Myosin 2 is a key Rho kinase target necessary for the local concentration of E-cadherin at cell-cell contacts

Mol Biol Cell. 2005 Oct;16(10):4531-42. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e05-04-0330. Epub 2005 Jul 19.

Abstract

Classical cadherins accumulate at cell-cell contacts as a characteristic response to productive adhesive ligation. Such local accumulation of cadherins is a developmentally regulated process that supports cell adhesiveness and cell-cell cohesion. Yet the molecular effectors responsible for cadherin accumulation remain incompletely understood. We now report that Myosin 2 is critical for cells to concentrate E-cadherin at cell-cell contacts. Myosin 2 is found at cadherin-based cell-cell contacts and its recruitment requires E-cadherin activity. Indeed, both Myosin 2 recruitment and its activation were stimulated by E-cadherin homophilic ligation alone. Inhibition of Myosin 2 activity by blebbistatin or ML-7 rapidly impaired the ability of cells to concentrate E-cadherin at adhesive contacts, accompanied by decreased cadherin-based cell adhesiveness. The total surface expression of cadherins was unaffected, suggesting that Myosin 2 principally regulates the regional distribution of cadherins at the cell surface. The recruitment of Myosin 2 to cadherin contacts, and its activation, required Rho kinase; furthermore, inhibition of Rho kinase signaling effectively phenocopied the effects of Myosin 2 inhibition. We propose that Myosin 2 is a key effector of Rho-Rho kinase signaling that regulates cell-cell adhesion by determining the ability of cells to concentrate cadherins at contacts in response to homophilic ligation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Azepines / pharmacology
  • Cadherins / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane / drug effects
  • Cell Membrane / physiology*
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Junctions / metabolism*
  • Myosin Type II / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Myosin Type II / metabolism*
  • Naphthalenes / pharmacology
  • Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIA / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Azepines
  • Cadherins
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings
  • Naphthalenes
  • ML 7
  • blebbistatin
  • Myosin Type II
  • Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIA
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins