Cell migration is driven by actin polymerization at the leading edge of lamellipodia, where WASP family verprolin-homologous proteins (WAVEs) activate Arp2/3 complex. When fibroblasts are stimulated ...with PDGF, formation of peripheral ruffles precedes that of dorsal ruffles in lamellipodia. Here, we show that WAVE2 deficiency impairs peripheral ruffle formation and WAVE1 deficiency impairs dorsal ruffle formation. During directed cell migration in the absence of extracellular matrix (ECM), cells migrate with peripheral ruffles at the leading edge and WAVE2, but not WAVE1, is essential. In contrast, both WAVE1 and WAVE2 are essential for invading migration into ECM, suggesting that the leading edge in ECM has characteristics of both ruffles. WAVE1 is colocalized with ECM-degrading enzyme MMP-2 in dorsal ruffles, and WAVE1-, but not WAVE2-, dependent migration requires MMP activity. Thus, WAVE2 is essential for leading edge extension for directed migration in general and WAVE1 is essential in MMP-dependent migration in ECM.
Rac is a Rho‐family small GTPase that induces the formation of membrane ruffles. However, it is poorly understood how Rac‐induced reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which is essential for ...ruffle formation, is regulated. Here we identify a novel Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)‐family protein, WASP family Verprolin‐homologous protein (WAVE), as a regulator of actin reorganization downstream of Rac. Ectopically expressed WAVE induces the formation of actin filament clusters that overlap with the expressed WAVE itself. In this actin clustering, profilin, a monomeric actin‐binding protein that has been suggested to be involved in actin polymerization, was shown to be essential. The expression of a dominant‐active Rac mutant induces the translocation of endogenous WAVE from the cytosol to membrane ruffling areas. Furthermore, the co‐expression of a ΔVPH WAVE mutant that cannot induce actin reorganization specifically suppresses the ruffle formation induced by Rac, but has no effect on Cdc42‐induced actin‐microspike formation, a phenomenon that is also known to be dependent on rapid actin reorganization. The ΔVPH WAVE also suppresses membrane‐ruffling formation induced by platelet‐derived growth factor in Swiss 3T3 cells. Taken together, we conclude that WAVE plays a critical role downstream of Rac in regulating the actin cytoskeleton required for membrane ruffling.
Selenocysteine (Sec) is translationally incorporated into proteins in response to the UGA codon. The tRNA specific to Sec (tRNA(Sec)) is first ligated with serine by seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS). In ...the present study, we determined the 3.1 Å crystal structure of the tRNA(Sec) from the bacterium Aquifex aeolicus, in complex with the heterologous SerRS from the archaeon Methanopyrus kandleri. The bacterial tRNA(Sec) assumes the L-shaped structure, from which the long extra arm protrudes. Although the D-arm conformation and the extra-arm orientation are similar to those of eukaryal/archaeal tRNA(Sec)s, A. aeolicus tRNA(Sec) has unique base triples, G14:C21:U8 and C15:G20a:G48, which occupy the positions corresponding to the U8:A14 and R15:Y48 tertiary base pairs of canonical tRNAs. Methanopyrus kandleri SerRS exhibited serine ligation activity toward A. aeolicus tRNA(Sec) in vitro. The SerRS N-terminal domain interacts with the extra-arm stem and the outer corner of tRNA(Sec). Similar interactions exist in the reported tRNA(Ser) and SerRS complex structure from the bacterium Thermus thermophilus. Although the catalytic C-terminal domain of M. kandleri SerRS lacks interactions with A. aeolicus tRNA(Sec) in the present complex structure, the conformational flexibility of SerRS is likely to allow the CCA terminal region of tRNA(Sec) to enter the SerRS catalytic site.
WAVEs (WASP-family verprolin-homologous proteins) regulate the actin cytoskeleton through activation of Arp2/3 complex. As cell motility is regulated by actin cytoskeleton rearrangement and is ...required for tumor invasion and metastasis, blocking actin polymerization may be an effective strategy to prevent tumor dissemination. We show that WAVEs, especially WAVE2, are essential for invasion and metastasis of melanoma cells. Malignant B16F10 mouse melanoma cells expressed more WAVE1 and WAVE2 proteins and showed higher Rac activity than B16 parental cells, which are neither invasive nor metastatic. The effect of WAVE2 silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) on the highly invasive nature of B16F10 cells was more dramatic than that of WAVE1 RNAi. Membrane ruffling, cell motility, invasion into the extracellular matrix, and pulmonary metastasis of B16F10 cells were suppressed by WAVE2 RNAi. WAVE2 RNAi also had a profound effect on invasion induced by a constitutively active form of Rac (RacCA). In addition, ectopic expression of both RacCA and WAVE2 in B16 cells resulted in further increase in the invasiveness than that observed in B16 cells expressing only RacCA. Thus, WAVE2 acts as the primary effector downstream of Rac to achieve invasion and metastasis, suggesting that suppression of WAVE2 activity holds a promise for preventing cancer invasion and metastasis.
Polarized cell movement is triggered by the development of a PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 gradient at the membrane, which is followed by rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. The WASP family verprolin ...homologous protein (WAVE) is essential for lamellipodium formation at the leading edge by activating the Arp2/3 complex downstream of Rac GTPase. Here, we report that WAVE2 binds to PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 through its basic domain. The amino-terminal portion of WAVE2, which includes the PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-binding sequence, was localized at the leading edge of lamellipodia induced by an active form of Rac (RacDA) or by treatment with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Production of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 at the cell membrane by myristoylated phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) is sufficient to recruit WAVE2 in the presence of dominant-negative Rac and latrunculin, demonstrating that PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 alone is able to recruit WAVE2. Expression of a full-length mutant of WAVE2 that lacks the lipid-binding activity inhibited proper formation of lamellipodia induced by RacDA. These results suggest that one of the products of PI(3)K, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, recruits WAVE2 to the polarized membrane and that this recruitment is essential for lamellipodium formation at the leading edge.
WAVE2, a protein related to Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein, is crucial for Rac-induced membrane ruffling, which is important in cell motility. Cell movement is essential for morphogenesis, but it ...is unclear how cell movement is regulated or related to morphogenesis. Here we show the physiological functions of WAVE2 by disruption of the WAVE2 gene in mice. WAVE2 was expressed predominantly in vascular endothelial cells during embryogenesis. WAVE2-/- embryos showed haemorrhages and died at about embryonic day 10. Deficiency in WAVE2 had no significant effect on vasculogenesis, but it decreased sprouting and branching of endothelial cells from existing vessels during angiogenesis. In WAVE2-/- endothelial cells, cell polarity formed in response to vascular endothelial growth factor, but the formation of lamellipodia at leading edges and capillaries was severely impaired. These findings indicate that WAVE2-regulated actin reorganization might be required for proper cell movement and that a lack of functional WAVE2 impairs angiogenesis in vivo.
Bulk Dirac electron systems have attracted strong interest for their unique magnetoelectric properties as well as their close relation to topological (crystalline) insulators. Recently, the focus has ...been shifting toward the role of magnetism in stabilizing Weyl fermions as well as chiral surface states in such materials. While a number of nonmagnetic systems are well known, experimental realizations of magnetic analogs are a key focus of current studies. Here, we report on the physical properties of a large family of inverse perovskites A3BO (A = Sr, Ca, Eu/B = Pb, Sn) in which we are able to not only stabilize 3D Dirac electrons at the Fermi energy but also chemically control their properties. In particular, it is possible to introduce a controllable Dirac gap, change the Fermi velocity, tune the anisotropy of the Dirac dispersion, and—crucially—introduce complex magnetism into the system. This family of compounds therefore opens up unique possibilities for the chemical control and systematic investigation of the fascinating properties of such topological semimetals.
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