scholarly journals Influence of guanine nucleotides on complex formation between Ras and CDC25 proteins.

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1345-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
C C Lai ◽  
M Boguski ◽  
D Broek ◽  
S Powers

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC25 gene and closely homologous genes in other eukaryotes encode guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Ras proteins. We have determined the minimal region of the budding yeast CDC25 gene capable of activity in vivo. The region required for full biological activity is approximately 450 residues and contains two segments homologous to other proteins: one found in both Ras-specific exchange factors and the more distant Bud5 and Lte1 proteins, and a smaller segment of 48 amino acids found only in the Ras-specific exchange factors. When expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein, this region of CDC25 was found to be a potent catalyst of GDP-GTP exchange on yeast Ras2 as well as human p21H-ras but inactive in promoting exchange on the Ras-related proteins Ypt1 and Rsr1. The CDC25 fusion protein catalyzed replacement of GDP-bound to Ras2 with GTP (activation) more efficiently than that of the reverse reaction of replacement of GTP for GDP (deactivation), consistent with prior genetic analysis of CDC25 which indicated a positive role in the activation of Ras. To more directly study the physical interaction of CDC25 and Ras proteins, we developed a protein-protein binding assay. We determined that CDC25 binds tightly to Ras2 protein only in the absence of guanine nucleotides. This higher affinity of CDC25 for the nucleotide-free form than for either the GDP- or GTP-bound form suggests that CDC25 catalyzes exchange of guanine nucleotides bound to Ras proteins by stabilization of the transitory nucleotide-free state.

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1345-1352
Author(s):  
C C Lai ◽  
M Boguski ◽  
D Broek ◽  
S Powers

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC25 gene and closely homologous genes in other eukaryotes encode guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Ras proteins. We have determined the minimal region of the budding yeast CDC25 gene capable of activity in vivo. The region required for full biological activity is approximately 450 residues and contains two segments homologous to other proteins: one found in both Ras-specific exchange factors and the more distant Bud5 and Lte1 proteins, and a smaller segment of 48 amino acids found only in the Ras-specific exchange factors. When expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein, this region of CDC25 was found to be a potent catalyst of GDP-GTP exchange on yeast Ras2 as well as human p21H-ras but inactive in promoting exchange on the Ras-related proteins Ypt1 and Rsr1. The CDC25 fusion protein catalyzed replacement of GDP-bound to Ras2 with GTP (activation) more efficiently than that of the reverse reaction of replacement of GTP for GDP (deactivation), consistent with prior genetic analysis of CDC25 which indicated a positive role in the activation of Ras. To more directly study the physical interaction of CDC25 and Ras proteins, we developed a protein-protein binding assay. We determined that CDC25 binds tightly to Ras2 protein only in the absence of guanine nucleotides. This higher affinity of CDC25 for the nucleotide-free form than for either the GDP- or GTP-bound form suggests that CDC25 catalyzes exchange of guanine nucleotides bound to Ras proteins by stabilization of the transitory nucleotide-free state.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1104-1112
Author(s):  
R D Mosteller ◽  
J Han ◽  
D Broek

Ras proteins are activated in vivo by guanine nucleotide exchange factors encoded by genes homologous to the CDC25 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have taken a combined genetic and biochemical approach to probe the sites on Ras proteins important for interaction with such exchange factors and to further probe the mechanism of CDC25-catalyzed GDP-GTP exchange. Random mutagenesis coupled with genetic selection in S. cerevisiae was used to generate second-site mutations within human H-ras-ala15 which could suppress the ability of the Ala-15 substitution to block CDC25 function. We transferred these second-site suppressor mutations to normal H-ras and oncogenic H-rasVal-12 to test whether they induced a general loss of function or whether they selectively affected CDC25 interaction. Four highly selective mutations were discovered, and they affected the surface-located amino acid residues 62, 63, 67, and 69. Two lines of evidence suggested that these residues may be involved in binding to CDC25: (i) using the yeast two-hybrid system, we demonstrated that these mutants cannot bind CDC25 under conditions where the wild-type H-Ras protein can; (ii) we demonstrated that the binding to H-Ras of monoclonal antibody Y13-259, whose epitope has been mapped to residues 63, 65, 66, 67, 70, and 73, is blocked by the mouse sos1 and yeast CDC25 gene products. We also present evidence that the mechanism by which CDC25 catalyzes exchange is more involved than simply catalyzing the release of bound nucleotide and passively allowing nucleotides to rebind. Most critically, a complex of Ras and CDC25 protein, unlike free Fas protein, possesses significantly greater affinity for GTP than for GDP. Furthermore, the Ras CDC25 complex is more readily dissociated into free subunits by GTP than it is by GDP. Both of these results suggest a function for CDC25 in promoting the selective exchange of GTP for GDP.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1104-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
R D Mosteller ◽  
J Han ◽  
D Broek

Ras proteins are activated in vivo by guanine nucleotide exchange factors encoded by genes homologous to the CDC25 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have taken a combined genetic and biochemical approach to probe the sites on Ras proteins important for interaction with such exchange factors and to further probe the mechanism of CDC25-catalyzed GDP-GTP exchange. Random mutagenesis coupled with genetic selection in S. cerevisiae was used to generate second-site mutations within human H-ras-ala15 which could suppress the ability of the Ala-15 substitution to block CDC25 function. We transferred these second-site suppressor mutations to normal H-ras and oncogenic H-rasVal-12 to test whether they induced a general loss of function or whether they selectively affected CDC25 interaction. Four highly selective mutations were discovered, and they affected the surface-located amino acid residues 62, 63, 67, and 69. Two lines of evidence suggested that these residues may be involved in binding to CDC25: (i) using the yeast two-hybrid system, we demonstrated that these mutants cannot bind CDC25 under conditions where the wild-type H-Ras protein can; (ii) we demonstrated that the binding to H-Ras of monoclonal antibody Y13-259, whose epitope has been mapped to residues 63, 65, 66, 67, 70, and 73, is blocked by the mouse sos1 and yeast CDC25 gene products. We also present evidence that the mechanism by which CDC25 catalyzes exchange is more involved than simply catalyzing the release of bound nucleotide and passively allowing nucleotides to rebind. Most critically, a complex of Ras and CDC25 protein, unlike free Fas protein, possesses significantly greater affinity for GTP than for GDP. Furthermore, the Ras CDC25 complex is more readily dissociated into free subunits by GTP than it is by GDP. Both of these results suggest a function for CDC25 in promoting the selective exchange of GTP for GDP.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 4830-4842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja G. Hunter ◽  
Guanglei Zhuang ◽  
Dana Brantley-Sieders ◽  
Wojciech Swat ◽  
Christopher W. Cowan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels are formed from preexisting vasculature, is critical for vascular remodeling during development and contributes to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer. Prior studies from our laboratory demonstrate that the EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase is a key regulator of angiogenesis in vivo. The EphA receptor-mediated angiogenic response is dependent on activation of Rho family GTPase Rac1 and is regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Here we report the identification of Vav2 and Vav3 as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that link the EphA2 receptor to Rho family GTPase activation and angiogenesis. Ephrin-A1 stimulation recruits the binding of Vav proteins to the activated EphA2 receptor. The induced association of EphA receptor and Vav proteins modulates the activity of Vav GEFs, leading to activation of Rac1 GTPase. Overexpression of either Vav2 or Vav3 in primary microvascular endothelial cells promotes Rac1 activation, cell migration, and assembly in response to ephrin-A1 stimulation. Conversely, loss of Vav2 and Vav3 GEFs inhibits Rac1 activation and ephrin-A1-induced angiogenic responses both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, embryonic fibroblasts derived from Vav2−/− Vav3−/− mice fail to spread on an ephrin-A1-coated surface and exhibit a significant decrease in the formation of ephrin-A1-induced lamellipodia and filopodia. These findings suggest that Vav GEFs serve as a molecular link between EphA2 receptors and the actin cytoskeleton and provide an important mechanism for EphA2-mediated angiogenesis.


2003 ◽  
Vol 160 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Metello Innocenti ◽  
Emanuela Frittoli ◽  
Isabella Ponzanelli ◽  
John R. Falck ◽  
Saskia M. Brachmann ◽  
...  

Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are implicated in many cellular responses controlled by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Within this pathway, Rac is a key downstream target/effector of PI3K. However, how the signal is routed from PI3K to Rac is unclear. One possible candidate for this function is the Rac-activating complex Eps8–Abi1–Sos-1, which possesses Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity. Here, we show that Abi1 (also known as E3b1) recruits PI3K, via p85, into a multimolecular signaling complex that includes Eps8 and Sos-1. The recruitment of p85 to the Eps8–Abi1–Sos-1 complex and phosphatidylinositol 3, 4, 5 phosphate (PIP3), the catalytic product of PI3K, concur to unmask its Rac-GEF activity in vitro. Moreover, they are indispensable for the activation of Rac and Rac-dependent actin remodeling in vivo. On growth factor stimulation, endogenous p85 and Abi1 consistently colocalize into membrane ruffles, and cells lacking p85 fail to support Abi1-dependent Rac activation. Our results define a mechanism whereby propagation of signals, originating from RTKs or Ras and leading to actin reorganization, is controlled by direct physical interaction between PI3K and a Rac-specific GEF complex.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (22) ◽  
pp. 4562-4578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando C. Baltanás ◽  
Martín Pérez-Andrés ◽  
Alicia Ginel-Picardo ◽  
David Diaz ◽  
David Jimeno ◽  
...  

