A targeted siRNA screen identifies regulators of Cdc42 activity at the natural killer cell immunological synapse

Carlin, L. M. et al. (2011) A targeted siRNA screen identifies regulators of Cdc42 activity at the natural killer cell immunological synapse. Science Signaling, 4(201), ra81. (doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2001729) (PMID:22126964)

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Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells kill tumor cells and virally infected cells, and an effective NK cell response requires processes, such as motility, recognition, and directional secretion, that rely on cytoskeletal rearrangement. The Rho guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Cdc42 coordinates cytoskeletal reorganization downstream of many receptors. The Rho-related GTPase from plants 1 (ROP1) exhibits oscillatory activation behavior at the apical plasma membrane of growing pollen tubes; however, a similar oscillation in Rho GTPase activity has so far not been demonstrated in mammalian cells. We hypothesized that oscillations in Cdc42 activity might occur within NK cells as they interact with target cells. Through fluorescence lifetime imaging of a Cdc42 biosensor, we observed that in live NK cells forming immunological synapses with target cells, Cdc42 activity oscillated after exhibiting an initial increase. We used protein-protein interaction networks and structural databases to identify candidate proteins that controlled Cdc42 activity, leading to the design of a targeted short interfering RNA screen. The guanine nucleotide exchange factors RhoGEF6 and RhoGEF7 were necessary for Cdc42 activation within the NK cell immunological synapse. In addition, the kinase Akt and the p85α subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) were required for Cdc42 activation, the periodicity of the oscillation in Cdc42 activity, and the subsequent polarization of cytotoxic vesicles toward target cells. Given that PI3Ks are targets of tumor therapies, our findings suggest the need to monitor innate immune function during the course of targeted therapy against these enzymes.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This work was supported by CRUK Programme grant C133/A/1812 (to P.R.B. and B.V.); UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant EP/C546105/1 (to L.M.C.); Wellcome Trust Value in People award 087819/Z/08/Z (to L.M.C.); the KCL–University College London Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre (KCL-UCL CCIC), funded by CRUK and EPSRC, in association with the Medical Research Council and Department of Health (England) (to R.E.); the National Institute for Health Research Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy’s and St Thomas’ National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in partnership with KCL and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust C1519/A10331 (to R.E.); Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research grant (07066, to N.S.B.T.); Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Programme grant BB/G007160/1 (to D.R.M. and M.P.); KCL Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit funding (to J.M.); and an endowment fund from Dimbleby Cancer Care to KCL (to S.A.-B. and T.N.). The FLIM system was built with support from the Medical Research Council Co-operative Group grant (G0100152 ID 56891), a UK Research Councils Basic Technology Research Programme grant (GR/R87901/01), and the KCL-UCL CCIC.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Carlin, Dr Leo
Authors: Carlin, L. M., Evans, R., Milewicz, H., Fernandes, L., Matthews, D. R., Perani, M., Levitt, J., Keppler, M. D., Monypenny, J., Coolen, T., Barber, P. R., Vojnovic, B., Suhling, K., Fraternali, F., Ameer-Beg, S., Parker, P. J., Thomas, N. S. B., and Ng, T.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
Journal Name:Science Signaling
Publisher:American Association for the Advancement of Science
ISSN:1945-0877
ISSN (Online):1937-9145

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