Wnt-3a and Dvl induce neurite retraction by activating Rho-associated kinase

Mol Cell Biol. 2004 May;24(10):4487-501. doi: 10.1128/MCB.24.10.4487-4501.2004.

Abstract

Dvl is a key protein that transmits the Wnt signal to the canonical beta-catenin pathway and the noncanonical planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. We studied the roles of Rho-associated kinase (Rho-kinase), which is activated by Dvl in the PCP pathway of mammalian cells. The expression of Dvl-1, Wnt-1, or Wnt-3a activated Rho-kinase in COS cells, and this activation was inhibited by the Rho-binding domain of Rho-kinase. The expression of Dvl-1 in PC12 cells activated Rho and inhibited nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite outgrowth. This inhibition was reversed by a Rho-kinase inhibitor but not by a c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor. Dvl-1 also inhibited serum starvation-dependent neurite outgrowth of N1E-115 cells, and expression of the Rho-binding domain of Rho-kinase reversed this inhibitory activity of Dvl-1. Dvl-1 mutants that did not activate Rho-kinase did not inhibit the neurite outgrowth of N1E-115 cells. Furthermore, the purified Wnt-3a protein activated Rho-kinase and inhibited the NGF-dependent neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. Wnt-3a-dependent neurite retraction was also prevented by a Rho-kinase inhibitor and a Dvl-1 mutant that suppresses Wnt-3a-dependent activation of Rho-kinase. These results suggest that Wnt-3a and Dvl regulate neurite formation through Rho-kinase and that PC12 and N1E-115 cells are useful for analyzing the PCP pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Cattle
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Polarity
  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Mice
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nerve Growth Factor / pharmacology
  • Neurites / drug effects
  • Neurites / physiology*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / ultrastructure
  • PC12 Cells
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proteins / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Wnt3A Protein
  • rho-Associated Kinases

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Culture Media, Serum-Free
  • DVL1 protein, human
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Dvl1 protein, mouse
  • Dvl1 protein, rat
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • WNT3A protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Wnt3A Protein
  • Wnt3a protein, mouse
  • Nerve Growth Factor
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3