HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 279, Issue 14, 14331-14337, April 2, 2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 279/14/14331    most recent M311275200v1 Submit a Letter to Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Namekata, K. Articles by Kimura, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Namekata, K. Articles by Kimura, H. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

MOCA Induces Membrane Spreading by Activating Rac1^*

Kazuhiko Namekata, Yasushi Enokido, Kazu Iwasawa, and Hideo Kimura

From the National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan

The modifier of cell adhesion protein (MOCA), or Dock3, initially identified as presenilin-binding protein (PBP), belongs to the Dock180 family of proteins and is localized specifically in neurons. Here we demonstrate that MOCA binds to Rac1 and enhances its activity, which leads to the activation of c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase (JNK) and causes changes in cell morphology. Farnesylated MOCA, which is localized in the plasma membrane, enhances the activation of Rac1 and JNK more markedly than wild-type MOCA, and cells expressing farnesylated MOCA show flattened morphology similar to those expressing a constitutive active mutant of Rac1, Rac1Q61L. On poly-D-lysine-coated dishes, endogenous MOCA is concentrated on the leading edge of broad membrane protrusions (lamellipodia) where actin filaments are co-localized. MOCA is also concentrated with actin on the growth cone in primary cultures of cortical neurons. These observations suggest that MOCA may induce cytoskeletal reorganization and changes in cell adhesion by regulating the activity of Rac1.

Received for publication, October 14, 2003 , and in revised form, December 26, 2003.

^* The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

To whom correspondence should be addressed: National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan. Tel.: 81-42-346-1725; Fax: 81-42-346-1755; E-mail: kimura{at}ncnp.go.jp.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Moriyoshi pBT, a novel vector for tetracycline-regulated yeast three-hybrid assay Nucleic Acids Res., February 1, 2009; 37(2): e11 - e11. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Chen, C. A. Peto, G. D. Shelton, A. Mizisin, P. E. Sawchenko, and D. Schubert Loss of Modifier of Cell Adhesion Reveals a Pathway Leading to Axonal Degeneration J. Neurosci., January 7, 2009; 29(1): 118 - 130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Caspi and R. Rosin-Arbesfeld A Novel Functional Screen in Human Cells Identifies MOCA as a Negative Regulator of Wnt Signaling Mol. Biol. Cell, November 1, 2008; 19(11): 4660 - 4674. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Kwofie and J. Skowronski Specific Recognition of Rac2 and Cdc42 by DOCK2 and DOCK9 Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors J. Biol. Chem., February 8, 2008; 283(6): 3088 - 3096. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Lin, W. Yang, D. Baird, Q. Feng, and R. A. Cerione Identification of a DOCK180-related Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor That Is Capable of Mediating a Positive Feedback Activation of Cdc42 J. Biol. Chem., November 17, 2006; 281(46): 35253 - 35262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Meller, S. Merlot, and C. Guda CZH proteins: a new family of Rho-GEFs J. Cell Sci., November 1, 2005; 118(21): 4937 - 4946. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Chen, T.-J. Chen, P. C. Letourneau, L. Da F. Costa, and D. Schubert Modifier of Cell Adhesion Regulates N-Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion and Neurite Outgrowth J. Neurosci., January 12, 2005; 25(2): 281 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]