Shared mechanisms regulate spatiotemporal RhoA-dependent actomyosin contractility during adhesion and cell division

PWB Derksen, RAH van de Ven

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Local modulation of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for the initiation and maintenance of strong homotypic adhesive interfaces between neighboring cells. The epithelial adherens junction (AJ) fulfils a central role in this process by mediating E-cadherin interactions and functioning as a signaling scaffold to control the activity of the small GTPase RhoA and subsequent actomyosin contractility. Interestingly, a number of regulatory proteins that modulate RhoA activity at the AJ also control RhoA during cytokinesis, an actomyosin-dependent process that divides the cytoplasm to generate two daughter cells at the final stages of mitosis. Recent insights have revealed that the central player in AJ stability, p120-catenin (p120), interacts with and modulates essential regulators of actomyosin contraction during cytokinesis. In cancer, loss of this modulation is a common event during tumor progression that can induce chromosomal instability and tumor progression. In this review, we will highlight the functional differences and similarities of the different RhoA-associated factors that have been linked to both the regulation of cell-cell adhesion and cytokinesis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113-121
Number of pages9
JournalSmall GTPases
Volume11
Issue number2
Early online date2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Mar 2020

Keywords

  • Journal Article
  • cell adhesion
  • cytokinesis
  • p120-catenin
  • Rho activity
  • actomyosin contractility

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