title: Activation of LIM-kinase by Pak1 couples Rac/Cdc42 GTPase signalling to actin cytoskeletal dynamics.
abstract: Extracellular signals regulate actin dynamics through small GTPases of the Rho/Rac/Cdc42 (p21) family. Here we show that p21-activated kinase (Pak1) phosphorylates LIM-kinase at threonine residue 508 within LIM-kinase's activation loop, and increases LIM-kinase-mediated phosphorylation of the actin-regulatory protein cofilin tenfold in vitro. In vivo, activated Rac or Cdc42 increases association of Pak1 with LIM-kinase; this association requires structural determinants in both the amino-terminal regulatory and the carboxy-terminal catalytic domains of Pak1. A catalytically inactive LIM-kinase interferes with Rac-, Cdc42- and Pak1-dependent cytoskeletal changes. A Pak1-specific inhibitor, corresponding to the Pak1 autoinhibitory domain, blocks LIM-kinase-induced cytoskeletal changes. Activated GTPases can thus regulate actin depolymerization through Pak1 and LIM-kinase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0650, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Bokoch
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D054461:Lim Kinases; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010769:Phosphothreonine / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection; D016335:Zinc Fingers; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010769:Phosphothreonine; D011494:Protein Kinases; C515892:LIMK1 protein, human; D054461:Lim Kinases; C515903:PAK1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins