scholarly journals Ubiquitination-Dependent Regulation of Small GTPases in Membrane Trafficking: From Cell Biology to Human Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zehui Lei ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Lingqiang Zhang ◽  
Cui Hua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Temporal Regulation ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Membrane trafficking is critical for cellular homeostasis, which is mainly carried out by small GTPases, a class of proteins functioning in vesicle budding, transport, tethering and fusion processes. The accurate and organized membrane trafficking relies on the proper regulation of small GTPases, which involves the conversion between GTP- and GDP-bound small GTPases mediated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Emerging evidence indicates that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of small GTPases, especially ubiquitination, play an important role in the spatio-temporal regulation of small GTPases, and the dysregulation of small GTPase ubiquitination can result in multiple human diseases. In this review, we introduce small GTPases-mediated membrane trafficking pathways and the biological processes of ubiquitination-dependent regulation of small GTPases, including the regulation of small GTPase stability, activity and localization. We then discuss the dysregulation of small GTPase ubiquitination and the associated human membrane trafficking-related diseases, focusing on the neurological diseases and infections. An in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which ubiquitination regulates small GTPases can provide novel insights into the membrane trafficking process, which knowledge is valuable for the development of more effective and specific therapeutics for membrane trafficking-related human diseases.

Smurf1 directly targets hPEM-2, a GEF for Cdc42, via a novel combination of protein interaction modules in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway

2008 ◽  
Vol 389 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Yamaguchi ◽  
Osamu Ohara ◽  
Akikazu Ando ◽  
Takahiro Nagase
Keyword(s):  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Proteasomal Degradation ◽  
Firefly Luciferase ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Ph Domain ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Temporal Regulation ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Novel Target

Abstract Smurf1, a member of HECT-type E3 ubiquitin ligases, regulates cell polarity and protrusive activity by inducing ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of the small GTPase RhoA. We report here that hPEM-2, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small GTPase Cdc42, is a novel target of Smurf1. Pulse-chase labeling and a ubiquitination experiment using MG132, a proteasomal inhibitor, indicate that Smurf1 induces proteasomal degradation of hPEM-2 in cells. GST pull-down assays with heterologously expressed firefly luciferase-fusion proteins that include partial sequences of hPEM-2 reveal that part of the PH domain (residues 318–343) of hPEM-2 is sufficient for binding to Smurf1. In contrast, the hPEM-2 binding domain in Smurf1 was mapped to the C2 domain. Although it has been reported that the binding activities of some C2 domains to target proteins are regulated by Ca2+, Smurf1 interacts with hPEM-2 in a Ca2+-independent manner. Our discovery that hPEM-2 is, in addition to RhoA, a target protein of Smurf1 suggests that Smurf1 plays a crucial role in the spatio-temporal regulation of Rho GTPase family members.

scholarly journals Apical polarity proteins recruit the RhoGEF Cysts to promote junctional myosin assembly

2019 ◽  
Vol 218 (10) ◽  
pp. 3397-3414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan T. Silver ◽  
Frederik Wirtz-Peitz ◽  
Sérgio Simões ◽  
Milena Pellikka ◽  
Dong Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Adherens Junctions ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Temporal Regulation ◽  
Apical Polarity ◽  
Polarity Proteins ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Crumbs Complex

The spatio-temporal regulation of small Rho GTPases is crucial for the dynamic stability of epithelial tissues. However, how RhoGTPase activity is controlled during development remains largely unknown. To explore the regulation of Rho GTPases in vivo, we analyzed the Rho GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF) Cysts, the Drosophila orthologue of mammalian p114RhoGEF, GEF-H1, p190RhoGEF, and AKAP-13. Loss of Cysts causes a phenotype that closely resembles the mutant phenotype of the apical polarity regulator Crumbs. This phenotype can be suppressed by the loss of basolateral polarity proteins, suggesting that Cysts is an integral component of the apical polarity protein network. We demonstrate that Cysts is recruited to the apico-lateral membrane through interactions with the Crumbs complex and Bazooka/Par3. Cysts activates Rho1 at adherens junctions and stabilizes junctional myosin. Junctional myosin depletion is similar in Cysts- and Crumbs-compromised embryos. Together, our findings indicate that Cysts is a downstream effector of the Crumbs complex and links apical polarity proteins to Rho1 and myosin activation at adherens junctions, supporting junctional integrity and epithelial polarity.

Common mechanisms of catalysis in small and heterotrimeric GTPases and their respective GAPs

2017 ◽  
Vol 398 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 523-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Gerwert ◽  
Daniel Mann ◽  
Carsten Kötting
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nucleophilic Attack ◽  
Protein Signaling ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Gtp Hydrolysis ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Molecular Reaction ◽  
External Signals

Abstract GTPases are central switches in cells. Their dysfunctions are involved in severe diseases. The small GTPase Ras regulates cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis by transmitting external signals to the nucleus. In one group of oncogenic mutations, the ‘switch-off’ reaction is inhibited, leading to persistent activation of the signaling pathway. The switch reaction is regulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), which catalyze GTP hydrolysis in Ras, and by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, which catalyze the exchange of GDP for GTP. Heterotrimeric G-proteins are activated by G-protein coupled receptors and are inactivated by GTP hydrolysis in the Gα subunit. Their GAPs are called regulators of G-protein signaling. In the same way that Ras serves as a prototype for small GTPases, Gαi1 is the most well-studied Gα subunit. By utilizing X-ray structural models, time-resolved infrared-difference spectroscopy, and biomolecular simulations, we elucidated the detailed molecular reaction mechanism of the GTP hydrolysis in Ras and Gαi1. In both proteins, the charge distribution of GTP is driven towards the transition state, and an arginine is precisely positioned to facilitate nucleophilic attack of water. In addition to these mechanistic details of GTP hydrolysis, Ras dimerization as an emerging factor in signal transduction is discussed in this review.

scholarly journals Connecdenn 3/DENND1C binds actin linking Rab35 activation to the actin cytoskeleton

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Marat ◽  
Maria S. Ioannou ◽  
Peter S. McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Endosomal Trafficking ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Endosomal Membrane ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factors

The small GTPase Rab35 regulates endosomal membrane trafficking but also recruits effectors that modulate actin assembly and organization. Differentially expressed in normal and neoplastic cells (DENN)–domain proteins are a newly identified class of Rab guanine-nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that are grouped into eight families, each activating a common Rab. The members of one family, connecdenn 1–3/DENND1A–C, are all GEFs for Rab35. Why Rab35 requires multiple GEFs is unknown. We demonstrate that connecdenn 3 uses a unique C-terminal motif, a feature not found in connecdenn 1 or 2, to directly bind actin. This interaction couples Rab35 activation to the actin cytoskeleton, resulting in dramatic changes in cell shape, notably the formation of protrusive membrane extensions. These alterations are specific to Rab35 activated by connecdenn 3 and require both the actin-binding motif and N-terminal DENN domain, which harbors the GEF activity. It was previously demonstrated that activated Rab35 recruits the actin-bundling protein fascin to actin, but the relevant GEF for this activity was unknown. We demonstrate that connecdenn 3 and Rab35 colocalize with fascin and actin filaments, suggesting that connecdenn 3 is the relevant GEF. Thus, whereas connecdenn 1 and 2 activate Rab35 for endosomal trafficking, connecdenn 3 uniquely activates Rab35 for its role in actin regulation.

scholarly journals Autoactivation of small GTPases by the GEF–effector positive feedback modules

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Goryachev ◽  
Marcin Leda
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factors ◽  
Gtpase Activating Proteins ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Exciting Area

Small GTPases are organizers of a plethora of cellular processes. The time and place of their activation are tightly controlled by the localization and activation of their regulators, guanine-nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Remarkably, in some systems, the upstream regulators of GTPases are also found downstream of their activity. Resulting feedback loops can generate complex spatiotemporal dynamics of GTPases with important functional consequences. Here we discuss the concept of positive autoregulation of small GTPases by the GEF–effector feedback modules and survey recent developments in this exciting area of cell biology.

scholarly journals Towards a Targeted Therapy:Phosphoproteomics Reveals Signaling Pathways That Are Normalized in AML Cells Following Treatment with Anti-CD44 Antibodies

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 1402-1402
Author(s):  
Heba M. Jalal El-Din ◽  
Jasmeen S. Merzaban
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Isotope Labeling ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Major Pathway ◽  
Hl60 Cells ◽  
And Control

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal malignant disease characterized by a blockage in the differentiation of myeloid cells resulting in the accumulation of highly proliferating immature blast cells. With the success of All Trans Retinoic acid (ATRA) in acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML3), differentiation therapy has become a very attractive treatment option. Ligation of CD44 (a cell surface antigen) with anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is reported to reverse the blockage of differentiation and suppress the proliferation of blasts derived from most AML subtypes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this apparent 'normalization' (reversal) of AML cells induced by CD44 have not been fully elucidated. To expand our understanding of the cellular regulation and circuitry involved, we aimed to apply a quantitative phosphoproteomic approach using Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino acids in Cell culture (SILAC) to monitor dynamic changes of phosphorylation states in HL60 cells following treatment with CD44 mAbs. Phosphoproteomic analysis identified differentially phosphorylated proteins among CD44 mAb treated and control HL60 cells that are involved in a number of major signaling pathways as determined by the Ingenuity Pathway analysis (IPA) platform. Among others, Rho signaling emerged as a major pathway significantly changed by CD44 mAb treatment. Rho GTPases are well-recognized regulators of the actin cytoskeleton but have also been implicated in diverse cellular events such as cell polarity, microtubule dynamics, membrane trafficking, transcriptional regulation, cell growth control and development. An interesting Rho family member, PAK-2 was identified in our search. PAK-2 is a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine protein kinase, which is a direct target for small GTPases and has been identified as a switch between cell survival and cell death signaling depending on its mode of activation. Western-blot analysis of cell lysates of CD44 mAb treated and control HL60 cells confirmed that the phosphorylation of Pak-2 was altered as early as 5 minutes following treatment. Further validation and characterization of the activation mode, phosphorylation dynamics and protein-protein interactions of PAK-2 are essential in understanding its role in AML. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Arf6 Can Trigger Wave Regulatory Complex-Dependent Actin Assembly Independent of Arno

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikash Singh ◽  
Anthony C. Davidson ◽  
Peter J. Hume ◽  
Vassilis Koronakis
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayers ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factor ◽  
Regulatory Complex

The small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) anchors at the plasma membrane to orchestrate key functions, such as membrane trafficking and regulating cortical actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. A number of studies have identified key players that interact with Arf6 to regulate actin dynamics in diverse cell processes, yet it is still unknown whether Arf6 can directly signal to the wave regulatory complex to mediate actin assembly. By reconstituting actin dynamics on supported lipid bilayers, we found that Arf6 in co-ordination with Rac1(Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1) can directly trigger actin polymerization by recruiting wave regulatory complex components. Interestingly, we demonstrated that Arf6 triggers actin assembly at the membrane directly without recruiting the Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) ARNO (ARF nucleotide-binding site opener), which is able to activate Arf1 to enable WRC-dependent actin assembly. Furthermore, using labelled E. coli, we demonstrated that actin assembly by Arf6 also contributes towards efficient phagocytosis in THP-1 macrophages. Taken together, this study reveals a mechanism for Arf6-driven actin polymerization.

Centaurin-α1 and KIF13B kinesin motor protein interaction in ARF6 signalling

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1279-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kanamarlapudi
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Motor Protein ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Kinesin Motor ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factors ◽  
Gtpase Activating Proteins ◽  
Gtp Binding ◽  
Cytoskeletal Dynamics

The ARF (ADP-ribosylation factor) family of small GTPases regulate intracellular membrane trafficking by cycling between an inactive GDP- and an active GTP-bound form. Among the six known mammalian ARFs (ARF1–ARF6), ARF6 is the least conserved and plays critical roles in membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal dynamics near the cell surface. Since ARFs have undetectable levels of intrinsic GTP binding and hydrolysis, they are totally dependent on extrinsic GEFs (guanine nucleotide-exchange factors) for GTP binding and GAPs (GTPase-activating proteins) for GTP hydrolysis. We have recently isolated a novel KIF (kinesin) motor protein (KIF13B) that binds to centaurin-α1, an ARF6GAP that binds to the second messenger PIP3 [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3]. KIFs transport intracellular vesicles and recognize their cargo by binding to proteins (receptors) localized on the surface of the cargo vesicles. Identification of centaurin-α1 as a KIF13B interactor suggests that KIF13B may transport ARF6 and/or PIP3 using centaurin-α1 as its receptor. This paper reviews the studies carried out to assess the interaction and regulation of centaurin-α1 by KIF13B.

scholarly journals Insights into neural stem cell biology from flies

2007 ◽  
Vol 363 (1489) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Egger ◽  
James M Chell ◽  
Andrea H Brand
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Neural Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neurological Injury ◽  
Temporal Regulation ◽  
Stem Cell Maintenance ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Made In

Drosophila neuroblasts are similar to mammalian neural stem cells in their ability to self-renew and to produce many different types of neurons and glial cells. In the past two decades, great advances have been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic neuroblast formation, the establishment of cell polarity and the temporal regulation of cell fate. It is now a challenge to connect, at the molecular level, the different cell biological events underlying the transition from neural stem cell maintenance to differentiation. Progress has also been made in understanding the later stages of development, when neuroblasts become mitotically inactive, or quiescent, and are then reactivated postembryonically to generate the neurons that make up the adult nervous system. The ability to manipulate the steps leading from quiescence to proliferation and from proliferation to differentiation will have a major impact on the treatment of neurological injury and neurodegenerative disease.

scholarly journals Multiple interactions between an Arf/GEF complex and charged lipids determine activation kinetics on the membrane

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (43) ◽  
pp. 11416-11421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti Karandur ◽  
Agata Nawrotek ◽  
John Kuriyan ◽  
Jacqueline Cherfils
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Ph Domain

Lipidated small GTPases and their regulators need to bind to membranes to propagate actions in the cell, but an integrated understanding of how the lipid bilayer exerts its effect has remained elusive. Here we focused on ADP ribosylation factor (Arf) GTPases, which orchestrate a variety of regulatory functions in lipid and membrane trafficking, and their activation by the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Brag2, which controls integrin endocytosis and cell adhesion and is impaired in cancer and developmental diseases. Biochemical and structural data are available that showed the exceptional efficiency of Arf activation by Brag2 on membranes. We determined the high-resolution crystal structure of unbound Brag2 containing the GEF (Sec7) and membrane-binding (pleckstrin homology) domains, revealing that it has a constitutively active conformation. We used this structure to analyze the interaction of uncomplexed Brag2 and of the myristoylated Arf1/Brag2 complex with a phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) -containing lipid bilayer, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics. These simulations revealed that the system forms a close-packed, oriented interaction with the membrane, in which multiple PIP2 lipids bind the canonical lipid-binding site and unique peripheral sites of the PH domain, the Arf GTPase and, unexpectedly, the Sec7 domain. We cross-validated these predictions by reconstituting the binding and kinetics of Arf and Brag2 in artificial membranes. Our coarse-grained structural model thus suggests that the high efficiency of Brag2 requires interaction with multiple lipids and a well-defined orientation on the membrane, resulting in a local PIP2 enrichment, which has the potential to signal toward the Arf pathway.

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