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First published online 27 May 2008
doi: 10.1242/jcs.025130

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplementary Material All Versions of this Article: jcs.025130v1 121/12/1981    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Meller, J. Articles by Schwartz, M. A. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Meller, J. Articles by Schwartz, M. A.

Endogenous RhoG is dispensable for integrin-mediated cell spreading but contributes to Rac-independent migration

¹ Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
² Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
³ Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Cell Biology, Cardiovascular Research Center and Mellon Prostate Cancer Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: maschwartz{at}virginia.edu)

Accepted 29 March 2008

Rac activation by integrins is essential for cell spreading, migration, growth and survival. Based mainly on overexpression of dominant-negative mutants, RhoG has been proposed to mediate integrin-dependent Rac activation upstream of ELMO and Dock180. RhoG-knockout mice, however, display no significant developmental or functional abnormalities. To clarify the role of RhoG in integrin-mediated signaling, we developed a RhoG-specific antibody, which, together with shRNA-mediated knockdown, allowed analysis of the endogenous protein. Despite dramatic effects of dominant-negative constructs, nearly complete RhoG depletion did not substantially inhibit cell adhesion, spreading, migration or Rac activation. Additionally, RhoG was not detectably activated by adhesion to fibronectin. Using Rac1^–/– cells, we found that constitutively active RhoG induced membrane ruffling via both Rac-dependent and -independent pathways. Additionally, endogenous RhoG was important for Rac-independent cell migration. However, RhoG did not significantly contribute to cell spreading even in these cells. These data therefore clarify the role of RhoG in integrin signaling and cell motility.

Key words: Spreading, Migration, Fibronectin, ELMO, Dock180

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Meller, L. Vidali, and M. A. Schwartz Endogenous RhoG is dispensable for integrin-mediated cell spreading but contributes to Rac-independent migration Development, July 1, 2008; 135(13): e1 - e1. [Full Text]