Sos1 and Sos2 are ubiquitously expressed, universal Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Ras-GEFs) acting in multiple signal transduction pathways activated by upstream cellular kinases. The embryonic lethality of Sos1 null mutants has hampered ascertaining the specificin vivocontributions of Sos1 and Sos2 to processes controlling adult organism survival or development of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic organs, tissues, and cell lineages. Here, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible Sos1-null mouse strain allowing analysis of the combined disruption of Sos1 and Sos2 (Sos1/2) during adulthood. Sos1/2 double-knockout (DKO) animals died precipitously, whereas individual Sos1 and Sos2 knockout (KO) mice were perfectly viable. A reduced percentage of total bone marrow precursors occurred in single-KO animals, but a dramatic depletion of B-cell progenitors was specifically detected in Sos1/2 DKO mice. We also confirmed a dominant role of Sos1 over Sos2 in early thymocyte maturation, with almost complete thymus disappearance and dramatically higher reduction of absolute thymocyte counts in Sos1/2 DKO animals. Absolute counts of mature B and T cells in spleen and peripheral blood were unchanged in single-KO mutants, while significantly reduced in Sos1/2 DKO mice. Our data demonstrate functional redundancy between Sos1 and Sos2 for homeostasis and survival of the full organism and for development and maturation of T and B lymphocytes.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e4652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Graham ◽  
Bernd H. Zinselmeyer ◽  
Francesca Mascarenhas ◽  
Ryan Delgado ◽  
Mark J. Miller ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 397 (10) ◽  
pp. 1055-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavin Shah ◽  
Andreas W. Püschel

Abstract Small GTPases are central regulators of many cellular processes. The highly conserved Rap GTPases perform essential functions in the mammalian nervous system during development and in mature neurons. During neocortical development, Rap1 is required to regulate cadherin- and integrin-mediated adhesion. In the adult nervous system Rap1 and Rap2 regulate the maturation and plasticity of dendritic spine and synapses. Although genetic studies have revealed important roles of Rap GTPases in neurons, their regulation by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that activate them and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) that inactivate them by stimulating their intrinsic GTPase activity is just beginning to be explored in vivo. Here we review how GEFs and GAPs regulate Rap GTPases in the nervous system with a focus on their in vivo function.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Wang ◽  
Mo Wang ◽  
Yi-Hua Zhu ◽  
Timothy W. Grosel ◽  
Daokun Sun ◽  
...  

Rho GTPases, activated by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), are conserved molecular switches for signal transductions that regulate diverse cellular processes, including cell polarization and cytokinesis. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has six Rho GTPases (Cdc42 and Rho1–Rho5) and seven Rho GEFs (Scd1, Rgf1–Rgf3, and Gef1–Gef3). The GEFs for Rho2–Rho5 have not been unequivocally assigned. In particular, Gef3, the smallest Rho GEF, was barely studied. Here we show that Gef3 colocalizes with septins at the cell equator. Gef3 physically interacts with septins and anillin Mid2 and depends on them to localize. Gef3 coprecipitates with GDP-bound Rho4 in vitro and accelerates nucleotide exchange of Rho4, suggesting that Gef3 is a GEF for Rho4. Consistently, Gef3 and Rho4 are in the same genetic pathways to regulate septum formation and/or cell separation. In gef3∆ cells, the localizations of two potential Rho4 effectors—glucanases Eng1 and Agn1—are abnormal, and active Rho4 level is reduced, indicating that Gef3 is involved in Rho4 activation in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of active Rho4 or Eng1 rescues the septation defects of mutants containing gef3∆. Together our data support that Gef3 interacts with the septin complex and activates Rho4 GTPase as a Rho GEF for septation in fission yeast.


2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 846-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Yarwood ◽  
D. Bouyoucef-Cherchalli ◽  
P.J. Cullen ◽  
S. Kupzig

Ras proteins are binary switches that, by cycling between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound conformations, regulate multiple cellular signalling pathways including those that control cell growth, differentiation and survival. Approximately 30% of all human tumours express Ras-containing oncogenic mutations that lock the protein into a constitutively active conformation. The activation status of Ras is regulated by two groups of proteins: GEFs (guanine nucleotide-exchange factors) bind to Ras and enhance the exchange of GDP for GTP, thereby activating it, whereas GAPs (GTPase-activating proteins) inactivate Ras by binding to the GTP-bound form and enhancing the hydrolysis of the bound nucleotide back to GDP. In this review, we focus on a group of key regulators of Ras inactivation, the GAP1 family of Ras-GAPs. The members of this family are GAP1m, GAP1IP4BP, CAPRI (Ca2+-promoted Ras inactivator) and RASAL (Ras-GTPase-activating-like protein) and, as we will discuss, they are emerging as important modulators of Ras and small GTPase signalling that are subject to regulation by a diverse array of events and second messenger signals.


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