Prepatterning by RhoGEFs governs Rho GTPase spatiotemporal dynamics during wound repair

J Cell Biol. 2017 Dec 4;216(12):3959-3969. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201704145. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Abstract

Like tissues, single cells are subjected to continual stresses and damage. As such, cells have a robust wound repair mechanism comprised of dynamic membrane resealing and cortical cytoskeletal remodeling. One group of proteins, the Rho family of small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), is critical for this actin and myosin cytoskeletal response in which they form distinct dynamic spatial and temporal patterns/arrays surrounding the wound. A key mechanistic question, then, is how these GTPase arrays are formed. Here, we show that in the Drosophila melanogaster cell wound repair model Rho GTPase arrays form in response to prepatterning by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), a family of proteins involved in the activation of small GTPases. Furthermore, we show that Annexin B9, a member of a class of proteins associated with the membrane resealing, is involved in an early, Rho family-independent, actin stabilization that is integral to the formation of one RhoGEF array. Thus, Annexin proteins may link membrane resealing to cytoskeletal remodeling processes in single cell wound repair.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / genetics
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Annexins / genetics*
  • Annexins / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton / ultrastructure
  • Drosophila Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics*
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / cytology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / ultrastructure
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / genetics*
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics*
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Wound Healing / genetics
  • 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

Substances

  • Actins
  • Annexins
  • Cdc42 protein, Drosophila
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Pbl protein, Drosophila
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Rac1 protein, Drosophila
  • rhoGEF3 protein, Drosophila
  • sav protein, Drosophila
  • tum protein, Drosophila
  • GTP-Binding Proteins
  • Rho1 protein, Drosophila
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins