuki, N., Ashbacher, A., Matsuda, M., Housman, D. E., and Graybiel, A. M. (1998)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.95, 13278–13283; Correction (1999)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.96, 318) gene in BXH-2 acute myeloid leukemia. We also show thatCalDAG-GEF Iencodes two protein isoforms, a full-length isoform (CalDAG-GEF Ia) and a C-terminally truncated isoform (CalDAG-GEF Ib). Expression of the full-lengthCalDAG-GEF Iaisoform in Rat2 fibroblasts enhances growth in low serum, whereas expression in Swiss 3T3 cells causes morphological transformation and increased saturation density. In FDCP1 myeloid cells, CalDAG-GEF Ia expression increases growth and saturation density in the presence of the diacylglycerol analogs phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), which activates CalDAG-GEF Ia exchange activity. Likewise, in 32Dcl3 myeloblast cells, CalDAG-GEF Ia expression increases cell adherence to fibronectin in response to PMA and calcium ionophore and allows higher saturation densities and prolonged growth on fibronectin-coated plates. These effects were correlated with increased Rap1, but not Ras, protein activation following PMA and calcium ionophore treatment. Our results suggest that Rap1-GTP delivers signals that favor progression through the cell cycle and morphological transformation. The identification ofCalDAG-GEF Ias a proto-oncogene in BXH-2 acute myeloid leukemia is the first evidence implicating Rap1 signaling in myeloid leukemia.

scholarly journals Interaction of Ezrin with the Novel Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor PLEKHG6 Promotes RhoG-dependent Apical Cytoskeleton Rearrangements in Epithelial Cells

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 4780-4793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romina D'Angelo ◽  
Sandra Aresta ◽  
Anne Blangy ◽  
Laurence Del Maestro ◽  
Daniel Louvard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Apical Pole ◽  
Exchange Factor ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factor

The mechanisms underlying functional interactions between ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins and Rho GTPases are not well understood. Here we characterized the interaction between ezrin and a novel Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, PLEKHG6. We show that ezrin recruits PLEKHG6 to the apical pole of epithelial cells where PLEKHG6 induces the formation of microvilli and membrane ruffles. These morphological changes are inhibited by dominant negative forms of RhoG. Indeed, we found that PLEKHG6 activates RhoG and to a much lesser extent Rac1. In addition we show that ezrin forms a complex with PLEKHG6 and RhoG. Furthermore, we detected a ternary complex between ezrin, PLEKHG6, and the RhoG effector ELMO. We demonstrate that PLEKHG6 and ezrin are both required in macropinocytosis. After down-regulation of either PLEKHG6 or ezrin expression, we observed an inhibition of dextran uptake in EGF-stimulated A431 cells. Altogether, our data indicate that ezrin allows the local activation of RhoG at the apical pole of epithelial cells by recruiting upstream and downstream regulators of RhoG and that both PLEKHG6 and ezrin are required for efficient macropinocytosis.

scholarly journals Two Ras Pathways in Fission Yeast Are Differentially Regulated by Two Ras Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 4598-4606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyi Papadaki ◽  
Véronique Pizon ◽  
Brian Onken ◽  
Eric C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Signaling Specificity ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factor ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Kinase Cascade ◽  
Synthetically Lethal

ABSTRACT How a given Ras prreotein coordinates multiple signaling inputs and outputs is a fundamental issue of signaling specificity. Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains one Ras, Ras1, that has two distinct outputs. Ras1 activates Scd1, a presumptive guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Cdc42, to control morphogenesis and chromosome segregation, and Byr2, a component of a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, to control mating. So far there is only one established Ras1 GEF, Ste6. Paradoxically, ste6 null (ste6Δ) mutants are sterile but normal in cell morphology. This suggests that Ste6 specifically activates the Ras1-Byr2 pathway and that there is another GEF capable of activating the Scd1 pathway. We thereby characterized a potential GEF, Efc25. Genetic data place Efc25 upstream of the Ras1-Scd1, but not the Ras1-Byr2, pathway. Like ras1Δ and scd1Δ, efc25Δ is synthetically lethal with a deletion in tea1, a critical element for cell polarity control. Using truncated proteins, we showed that the C-terminal GEF domain of Efc25 is essential for function and regulated by the N terminus. We conclude that Efc25 acts as a Ras1 GEF specific for the Scd1 pathway. While ste6 expression is induced during mating, efc25 expression is constitutive. Moreover, Efc25 overexpression renders cells hyperelongated and sterile; the latter can be rescued by activated Ras1. This suggests that Efc25 can recruit Ras1 to selectively activate Scd1 at the expense of Byr2. Reciprocally, Ste6 overexpression can block Scd1 activation. We propose that external signals can partly segregate two Ras1 pathways by modulating GEF expression and that GEFs can influence how Ras is coupled to specific effectors.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document