Regulation of the association of adducin with actin filaments by Rho-associated kinase (Rho-kinase) and myosin phosphatase

J Biol Chem. 1998 Mar 6;273(10):5542-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.273.10.5542.

Abstract

The small GTPase Rho is believed to regulate the actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion through its specific targets. We previously identified the Rho targets: protein kinase N, Rho-associated kinase (Rho-kinase), and the myosin-binding subunit (MBS) of myosin phosphatase. Here we purified MBS-interacting proteins, identified them as adducin, and found that MBS specifically interacted with adducin in vitro and in vivo. Adducin is a membrane-skeletal protein that promotes the binding of spectrin to actin filaments and is concentrated at the cell-cell contact sites in epithelial cells. We also found that Rho-kinase phosphorylated alpha-adducin in vitro and in vivo and that the phosphorylation of alpha-adducin by Rho-kinase enhanced the interaction of alpha-adducin with actin filaments in vitro. Myosin phosphatase composed of the catalytic subunit and MBS showed phosphatase activity toward alpha-adducin, which was phosphorylated by Rho-kinase. This phosphatase activity was inhibited by the phosphorylation of MBS by Rho-kinase. These results suggest that Rho-kinase and myosin phosphatase regulate the phosphorylation state of adducin downstream of Rho and that the increased phosphorylation of adducin by Rho-kinase causes the interaction of adducin with actin filaments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Ankyrins / metabolism
  • Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase
  • Phosphopeptides / analysis
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • rho-Associated Kinases

Substances

  • Actins
  • Ankyrins
  • Calmodulin-Binding Proteins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Phosphopeptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • adducin
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase