title: PAK1 kinase is required for CXCL1-induced chemotaxis.
abstract: The CXC subfamily of chemokines plays an important role in diverse processes, including inflammation, wound healing, growth regulation, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. The CXC chemokine CXCL1, or MGSA/GROalpha, is traditionally considered to be responsible for attracting leukocytes into sites of inflammation. To better understand the molecular mechanisms by which CXCL1 induces CXCR2-mediated chemotaxis, the signal transduction components involved in CXCL1-induced chemotaxis were examined. It is shown here that CXCL1 induces cdc42 and PAK1 activation in CXCR2-expressing HEK293 cells. Activation of the cdc42-PAK1 cascade is required for CXCL1-induced chemotaxis but not for CXCL1-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. Moreover, CXCL1 activation of PAK1 is independent of ERK1/2 activation, a conclusion based on the observations that the inhibition of MEK-ERK activation by expression of dominant negative ERK or by the MEK inhibitor, PD98059, has no effect on CXCL1-induced PAK1 activation or CXCL1-induced chemotaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Dingzhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiging
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sai
authors.forename: Glendora
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Aristidis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sachpatzidis
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lolis
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richmond
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D048370:MAP Kinase Kinase 2; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
chemical_list: C475829:CXCL1 protein, human; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; C513297:Cxcl1 protein, rat; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C482128:MAP2K2 protein, human; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C515903:PAK1 protein, human; C515906:Pak1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D048370:MAP Kinase Kinase 2; C482125:MAP2K1 protein, human; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D002118:Calcium