The Rap GTPases regulate B cell migration toward the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (CXCL12): potential role for Rap2 in promoting B cell migration.
Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a potent chemoattractant for B cells and B cell progenitors. Although the binding of SDF-1 to its receptor, CXCR4, activates multiple signaling pathways, the mechanism by which SDF-1 regulates cell migration is not completely understood. In this report we show that activation of the Rap GTPases is important for B cells to migrate toward SDF-1. We found that treating B cells with SDF-1 resulted in the rapid activation of both Rap1 and Rap2. Moreover, blocking the activation of Rap1 and Rap2 via the expression of a Rap-specific GTPase-activating protein significantly reduced the ability of B cells to migrate toward SDF-1. Conversely, expressing a constitutively active form of Rap2 increased SDF-1-induced B cell migration. Thus, the Rap GTPases control cellular processes that are important for B cells to migrate toward SDF-1.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Sarah J
SJ
McLeod
Anson H Y
AH
Li
Rosaline L
RL
Lee
Anita E
AE
Burgess
Michael R
MR
Gold
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D020668:rap GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology
D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; C515256:Cxcl12 protein, mouse; C492137:Rap2a protein, mouse; D020668:rap GTP-Binding Proteins; D020827:rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins