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First published online 29 April 2008
doi: 10.1242/jcs.021774


Journal of Cell Science 121, 1739-1749 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
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BNIP2 extra long inhibits RhoA and cellular transformation by Lbc RhoGEF via its BCH domain

Unice J. K. Soh and Boon Chuan Low*

Cell Signaling and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore


Figure 1
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Fig. 1. BNIPXL is a novel BCH-domain-containing protein. (A) Schematic diagram showing pairwise comparisons of BNIPXL{alpha} with BNIP2, BMCC1 and KIAA0367. The BCH domain and conserved regions are shaded in gray and black, respectively. Values represent percentage amino acid identity. (B) Multiple sequence alignments of BCH domains from H. sapiens BNIPXL{alpha} (AY439213), BNIPXLβ (AY439214), BNIP2 (NP_004321), BNIPS{alpha} (AY078983), BNIPH (AAO63019), BPGAP1 (AF544240) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sec14p lipid-binding domain (P24280) using ClustalW and formatted using BOXSHADE. Identical residues are shaded black whereas those that are similar or conserved are gray.

 

Figure 2
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Fig. 2. The BNIPXL BCH domain associates with RhoA and RhoC but not RhoB, and elicits cell morphological changes. (A) Schematic diagram of BNIPXL and its fragments. Two splicing isoforms of full-length, FL{alpha} and FLβ; N-terminus without BCH, WBCH; N-terminus without CBCH, NBCH; C-terminus, C{alpha} and Cβ and C-terminus containing BCH, CBCH{alpha} and CBCHβ. (B) Lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL with HA-vector control, (i) HA-RhoA or (ii) HA-Cdc42 were immunoprecipitated (IP) with anti-Flag and bound proteins immunoblotted (IB) with anti-HA (first panel). Blots were reprobed with anti-Rho GTPase (third panel) and anti-Flag (second panel) to show the amounts of precipitated proteins. Protein expression was verified using anti-HA for GTPases (first panel) or anti-Flag for BNIPXL (second panel) in whole cell lysates (WCL). Asterisks indicate position of the expected bands. Arrows indicate the position of the light chain of the antibody. (C) Lysates expressing Flag-CBCH with HA-RhoA, RhoB or RhoC were subjected to immunoprecipitation and bound proteins detected with anti-HA (first panel). Blots were reprobed with anti-Flag to show the amounts of precipitated proteins (second panel). Expression of Rho (third panel) and BNIPXL (fourth panel) was verified. Asterisks indicate the position of the expected bands. Arrows indicate the antibody light chain. (D) Lysates expressing HA-BNIPXL fragments with Flag-BNIPXLβ were immunoprecipitated, and bound proteins detected with anti-HA (first and third panels) followed by anti-Flag (second and fourth panels) to show amounts of precipitated proteins. Protein expression was verified with anti-HA (first and third panels) and anti-Flag (second and fourth panels), respectively. (E) HeLa cells expressing Flag-BNIPXL fragments in normal growth medium were fixed 24 hours post transfection and stained as indicated. F-actin was detected with TRITC-conjugated phalloidin and cells were visualized by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Arrows indicate membrane protrusions and protein concentrated at the tips of protrusions. Scale bar: 50 µm.

 

Figure 3
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Fig. 3. BNIPXL binds to specific RhoA conformers. (A) Flag-BNIPXL full-length and fragments were transcribed and translated in vitro and incubated with GST or GST-RhoA (free of guanine nucleotides). Bound proteins were subjected to anti-Flag western blotting for short (30 seconds) and long (1 hour) exposure times. Amido Black staining was used to ascertain equal loading of GST fusion proteins. Asterisks indicate positions of the expected bands. (B) HEK293T lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL fragments were incubated with unloaded GST-RhoA, GST-RhoA preloaded with GDP or GTP{gamma}S. Bound proteins and WCL input were analyzed with anti-Flag or anti-Myc before Amido Black staining. (C) Lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL (i) full-length, (ii) CBCH or (iii) WBCH fragments with vector control, HA-RhoA wild type or mutants were subjected to immunoprecipitation and bound proteins detected with anti-RhoA (first panel). Blots were reprobed with anti-Flag to show the amounts of precipitated proteins (second panel). Expression of RhoA (third panel) and BNIPXL (fourth panel) was verified. Asterisks indicate position of the expected bands. Arrows indicate position of the antibody light chain.

 

Figure 4
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Fig. 4. BNIPXL-RhoA interaction requires an intact BCH domain and reduces active RhoA levels and serum-induced stress fiber assembly. (Ai) Schematic diagram of BNIPXL internal deletions: {Delta}0 ({Delta}600-616), {Delta}1 ({Delta}617-655) and {Delta}2 ({Delta}656-684). All numbers are inclusive. Lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL full-length, WBCH, {Delta}0, {Delta}1 and {Delta}2 with (Aii) HA-RhoA or (B) HA-BNIPXL were immunoprecipitated and probed with anti-HA (first panel) and reprobed with anti-Flag (second panel) to show the amounts of precipitated proteins. Protein expression was verified with anti-HA (third panel) and anti-Flag (fourth panel). The asterisk indicates the position of the expected bands. Arrow indicates the position of the light chain from antibody. (C) Lysates expressing (i) wild-type RhoA, Q63L, F30L or T19N mutants were incubated with GST or GST-RBD to confirm the specificity of the GST-RBD. Lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL full-length or deletions with (ii) wild-type RhoA, (iii) Q63L or (iv) F30L mutants were incubated with GST-RBD. Bound proteins and WCL were analyzed using anti-RhoA (first and third panels, respectively) or anti-Flag for BNIPXL (fourth panels) before Amido Black staining to ascertain equal loading (second panels). (Di) 293T cells cotransfected with HA-BNIPXL and the shRNA constructs or scrambled negative control was lysed 72 hours post-transfection and subjected to anti-HA (100 µg WCL) (first panel) or anti-RhoA (50 µg WCL) (third panel) westerns to determine the extent of expression knockdown and endogenous RhoA levels, respectively and normalized against anti-tubulin (second and fourth panels). (Dii) 293T cells coexpressing wild-type RhoA, Q63L or T19N mutants were incubated with GST or GST-RBD to confirm the specificity of GST-RBD. Lysates expressing Flag-RhoA wild type with Flag-BNIPXL or the shRNA constructs were incubated with GST-RBD. Bound proteins and WCL were analyzed using anti-RhoA (first panel) or anti-Flag (third panel) to determine protein expression. Amido Black staining was used to ascertain equal loading of GST fusion proteins (second panel). Asterisks indicate position of expected bands. (Ei) Representative fields of NIH3T3 expressing full-length BNIPXL and BNIPXL deletions were starved 24 hours post transfection for 16 hours and stimulated with 0.5% serum-containing growth medium for 10 minutes. Cells were fixed, stained and visualized by immunofluorescence. Scale bars: 20 µm. (Eii) For quantitative analysis, the ratio of transfected cells with and without stress fibers was scored and at least 100 transfected cells were counted per sample per experiment. Data are means ± s.d. (n=3). Differences between values not sharing the same letters (a, b, c) are statistically significant at P<0.01 by analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls multiple range test (Statgraphics).

 

Figure 5
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Fig. 5. BNIPXL is a specific member of the BNIP2 family that interacts with Lbc. (A) HEK293T lysates expressing Flag-BNIPXL, BNIP2, BNIP-S{alpha} and BNIP-H with Myc-proto-Lbc were immunoprecipitated, and bound proteins detected with anti-Myc (first panel) and anti-Flag (second panel) to show the amounts of precipitated proteins. Expression of Lbc (third panel) and BNIPXL (fourth panel) was verified. (B) Equal amounts of WCL expressing vector control or Flag-BNIPXL were immunoprecipitated, and bound proteins detected with anti-Lbc (first panel). Blots were probed with anti-Flag (second panel) to verify protein expression and precipitation. Asterisk indicates position of the expected band. Arrow indicates nonspecific bands arising from anti-Lbc antibody.

 

Figure 6
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Fig. 6. BNIPXL targets proto-Lbc via two distinct sites and suppresses Lbc-induced cellular transformation. (A) Schematic diagram of proto-Lbc and its truncation mutants. {alpha}-HEL, {alpha}-helical region; PP, proline-rich motif; CT, extreme C-terminus; {Delta}C, oncogenic Lbc. Lysates expressing Flag-proto-Lbc, mutants or vector control with HA-BNIPXL (B) full-length, (C) CBCH, (D) WBCH or (E) NBCH were subjected to immunoprecipitation and bound proteins detected with anti-HA (first panels) and anti-Flag (second panels) to show the amounts of precipitated proteins. Expression of BNIPXL (third panels) and proto-Lbc (fourth panels) was verified. Asterisks indicate position of the expected band. Arrow indicates the position of the nonspecific bands arising from anti-HA antibody. (F) Schematic diagram indicating a requirement for the DH-PH domains and the proline-rich motif for BNIPXL-Lbc interactions. (G) NIH3T3 was transfected with DsRed-onco-Lbc and GFP-BNIPXL fragments in primary focus formation. Foci were stained with crystal violet after 21 days and the number of foci was counted. Transforming activity of onco-Lbc was set at 100%. Data are means ± s.d. (n=3). Differences between values not sharing the same letters (a, b, c, d) are statistically significant at P<0.05 by analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls multiple range test (Statgraphics).

 

Figure 7
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Fig. 7. Proposed roles of BNIPXL in regulating Lbc-RhoA-mediated stress fiber formation and cellular transformation. BNIPXL exerts distinct roles in regulating RhoA pathways that are linked to actin cytoskeleton reorganization and oncogenic transformation. The BNIPXL BCH domain targets RhoA via preferential GDP-RhoA binding and also by sequestering the RhoA upstream activator Lbc by targeting its catalytic DH-PH domains. In addition, the N-terminus devoid of the BCH domain, binds to the proline-rich moiety in the C-terminus regulatory region of proto-Lbc. In a concerted manner, these interactions lead to the disruption of stress fibers and suppression of Lbc-induced cellular transformation. This provides further evidence that BCH domain acts as a regulatory GTPase-binding module that targets both small GTPases and their immediate regulators (see text for details).

 

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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2008