Faculty Opinions recommendation of Rap1 potentiates endothelial cell junctions by spatially controlling myosin II activity and actin organization.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin A Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Actin Organization

scholarly journals Rap1 potentiates endothelial cell junctions by spatially controlling myosin II activity and actin organization

2013 ◽  
Vol 202 (6) ◽  
pp. 901-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Ando ◽  
Shigetomo Fukuhara ◽  
Takahiro Moriya ◽  
Yutaro Obara ◽  
Norimichi Nakahata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Radial Stress ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Stress Fibers ◽  
Dynamic Regulation ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
Muscle Myosin ◽  
Cell Cell

Reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton is responsible for dynamic regulation of endothelial cell (EC) barrier function. Circumferential actin bundles (CAB) promote formation of linear adherens junctions (AJs) and tightening of EC junctions, whereas formation of radial stress fibers (RSF) connected to punctate AJs occurs during junction remodeling. The small GTPase Rap1 induces CAB formation to potentiate EC junctions; however, the mechanism underlying Rap1-induced CAB formation remains unknown. Here, we show that myotonic dystrophy kinase–related CDC42-binding kinase (MRCK)-mediated activation of non-muscle myosin II (NM-II) at cell–cell contacts is essential for Rap1-induced CAB formation. Our data suggest that Rap1 induces FGD5-dependent Cdc42 activation at cell–cell junctions to locally activate the NM-II through MRCK, thereby inducing CAB formation. We further reveal that Rap1 suppresses the NM-II activity stimulated by the Rho–ROCK pathway, leading to dissolution of RSF. These findings imply that Rap1 potentiates EC junctions by spatially controlling NM-II activity through activation of the Cdc42–MRCK pathway and suppression of the Rho–ROCK pathway.

scholarly journals Angiomotin Regulates Endothelial Cell-Cell Junctions and Cell Motility

2005 ◽  
Vol 280 (41) ◽  
pp. 34859-34869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Bratt ◽  
Olivier Birot ◽  
Indranil Sinha ◽  
Niina Veitonmäki ◽  
Karin Aase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Cell Motility ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Cell Cell

scholarly journals Brain Endothelial Cell-Cell Junctions: How to “Open” the Blood Brain Barrier

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Stamatovic ◽  
Richard Keep ◽  
Anuska Andjelkovic
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Brain Endothelial Cell ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Cell Cell

scholarly journals Myosin-dependent remodeling of adherens junctions protects junctions from Snail-dependent disassembly

2016 ◽  
Vol 212 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mo Weng ◽  
Eric Wieschaus
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Adherens Junctions ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Snail Expression ◽  
Quantitative Image ◽  
Early Expression ◽  
Temporally Correlated ◽  
Shape Changes

Although Snail is essential for disassembly of adherens junctions during epithelial–mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), loss of adherens junctions in Drosophila melanogaster gastrula is delayed until mesoderm is internalized, despite the early expression of Snail in that primordium. By combining live imaging and quantitative image analysis, we track the behavior of E-cadherin–rich junction clusters, demonstrating that in the early stages of gastrulation most subapical clusters in mesoderm not only persist, but move apically and enhance in density and total intensity. All three phenomena depend on myosin II and are temporally correlated with the pulses of actomyosin accumulation that drive initial cell shape changes during gastrulation. When contractile myosin is absent, the normal Snail expression in mesoderm, or ectopic Snail expression in ectoderm, is sufficient to drive early disassembly of junctions. In both cases, junctional disassembly can be blocked by simultaneous induction of myosin contractility. Our findings provide in vivo evidence for mechanosensitivity of cell–cell junctions and imply that myosin-mediated tension can prevent Snail-driven EMT.

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