Novel role for the Lu/BCAM–spectrin interaction in actin cytoskeleton reorganization

Lu/BCAM (Lutheran/basal cell-adhesion molecule) is a laminin 511/521 receptor expressed in erythroid and endothelial cells, and in epithelial tissues. The RK573–574 (Arg573-Lys574) motif of the Lu/BCAM cytoplasmic domain interacts with αI-spectrin, the main component of the membrane skeleton in red blood cells. In the present paper we report that Lu/BCAM binds to the non-erythroid αII-spectrin via the RK573–574 motif. Alanine substitution of this motif abolished the Lu/BCAM–spectrin interaction, enhanced the half-life of Lu/BCAM at the MDCK (Madin–Darby canine kidney) cell surface, and increased Lu/BCAM-mediated cell adhesion and spreading on laminin 511/521. We have shown that the Lu/BCAM–spectrin interaction mediated actin reorganization during cell adhesion and spreading on laminin 511/521. This interaction was involved in a laminin 511/521-to-actin signalling pathway leading to stress fibre formation. This skeletal rearrangement was associated with an activation of the small GTP-binding protein RhoA, which depended on the integrity of the Lu/BCAM laminin 511/521-binding site. It also required a Lu/BCAM–αII-spectrin interaction, since its disruption decreased stress fibre formation and RhoA activation. We conclude that the Lu/BCAM–spectrin interaction is required for stress fibre formation during cell spreading on laminin 511/521, and that spectrin acts as a signal relay between laminin 511/521 and actin that is involved in actin dynamics.

The simulation of stress fibre and focal adhesion development in cells on patterned substrates

The remodelling of the cytoskeleton and focal adhesion (FA) distributions for cells on substrates with micro-patterned ligand patches is investigated using a bio-chemo-mechanical model. We investigate the effect of ligand pattern shape on the cytoskeletal arrangements and FA distributions for cells having approximately the same area. The cytoskeleton model accounts for the dynamic rearrangement of the actin/myosin stress fibres. It entails the highly nonlinear interactions between signalling, the kinetics of tension-dependent stress-fibre formation/dissolution and stress-dependent contractility. This model is coupled with another model that governs FA formation and accounts for the mechano-sensitivity of the adhesions from thermodynamic considerations. This coupled modelling scheme is shown to capture a variety of key experimental observations including: (i) the formation of high concentrations of stress fibres and FAs at the periphery of circular and triangular, convex-shaped ligand patterns; (ii) the development of high FA concentrations along the edges of the V-, T-, Y- and U-shaped concave ligand patterns; and (iii) the formation of highly aligned stress fibres along the non-adhered edges of cells on the concave ligand patterns. When appropriately calibrated, the model also accurately predicts the radii of curvature of the non-adhered edges of cells on the concave-shaped ligand patterns.

Function and regulation of RhoE

The three Rnd proteins, Rnd1, Rnd2 and RhoE/Rnd3, are a subset of Rho family proteins that are unusual in that they bind but do not hydrolyse GTP, and are therefore not regulated by the classical GTP/GDP conformational switch of small GTPases. Increased expression of each Rnd protein induces loss of stress fibres in cultured fibroblasts and epithelial cells, acting antagonistically to RhoA, which stimulates stress fibre formation. RhoE is farnesylated and localizes partly on membranes, including the Golgi and plasma membrane, and in the cytosol. RhoE inhibits RhoA signalling in part by binding to the RhoA-activated serine/threonine kinase ROCK I (Rho-associated kinase I), thereby preventing it from phosphorylating its targets. RhoE activity is itself regulated by phosphorylation by ROCK I on multiple sites. RhoE phosphorylation enhances its stability, leading to an increase in RhoE levels. In addition, phosphorylation reduces its association with membranes and correlates with its ability to induce loss of stress fibres. RhoE also acts independently of ROCK to inhibit cell cycle progression, in part by preventing translation of cyclin D1, and to inhibit transformation of fibroblasts by oncogenic H-Ras. RhoE is therefore a multifunctional protein whose localization and actions are regulated by phosphorylation.

Leukotriene D4 induces stress-fibre formation in intestinal epithelial cells via activation of RhoA and PKCδ

The intestinal epithelial barrier, which is regulated by the actin cytoskeleton, exhibits permeability changes during inflammation. Here we show that activation of the CysLT1 receptor by the inflammatory mediator leukotriene D4 (LTD4) causes a rapid increase in stress-fibre formation in intestinal epithelial cells. This effect was mimicked by cytotoxic necrotising factor-1 (CNF-1)-induced activation of RhoA,overexpression of constitutively active RhoA (L63-RhoA) and phorbol-ester-induced activation of protein kinase C (PKC). In accordance,inhibition of RhoA, by C3 exoenzyme or by dominant-negative RhoA (N19-RhoA),as well as GF109203X-induced inhibition of PKC, suppressed the LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation. Introduction of the dominant-negative regulatory domain of PKCδ, but not the corresponding structures from PKCα, βII or ϵ, blocked the LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation. Evaluating the relationship between PKCδ and RhoA in LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation,we found that C3 exoenzyme inhibited the rapid LTD4-elicited translocation of PKCδ to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, CNF-1-induced stress-fibre formation was blocked by GF109203X and by overexpression of the regulatory domain of PKC-δ, whereas PKC-induced stress-fibre production was not affected by N19-RhoA. We conclude that PKC-δ is located downstream of RhoA and that active RhoA and PKCδ are both necessary for LTD4-induced stress-fibre formation.