The DOCK180/Elmo complex couples ARNO-mediated Arf6 activation to the downstream activation of Rac1

Curr Biol. 2005 Oct 11;15(19):1749-54. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.08.052.

Abstract

Cell motility requires extensions of the plasma membrane driven by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Small GTPases, particularly the Rho family, are key regulators of this process. A second class of GTPases, the ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs), have also been implicated in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and motility. ARF6 is intimately involved in the regulation of Rac activity; however, the mechanisms by which ARF activation leads to activation of Rac remain poorly understood. We have previously shown that expression of the ARF-GEF ARNO in MDCK cells induces robust activation of Rac, the formation of large lamellipodia, and the onset of motility. We report here that ARNO-dependent activation of Rac is mediated by a bipartite Rac GEF, the Dock180/Elmo complex. Both DOCK180 and Elmo colocalize extensively with ARNO in migrating MDCK cells. Importantly, both a catalytically inactive Dock180 mutant and an Elmo mutant that fails to couple to Dock180 block ARNO-induced Rac activation and motility. In contrast, a similar mutant of the Rac GEF beta-PIX fails to inhibit ARNO-induced Rac activation or motility. Together, these data suggest that ARNO and ARF6 coordinate with the Dock180/Elmo complex to promote Rac activation at the leading edge of migrating cells.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • ADP-Ribosylation Factor 6
  • ADP-Ribosylation Factors / metabolism*
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Movement / physiology*
  • Dogs
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • ADP-Ribosylation Factor 6
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • DOCK1 protein, human
  • ELMO1 protein, human
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • cytohesin-2
  • ADP-Ribosylation Factors
  • ARF6 protein, human
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein