Phosphoinositide 3-kinase activates Rac by entering in a complex with Eps8, Abi1, and Sos-1

J Cell Biol. 2003 Jan 6;160(1):17-23. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200206079. Epub 2003 Jan 6.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Arabidopsis Proteins*
  • COS Cells
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • SOS1 Protein / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Eps8 protein, mouse
  • Proteins
  • SOS1 Protein
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • ABI1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins