FMRP interferes with the Rac1 pathway and controls actin cytoskeleton dynamics in murine fibroblasts

Hum Mol Genet. 2005 Mar 15;14(6):835-44. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddi077. Epub 2005 Feb 9.

Abstract

Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, is caused by absence of FMRP, an RNA-binding protein implicated in regulation of mRNA translation and/or transport. We have previously shown that dFMR1, the Drosophila ortholog of FMRP, is genetically linked to the dRac1 GTPase, a key player in actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Here, we demonstrate that FMRP and the Rac1 pathway are connected in a model of murine fibroblasts. We show that Rac1 activation induces relocalization of four FMRP partners to actin ring areas. Moreover, Rac1-induced actin remodeling is altered in fibroblasts lacking FMRP or carrying a point-mutation in the KH1 or in the KH2 RNA-binding domain. In absence of wild-type FMRP, we found that phospho-ADF/Cofilin (P-Cofilin) level, a major mediator of Rac1 signaling, is lowered, whereas the level of protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac), a P-Cofilin phosphatase, is increased. We show that FMRP binds with high affinity to the 5'-UTR of pp2acbeta mRNA and is thus a likely negative regulator of its translation. The molecular mechanism unraveled here points to a role for FMRP in modulation of actin dynamics, which is a key process in morphogenesis of dendritic spines, synaptic structures abnormally developed in Fragile X syndrome patient's brain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism*
  • Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein
  • Fragile X Syndrome / genetics
  • Fragile X Syndrome / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Actins
  • FMR1 protein, human
  • Fmr1 protein, mouse
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein