Negative charges in the flexible N-terminal domain of Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs) regulate the targeting of the RhoGDI-Rac1 complex to membranes

J Immunol. 2013 Sep 1;191(5):2560-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300209. Epub 2013 Aug 5.

Abstract

In its resting state, Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI) α forms a soluble cytoplasmic heterodimer with the GDP-bound form of Rac. Upon stimulation, the dissociation of RhoGDIα from the RhoGDIα-Rac complex is a mandatory step for Rac activation; however, this mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we examined how the cytoplasm/membrane cycles of the RhoGDI-Rac complex are regulated, as well as where RhoGDI dissociates from the RhoGDI-Rac complex, during FcγR-mediated phagocytosis. The negatively charged and flexible N terminus (25 residues) of RhoGDIα, particularly its second negative amino acid cluster possessing five negatively charged amino acids, was a pivotal regulator in the cytoplasm/membrane cycles of the RhoGDI-Rac complex. We also found that RhoGDIα translocated to the phagosomes as a RhoGDIα-Rac1 complex, and this translocation was mediated by an interaction between the polybasic motif in the C terminus of Rac1 and anionic phospholipids produced on phagosomes, such as phosphatidic acid, that is, by a phagosome-targeting mechanism of Rac1. Thus, we demonstrated that the targeting/accumulation of the RhoGDIα-Rac1 complex to phagosomes is regulated by a balance between three factors: 1) the negatively charged and flexible N-terminal of RhoGDIα, 2) the binding affinity of RhoGDIα for Rac1, and 3) anionic phospholipids produced on phagosomes. Moreover, we demonstrated that the mechanism of targeting/accumulation of the RhoGDIα-Rac1 complex is also applicable for the RhoGDIβ-Rac1 complex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Phagosomes
  • Protein Transport / physiology
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*
  • rho-Specific Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • rho-Specific Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors / metabolism*

Substances

  • RAC1 protein, human
  • rho-Specific Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein