Role of Rho, Rac, and Rho-kinase in phosphorylation of myosin light chain, development of polarity, and spontaneous migration of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells

Exp Cell Res. 2005 Aug 15;308(2):422-38. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.05.001.

Abstract

As previously shown, constitutive activation of the small GTPase Rho and its downstream target Rho-kinase is crucial for spontaneous migration of Walker carcinosarcoma cells. We now show that after treatment of cells with either the Rho inhibitor C3 exoenzyme or the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632, constitutive myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation is significantly decreased, correlating with inhibition of cell polarization and migration. Transfection with a dominant-negative Rho-kinase mutant similarly inhibits cell polarization and MLC phosphorylation. Transfection with a dominant-active Rho-kinase mutant leads to significantly increased MLC phosphorylation, membrane blebbing, and inhibition of cell polarization. This Rho-kinase-induced membrane blebbing can be inhibited by Y-27632, ML-7, and blebbistatin. Unexpectedly, overactivation of RhoA has similar effects as its inhibition. Introduction of a bacterially expressed constitutively activated mutant protein (but not of wild-type RhoA) into the cells or transfection of cells with a constitutively active RhoA mutant both inhibit polarization and decrease MLC phosphorylation. Transfection of cells with constitutively active or dominant-negative Rac both abrogate polarity, and the latter inhibits MLC phosphorylation. Our findings suggest an important role of Rac, Rho/Rho-kinase, and MLCK in controlling myosin activity in Walker carcinosarcoma cells and show that an appropriate level of RhoA, Rac, and Rho-kinase activity is required to regulate cell polarity and migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma 256, Walker / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / physiology*
  • Cell Polarity / physiology*
  • Cell Surface Extensions / enzymology
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Down-Regulation / physiology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Mutation / physiology
  • Myosin Light Chains / metabolism*
  • Myosin Type II / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / physiopathology
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / physiopathology
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Transfection
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • rho-Associated Kinases

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Myosin Light Chains
  • RND1 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Myosin Type II
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins