The MRL proteins: adapting cell adhesion, migration and growth

The focal adhesion protein talin is a mechanically gated A-kinase anchoring protein

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitous, promiscuous kinase whose activity is specified through subcellular localization mediated by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). PKA has complex roles as both an effector and a regulator of integrin-mediated cell adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM). Recent observations demonstrate that PKA is an active component of focal adhesions (FA), suggesting the existence of one or more FA AKAPs. Using a promiscuous biotin ligase fused to PKA type-IIα regulatory (RIIα) subunits and subcellular fractionation, we identify the archetypal FA protein talin1 as an AKAP. Talin is a large, mechanosensitive scaffold that directly links integrins to actin filaments and promotes FA assembly by recruiting additional components in a force-dependent manner. The rod region of talin1 consists of 62 α-helices bundled into 13 rod domains, R1 to R13. Direct binding assays and NMR spectroscopy identify helix41 in the R9 subdomain of talin as the PKA binding site. PKA binding to helix41 requires unfolding of the R9 domain, which requires the linker region between R9 and R10. Experiments with single molecules and in cells manipulated to alter actomyosin contractility demonstrate that the PKA-talin interaction is regulated by mechanical force across the talin molecule. Finally, talin mutations that disrupt PKA binding also decrease levels of total and phosphorylated PKA RII subunits as well as phosphorylation of VASP, a known PKA substrate, within FA. These observations identify a mechanically gated anchoring protein for PKA, a force-dependent binding partner for talin1, and a potential pathway for adhesion-associated mechanotransduction.

Myosin-X recruits lamellipodin to filopodia tips

Myosin-X (MYO10), a molecular motor localizing to filopodia, is thought to transport various cargo to filopodia tips, modulating filopodia function. However, only a few MYO10 cargoes have been described. Here, using GFP-Trap and BioID approaches combined with mass spectrometry, we identified lamellipodin (RAPH1) as a novel MYO10 cargo. We report that the FERM domain of MYO10 is required for RAPH1 localization and accumulation at filopodia tips. Previous studies have mapped the RAPH1 interaction domain for adhesome components to its talin-binding and Ras-association domains. Surprisingly, we find that the RAPH1 MYO10-binding site is not within these domains. Instead, it comprises a conserved helix located just after the RAPH1 pleckstrin homology domain with previously unknown functions. Functionally, RAPH1 supports MYO10 filopodia formation and stability but is not required to activate integrins at filopodia tips. Taken together, our data indicate a feed-forward mechanism whereby MYO10 filopodia are positively regulated by MYO10-mediated transport of RAPH1 to the filopodium tip.

PtdIns(3,4)P2, Lamellipodin, and VASP coordinate actin dynamics during phagocytosis in macrophages

Phosphoinositides are pivotal regulators of vesicular traffic and signaling during phagocytosis. Phagosome formation, the initial step of the process, is characterized by local membrane remodeling and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton that leads to formation of the pseudopods that drive particle engulfment. Using genetically encoded fluorescent probes, we found that upon particle engagement a localized pool of PtdIns(3,4)P2 is generated by the sequential activities of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases and phosphoinositide 5-phosphatases. Depletion of this locally generated pool of PtdIns(3,4)P2 blocks pseudopod progression and ultimately phagocytosis. We show that the PtdIns(3,4)P2 effector Lamellipodin (Lpd) is recruited to nascent phagosomes by PtdIns(3,4)P2. Furthermore, we show that silencing of Lpd inhibits phagocytosis and produces aberrant pseudopodia with disorganized actin filaments. Finally, vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) was identified as a key actin-regulatory protein mediating phagosome formation downstream of Lpd. Mechanistically, our findings imply that a pathway involving PtdIns(3,4)P2, Lpd, and VASP mediates phagocytosis at the stage of particle engulfment.

Structural Basis of β2 Integrin Inside—Out Activation

β2 integrins are expressed on all leukocytes. Precise regulation of the β2 integrin is critical for leukocyte adhesion and trafficking. In neutrophils, β2 integrins participate in slow rolling. When activated by inside–out signaling, fully activated β2 integrins mediate rapid leukocyte arrest and adhesion. The two activation pathways, starting with selectin ligand engagement and chemokine receptor ligation, respectively, converge on phosphoinositide 3-kinase, talin-1, kindlin-3 and Rap1. Here, we focus on recent structural insights into autoinhibited talin-1 and autoinhibited trimeric kindlin-3. When activated, both talin-1 and kindlin-3 can bind the β2 cytoplasmic tail at separate but adjacent sites. We discuss possible pathways for talin-1 and kindlin-3 activation, recruitment to the plasma membrane, and their role in integrin activation. We propose new models of the final steps of integrin activation involving the complex of talin-1, kindlin-3, integrin and the plasma membrane.

Molecular mechanisms of leukocyte β2 integrin activation

Integrins are transmembrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Although all integrins can undergo activation (affinity change for ligands), the degree of activation is most spectacular for integrins on blood cells. The β2 integrins are exclusively expressed on the surface of all leukocytes including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes. They are essential for many leukocyte functions and are strictly required for neutrophil arrest from rolling. The inside-out integrin activation process receives input from chemokine receptors and adhesion molecules. The integrin activation pathway involves many cytoplasmic signaling molecules such as spleen tyrosine kinase, other kinases like Bruton's tyrosine kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinases, phospholipases, Rap1 GTPases, and the Rap1-GTP-interacting adapter molecule. These signaling events ultimately converge on talin-1 and kindlin-3, which bind to the integrin β cytoplasmic domain and induce integrin conformational changes: extension and high affinity for ligand. Here, we review recent structural and functional insights into how talin-1 and kindlin-3 enable integrin activation, with a focus on the distal signaling components that trigger β2 integrin conformational changes and leukocyte adhesion under flow.

Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Photodynamic Therapy of Metastatic Melanoma: A Review

Metastatic melanoma (MM) is a skin malignancy arising from melanocytes, the incidence of which has been rising in recent years. It poses therapeutic challenges due to its resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative non-invasive modality that requires a photosensitizer (PS), specific wavelength of light, and molecular oxygen. Several studies using conventional PSs have highlighted the need for improved PSs for PDT applications to achieve desired therapeutic outcomes. The incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) and targeting moieties in PDT have appeared as a promising strategy to circumvent various drawbacks associated with non-specific toxicity, poor water solubility, and low bioavailability of the PSs at targeted tissues. Currently, most studies investigating new developments rely on two-dimensional (2-D) monocultures, which fail to accurately mimic tissue complexity. Therefore, three-dimensional (3-D) cell cultures are ideal models to resemble tumor tissue in terms of architectural and functional properties. This review examines various PS drugs, as well as passive and active targeted PS nanoparticle-mediated platforms for PDT treatment of MM on 2-D and 3-D models. The overall findings of this review concluded that very few PDT studies have been conducted within 3-D models using active PS nanoparticle-mediated platforms, and so require further investigation.

Distinct integrin activation pathways for effector and regulatory T cell trafficking and function

Integrin activation mediates lymphocyte trafficking and immune functions. Conventional T cell (Tconv cell) integrin activation requires Rap1-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM). Here, we report that Apbb1ip-/- (RIAM-null) mice are protected from spontaneous colitis due to IL-10 deficiency, a model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Protection is ascribable to reduced accumulation and homing of Tconv cells in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Surprisingly, there are abundant RIAM-null regulatory T cells (T reg cells) in the GALT. RIAM-null T reg cells exhibit normal homing to GALT and lymph nodes due to preserved activation of integrins αLβ2, α4β1, and α4β7. Similar to Tconv cells, T reg cell integrin activation and immune function require Rap1; however, lamellipodin (Raph1), a RIAM paralogue, compensates for RIAM deficiency. Thus, in contrast to Tconv cells, RIAM is dispensable for T reg cell integrin activation and suppressive function. In consequence, inhibition of RIAM can inhibit spontaneous Tconv cell-mediated autoimmune colitis while preserving T reg cell trafficking and function.

Initiation and disassembly of filopodia tip complexes containing VASP and lamellipodin

The shapes of many eukaryotic cells depends on the actin cytoskeleton, and changes in actin assembly dynamics underlie many changes in cell shape. Ena/VASP-family actin polymerases, for example, modulate cell shape by accelerating actin filament assembly locally and slowing filament capping. When concentrated into discrete foci at the leading edge, VASP promotes filopodia assembly and forms part of a poorly understood molecular complex that remains associated with growing filopodia tips. Here we identify precursors of this filopodia tip complex in migrating B16F1 cells: small leading-edge clusters of the adaptor protein lamellipodin (Lpd) that subsequently recruit VASP and initiate filopodia formation. Dimerization, membrane association, and VASP binding are all required for lamellipodin to incorporate into filopodia tip complexes, and overexpression of monomeric, membrane-­targeted lamellipodin mutants disrupts tip complex assembly. Once formed, tip complexes containing VASP and lamellipodin grow by fusing with each other, but their growth is limited by a size-dependent dynamic instability. Our results demonstrate that assembly and disassembly dynamics of filopodia tip complexes are determined, in part, by a network of multivalent interactions between Ena/VASP proteins, EVH1 ligands, and actin filaments.

Phagocytic Integrins: Activation and Signaling

Phagocytic integrins are endowed with the ability to engulf and dispose of particles of different natures. Evolutionarily conserved from worms to humans, they are involved in pathogen elimination and apoptotic and tumoral cell clearance. Research in the field of integrin-mediated phagocytosis has shed light on the molecular events controlling integrin activation and their effector functions. However, there are still some aspects of the regulation of the phagocytic process that need to be clarified. Here, we have revised the molecular events controlling phagocytic integrin activation and the downstream signaling driving particle engulfment, and we have focused particularly on α_Mβ₂/CR3, α_Xβ₂/CR4, and a brief mention of α_Vβ₅/α_Vβ₃integrins.

Lamellipodin tunes cell migration by stabilizing protrusions and promoting adhesion formation

Efficient migration on adhesive surfaces involves the protrusion of lamellipodial actin networks and their subsequent stabilization by nascent adhesions. The actin-binding protein lamellipodin (Lpd) is thought to play a critical role in lamellipodium protrusion, by delivering Ena/VASP proteins onto the growing plus ends of actin filaments and by interacting with the WAVE regulatory complex, an activator of the Arp2/3 complex, at the leading edge. Using B16-F1 melanoma cell lines, we demonstrate that genetic ablation of Lpd compromises protrusion efficiency and coincident cell migration without altering essential parameters of lamellipodia, including their maximal rate of forward advancement and actin polymerization. We also confirmed lamellipodia and migration phenotypes with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Lpd knockout Rat2 fibroblasts, excluding cell type-specific effects. Moreover, computer-aided analysis of cell-edge morphodynamics on B16-F1 cell lamellipodia revealed that loss of Lpd correlates with reduced temporal protrusion maintenance as a prerequisite of nascent adhesion formation. We conclude that Lpd optimizes protrusion and nascent adhesion formation by counteracting frequent, chaotic retraction and membrane ruffling.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Phosphoinositide phosphatases in cancer cell dynamics-Beyond PI3K and PTEN

Phosphoinositides are a group of lipids that regulate intracellular signaling and subcellular biological events. The signaling by phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate and Akt mediates the action of growth factors that are essential for cell proliferation, gene transcription, cell migration, and polarity. The hyperactivation of this signaling has been identified in different cancer cells; and, it has been implicated in oncogenic transformation and cancer cell malignancy. Recent studies have argued the role of phosphoinositides in cancer cell dynamics, including actin cytoskeletal rearrangement at the plasma membrane and the organization of intracellular compartments. The focus of this review is to summarize the impact of the activities of phosphoinositide phosphatases on intracellular signaling related to cancer cell dynamics and to discuss how the abnormalities in the activities of the enzymes alter the levels of phosphoinositides in cancer cells.

Transcriptional responses to hyperplastic MRL signalling in Drosophila

Recent work has implicated the actin cytoskeleton in tissue size control and tumourigenesis, but how changes in actin dynamics contribute to hyperplastic growth is still unclear. Overexpression of Pico, the only Drosophila Mig-10/RIAM/Lamellipodin adapter protein family member, has been linked to tissue overgrowth via its effect on the myocardin-related transcription factor (Mrtf), an F-actin sensor capable of activating serum response factor (SRF). Transcriptional changes induced by acute Mrtf/SRF signalling have been largely linked to actin biosynthesis and cytoskeletal regulation. However, by RNA profiling, we find that the common response to chronic mrtf and pico overexpression in wing discs was upregulation of ribosome protein and mitochondrial genes, which are conserved targets for Mrtf/SRF and are known growth drivers. Consistent with their ability to induce a common transcriptional response and activate SRF signalling in vitro, we found that both pico and mrtf stimulate expression of an SRF-responsive reporter gene in wing discs. In a functional genetic screen, we also identified deterin, which encodes Drosophila Survivin, as a putative Mrtf/SRF target that is necessary for pico-mediated tissue overgrowth by suppressing proliferation-associated cell death. Taken together, our findings raise the possibility that distinct targets of Mrtf/SRF may be transcriptionally induced depending on the duration of upstream signalling.

The Rap1-RIAM-talin axis of integrin activation and blood cell function

Integrin adhesion receptors mediate the adhesion of blood cells, such as leukocytes, to other cells, such as endothelial cells. Integrins also are critical for anchorage of hematopoietic precursors to the extracellular matrix. Blood cells can dynamically regulate the affinities of integrins for their ligands ("activation"), an event central to their functions. Here we review recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of integrin activation with a focus on the functions of blood cells. We discuss how talin binding to the integrin β cytoplasmic domain, in conjunction with the plasma membrane, induces long-range allosteric rearrangements that lead to integrin activation. Second, we review our understanding of how signaling events, particularly those involving Rap1 small guanosine triphosphate (GTP)hydrolases, can regulate the talin-integrin interaction and resulting activation. Third, we review recent findings that highlight the role of the Rap1-GTP-interacting adapter molecule (RIAM), encoded by the APBB1IP gene, in leukocyte integrin activation and consequently in leukocyte trafficking.

Mechanistic insights into the phosphatidylinositol binding properties of the pleckstrin homology domain of lamellipodin

Lpd-PH domain strongly interacts with PI(3,4)P₂containing liposome without any membrane penetration.

A RIAM/lamellipodin-talin-integrin complex forms the tip of sticky fingers that guide cell migration

The leading edge of migrating cells contains rapidly translocating activated integrins associated with growing actin filaments that form 'sticky fingers' to sense extracellular matrix and guide cell migration. Here we utilized indirect bimolecular fluorescence complementation to visualize a molecular complex containing a Mig-10/RIAM/lamellipodin (MRL) protein (Rap1-GTP-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM) or lamellipodin), talin and activated integrins in living cells. This complex localizes at the tips of growing actin filaments in lamellipodial and filopodial protrusions, thus corresponding to the tips of the 'sticky fingers.' Formation of the complex requires talin to form a bridge between the MRL protein and the integrins. Moreover, disruption of the MRL protein-integrin-talin (MIT) complex markedly impairs cell protrusion. These data reveal the molecular basis of the formation of 'sticky fingers' at the leading edge of migrating cells and show that an MIT complex drives these protrusions.

Loss of the Rap1 effector RIAM results in leukocyte adhesion deficiency due to impaired β2 integrin function in mice

Talin is an integrin adaptor, which controls integrin activity in all hematopoietic cells. How intracellular signals promote talin binding to the integrin tail leading to integrin activation is still poorly understood, especially in leukocytes. In vitro studies identified an integrin activation complex whose formation is initiated by the interaction of active, guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-bound Ras-related protein 1 (Rap1) with the adapter protein Rap1-GTP-interacting adapter molecule (RIAM) followed by the recruitment of talin to the plasma membrane. Unexpectedly, loss-of-function studies in mice have shown that the talin-activating role of RIAM is neither required for development nor for integrin activation in platelets. In this study, we show that leukocyte integrin activation critically depends on RIAM both in vitro and in vivo. RIAM deficiency results in a loss of β2 integrin activation in multiple leukocyte populations, impaired leukocyte adhesion to inflamed vessels, and accumulation in the circulation. Surprisingly, however, the major leukocyte β1 integrin family member, α4β1, was only partially affected by RIAM deficiency in leukocytes. Thus, although talin is an essential, shared regulator of all integrin classes expressed by leukocytes, we report that β2 and α4 integrins use different RIAM-dependent and -independent pathways to undergo activation by talin.

The role of RIAM in platelets put to a test

In this issue of Blood, Stritt et al show that platelet functions dependent on integrin activation are unimpaired in mice lacking the Rap1-GTP-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM).

Structural and mechanistic insights into the recruitment of talin by RIAM in integrin signaling

Plasma membrane (PM)-bound GTPase Rap1 recruits the Rap1-interacting-adaptor-molecule (RIAM), which in turn recruits talin to bind and activate integrins. However, it is unclear how RIAM recruits talin and why its close homolog lamellipodin does not. Here, we report that, although RIAM possesses two talin-binding sites (TBS1 and TBS2), only TBS1 is capable of recruiting cytoplasmic talin to the PM, and the R8 domain is the strongest binding site in talin. Crystal structure of an R7R8:TBS1 complex reveals an unexpected kink in the TBS1 helix that is not shared in the homologous region of lamellipodin. This kinked helix conformation is required for the colocalization of RIAM and talin at the PM and proper activation of integrin. Our findings provide the structural and mechanistic insight into talin recruitment by RIAM that underlies integrin activation and explain the differential functions of the otherwise highly homologous RIAM and lamellipodin in integrin signaling.

Ena/VASP proteins cooperate with the WAVE complex to regulate the actin cytoskeleton

Ena/VASP proteins and the WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) regulate cell motility by virtue of their ability to independently promote actin polymerization. We demonstrate that Ena/VASP and the WRC control actin polymerization in a cooperative manner through the interaction of the Ena/VASP EVH1 domain with an extended proline rich motif in Abi. This interaction increases cell migration and enables VASP to cooperatively enhance WRC stimulation of Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin assembly in vitro in the presence of Rac. Loss of this interaction in Drosophila macrophages results in defects in lamellipodia formation, cell spreading, and redistribution of Ena to the tips of filopodia-like extensions. Rescue experiments of abi mutants also reveals a physiological requirement for the Abi:Ena interaction in photoreceptor axon targeting and oogenesis. Our data demonstrate that the activities of Ena/VASP and the WRC are intimately linked to ensure optimal control of actin polymerization during cell migration and development.

MIG-10 (Lamellipodin) stabilizes invading cell adhesion to basement membrane and is a negative transcriptional target of EGL-43 in C. elegans

Cell invasion through basement membrane (BM) occurs in many physiological and pathological contexts. MIG-10, the Caenorhabditis elegans Lamellipodin (Lpd), regulates diverse biological processes. Its function and regulation in cell invasive behavior remain unclear. Using anchor cell (AC) invasion in C. elegans as an in vivo invasion model, we have previously found that mig-10's activity is largely outside of UNC-6 (netrin) signaling, a chemical cue directing AC invasion. We have shown that MIG-10 is a target of the transcription factor FOS-1A and facilitates BM breaching. Combining genetics and imaging analyses, we report that MIG-10 synergizes with UNC-6 to promote AC attachment to the BM, revealing a functional role for MIG-10 in stabilizing AC-BM adhesion. MIG-10 is also required for F-actin accumulation in the absence of UNC-6. Further, we identify mig-10 as a transcriptional target negatively regulated by EGL-43A (C. elegans Evi-1 proto-oncogene), a transcription factor positively controlled by FOS-1A. The revelation of this negative regulation unmasks an incoherent feedforward circuit existing among fos-1, egl-43 and mig-10. Moreover, our study suggests the functional importance of the negative regulation on mig-10 expression by showing that excessive MIG-10 impairs AC invasion. Thus, we provide new insight into MIG-10's function and its complex transcriptional regulation during cell invasive behavior.

MIG-10 (lamellipodin) has netrin-independent functions and is a FOS-1A transcriptional target during anchor cell invasion in C. elegans

To transmigrate basement membrane, cells must coordinate distinct signaling activities to breach and pass through this dense extracellular matrix barrier. Netrin expression and activity are strongly associated with invasion in developmental and pathological processes, but how netrin signaling is coordinated with other pathways during invasion is poorly understood. Using the model of anchor cell (AC) invasion in C. elegans, we have previously shown that the integrin receptor heterodimer INA-1/PAT-3 promotes netrin receptor UNC-40 (DCC) localization to the invasive cell membrane of the AC. UNC-6 (netrin)/UNC-40 interactions generate an invasive protrusion that crosses the basement membrane. To understand how UNC-40 signals during invasion, we have used genetic, site of action and live-cell imaging studies to examine the roles of known effectors of UNC-40 signaling in axon outgrowth during AC invasion. UNC-34 (Ena/VASP), the Rac GTPases MIG-2 and CED-10 and the actin binding protein UNC-115 (abLIM) are dedicated UNC-40 effectors that are recruited to the invasive membrane by UNC-40 and generate F-actin. MIG-10 (lamellipodin), an effector of UNC-40 in neurons, however, has independent functions from UNC-6/UNC-40. Furthermore, unlike other UNC-40 effectors, its expression is regulated by FOS-1A, a transcription factor that promotes basement membrane breaching. Similar to UNC-40, however, MIG-10 localization to the invasive cell membrane is also dependent on the integrin INA-1/PAT-3. These studies indicate that MIG-10 has distinct functions from UNC-40 signaling in cell invasion, and demonstrate that integrin coordinates invasion by localizing these molecules to the cell-basement membrane interface.

Validating RNAi phenotypes in Drosophila using a synthetic RNAi-resistant transgene

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful and widely used approach to investigate gene function, but a major limitation of the approach is the high incidence of non-specific phenotypes that arise due to off-target effects. We previously showed that RNAi-mediated knock-down of pico, which encodes the only member of the MRL family of adapter proteins in Drosophila, resulted in reduction in cell number and size leading to reduced tissue growth. In contrast, a recent study reported that pico knockdown leads to tissue dysmorphology, pointing to an indirect role for pico in the control of wing size. To understand the cause of this disparity we have utilised a synthetic RNAi-resistant transgene, which bears minimal sequence homology to the predicted dsRNA but encodes wild type Pico protein, to reanalyse the RNAi lines used in the two studies. We find that the RNAi lines from different sources exhibit different effects, with one set of lines uniquely resulting in a tissue dysmorphology phenotype when expressed in the developing wing. Importantly, the loss of tissue morphology fails to be complemented by co-overexpression of RNAi-resistant pico suggesting that this phenotype is the result of an off-target effect. This highlights the importance of careful validation of RNAi-induced phenotypes, and shows the potential of synthetic transgenes for their experimental validation.

Talins and kindlins: partners in integrin-mediated adhesion

Integrin receptors provide a dynamic, tightly-regulated link between the extracellular matrix (or cellular counter-receptors) and intracellular cytoskeletal and signalling networks, enabling cells to sense and respond to their chemical and physical environment. Talins and kindlins, two families of FERM-domain proteins, bind the cytoplasmic tail of integrins, recruit cytoskeletal and signalling proteins involved in mechanotransduction and synergize to activate integrin binding to extracellular ligands. New data reveal the domain structure of full-length talin, provide insights into talin-mediated integrin activation and show that RIAM recruits talin to the plasma membrane, whereas vinculin stabilizes talin in cell-matrix junctions. How kindlins act is less well-defined, but disease-causing mutations show that kindlins are also essential for integrin activation, adhesion, cell spreading and signalling.

