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Regulation of Rho GTPase crosstalk, degradation and activity by RhoGDI1

Nature Cell Biology volume 12, pages 477–483 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

At steady state, most Rho GTPases are bound in the cytosol to Rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs)1. RhoGDIs have generally been considered to hold Rho proteins passively in an inactive state within the cytoplasm. Here we describe an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which RhoGDI1 controls the homeostasis of Rho proteins in eukaryotic cells. We found that depletion of RhoGDI1 promotes misfolding and degradation of the cytosolic geranylgeranylated pool of Rho GTPases while activating the remaining membrane-bound fraction. Because RhoGDI1 levels are limiting, and Rho proteins compete for binding to RhoGDI1, overexpression of an exogenous Rho GTPase displaces endogenous Rho proteins bound to RhoGDI1, inducing their degradation and inactivation. These results raise important questions about the conclusions drawn from studies that manipulate Rho protein levels. In many cases the response observed may arise not simply from the overexpression itself but from additional effects on the levels and activity of other Rho GTPases as a result of competition for binding to RhoGDI1; this may require a re-evaluation of previously published studies that rely exclusively on these techniques.

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Figure 1: RhoGDI1 depletion triggers degradation and activation of Rho proteins.
Figure 2: RhoGDI1 depletion impairs cell migration.
Figure 3: Rho-family GTPase degradation after RhoGDI1 depletion does not require activation of the Rho protein but depends on their geranylgeranylation and involves the molecular chaperone machinery.
Figure 4: Competitive interactions with RhoGDI1 regulate the levels and activities of Rho proteins.
Figure 5: RhoGDI regulates Rho protein homeostasis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Lisa Sharek for her technical support, and Channing Der, Jim Bear and Chloé Féral for comments. This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants GM029860 (to K.B.) and GM054712 (to P.B.), a Department of Defense Breast Cancer Predoctoral Fellowship (BC051092 to A.D.), a Susan Komen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and a AHA Beginning Grant in Aid (5-40078 to R.G.M.) and a Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale Fellowship (to E.B.), an AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship (0825333E to E.B.) and an Allocation INSERM InCa/AVENIR (R08227AS to E.B.).

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  1. Etienne Boulter & Adi Dubash

    Present address: Present addresses: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Avenir Team, U634, Nice Sophia Antipolis University, 06107 Nice, Cedex 2, France (E.B.); Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.,

  2. Etienne Boulter and Rafael Garcia-Mata: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    Etienne Boulter, Rafael Garcia-Mata, Christophe Guilluy, Adi Dubash, Guendalina Rossi, Patrick J. Brennwald & Keith Burridge

  2. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    Keith Burridge

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Contributions

E.B. and R.G.M. designed, performed experiments and wrote the manuscript. C.G. and A.D. helped with experimental design and procedures. G.R. and P.B. designed and performed the experiments in S. cerevisiae. K.B. directed the project and revised the manuscript. All authors provided detailed comments.

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Correspondence to Keith Burridge.

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Boulter, E., Garcia-Mata, R., Guilluy, C. et al. Regulation of Rho GTPase crosstalk, degradation and activity by RhoGDI1. Nat Cell Biol 12, 477–483 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2049

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