Regulation Of RhoA Research Articles

Cancer-associated mutations in the protrusion-targeting region of p190RhoGAP impact tumor cell migration.

Spatiotemporal regulation of RhoGTPases such as RhoA is required at the cell leading edge to achieve cell migration. p190RhoGAP (p190A) is the main negative regulator of RhoA and localizes to membrane protrusions, where its GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity is required for directional migration. In this study, we investigated the molecular processes responsible for p190A targeting to actin protrusions. By analyzing the subcellular localization of truncated versions of p190A in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, we identified a novel functional p190A domain: the protrusion localization sequence (PLS) necessary and sufficient for p190A targeting to leading edges. Interestingly, the PLS is also required for the negative regulation of p190A RhoGAP activity. Further, we show that the F-actin binding protein cortactin binds the PLS and is required for p190A targeting to protrusions. Lastly, we demonstrate that cancer-associated mutations in PLS affect p190A localization and function, as well as tumor cell migration. Altogether, our data unveil a new mechanism of regulation of p190A in migrating tumor cells.

RGC-32 is expressed in the human atherosclerotic arterial wall: Role in C5b-9-induced cell proliferation and migration

The complement system is an important player in the development of atherosclerosis. Previously reported as a cell cycle regulator, RGC-32 is an essential effector of the terminal complement complex, C5b-9. In this study, our aims were to determine the expression of RGC-32 in the human atherosclerotic arterial wall and to delineate the mechanisms through which RGC-32 affects C5b-9-induced endothelial cell proliferation and migration. We now demonstrate that RGC-32 is expressed in human aortic atherosclerotic wall and that RGC-32 expression increases with the progression of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, silencing of RGC-32 expression abolished C5b-9-induced human aortic endothelial cell (HAEC) proliferation and migration. Of the 279 genes differentially expressed in HAECs after RGC-32 silencing, the genes involved in cell adhesion and cell cycle activation were significantly regulated by RGC-32. RGC-32 silencing caused a significant reduction in the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin D3, Akt, ROCK1, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha and profilin. These data suggest that RGC-32 mediates HAEC migration through the regulation of RhoA and ROCK1 expression and is involved in actin cytoskeletal organization. Thus, RGC-32 has promising therapeutic potential with regard to angiogenesis and atherosclerosis.

CD147 promotes cell motility via upregulation of p190-B RhoGAP in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BackgroundThe acquisition of inappropriate migratory feature is crucial for tumor metastasis. Rho-family GTPases including RhoA are molecular switches that play critical roles in regulating cell movement. We investigated the molecular mechanism underlying CD147 induced RhoA deactivation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.MethodsWound-healing assay was performed to study the cell motility. Analysis of RhoA activation in living cells was conducted using RhoA biosensor. Changes in the expression of certain genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of proteins was evaluated by Western blot. Cytoskeleton reorganization and focal adhesion formation were observed by immunofluorescence staining. Further investigation on the correlation between CD147 and p190-B RhoGAP (p190-B) in HCC tissues was performed by immunological histological chemistry analysis.ResultsCD147 promoted cell movement and suppressed RhoA activation. p190-B, a negative regulator of RhoA activity, was upregulated by CD147 at both mRNA and protein levels. This regulatory relationship was further confirmed by analyzing the expression pattern of CD147 and p190-B in human HCC tissues. Silencing of p190-B caused the increased formation of stress fiber and focal adhesion and blunted the impact of CD147 overexpression on cell movement, indicating that the regulatory effect of CD147 on cell movement is mediated, at least partially, by p190-B.ConclusionsThese findings indicated that p190-B, a negative regulator of RhoA, is positively regulated by CD147 and contributes to the regulation of cell movement in HCC. CD147 plays critical roles in the motility of cancer cells and may be therefore a valuable drug target for anti-cancer therapy.

MiR-194 is a negative regulator of GEF-H1 pathway in melanoma.

The incidence and associated mortality of melanoma continues to increase worldwide. At present, there is no curative therapy for advanced stage of melanoma. It is necessary to find new indicators of prognosis and therapeutic targets. Increasing evidence shows that miRNA can provide potential candidate biomarkers for melanoma and therapeutic targets. GEF-H1, a regulator of RhoA, as oncogenic driver in melanoma, promotes the growth and invasion of melanoma. miR-194 is a tumor-suppressor gene in multiple tumors, such as bladder and non-small cell lung cancer, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. In the present study, we demonstrated that GEF-H1 serves as target of miR-194. Overexpression of miR-194 downregulates the GEF-H1/RhoA pathway, inhibits melanoma cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Furthermore, miR-194 expression is negatively associated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages. Briefly, our findings provided new theoretical basis for melanoma treatment.

Abstract 123: Adenoviral RhoA Regulation of Dynamin-related Protein 1 and Cardiac Mitochondrial Fission

G protein coupled receptors can signal downstream through various pathways, including activation of the small G protein RhoA. In cardiomyocytes, RhoA signaling is protective against ischemia/reperfusion injury. We have previously shown that this is mediated through downstream activation of Protein Kinase D (PKD), increased phosphorylation of cofilin, and diminished translocation of pro-apoptotic proteins to the mitochondria (Xiang et al, Sci. Signaling 2013). Mitophagy, a process that removes damaged mitochondria and limits mitochondrial death signaling, has also been suggested to be a cardioprotective response to oxidative stress. A step considered to be preliminary to clearance of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy is mitochondrial fission, and we hypothesized that RhoA signaling increases mitochondrial fission in cardiomyocytes. Constitutively active RhoA expressed in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) was found to accumulate at the mitochondria. This was associated with an increase in small, fragmented mitochondria as observed by fluorescent confocal microscopy and electron microscopy, indicative of increased mitochondrial fission. The main protein involved in mitochondrial fission, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), translocates from the cytosol to the mitochondria when activated. We used a tagged adenoviral Drp1 construct to determine whether expression of active RhoA changes Drp1 levels at the mitochondria. Mitochondrial Drp1 increased within 12 hours of adenoviral expression of active RhoA. Adenoviral RhoA expression also increased phosphorylation of Drp1 at serine-616 in NRVMs. In summary, we show that in cardiomyocytes, RhoA associates with mitochondria, can increase Drp1 phosphorylation and Drp1 mitochondrial localization, and can induce mitochondrial fission. The relationship between these mitochondrial signaling events and the protein kinases that are involved are currently under investigation. We suggest that G protein coupled receptors that stimulate RhoA can induce Drp1 accumulation and mitochondrial fission, which contributes to their cardioprotective effect.

Abstract 4572: Simultaneous activation of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 and cannabinoid receptor 2 leads to decreased Rho-induced prostate cancer metastasis

Abstract BACKGROUND: The binding of the homeostatic chemokine SDF-1 to the G -protein-coupled receptor C-X-C Chemokine Receptor 4 (CXCR4) induces cell migration via heterotrimeric G-proteins of the Gi family. Additionally, activated CXCR4 can stimulate the small GTPase RhoA through Gα13 which is required for directional cell migration, contributing to the metastatic potential of cancer cells. Recently, GPCR hetero-oligomerization has emerged as a means by which new signaling entities can be created, yet how receptor heteromers affect receptor pharmacology remains largely unknown. Here we report that agonist-bound CXCR4 is able to form a heteromer with agonist-bound cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) at the cell membrane of prostate cancer (PCa) cells and that receptor interaction inhibits the activation of the cytoskeleton regulator RhoA. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS: To confirm CXCR4-CB2 interactions on the cell membrane, we utilized an in situ proximity ligation assay to detect heterodimer formation on the surface PC-3 cells treated with SDF-1 alone or, simultaneous treatment with SDF-1 and the CB2 agonist AM1241. In order to establish that RhoA activity decreased upon heterodimerization of CXCR4 and CB2, we performed RhoA-GTP pulldown assays in PC-3 cells. We then tested the effects of CXCR4/CB2 heterodimerization on actin cytoskeletal reorganization by performing immunocytochemistry using an anti-Phalloidin antibody to detect F-actin. The ROCK kinase inhibitor Y-27632 was used as positive control of RhoA inhibition in these studies. Next, we assessed the effects of receptor heterodimerization on cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix components as the ability of cancer cells to adhere to the endothelium is critical of transendothelial migration during tumor cell intravasation and extravasation. Intuitively, alterations in adhesion capabilities should affect the ability of PCa cells to migrate through an endothelial cell monolayer. Thus we performed transendothelial migration assays. RESULTS: The proximity ligation assay revealed that CXCR4 and CB2 physically interacted on the cell surface of prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, receptor heterodimerization diminished SDF-1 induced actin cytoskeleton reorganization as characterized by membrane ruffling in a similar manner to the ROCK kinase inhibitor Y-27632. Heterodimer formation, stimulated by simultaneous treatment of cells with SDF-1 and AM1241 also attenuated PCa adhesion and transendothelial migration. CONCLUSION The attenuation of RhoA has multiple functional consequences leading to a less metastatic phenotype. Thus induction of CXCR4-CB2 heterodimerization is a viable pharmacological approach to targeting the CXCR4-RhoA axis as a means of preventing the metastatic dissemination of PCa cells. Citation Format: Kisha A. Scarlett, Christopher J. Coke, Imani Fennell, Cimona V. Hinton. Simultaneous activation of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 and cannabinoid receptor 2 leads to decreased Rho-induced prostate cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4572.

MicroRNAs in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer.

In 2012, gastric cancer (GC) was the third cause of mortality due to cancer in men and women. In Central and South America, high mortality rates have been reported. A total of 95% of tumors developed in the stomach are of epithelial origin; thus, these are denominated adenocarcinomas of the stomach. Diverse classification systems have been established, among which two types of GC based on histological type and growth pattern have been described as follows: Intestinal (IGC) and diffuse (DGC). Approximately 1-3% of GC cases are associated with heredity. Hereditary-DGC (HDGC), with 80% penetrance, is an autosomal-type, dominant syndrome in which 40% of cases are carriers of diverse mutations of the CDH1 gene, which encodes for the cadherin protein. By contrast, microRNA are non-encoded, single-chain RNA molecules. These molecules regulate the majority of cellular functions at the post-transcriptional level. However, analysis of these interactions by means of Systems Biology has allowed the understanding of complex and heterogeneous diseases, such as cancer. These molecules are ubiquitous; however, their expression can be specific in different tissues either temporarily or permanently, depending on the stage of the cell. Due to the participation of microRNA in the processes of cellular proliferation, cell cycle control, apoptosis, differentiation and metabolism, these have been indicated to have a role in the development of cancerous processes, finding specific patterns of expression in different neoplasms, including GC, in which the microRNA expression profile is different in samples of non-cancerous versus cancerous tissues. A difference has been observed in the expression patterns of DGC and IGC. However, the role of microRNA in HDGC has not yet been established. The present study reviews the investigations that describe the participation of microRNA in the regulation of genes CDH1, RHOA, CTNNA1, INSR and TGF-β in different neoplasms, such as HDGC.

Silencing cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor3 inhibits the migration of breast cancer cell lines.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) belongs to the dual-specificity protein phosphatase family, which is hypothesized to regulate cell cycle progression in tumor cells. However, whether CDKN3 is a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer remains to be elucidated. The present in vitro study aimed to investigate the potential roles of CDKN3 in breast cancer. Breast cancer cell lines were used to detect CDKN3 expression, and CDKN3 expression was silenced to investigate its role in cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and migration. The underlying mechanisms were screened by detecting proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA), vimentin, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) expression. CDKN3 was highly expressed in MCF-7 and BT474 cell lines. The silencing of CDKN3 in MCF-7 and BT474 cell lines promoted cell apoptosis, induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell migration. The expression levels of PCNA, RhoA, vimentin and Bcl-2 were downregulated following CDKN3 silencing. Conversely, Bax expression was increased, as compared with the vehicle control. These results suggest that CDKN3 acts as an oncogene during breast cancer progression. The in vitro silencing of CDKN3 promoted apoptosis, induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell migration. Possible mechanisms are associated with the regulation of PCNA, Bcl-2, vimentin, RhoA and Bax expression. CDKN3 may therefore be considered a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Rho-Signalgebung in der Tumorentstehung und -progression

Metastatic cancers are characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation and tissue invasion, processes controlled by small Rho GTPases, the activation of which is regulated by GEF and GAP proteins. Deleted in liver cancer (DLC) proteins are such Rho regulators that are downregulated in different types of cancer. Using proteomic approaches, genetically encoded biosensors and high resolution microscopy, our lab studies how the DLC proteins control cellular Rho activity patterns in time and space.

Oligophrenin1 protects mice against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury by modulating inflammation and myocardial apoptosis

The Rho family of small GTPases has been analyzed in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology including myocardial infarction (MI) in the last years. Contradictory results show either a protective or a declined effect of RhoA and the RhoA effector Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury that is associated with cardiomyocyte survival and caspase-3 activation. Cardiac-specific deletion of Rac1 reduced ischemia reperfusion injury in diabetic hearts, whereas cardiomyocyte specific overexpression of active Rac1 predisposes the heart to increased myocardial injury with enhanced contractile dysfunction. GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) control the activation of Rho proteins through stimulation of GTP hydrolysis. However, the impact of GAPs in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury remains elusive. Here we analyzed the role of oligophrenin1 (OPHN1), a RhoGAP with Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain known to regulate the activity of RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 in MI. The expression of Ophn1, RhoA and Rac1 is strongly upregulated 24h after myocardial ischemia. Loss of OPHN1 induced enhanced activity of Rho effector molecules leading to elevated cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased migration of inflammatory cells into the infarct border zone of OPHN1 deficient mice. Consequently, echocardiography 24h after myocardial ischemia revealed declined left ventricle function in OPHN1 deficient mice. Our results indicate that OPHN1 mediated regulation of RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 is crucial for the preservation of cardiac function after myocardial injury.

The hypusine cascade promotes cancer progression and metastasis through the regulation of RhoA in squamous cell carcinoma.

Metastasis is a critical factor contributing to poor prognosis in cancer, but the underlying mechanisms of metastasis are still poorly understood. We established a highly metastatic cell subline (HOC313-LM) derived from an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HOC313) for uncovering the mechanisms of metastasis, and identified deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) as a metastasis-associated gene within the specific amplification at 19p13.2-p13.13 in HOC313-LM. DHPS-mediated hypusine-modification of eukaryotic translation factor 5A facilitated the translation of RhoA, resulting in the activation of the RhoA signaling pathway and leading to not only increased cell motility, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells in vitro, but also increased tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, the use of N1-Guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane, a DHPS inhibitor, resulted in a significant decrease in tumor formation in vivo. In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), overexpression of DHPS in ESCC tumors was significantly associated with worse recurrence-free survival, and correlated with distant metastasis. The elucidation of these molecular mechanisms within the hypusine cascade suggests opportunities for novel therapeutic targets in SCC.

RhoA Regulation of Drp1 and Cardiac Mitochondrial Fission

G‐protein coupled receptors can signal downstream through various pathways, including through activation of the small G‐protein RhoA. In cardiomyocytes, RhoA signaling is protective against ischemia/reperfusion injury. We have previously shown that this is mediated through downstream activation of Protein Kinase D (PKD), phosphorylation of PKD targets, and diminished translocation of pro‐apoptotic proteins to the mitochondria (Xiang et al, Sci. Signaling 2013). Mitophagy, a process that removes damaged mitochondria and limits mitochondrial death signaling, has also been suggested to be a cardioprotective response to oxidative stress. Mitochondrial fission is considered to be a preliminary step to clearance of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy. We recently observed that adenoviral expression of constitutively active RhoA in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) increases RhoA levels at the mitochondria. Adenoviral RhoA expression also results in small, fragmented mitochondria as observed by fluorescent confocal microscopy and electron microscopy, indicative of increased mitochondrial fission. The main protein involved in mitochondrial fission, Drp1, translocates from the cytosol to the mitochondria when activated. We used an adenoviral miniSOG‐tagged Drp1 construct to ask whether expression of active RhoA changes Drp1 levels at the mitochondria. Our results show that mitochondrial miniSOG‐Drp1 is increased within 12 hours of adenoviral expression of constitutively active RhoA. In addition adenoviral RhoA expression increases PKD levels at mitochondria. In summary, we show that RhoA associates with mitochondria and can induce mitochondrial Drp1 and PKD accumulation, as well as mitochondrial fission. The relationship between these mitochondrial signaling events is currently under investigation, with the goal of determining whether RhoA‐dependent Drp1 accumulation and mitochondrial fission contribute to cardioprotection.Support or Funding InformationNIH Grant R37‐HL028143NIH Training Grant T32‐HL007444

Structural and Mechanistic Insights into the Regulation of the Fundamental Rho Regulator RhoGDIα by Lysine Acetylation

Rho proteins are small GTP/GDP-binding proteins primarily involved in cytoskeleton regulation. Their GTP/GDP cycle is often tightly connected to a membrane/cytosol cycle regulated by the Rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor α (RhoGDIα). RhoGDIα has been regarded as a housekeeping regulator essential to control homeostasis of Rho proteins. Recent proteomic screens showed that RhoGDIα is extensively lysine-acetylated. Here, we present the first comprehensive structural and mechanistic study to show how RhoGDIα function is regulated by lysine acetylation. We discover that lysine acetylation impairs Rho protein binding and increases guanine nucleotide exchange factor-catalyzed nucleotide exchange on RhoA, these two functions being prerequisites to constitute a bona fide GDI displacement factor. RhoGDIα acetylation interferes with Rho signaling, resulting in alteration of cellular filamentous actin. Finally, we discover that RhoGDIα is endogenously acetylated in mammalian cells, and we identify CBP, p300, and pCAF as RhoGDIα-acetyltransferases and Sirt2 and HDAC6 as specific deacetylases, showing the biological significance of this post-translational modification.

Dendritic Cell Migration and Antigen Presentation Are Coordinated by the Opposing Functions of the Tetraspanins CD82 and CD37.

This study supports a new concept where the opposing functions of the tetraspanins CD37 and CD82 may coordinate changes in migration and Ag presentation during dendritic cell (DC) activation. We have previously published that CD37 is downregulated upon monocyte-derived DC activation, promotes migration of both skin and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), and restrains Ag presentation in splenic and BMDCs. In this article, we show that CD82, the closest phylogenetic relative to CD37, appears to have opposing functions. CD82 is upregulated upon activation of BMDCs and monocyte-derived DCs, restrains migration of skin and BMDCs, supports MHC class II maturation, and promotes stable interactions between T cells and splenic DCs or BMDCs. The underlying mechanism involves the rearrangement of the cytoskeleton via a differential activation of small GTPases. Both CD37(-/-) and CD82(-/-) BMDCs lack cellular projections, but where CD37(-/-) BMDCs spread poorly on fibronectin, CD82(-/-) BMDCs are large and spread to a greater extent than wild-type BMDCs. At the molecular level, CD82 is a negative regulator of RhoA, whereas CD37 promotes activation of Rac-1; both tetraspanins negatively regulate Cdc42. Thus, this study identifies a key aspect of DC biology: an unactivated BMDC is CD37(hi)CD82(lo), resulting in a highly motile cell with a limited ability to activate naive T cells. By contrast, a late activated BMDC is CD37(lo)CD82(hi), and thus has modified its migratory, cytoskeletal, and Ag presentation machinery to become a cell superbly adapted to activating naive T cells.

The polarity protein Scribble positions DLC3 at adherens junctions to regulate Rho signaling.

The spatial regulation of cellular Rho signaling by GAP proteins is still poorly understood. By performing mass spectrometry, we here identify the polarity protein Scribble as a scaffold for the RhoGAP protein DLC3 (also known as StarD8) at cell-cell adhesions. This mutually dependent interaction is mediated by the PDZ domains of Scribble and a PDZ ligand (PDZL) motif in DLC3. Both Scribble depletion and PDZL deletion abrogated DLC3 junctional localization. Using a RhoA biosensor and a targeted GAP domain, we demonstrate that DLC3 activity locally regulates RhoA-ROCK signaling at and Scribble localization to adherens junctions, and is required for their functional integrity. In a 3D model of cyst development, we furthermore show that DLC3 depletion impairs polarized morphogenesis, phenocopying the effects observed upon Scribble knockdown. We thus propose a new function for Scribble in Rho regulation that entails positioning of DLC3 GAP activity at cell junctions in polarized epithelial cells.

BFGF Protects Against Blood-Brain Barrier Damage Through Junction Protein Regulation via PI3K-Akt-Rac1 Pathway Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Many traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors sustain neurological disability and cognitive impairments due to the lack of defined therapies to reduce TBI-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been shown to have neuroprotective function in brain injury. The present study therefore investigates the beneficial effects of bFGF on the BBB after TBI and the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that bFGF reduces neurofunctional deficits and preserves BBB integrity in a mouse model of TBI. bFGF suppresses RhoA and upregulates tight junction proteins, thereby mitigating BBB breakdown. In vitro, bFGF exerts a protective effect on BBB by upregulating tight junction proteins claudin-5, occludin, zonula occludens-1, p120-catenin, and β-catenin under oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Both the in vivo and in vitro effects are related to the activation of the downstream signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt/Rac-1. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt or Rac-1 by specific inhibitors LY294002 or si-Rac-1, respectively, partially reduces the protective effect of bFGF on BBB integrity. Overall, our results indicate that the protective role of bFGF on BBB involves the regulation of tight junction proteins and RhoA in the TBI model and OGD-induced HBMECs injury, and that activation of the PI3K/Akt /Rac-1 signaling pathway underlies these effects.

ARHGAP21 Is Upregulated and Triggers the Modulation of Rho Gtpase Signaling Pathways during Megakaryocytic Differentiation

Introduction: During differentiation, the megakaryocyte goes through profound changes in the cytoskeleton of actin and tubulin through Rho GTPase activity. Microtubules provide the elongation of proplatelets, whereas actin microfilaments mediate force to increase branching and release of platelets. ARHGAP21 is a RhoGAP for RhoA, RhoC and Cdc42, which has been shown to interact with α-tubulin in cancer cells. Moreover, arhgap21+/- mice exhibit significant reduction in platelet number and increased platelet volume.Aim: To evaluate ARHGAP21 function in the activity of Rho GTPase and their effectors during megakaryocytic differentiation.Materials and Methods: Megakaryocyte differentiation was stimulated in HEL cells through treatment with 20 nM of phorbol myristate acetate -13 -12 (PMA) for 4 days and was confirmed by the expression of CD41a, CD42b and CD61 and polyploidy using flow cytometry. Morphological changes were observed by optical microscopy. The localization of ARHGAP21, F-Actin and α-Tubulin cytoskeletal proteins was assessed by confocal microscopy. The expression of ARHGAP21, and the Rho GTPases RhoA, RhoC, Cdc42 and downstream proteins Rock1 e2, phospho-MLC2, MLC2, phospho-cofilin, cofilin and mDia1 were analyzed by western blotting. Rho GTPases activity was determined through pull down assays using Rhotekin-GST (RhoA, RhoB and RhoC) and WASP-GST (Cdc42) constructions. Tubulin polymerization was evaluated by soluble and insoluble tubulin precipitation assay. ARHGAP21 silencing was performed by siRNA, after PMA treatment for 2 and 3 days and was followed by the analysis of the expression and activity of Rho GTPases and their effectors, ploidy and differentiation markers.Results: Megakaryocytic differentiation of HEL cells was accompanied by intense rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, increased cell size, polyploidy and increased expression of the membrane receptors CD61, CD41a and CD42b. Interestingly, a gradual upregulation of ARHGAP21 was observed during differentiation, especially on days 2 and 3 of treatment (both 9.33-fold increase) and mainly in extracts containing polymerized tubulin. ARHGAP21 upregulation was concomitant with the reduction of RhoA and Cdc42 activities (92% decreased and 52% decreased, respectively), but not in RhoC. Silencing of ARHGAP21 by siRNA was confirmed by western blot. Downregulation of ARHGAP21 in HEL cells trigged increased phosphorylation on serine 19 of myosin light chain2 (MLC2) on the day 2. Moreover, mDia1, a common effector of RhoA and Cdc42, was also increased at the same point. ARHGAP21 silencing induced an increase in CD42b on day 3 (5% increased, P<0.015). No difference was observed in the expression of CD61 and CD41a and in the ploidy of ARHGAP21 silenced cells compared to control.Conclusion: Our results suggest that the upregulation of ARHGAP21 during megakaryocytic differentiation is important to control the dynamics of the cytoskeleton through the regulation of RhoA and Cdc42. Silencing of ARHGAP21 induces increased phosphorylation of MLC2 and the expression of mDia1, which may impair megakaryocytic differentiation. Furthermore, ARHGAP21 appears to regulate the acquisition of CD42b receptor, participating in the final stages of megakaryopoiesis. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Leukemia‐associated Rho guanine‐nucleotide exchange factor is not critical for RhoA regulation, yet is important for platelet activation and thrombosis in mice

SummaryBackgroundRhoA is an important regulator of platelet responses downstream of Gα13, yet we still know little about its regulation in platelets. Leukemia‐associated Rho guanine‐nucleotide exchange factor (GEF [LARG]), a RhoA GEF, is highly expressed in platelets and may constitute a major upstream activator of RhoA. To this end, it is important to determine the role of LARG in platelet function and thrombosis.Methods and resultsUsing a platelet‐specific gene knockout, we show that the absence of LARG results in a marked reduction in aggregation and dense‐granule secretion in response to the thromboxane mimetic U46619 and proteinase‐activated receptor 4–activating peptide, AYPGKF, but not to adenosine diphosphate. In a ferric chloride thrombosis model in vivo, this translated into a defect, under mild injury conditions. Importantly, agonist‐induced RhoA activation was not affected by the absence of LARG, although basal activity was reduced, suggesting that LARG may play a housekeeper role in regulating constitutive RhoA activity.Conclusions LARG plays an important role in platelet function and thrombosis in vivo. However, although LARG may have a role in regulating the resting activation state of RhoA, its role in regulating platelet function may principally be through RhoA‐independent pathways, possibly through other Rho family members.

Groucho restricts rhomboid expression and couples EGFR activation with R8 selection during Drosophila photoreceptor differentiation

Notch and EGFR signaling pathways play important roles in photoreceptor differentiation during Drosophila eye development. Notch signaling induces Enhancer of Split (E(spl)) proteins to repress atonal (ato) expression and restrict R8 photoreceptor cell fate. The R8 precursors express rhomboid (rho), which is required for the release of active EGFR ligand to activate EGFR signaling in surrounding cells for the subsequent stepwise recruitment. However, it is not clear about the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of rho and how the lateral inhibition of Notch signaling and rho expression are coordinated. In this study, we show that inactivation of Groucho (Gro), an evolutionally conserved transcriptional corepressor, inhibits Ato upregulation, delays R8 determination, and promotes differentiation of R2-5 type of neurons. We demonstrate that these phenotypes are caused by a combination of the loss of Notch-mediated lateral inhibition and the precocious activation of EGFR signaling due to deregulated rho expression. Blocking EGFR signaling by Pnt-RNAi in conjunction with Gro-inactivation leads to lateral inhibition defects with deregulated Ato expression and R8 differentiation. We further show that inactivation of E(spl), which are the Gro binding transcription factors, causes deregulated rho expression and extra R8 cells within and posterior to the morphogenetic furrow (MF), and that E(spl) mediates the binding of Gro to the regulatory regions of both rho and ato genes in eye disc cells. Our results suggest that Gro inhibits rho expression in undifferentiated cells and represses the expression of both ato and rho in non-R8 precursors during initiation of photoreceptor differentiation in an E(spl)-dependent manner. The latter function of Gro provides novel insights into the mechanism that coordinates R8 specification with the restriction of initial rho expression to developing R8 cells.

The interaction of Gα13 with integrin β1 mediates cell migration by dynamic regulation of RhoA.

Heterotrimeric G protein Gα13 is known to transmit G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signals leading to activation of RhoA and plays a role in cell migration. The mechanism underlying the role of Gα13 in cell migration, however, remains unclear. Recently we found that Gα13 interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of integrin β3 subunits in platelets via a conserved ExE motif. Here we show that a similar direct interaction between Gα13 and the cytoplasmic domain of the integrin β1 subunit plays a critical role in β1-dependent cell migration. Point mutation of either glutamic acid in the Gα13-binding (767)EKE motif in β1 or treatment with a peptide derived from the Gα13-binding sequence of β1 abolished Gα13-β1 interaction and inhibited β1 integrin-dependent cell spreading and migration. We further show that the Gα13-β1 interaction mediates β1 integrin-dependent Src activation and transient RhoA inhibition during initial cell adhesion, which is in contrast to the role of Gα13 in mediating GPCR-dependent RhoA activation. These data indicate that Gα13 plays dynamic roles in both stimulating RhoA via a GPCR pathway and inhibiting RhoA via an integrin signaling pathway. This dynamic regulation of RhoA activity is critical for cell migration on β1 integrin ligands.