Two modes of integrin activation form a binary molecular switch in adhesion maturation

Talin-mediated integrin activation drives integrin-based adhesions. Here we examine the roles of two proteins that induce talin-integrin interactions--vinculin and Rap1-GTP-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM)--in the formation and maturation of integrin-based adhesions. RIAM-containing adhesions are primarily in the lamellipodium; RIAM is subsequently reduced in mature focal adhesions due to direct competition with vinculin for talin-binding sites. We show that vinculin binding to talin induces Rap1-independent association of talin with integrins and resulting integrin activation, in sharp contrast to Rap1-dependent RIAM-induced activation. Vinculin stabilizes adhesions, increasing their ability to transmit force, whereas RIAM played a critical role in lamellipodial protrusion. Thus displacement of RIAM by vinculin acts as a molecular switch that mediates the transition of integrin-based adhesions from drivers of lamellipodial protrusion to stable, force-bearing adhesions. Consequently changes in the abundance of two multiprotein modules within maturing adhesions, one regulated by Rap1 and one by tension, result in the temporal evolution of adhesion functions.

Crystal structure of Lamellipodin implicates diverse functions in actin polymerization and Ras signaling

The adapter protein Lamellipodin (Lpd) plays an important role in cell migration. In particular, Lpd mediates lamellipodia formation by regulating actin dynamics via interacting with Ena/VASP proteins. Its RA-PH tandem domain configuration suggests that like its paralog RIAM, Lpd may also mediate particular Ras GTPase signaling. We determined the crystal structures of the Lpd RA-PH domains alone and with an N-terminal coiled-coil region (cc-RA-PH). These structures reveal that apart from the anticipated coiled-coil interaction, Lpd may also oligomerize through a second intermolecular contact site. We then validated both oligomerization interfaces in solution by mutagenesis. A fluorescence-polarization study demonstrated that Lpd binds phosphoinositol with low affinity. Based on our crystallographic and biochemical data, we propose that Lpd and RIAM serve diverse functions: Lpd plays a predominant role in regulating actin polymerization, and its function in mediating Ras GTPase signaling is largely suppressed compared to RIAM.

Focal adhesion disassembly is regulated by a RIAM to MEK-1 pathway

Cell migration and invasion require regulated turnover of integrin-dependent adhesion complexes. Rap1-GTP-interacting adaptor molecule (RIAM) is an adaptor protein that mediates talin recruitment to the cell membrane, and whose depletion leads to defective melanoma cell migration and invasion. In this study, we investigated the potential involvement of RIAM in focal adhesion (FA) dynamics. RIAM-depleted melanoma and breast carcinoma cells displayed an increased number, size and stability of FAs, which accumulated centrally at the ventral cell surface, a phenotype caused by defective FA disassembly. Impairment in FA disassembly resulting from RIAM knockdown correlated with deficient integrin-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)-Erk1/2 activation and, importantly, overexpression of constitutively active MEK resulted in rescue of FA disassembly and recovery of cell invasion. Furthermore, RIAM-promoted Ras homologue gene family, member A (RhoA) activation following integrin engagement was needed for subsequent Erk1/2 activation. In addition, RhoA overexpression partially rescued the FA phenotype in RIAM-depleted cells, also suggesting a functional role for RhoA downstream of RIAM, but upstream of Erk1/2. RIAM knockdown also led to enhanced phosphorylation of paxillin Tyr118 and Tyr31. However, expression of phosphomimetic and nonphosphorylatable mutants at these paxillin residues indicated that paxillin hyperphosphorylation is a subsequent consequence of the blockade of FA disassembly, but does not cause the FA phenotype. RIAM depletion also weakened the association between FA proteins, suggesting that it has important adaptor roles in the correct assembly of adhesion complexes. Our data suggest that integrin-triggered, RIAM-dependent MEK activation represents a key feedback event required for efficient FA disassembly, which could help explain the role of RIAM in cell migration and invasion.