WGEF is a novel RhoGEF expressed in intestine, liver, heart, and kidney.
Rho family GTPases regulate multiple cellular processes through their downstream effectors, where their activities are stimulated by the guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Here, we report a new member of RhoGEF, WGEF, which has the classical structure of DH-PH domain and a C-terminal SH3 domain. WGEF was shown to activate RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1 by pulldown assay, and forced expression of WGEF resulted in marked rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, which is typically seen by the activation of RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1. WGEF was highly expressed in intestine and also in liver, heart and kidney, which may suggest the involvement of WGEF in the development and functions of these organs. The expression pattern may also suggest the possible importance of WGEF in the understanding of diseases based on metabolic disorder.
Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences and University Hospital, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
Yuhui
Y
Wang
Hiroaki
H
Suzuki
Tomotaka
T
Yokoo
Kaoruko
K
Tada-Iida
Rumi
R
Kihara
Mitsuhiro
M
Miura
Kazuhisa
K
Watanabe
Hirohito
H
Sone
Hitoshi
H
Shimano
Hideo
H
Toyoshima
Nobuhiro
N
Yamada
D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D015723:Gene Library; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection; D018909:src Homology Domains
D000199:Actins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C493893:WGEF protein, mouse