title: RalA mediates v-Src, v-Ras, and v-Raf regulation of CD44 and fibronectin expression in NIH3T3 fibroblasts.
abstract: Oncogenic transformation of fibroblasts by v-Src and v-Ras is often associated with downregulation of fibronectin (FN) and increased expression of CD44, a receptor for hyaluronan. Both v-Src and v-Ras as well as v-Raf activate phospholipase D through the small GTPase, RalA, an important mediator of transformation and tumorigenesis in vivo. We have therefore investigated whether RalA is involved in the downregulation of FN and overproduction of CD44 upon oncogenic transformation. We report here that compared to untransfected cells NIH3T3 cells transformed by v-Src, v-Ras, or v-Raf have reduced levels of FN and increased levels of CD44. Moreover, the ability to form extracellular FN fibrils was significantly reduced in the oncogene-transformed cells compared to parental controls. Coexpression of the dominant negative S28N-RalA mutant restored the levels of CD44 and FN and the capacity of v-Src-, v-Ras-, and v-Raf-expressing cells to form extracellular FN fibrils, to those observed in NIH3T3 cells. The data presented here show a novel regulatory role for RalA, which is required for tumor formation in transformed NIH3T3 cells, in mediating the signal transduction pathway activated by v-Src, v-Ras, and v-Raf, that leads to FN downregulation and CD44 overexpression.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1417, Argentina.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ladeda
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Feig
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bal de Kier Joffe
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aguirre-Ghiso
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000502:physiology*; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src) / Q000378:metabolism*; D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D015688:Oncogene Protein pp60(v-src); D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C118120:Rala protein, mouse; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras); D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins