Dictyostelium stress-activated protein kinase alpha, a novel stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase-like kinase, is important for the proper regulation of the cytoskeleton

Dynamics of Actin Cytoskeleton and Their Signaling Pathways during Cellular Wound Repair

The repair of wounded cell membranes is essential for cell survival. Upon wounding, actin transiently accumulates at the wound site. The loss of actin accumulation leads to cell death. The mechanism by which actin accumulates at the wound site, the types of actin-related proteins participating in the actin remodeling, and their signaling pathways are unclear. We firstly examined how actin accumulates at a wound site in Dictyostelium cells. Actin assembled de novo at the wound site, independent of cortical flow. Next, we searched for actin- and signal-related proteins targeting the wound site. Fourteen of the examined proteins transiently accumulated at different times. Thirdly, we performed functional analyses using gene knockout mutants or specific inhibitors. Rac, WASP, formin, the Arp2/3 complex, profilin, and coronin contribute to the actin dynamics. Finally, we found that multiple signaling pathways related to TORC2, the Elmo/Doc complex, PIP2-derived products, PLA2, and calmodulin are involved in the actin dynamics for wound repair.

Moving towards a paradigm: common mechanisms of chemotactic signaling in Dictyostelium and mammalian leukocytes

Chemotaxis, or directed migration of cells along a chemical gradient, is a highly coordinated process that involves gradient sensing, motility, and polarity. Most of our understanding of chemotaxis comes from studies of cells undergoing amoeboid-type migration, in particular the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and leukocytes. In these amoeboid cells the molecular events leading to directed migration can be conceptually divided into four interacting networks: receptor/G protein, signal transduction, cytoskeleton, and polarity. The signal transduction network occupies a central position in this scheme as it receives direct input from the receptor/G protein network, as well as feedback from the cytoskeletal and polarity networks. Multiple overlapping modules within the signal transduction network transmit the signals to the actin cytoskeleton network leading to biased pseudopod protrusion in the direction of the gradient. The overall architecture of the networks, as well as the individual signaling modules, is remarkably conserved between Dictyostelium and mammalian leukocytes, and the similarities and differences between the two systems are the subject of this review.

Paxillin and phospholipase D interact to regulate actin-based processes in Dictyostelium discoideum

The actin cytoskeleton forms a membrane-associated network whose proper regulation is essential for numerous processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation, adhesion, chemotaxis, endocytosis, exocytosis, and multicellular development. In this report, we show that in Dictyostelium discoideum, paxillin (PaxB) and phospholipase D (PldB) colocalize and coimmunoprecipitate, suggesting that they interact physically. Additionally, the phenotypes observed during development, cell sorting, and several actin-required processes, including cyclic AMP (cAMP) chemotaxis, cell-substrate adhesion, actin polymerization, phagocytosis, and exocytosis, reveal a genetic interaction between paxB and pldB, suggesting a functional interaction between their gene products. Taken together, our data point to PldB being a required binding partner of PaxB during processes involving actin reorganization.

Functional roles of VASP phosphorylation in the regulation of chemotaxis and osmotic stress response

Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) plays crucial roles in controlling F-actin-driven processes and growing evidence indicates that VASP function is modulated by phosphorylation at multiple sites. However, the complexity of mammalian system prevents the clear understanding of the role of VASP phosphorylation. In this study, we took advantage of Dictyostelium which possesses only one member of the Ena/VASP family to investigate the functional roles of VASP phosphorylation. Our results demonstrated that hyperosmotic stress and cAMP stimulation cause VASP phosphorylation. VASP phosphorylation plays a negative role for the early steps of filopodia/microspikes formation. VASP phosphorylation appears to modulate VASP localization at the membrane cortex and its interactions with WASP and WIPa. Analysis of chemotaxis of cells expressing VASP mutants showed that VASP phosphorylation is required for the establishment of cell polarity under a cAMP gradient.

Cell adhesion molecules regulate contractile ring-independent cytokinesis in Dictyostelium discoideum

To investigate the roles of substrate adhesion in cytokinesis, we established cell lines lacking paxillin (PAXB) or vinculin (VINA), and those expressing the respective GFP fusion proteins in Dictyostelium discoideum. As in mammalian cells, GFP-PAXB and GFP-VINA formed focal adhesion-like complexes on the cell bottom. paxB(-) cells in suspension grew normally, but on substrates, often failed to divide after regression of the furrow. The efficient cytokinesis of paxB(-) cells in suspension is not because of shear forces to assist abscission, as they divided normally in static suspension culture as well. Double knockout strains lacking mhcA, which codes for myosin II, and paxB or vinA displayed more severe cytokinetic defects than each single knockout strain. In mitotic wild-type cells, GFP-PAXB was diffusely distributed on the basal membrane, but was strikingly condensed along the polar edges in mitotic mhcA(-) cells. These results are consistent with our idea that Dictyostelium displays two forms of cytokinesis, one that is contractile ring-dependent and adhesion-independent, and the other that is contractile ring-independent and adhesion-dependent, and that the latter requires PAXB and VINA. Furthermore, that paxB(-) cells fail to divide normally in the presence of substrate adhesion suggests that this adhesion molecule may play additional signaling roles.

Intramolecular activation mechanism of the Dictyostelium LRRK2 homolog Roco protein GbpC

GbpC is a large multidomain protein involved in cGMP-mediated chemotaxis in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. GbpC belongs to the Roco family of proteins that often share a central core region, consisting of leucine-rich repeats, a Ras domain (Roc), a Cor domain, and a MAPKKKinase domain. In addition to this core, GbpC contains a RasGEF domain and two cGMP-binding domains. Here, we report on an intramolecular signaling cascade of GbpC. In vitro, the RasGEF domain of GbpC specifically accelerates the GDP/GTP exchange of the Roc domain. Moreover, cGMP binding to GbpC strongly stimulates the binding of GbpC to GTP-agarose, suggesting cGMP-stimulated GDP/GTP exchange at the Roc domain. The function of the protein in vivo was investigated by rescue analysis of the chemotactic defect of gbpC null cells. Mutants that lack a functional guanine exchange factor (GEF), Roc, or kinase domain are inactive in vivo. Together, the results suggest a four-step intramolecular activation mechanism of the Roco protein GbpC: cGMP binding to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domains, activation of the GEF domain, GDP/GTP exchange of Roc, and activation of the MAPKKK domain.

The Roco protein family: a functional perspective

In this review, we discuss the evolutionary, biochemical, and functional data available for members of the Roco protein family. They are characterized by having a conserved supradomain that contains a Ras-like GTPase domain, called Roc, and a characteristic COR (C-terminal of Roc) domain. A kinase domain and diverse regulatory and protein-protein interaction domains are also often found in Roco proteins. First detected in the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, they have a broad phylogenetic range, being present in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The functions of these proteins are diverse. The best understood are Dictyostelium Rocos, which are involved in cell division, chemotaxis, and development. However, this family has received extensive attention because mutations in one of the human Roco genes (LRRK2) cause familial Parkinson disease. Other human Rocos are involved in epilepsy and cancer. Biochemical data suggest that Roc domains are capable of activating kinase domains intramolecularly. Interestingly, some of the dominant, disease-causing mutations in both the GTPase and kinase domains of LRRK2 increase kinase activity. Thus, Roco proteins may act as stand-alone transduction units, performing roles that were thought so far to require multiple proteins, as occur in the Ras transduction pathway.

Regulation of Rap1 activity by RapGAP1 controls cell adhesion at the front of chemotaxing cells

Spatial and temporal regulation of Rap1 is required for proper myosin assembly and cell adhesion during cell migration in Dictyostelium discoideum. Here, we identify a Rap1 guanosine triphosphatase–activating protein (GAP; RapGAP1) that helps mediate cell adhesion by negatively regulating Rap1 at the leading edge. Defects in spatial regulation of the cell attachment at the leading edge in rapGAP1⁻ (null) cells or cells overexpressing RapGAP1 (RapGAP1^OE) lead to defective chemotaxis. rapGAP1⁻ cells have extended chemoattractant-mediated Rap1 activation kinetics and decreased MyoII assembly, whereas RapGAP1^OE cells show reciprocal phenotypes. We see that RapGAP1 translocates to the cell cortex in response to chemoattractant stimulation and localizes to the leading edge of chemotaxing cells via an F-actin–dependent pathway. RapGAP1 localization is negatively regulated by Ctx, an F-actin bundling protein that functions during cytokinesis. Loss of Ctx leads to constitutive and uniform RapGAP1 cortical localization. We suggest that RapGAP1 functions in the spatial and temporal regulation of attachment sites through MyoII assembly via regulation of Rap1–guanosine triphosphate.

Rap1 controls cell adhesion and cell motility through the regulation of myosin II

We have investigated the role of Rap1 in controlling chemotaxis and cell adhesion in Dictyostelium discoideum. Rap1 is activated rapidly in response to chemoattractant stimulation, and activated Rap1 is preferentially found at the leading edge of chemotaxing cells. Cells expressing constitutively active Rap1 are highly adhesive and exhibit strong chemotaxis defects, which are partially caused by an inability to spatially and temporally regulate myosin assembly and disassembly. We demonstrate that the kinase Phg2, a putative Rap1 effector, colocalizes with Rap1–guanosine triphosphate at the leading edge and is required in an in vitro assay for myosin II phosphorylation, which disassembles myosin II and facilitates filamentous actin–mediated leading edge protrusion. We suggest that Rap1/Phg2 plays a role in controlling leading edge myosin II disassembly while passively allowing myosin II assembly along the lateral sides and posterior of the cell.

The N-terminus of Dictyostelium Scar interacts with Abi and HSPC300 and is essential for proper regulation and function

Scar/WAVE proteins, members of the conserved Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) family, promote actin polymerization by activating the Arp2/3 complex. A number of proteins, including a complex containing Nap1, PIR121, Abi1/2, and HSPC300, interact with Scar/WAVE, though the role of this complex in regulating Scar function remains unclear. Here we identify a short N-terminal region of Dictyostelium Scar that is necessary and sufficient for interaction with HSPC300 and Abi in vitro. Cells expressing Scar lacking this N-terminal region show abnormalities in F-actin distribution, cell morphology, movement, and cytokinesis. This is true even in the presence of wild-type Scar. The data suggest that the first 96 amino acids of Scar are necessary for participation in a large-molecular-weight protein complex, and that this Scar-containing complex is responsible for the proper localization and regulation of Scar. The presence of mis-regulated or unregulated Scar has significant deleterious effects on cells and may explain the need to keep Scar activity tightly controlled in vivo either by assembly in a complex or by rapid degradation.

Evolutionary origin of cAMP-based chemoattraction in the social amoebae

Phenotypic novelties can arise if integrated developmental pathways are expressed at new developmental stages and then recruited to serve new functions. We analyze the origin of a novel developmental trait of Dictyostelid amoebae: the evolution of cAMP as a developmental chemoattractant. We show that cAMP's role of attracting starving amoebae arose through recruitment of a pathway that originally evolved to coordinate fruiting body morphogenesis. Orthologues of the high-affinity cAMP receptor (cAR), cAR1, were identified in a selection of species that span the Dictyostelid phylogeny. The cAR1 orthologue from the basal species Dictyostelium minutum restored aggregation and development when expressed in an aggregation-defective mutant of the derived species Dictyostelium discoideum that lacks high-affinity cARs, thus demonstrating that the D. minutum cAR is a fully functional cAR. cAR1 orthologues from basal species are expressed during fruiting body formation, and only this process, and not aggregation, was disrupted by abrogation of cAR1 function. This is in contrast to derived species, where cAR1 is also expressed during aggregation and critically regulates this process. Our data show that coordination of fruiting body formation is the ancestral function of extracellular cAMP signaling, whereas its derived role in aggregation evolved by recruitment of a preexisting pathway to an earlier stage of development. This most likely occurred by addition of distal cis-regulatory regions to existing cAMP signaling genes.

Hyperosmotically induced accumulation of a phosphorylated p38-like MAPK involved in protoplast volume regulation of plasmolyzed wheat root cells

A 46 kDa protein resembling immunochemically to the mammalian dually phosphorylated p38-MAPK was detected in wheat root cells under hyperosmotic conditions, using Western blot analysis. This protein accumulated in a time- and dose-dependent fashion and exhibited pharmacological sensitivity similar to the activated p38-MAPK. The application of a highly specific p38-MAPK inhibitor revealed that the p38-like MAPK is probably implicated in hyperosmotically induced tubulin cytoskeleton reorganization as well as in protoplast volume regulation and osmotic tolerance of wheat root cells. As far as we know, the p38-MAPK has not been previously reported in higher plants.