title: Stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha activates LIM kinase 1 and induces cofilin phosphorylation for T-cell chemotaxis.
abstract: Stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1alpha), the ligand for G-protein-coupled receptor CXCR4, is a chemotactic factor for T lymphocytes. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) phosphorylates cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing and -severing protein, at Ser-3 and regulates actin reorganization. We investigated the role of cofilin phosphorylation by LIMK1 in SDF-1alpha-induced chemotaxis of T lymphocytes. SDF-1alpha significantly induced the activation of LIMK1 in Jurkat human leukemic T cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes. SDF-1alpha also induced cofilin phosphorylation, actin reorganization, and activation of small GTPases, Rho, Rac, and Cdc42, in Jurkat cells. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin inhibited SDF-1alpha-induced LIMK1 activation, thus indicating that Gi protein is involved in LIMK1 activation. Expression of dominant negative Rac (DN-Rac), but not DN-Rho or DN-Cdc42, blocked SDF-1alpha-induced activation of LIMK1, which means that SDF-1alpha-induced LIMK1 activation is mediated by Rac but not by Rho or Cdc42. We used a cell-permeable peptide (S3 peptide) that contains the phosphorylation site (Ser-3) of cofilin to inhibit the cellular function of LIMK1. S3 peptide inhibited the kinase activity of LIMK1 in vitro. Treatment of Jurkat cells with S3 peptide inhibited the SDF-1alpha-induced cofilin phosphorylation, actin reorganization, and chemotactic response of Jurkat cells. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of cofilin by LIMK1 plays a critical role in the SDF-1alpha-induced chemotactic response of T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishita
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: Kensaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D054461:Lim Kinases; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D000199:Actins; C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011494:Protein Kinases; C515892:LIMK1 protein, human; D054461:Lim Kinases; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go