Cell motility Flashcards
why is cell motility important?
aids in:
- wound healing
- chemotaxis
- development
what are Rho GTPases?
family of small signalling G proteins.
- serve as molecular switches of intracellular signal transduction
what molecules are involved in the biochemistry of Rho GTPases?
GAP: GTPase activating factor
GEF: GTPase exchange factor
GDI: GTPase dissociation inhibitor
Effectors: proteins that mediate the cellular effects of a signal transduction pathway
Rho and the cytoskeleton
participates in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion through specific targets
whay regulates Rho GTPases?
growth factors and G-proteins
what is actin treadmilling?
continuous addition at one end and dissociation from the other end of the G-actin monomers.
- crucial in cell migration, endocytosis and exocytosis
what is the process of actin treadmilling?
a segment of filament ‘moves’ through a stratum or the cytosol. when one end of the filament lengthens, the other shortens.
what regulates actin cytoskeleton contractility?
MLC contracted + MP = relaxed
MLC relaxed + MLCK = contracted
molecules:
- MLC; myosin light chain
- MLCK; myosin light chain kinase
- MP; myosin phosphatase
what does RhoA do?
Ras homolog A: small GTPase protein that has a key role in actin cytoskeleton reorganisation, regulation of cell shape, adhesion and migration and transformation of cellular phenotypes
how is RhoA activated?
activation mediated by guanin nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) that catalyse exchange of GDP for GTP
describe the RhoA cycle
RHO-GDP + serum, GFs and integrins becomes RHO-GTP.
splits into two pathways:
- actin stabilisation;
+ ROCK + LMK p -> Cof (cofilin; actin regulatory protein that severs actin filaments and accelerates actin assembly)
- actin assembly;
+ diaphanous
describe the regulation of stress fibre formation by RHOA
Rho-GTP –> ROCK –> transition of MP to MP+P which affects the MLC contraction and relaxation equilibrium
overview of the process by which RAC and CDC42 regulare actin polymerisation
- activation of RAC and CDC42
- effector proteins
- actin nucelation and polymerisation
- actin bundling and filament stability
- spatial and temporal regulation
how are RAC and CDC42 activated?
both are activated by guanine nucleotide exhcange factors (GEFs) by extracellular signalling.
GEFs cataluse the exchange of GDP for GTP thereby activating RAC and CDC42
what is the role of the effector proteins?
relay signal to downstream pathways involved in actin polymerisation.
effector proteins include; kinases, phospholipases and scaffolding proteins