A Genetically Encoded Photoactivatable Rac Controls the Motility of Living Cells.

Wu, Y.I.; Frey, D.; Lungu, O.I.; Jaehrig, A.; Schlichting, I.; Kuhlman, B.; Hahn, K.M.

doi:10.2210/pdb2wkr/pdb

Macromolecule Content

Total Structure Weight: 38705.77
Atom Count: 2590
Residue Count: 332
Unique protein chains: 1

2WKR

Structure of a photoactivatable Rac1 containing the Lov2 C450M Mutant

DOI: 10.2210/pdb2WKR/pdb

Classification: TRANSFERASE CELL ADHESION
Organism(s): Avena sativa, Homo sapiens
Expression System: Escherichia coli
Mutation(s): 4

Deposited: 2009-06-16 Released: 2009-08-18
Deposition Author(s): Wu, Y.I., Frey, D., Lungu, O.I., Jaehrig, A., Schlichting, I., Kuhlman, B., Hahn, K.M.

Experimental Data Snapshot

Method: X-RAY DIFFRACTION
Resolution: 2.2 Å
R-Value Free: 0.226
R-Value Work: 0.185

wwPDB Validation3D Report Full Report

This is version 1.0 of the entry. See complete history.

Literature

A Genetically Encoded Photoactivatable Rac Controls the Motility of Living Cells.

Wu, Y.I., Frey, D., Lungu, O.I., Jaehrig, A., Schlichting, I., Kuhlman, B., Hahn, K.M.

(2009) Nature 461: 104

PubMed: 19693014 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
DOI: 10.1038/nature08241
Primary Citation of Related Structures:
2WKQ, 2WKP

PubMed Abstract:

The precise spatio-temporal dynamics of protein activity are often critical in determining cell behaviour, yet for most proteins they remain poorly understood; it remains difficult to manipulate protein activity at precise times and places within living cells. Protein activity has been controlled by light, through protein derivatization with photocleavable moieties or using photoreactive small-molecule ligands. However, this requires use of toxic ultraviolet wavelengths, activation is irreversible, and/or cell loading is accomplished via disruption of the cell membrane (for example, through microinjection). Here we have developed a new approach to produce genetically encoded photoactivatable derivatives of Rac1, a key GTPase regulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics in metazoan cells. Rac1 mutants were fused to the photoreactive LOV (light oxygen voltage) domain from phototropin, sterically blocking Rac1 interactions until irradiation unwound a helix linking LOV to Rac1. Photoactivatable Rac1 (PA-Rac1) could be reversibly and repeatedly activated using 458- or 473-nm light to generate precisely localized cell protrusions and ruffling. Localized Rac activation or inactivation was sufficient to produce cell motility and control the direction of cell movement. Myosin was involved in Rac control of directionality but not in Rac-induced protrusion, whereas PAK was required for Rac-induced protrusion. PA-Rac1 was used to elucidate Rac regulation of RhoA in cell motility. Rac and Rho coordinate cytoskeletal behaviours with seconds and submicrometre precision. Their mutual regulation remains controversial, with data indicating that Rac inhibits and/or activates Rho. Rac was shown to inhibit RhoA in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, with inhibition modulated at protrusions and ruffles. A PA-Rac crystal structure and modelling revealed LOV-Rac interactions that will facilitate extension of this photoactivation approach to other proteins.

Organizational Affiliation:

Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. yiwu@med.unc.edu

Macromolecules

Find similar proteins by: Sequence | Structure

Entity ID: 1
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details
NPH1-1, RAS-RELATED C3 BOTULINUM TOXIN SUBSTRATE 1	A	332	Avena sativa, Homo sapiens This entity is chimeric	Mutation(s): 4 Gene Names: NPH1-1, RAC1 (TC25)
Find proteins for O49003 (Avena sativa) Go to UniProtKB: O49003
Protein Feature View Full Protein Feature View for O49003
Find proteins for P63000 (Homo sapiens) Go to Gene View: RAC1 Go to UniProtKB: P63000
Protein Feature View Full Protein Feature View for P63000

Small Molecules

Ligands 4 Unique
ID	Chains	Name / Formula / InChI Key	2D Diagram & Interactions	3D Interactions
FMN Query on FMN Download SDF File Download CCD File	A	FLAVIN MONONUCLEOTIDE RIBOFLAVIN MONOPHOSPHATE C₁₇ H₂₁ N₄ O₉ P FVTCRASFADXXNN-SCRDCRAPSA-N		Ligand Interaction
GTP Query on GTP Download SDF File Download CCD File	A	GUANOSINE-5'-TRIPHOSPHATE C₁₀ H₁₆ N₅ O₁₄ P₃ XKMLYUALXHKNFT-UUOKFMHZSA-N		Ligand Interaction
CL Query on CL Download SDF File Download CCD File	A	CHLORIDE ION Cl VEXZGXHMUGYJMC-UHFFFAOYSA-M		Ligand Interaction
MG Query on MG Download SDF File Download CCD File	A	MAGNESIUM ION Mg JLVVSXFLKOJNIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N		Ligand Interaction