title: The effects of modifying RhoA and Rac1 activities on heterotypic contact inhibition of locomotion.
abstract: Contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) occurs when a cell ceases moving in the same direction following contact with another cell. Homotypic and heterotypic CIL occur between cells of the same and different types, respectively. Using Abercrombie's confronted explants assay we studied the effect of changing Rac1 or RhoA activities on heterotypic CIL between NIH3T3 and chicken heart fibroblasts. Both dominant active (L61) and dominant negative (N17) Rac1 expressed in NIH3T3 cells resulted in loss of heterotypic CIL. N17Rac1 expression caused RhoA activation. Increasing RhoA activity directly (V14RhoA) or indirectly (downregulation of N-cadherin or p120-catenin) also resulted in loss of CIL. High RhoA activity has been associated with tumour invasion and our results are consistent with loss of heterotypic CIL playing a role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anear
authors.forename: Roger W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Parish
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D051177:Catenins / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D002645:Chickens; D003260:Contact Inhibition; D015536:Down-Regulation; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein; D000095002:Delta Catenin