Spatiotemporal distribution of PKCα, Cdc42, and Rac1 before directed cell migration

Saori Sasaki; Ryu Takahashi; Yangfeng Luo; Kengo Chujo; Toshihiro Sera; Susumu Kudo

doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.10.080

Spatiotemporal distribution of PKCα, Cdc42, and Rac1 before directed cell migration

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2021 Dec 20:584:26-31. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.10.080. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Authors

Saori Sasaki¹, Ryu Takahashi², Yangfeng Luo³, Kengo Chujo², Toshihiro Sera¹, Susumu Kudo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
³ Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: kudos@mech.kyushu-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 34753065
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.10.080

Abstract

Cdc42 is a key factor in directed cell migration and accumulates at the leading edge of migrating cells. However, what kind of proteins control Cdc42 and when is unclear. After mechanical wounding, protein kinase C α (PKCα), a conventional PKC isozyme, begins to accumulate at the edges of cells adjacent to the wounded cells (WCs). In this study, we hypothesized that PKCα may be implicated in directed cell migration at an early stage before Cdc42 controls the migration. We focused on the spatiotemporal distribution of PKCα, Cdc42, and Rac1 before cell migration. After wounding, at the edges of cells adjacent to the WCs, PKCα accumulation, Cdc42 accumulation, Rac1 accumulation, and filopodia formation occurred in that order. The PKCα inhibitor suppressed Cdc42 accumulation at the cell edges. These results suggest that inhibition of PKCα activity inhibits cell migration. In addition, it is not Cdc42 but PKCα that may decide the direction of cell migration.

Keywords: Cdc42; Cell migration; Protein kinase Cα; Rac1.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bryostatins / pharmacology
Calcium / metabolism
Cell Movement*
Cells, Cultured
Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
Intracellular Space / drug effects
Intracellular Space / metabolism*
Keratinocytes / cytology
Keratinocytes / metabolism*
Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods
Protein Kinase C-alpha / genetics
Protein Kinase C-alpha / metabolism*
Rats
Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
Stress, Mechanical
Time-Lapse Imaging / methods
cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*
rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

Bryostatins
Recombinant Fusion Proteins
Green Fluorescent Proteins
Protein Kinase C-alpha
Rac1 protein, rat
cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein
rac1 GTP-Binding Protein
Calcium