Leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor promotes G alpha q-coupled activation of RhoA

Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Jun;22(12):4053-61. doi: 10.1128/MCB.22.12.4053-4061.2002.

Abstract

Leukemia-associated Rho guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (LARG) belongs to the subfamily of Dbl homology RhoGEF proteins (including p115 RhoGEF and PDZ-RhoGEF) that possess amino-terminal regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) boxes also found within GTPase-accelerating proteins (GAPs) for heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunits. p115 RhoGEF stimulates the intrinsic GTP hydrolysis activity of G alpha 12/13 subunits and acts as an effector for G13-coupled receptors by linking receptor activation to RhoA activation. The presence of RGS box and Dbl homology domains within LARG suggests this protein may also function as a GAP toward specific G alpha subunits and couple G alpha activation to RhoA-mediating signaling pathways. Unlike the RGS box of p115 RhoGEF, the RGS box of LARG interacts not only with G alpha 12 and G alpha 13 but also with G alpha q. In cellular coimmunoprecipitation studies, the LARG RGS box formed stable complexes with the transition state mimetic forms of G alpha q, G alpha 12, and G alpha 13. Expression of the LARG RGS box diminished the transforming activity of oncogenic G protein-coupled receptors (Mas, G2A, and m1-muscarinic cholinergic) coupled to G alpha q and G alpha 13. Activated G alpha q, as well as G alpha 12 and G alpha 13, cooperated with LARG and caused synergistic activation of RhoA, suggesting that all three G alpha subunits stimulate LARG-mediated activation of RhoA. Our findings suggest that the RhoA exchange factor LARG, unlike the related p115 RhoGEF and PDZ-RhoGEF proteins, can serve as an effector for Gq-coupled receptors, mediating their functional linkage to RhoA-dependent signaling pathways.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, G12-G13
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled*
  • Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Signal Transduction
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Arhgef12 protein, mouse
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • G2A receptor
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, G12-G13
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein