Tyrosine phosphorylation of the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio regulates netrin-1/DCC-mediated cortical axon outgrowth

Mol Cell Biol. 2013 Feb;33(4):739-51. doi: 10.1128/MCB.01264-12. Epub 2012 Dec 10.

Abstract

The chemotropic guidance cue netrin-1 mediates attraction of migrating axons during central nervous system development through the receptor Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC). Downstream of netrin-1, activated Rho GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 induce cytoskeletal rearrangements within the growth cone. The Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Trio is essential for Rac1 activation downstream of netrin-1/DCC, but the molecular mechanisms governing Trio activity remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Trio is phosphorylated by Src family kinases in the embryonic rat cortex in response to netrin-1. In vitro, Trio was predominantly phosphorylated at Tyr(2622) by the Src kinase Fyn. Though the phospho-null mutant Trio(Y2622F) retained GEF activity toward Rac1, its expression impaired netrin-1-induced Rac1 activation and DCC-mediated neurite outgrowth in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. Trio(Y2622F) impaired netrin-1-induced axonal extension in cultured cortical neurons and was unable to colocalize with DCC in growth cones, in contrast to wild-type Trio. Furthermore, depletion of Trio in cortical neurons reduced the level of cell surface DCC in growth cones, which could be restored by expression of wild-type Trio but not Trio(Y2622F). Together, these findings demonstrate that Trio(Y2622) phosphorylation is essential for the regulation of the DCC/Trio signaling complex in cortical neurons during netrin-1-mediated axon outgrowth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cerebral Cortex / embryology
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology
  • DCC Receptor
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / chemistry
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Netrin-1
  • Neurites / physiology
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tyrosine / chemistry
  • Tyrosine / metabolism*
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • DCC Receptor
  • Dcc protein, rat
  • Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
  • NTN1 protein, human
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Ntn1 protein, rat
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Trio protein, rat
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Netrin-1
  • Tyrosine
  • Fyn protein, rat
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Rac1 protein, rat
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein