Different Regions of Rho Determine Rho-selective Binding of Different Classes of Rho Target Molecules (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1999
Rho family GTPases regulate multiple cellular processes, including cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, and transformation. These effects are achieved through the interaction of GTP-bound proteins with various downstream targets. A series of RhoA/ Rac1 and Rho/Ras chimeras was generated to map the domain(s) of RhoA involved in its association with two classes of effector kinase, represented by PRK2 and ROCK-I. Although the switch 1 domain was required for effector binding, the N terminus of Rho (residues 1-75) was interchangeable with that of Rac. This suggested that the region of Rho that confers effector binding specificity lay further C-terminal. Subsequent studies indicated that the "insert domain"(residues 123-137), a region unique to Rho family GTPases, is not the specificity determinant. However, a determinant for effector binding was identified between Rho residues 75-92. Rac to Rho point mutations (V85D or A88D) within loop 6 of Rac promoted its association with PRK2 and ROCK, whereas the reciprocal Rho(D87V/D90A) double mutant significantly reduced effector binding capacity. In vivo studies showed that microinjection of Rac(Q6IL/V85D/ A88D) but not Rac(Q6IL) induced stress fiber formation in LLC-PK epithelial cells, suggesting that loop 6 residues conferred the ability of Rac to activate ROCK. On the other hand, the reciprocal Rho (Q6IL/D87V/D90A) mutant was defective in its ability to transform NIH 3T3 cells. These data suggest that although Rho effectors can utilize a Rho or Rac switch 1 domain to sense the GTP-bound state of Rho, unique residues within loop 6 are essential for determining both effector binding specificity and cellular function.
Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinases (ROCK): structure, regulation, and functions
Small GTPases, 2014
Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinases (ROCK) were originally identified as effectors of the RhoA small GTPase. (1)(-) (5) They belong to the AGC family of serine/threonine kinases (6) and play vital roles in facilitating actomyosin cytoskeleton contractility downstream of RhoA and RhoC activation. Since their discovery, ROCK kinases have been extensively studied, unveiling their manifold functions in processes including cell contraction, migration, apoptosis, survival, and proliferation. Two mammalian ROCK homologs have been identified, ROCK1 (also called ROCK I, ROKβ, Rho-kinase β, or p160ROCK) and ROCK2 (also known as ROCK II, ROKα, or Rho kinase), hereafter collectively referred to as ROCK. In this review, we will focus on the structure, regulation, and functions of ROCK.
FEBS Letters, 1997
pl60 is a serine/threonine protein kinase that binds selectively to GTP-Rho and is activated by this binding. To identify its function, we transfected HeLa cells with wild type and mutants of pl60 ROCK and examined morphology of the transfected cells. Transfection with wild type and mutants containing the kinase domain and the coiled-coil forming region induced focal adhesions and stress fibers, while no induction was observed with a kinase-defective mutant or a mutant containing only the kinase domain. Furthermore, Rho-induced formation of focal adhesions and stress fibers was inhibited by co-expression of a mutant defective in both kinase and Rho-binding activities. Rho, however, still induced an increase in F-actin content in these cells. These results suggest that pl60 ROCK works downstream of Rho to induce formation of focal adhesions and that Rho-induced actin polymerization is mediated by other effector(s).
Rho-kinase: regulation, (dys)function, and inhibition
Biological Chemistry, 2000
In a variety of normal and pathological cell types, Rho-kinases I and II (ROCKI/II) play a pivotal role in the organization of the nonmuscle and smooth muscle cytoskeleton and adhesion plaques as well as in the regulation of transcription factors. Thus, ROCKI/II activity regulates cellular contraction, motility, morphology, polarity, cell division, and gene expression. Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation of the Rho-ROCK pathways at different stages is linked to cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancer. This review focuses on the current status of understanding the multiple functions of Rho-ROCK signaling pathways and various modes of regulation of Rho-ROCK activity, thereby orchestrating a concerted functional response.
The Insert Region of RhoA Is Essential for Rho Kinase Activation and Cellular Transformation
Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2001
RhoA is involved in multiple cellular processes, including cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, and transformation. These processes are mediated by a variety of downstream effector proteins. However, which effectors are involved in cellular transformation and how these proteins are activated following interaction with Rho remains to be established. A unique feature that distinguishes the Rho family from other Ras-related GTPases is the insert region, which may confer Rho-specific signaling events. Here we report that deletion of the insert region does not result in impaired effector binding. Instead, this insert deletion mutant (Rho⌬Ras, in which the insert helix has been replaced with loop 8 of Ras) acted in a dominant inhibitory fashion to block RhoA-induced transformation. Since Rho⌬Ras failed to promote stress fiber formation, we examined the ability of this mutant to bind to and subsequently activate Rho kinase. Surprisingly, Rho⌬Ras-GTP coprecipitated with Rho kinase but failed to activate it in vivo. These data suggested that the insert domain is not required for Rho kinase binding but plays a role in its activation. The constitutively active catalytic domain of Rho kinase did not promote focus formation alone or in the presence of Raf(340D) but cooperated with Rho⌬Ras to induce cellular transformation. This suggests that Rho kinase needs to cooperate with additional Rho effectors to promote transformation. Further, the Rho kinase catalytic domain reversed the inhibitory effect of Rho⌬Ras on Rho-induced transformation, suggesting that one of the downstream targets of Rhoinduced transformation abrogated by Rho⌬Ras is indeed Rho kinase. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the insert region of RhoA is required for Rho kinase activation but not for binding and that this kinase activity is required to induce morphologic transformation of NIH 3T3 cells.
RhoE Binds to ROCK I and Inhibits Downstream Signaling
Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2003
RhoE belongs to the Rho GTPase family, the members of which control actin cytoskeletal dynamics. RhoE induces stress fiber disassembly in a variety of cell types, whereas RhoA stimulates stress fiber assembly. The similarity of RhoE and RhoA sequences suggested that RhoE might compete with RhoA for interaction with its targets. Here, we show that RhoE binds ROCK I but none of the other RhoA targets tested. The interaction of RhoE with ROCK I was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation of the endogenous proteins, and the two proteins colocalized on the trans-Golgi network in COS-7 cells. Although RhoE and RhoA were not able to bind ROCK I simultaneously, RhoE bound to the amino-terminal region of ROCK I encompassing the kinase domain, at a site distant from the carboxy-terminal RhoA-binding site. Overexpression of RhoE inhibited ROCK I-induced stress fiber formation and phosphorylation of the ROCK I target myosin light chain phosphatase. These data suggest that RhoE induces stress fiber disassembly by directly binding ROCK I and inhibiting it from phosphorylating downstream targets.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2002
Rho-binding kinase ␣ (ROK␣) is a serine/threonine kinase with multiple functional domains involved in actomyosin assembly. It has previously been documented that the C terminus part of ROK␣ interacts with the N-terminal kinase domain and thereby regulates its catalytic activity. Here we used antibodies against different domains of ROK␣ and were able to reveal some structural aspects that are essential for the specific functions of ROK␣. Antibodies against the kinase domain revealed that this part of the protein is highly complex and inaccessible. Further experiments confirmed that this domain could undergo inter-and intramolecular interactions in a complex manner, which regulates the kinase catalytic activity. Other antibodies that raised against the coiled-coil domain, Rho binding domain, and the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain were all effective in recognizing the native proteins in an immunoprecipitation assay. Only the anti-Rho binding domain antibodies could activate the kinase independent of RhoA. The PH antibodies had no apparent effects on the catalytic activity but were effective in blocking actomyosin assembly and cell contractility. Likewise, mutations of the PH domains can abrogate its dominant negative effects on actin morphology. The subsequent disruption of endogenous ROK localization to the actomyosin network by overexpressing the PH domain is supportive of a role of the PH domain of ROK in targeting the kinase to these structures. Actin cytoskeleton undergoes rapid dynamic changes in response to extracellular signaling cues, and Rho-family GTPases are key mediators in these responses (1-3). In particular, RhoA is responsible for promoting the formation of actin-based stress fibers and focal adhesions, resulting in contractile phenotype in cultured cells treated with lysophosphatidic acid or sphingosine 1-phosphate (4, 5). Two major effectors of this cytoskeletal event have been identified as ROK 1 (ROK/ROCK/ Rho-kinase; Refs. 6-8) and diaphanous (9, 10), whose cooperative effects upon activation are essential for Rho activities.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1998
We have identified a novel serine/threonine kinase belonging to the myotonic dystrophy kinase family. The kinase can be produced in at least two different isoforms: a ϳ240-kDa protein (Citron Rho-interacting kinase, CRIK), in which the kinase domain is followed by the sequence of Citron, a previously identified Rho/Rac binding protein; a ϳ54-kDa protein (CRIK-short kinase (SK)), which consists mostly of the kinase domain. CRIK and CRIK-SK proteins are capable of phosphorylating exogenous substrates as well as of autophosphorylation, when tested by in vitro kinase assays after expression into COS7 cells. CRIK kinase activity is increased severalfold by coexpression of costitutively active Rho, while active Rac has more limited effects. Kinase activity of endogenous CRIK is indicated by in vitro kinase assays after immunoprecipitation with antibodies recognizing the Citron moiety of the protein. When expressed in keratinocytes, full-length CRIK, but not CRIK-SK, localizes into corpuscular cytoplasmic structures and elicits recruitment of actin into these structures. The previously reported Rho-associated kinases ROCK I and II are ubiquitously expressed. In contrast, CRIK exhibits a restricted pattern of expression, suggesting that this kinase may fulfill a more specialized function in specific cell types. Small GTPases of the Rho family, including Rho-A,-B, and-C; Rac-1 and-2; and CDC42, have been intimately connected with dynamic control of cell structure, as well as downstream transcriptional events (1-3). Activated Rho GTPases have been shown to trigger distinctive kinase cascades. In particular, the Rho-binding serine/threonine kinase (ROCK) 1 binds to Rho (5),
RhoE function is regulated by ROCK I-mediated phosphorylation
The EMBO Journal, 2005
The Rho GTPase family member RhoE regulates actin filaments partly by binding to and inhibiting ROCK I, a serine/threonine kinase that induces actomyosin contractility. Here, we show that ROCK I can phosphorylate multiple residues on RhoE in vitro. In cells, ROCK Iphosphorylated RhoE localizes in the cytosol, whereas unphosphorylated RhoE is primarily associated with membranes. Phosphorylation has no effect on RhoE binding to ROCK I, but instead increases RhoE protein stability. Using phospho-specific antibodies, we show that ROCK phosphorylates endogenous RhoE at serine 11 upon cell stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor, and that this phosphorylation requires an active protein kinase C signalling pathway. In addition, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of RhoE correlates with its activity in inducing stress fibre disruption and inhibiting Rasinduced transformation. This is the first demonstration of an endogenous Rho family member being phosphorylated in vivo and indicates that phosphorylation is an important mechanism to control the stability and function of this GTPase-deficient Rho protein.
Effect of the Rho-Kinase/ROCK Signaling Pathway on Cytoskeleton Components
Genes
The mechanical properties of cells are important in tissue homeostasis and enable cell growth, division, migration and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mechanical properties are determined to a large extent by the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is a complex and dynamic network composed of microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules. These cellular structures confer both cell shape and mechanical properties. The architecture of the networks formed by the cytoskeleton is regulated by several pathways, a key one being the Rho-kinase/ROCK signaling pathway. This review describes the role of ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil forming kinase) and how it mediates effects on the key components of the cytoskeleton that are critical for cell behaviour.