Biological and regulatory properties of Vav-3, a new member of the Vav family of oncoproteins

Mol Cell Biol. 1999 Nov;19(11):7870-85. doi: 10.1128/MCB.19.11.7870.

Abstract

We report here the identification and characterization of a novel Vav family member, Vav-3. Signaling experiments demonstrate that Vav-3 participates in pathways activated by protein tyrosine kinases. Vav-3 promotes the exchange of nucleotides on RhoA, on RhoG and, to a lesser extent, on Rac-1. During this reaction, Vav-3 binds physically to the nucleotide-free states of those GTPases. These functions are stimulated by tyrosine phosphorylation in wild-type Vav-3 and become constitutively activated upon deletion of the entire calponin-homology region. Expression of truncated versions of Vav-3 leads to drastic actin relocalization and to the induction of stress fibers, lamellipodia, and membrane ruffles. Moreover, expression of Vav-3 alters cytokinesis, resulting in the formation of binucleated cells. All of these responses need only the expression of the central region of Vav-3 encompassing the Dbl homology (DH), pleckstrin homology (PH), and zinc finger (ZF) domains but do not require the presence of the C-terminal SH3-SH2-SH3 regions. Studies conducted with Vav-3 proteins containing loss-of-function mutations in the DH, PH, and ZF regions indicate that only the DH and ZF regions are essential for Vav-3 biological activity. Finally, we show that one of the functions of the Vav-3 ZF region is to work coordinately with the catalytic DH region to promote both the binding to GTP-hydrolases and their GDP-GTP nucleotide exchange. These results highlight the role of Vav-3 in signaling and cytoskeletal pathways and identify a novel functional cross-talk between the DH and ZF domains of Vav proteins that is imperative for the binding to, and activation of, Rho GTP-binding proteins.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells / cytology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Blood Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Compartmentation
  • Cell Cycle Proteins*
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / isolation & purification
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family
  • Phosphoproteins*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-vav
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Zinc Fingers / genetics
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Blood Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • MCF2 protein, human
  • Mcf2 protein, mouse
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-vav
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • VAV3 protein, human
  • Vav3 protein, mouse
  • platelet protein P47
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF118886
  • GENBANK/AF118887