SCIENCE@home

An excitable Rho GTPase signaling network generates dynamic subcellular contraction patterns

Melanie Graessl,J. Koch,Abram Calderon,Dominic Kamps,Soumya Banerjee,T. Mazel,Nina Schulze,Jana Kathrin Jungkurth,Rutuja Patwardhan,D. Solouk,Nico Hampe,B. Hoffmann,L. Dehmelt,P. Nalbant

Published 2017 in Journal of Cell Biology

ABSTRACT

Rho GTPase-based signaling networks control cellular dynamics by coordinating protrusions and retractions in space and time. Here, we reveal a signaling network that generates pulses and propagating waves of cell contractions. These dynamic patterns emerge via self-organization from an activator–inhibitor network, in which the small GTPase Rho amplifies its activity by recruiting its activator, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor GEF-H1. Rho also inhibits itself by local recruitment of actomyosin and the associated RhoGAP Myo9b. This network structure enables spontaneous, self-limiting patterns of subcellular contractility that can explore mechanical cues in the extracellular environment. Indeed, actomyosin pulse frequency in cells is altered by matrix elasticity, showing that coupling of contractility pulses to environmental deformations modulates network dynamics. Thus, our study reveals a mechanism that integrates intracellular biochemical and extracellular mechanical signals into subcellular activity patterns to control cellular contractility dynamics.

PUBLICATION RECORD

CITATION MAP

EXTRACTION MAP

CLAIMS

  • No claims are published for this paper.

CONCEPTS

  • No concepts are published for this paper.

REFERENCES

Showing 1-60 of 60 references · Page 1 of 1

CITED BY

Showing 1-100 of 111 citing papers · Page 1 of 2

12
Next