Plexin-B1/RhoGEF–mediated RhoA activation involves the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB-2

JM Swiercz, R Kuner, S Offermanns - The Journal of cell biology, 2004 - rupress.org
JM Swiercz, R Kuner, S Offermanns
The Journal of cell biology, 2004rupress.org
Plexins are widely expressed transmembrane proteins that mediate the effects of
semaphorins. The molecular mechanisms of plexin-mediated signal transduction are still
rather unclear. Plexin-B1 has recently been shown to mediate activation of RhoA through a
stable interaction with the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors PDZ-RhoGEF and
LARG. However, it is unclear how the activity of plexin-B1 and its downstream effectors is
regulated by its ligand Sema4D. Here, we show that plexin-B family members stably …
Plexins are widely expressed transmembrane proteins that mediate the effects of semaphorins. The molecular mechanisms of plexin-mediated signal transduction are still rather unclear. Plexin-B1 has recently been shown to mediate activation of RhoA through a stable interaction with the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors PDZ-RhoGEF and LARG. However, it is unclear how the activity of plexin-B1 and its downstream effectors is regulated by its ligand Sema4D. Here, we show that plexin-B family members stably associate with the receptor tyrosine kinase ErbB-2. Binding of Sema4D to plexin-B1 stimulates the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of ErbB-2, resulting in the phosphorylation of both plexin-B1 and ErbB-2. A dominant-negative form of ErbB-2 blocks Sema4D-induced RhoA activation as well as axonal growth cone collapse in primary hippocampal neurons. Our data indicate that ErbB-2 is an important component of the plexin-B receptor system and that ErbB-2–mediated phosphorylation of plexin-B1 is critically involved in Sema4D-induced RhoA activation, which underlies cellular phenomena downstream of plexin-B1, including axonal growth cone collapse.
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