Complementary receptors control RhoA

sea-maid submitted, created time 4 months 4 weeks (www.jcb.org)

During cell migration, the actin cytoskeleton regulator, RhoA, must be alternately inhibited (to allow the leading membrane edge to protrude) and reactivated (to pull up the trailing end of the cell from behind). Inhibition occurs when a receptor called 5β1 integrin, which binds to the extracellular matrix protein, fibronectin, triggers phosphorylation of a RhoA inhibitor called p190RhoGAP-A (p190-A). Another fibronectin receptor, syndecan-4, colocalizes with integrin during RhoA inhibition, but whether this second receptor contributes to inhibition was unknown.

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RhoA/Rho-Kinase Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Diabetic Renal Disease

jerry submitted, created time 5 months 1 week (diabetes.diabetesjournals.org)

This article tells us that high glucose activates RhoA/Rho-kinase in MCs, leading to downstream AP-1 activation and fibronectin induction. Inhibition of this pathway in vivo prevents the pathologic changes of diabetic nephropathy, supporting a potential role for inhibitors of RhoA/Rho in the treatment of diabetic renal disease.

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p66 mediates anoikis through RhoA

angelfish submitted, created time 1 year 1 month (www.jcb.org)

"Researchers find that cells that lack p66Shc display poorly formed focal adhesions and escape anoikis. However, reexpression of p66Shc restores anoikis through a mechanism requiring focal adhesion targeting and RhoA activation but not an intact cytochrome c–binding motif. This pathway stimulates the formation of focal adhesions and stress fibers in attached cells and tension-dependent cell death upon detachment. p66Shc may thus report attachment status to the cell by imposing a tension test across candidate anchorage points, with load failure indicating detachment. "

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