Search results for "Guanine nucleotide exchange factor"
showing 7 items of 27 documents
The hemoglobin genes of Drosophila
2006
We recently reported the unprecedented occurrence of a hemoglobin gene (glob1) in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Here we investigate the structure and evolution of the glob1 gene in other Drosophila species. We cloned and sequenced glob1 genes and cDNA from D. pseudoobscura and D. virilis, and identified the glob1 gene sequences of D. simulans, D. yakuba, D. erecta, D. ananassae, D. mojavensis and D. grimshawi in the databases. Gene structure (introns in helix positions D7.0 and G7.0), gene synteny and sequence of glob1 are highly conserved, with high ds/dn ratios indicating strong purifying selection. The data suggest an important role of the glob1 protein in Drosophila, which may b…
Genetic dissection of plexin signaling in vivo
2014
Mammalian plexins constitute a family of transmembrane receptors for semaphorins and represent critical regulators of various processes during development of the nervous, cardiovascular, skeletal, and renal system. In vitro studies have shown that plexins exert their effects via an intracellular R-Ras/M-Ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) domain or by activation of RhoA through interaction with Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor proteins. However, which of these signaling pathways are relevant for plexin functions in vivo is largely unknown. Using an allelic series of transgenic mice, we show that the GAP domain of plexins constitutes their key signaling module during development. Mice …
Htid-1, the human homolog of the Drosophila melanogaster l(2)tid tumor suppressor, defines a novel physiological role of APC.
2007
Htid-1, the human counterpart of the Drosophila tumor suppressor gene lethal(2)tumorous imaginal discs (l(2)tid) encodes three splice forms translated into three cytosolic - Tid50, Tid48 and Tid46 - and three mitochondrial - Tid43, Tid40 and Tid38 - proteins. Here we provide evidence for the association of the endogenous Tid50/Tid48 proteins with the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor in normal colon epithelium, colorectal cancer cells and mouse NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Using the Glutathione S-transferase binding assay we show that the N-terminal region including the Armadillo domain (ARM) of APC is sufficient to bind the Tid molecules. Using immunoprecipitation and confocal micro…
NG2 regulates directional migration of oligodendrocyte precursor cells via Rho GTPases and polarity complex proteins.
2013
The transmembrane proteoglycan NG2 is expressed by oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC), which migrate to axons during developmental myelination and remyelinate in the adult after migration to injured sites. Highly invasive glial tumors also express NG2. Despite the fact that NG2 has been implicated in control of OPC migration, its mode of action remains unknown. Here, we show in vitro and in vivo that NG2 controls migration of OPC through the regulation of cell polarity. In stab wounds in adult mice we show that NG2 controls orientation of OPC toward the wound. NG2 stimulates RhoA activity at the cell periphery via the MUPP1/Syx1 signaling pathway, which favors the bipolar shape of migrat…
RAS proteins and control of the cell cycle inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
1995
Genes related to the mammalian H-, K-, and N-ras oncogenes were identified in S. cerevisiae by DNA hybridization techniques (for reviews, see Tamanoi, 1988; Gibbs and Marshall, 1989; Broach and Deschenes, 1990). According to the rules of yeast genetics (dominant genes are indicated by three capital letters followed by a number), the yeast genes were denominated RAS1 and RAS2 (collectively referred to as RAS). The corresponding RAS1 and RAS2 proteins were 309 and 322 amino acids long, respectively. The sequence similarity between the human and yeast proteins was very high, reaching 90% identity at the level of the N-terminal 80 amino acids. As a consequence, perfect sequence conservation was…
Silencing of C3G increases cardiomyocyte survival inhibition and apoptosis via regulation of p-ERK1/2 and Bax
2019
Experimental studies have shown that overexpression of Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (C3G) plays pro‐survival and anti‐apoptotic roles through molecule phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase1/2 (p‐ERK1/2) in cardiomyocytes. However, it is still unclear if silencing of C3G may increase cell survival inhibition and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, and whether C3G silence induced injuries are reduced by the overexpression of C3G through regulation of p‐ERK1/2 and pro‐apoptotic molecule Bax. In this study, the rat‐derived H9C2 cardiomyocytes were infected with C3G small hairpin RNA interference recombinant lentiviruses, which silenced the endogenous C3G expression in the ca…
Tiam1 as a Signaling Mediator of Nerve Growth Factor-Dependent Neurite Outgrowth
2010
Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)-induced neuronal differentiation requires the activation of members of the Rho family of small GTPases. However, the molecular mechanisms through which NGF regulates cytoskeletal changes and neurite outgrowth are not totally understood. In this work, we identify the Rac1-specific guanine exchange factor (GEF) Tiam1 as a novel mediator of NGF/TrkA-dependent neurite elongation. In particular, we report that knockdown of Tiam1 causes a significant reduction in Rac1 activity and neurite outgrowth induced by NGF. Physical interaction between Tiam1 and active Ras (Ras- GTP), but not tyrosine phosphorylation of Tiam1, plays a central role in Rac1 activation by NGF. In add…