Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0025362 (mental retardation)
 15,878 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a tumor suppressor gene syndrome characterized by seizures, mental retardation, autism, and tumors of the brain, kidney, heart, retina, and skin. TSC is caused by mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2, both of which are tumor suppressor genes. Hamartin, the protein product of TSC1, was found to interact with the ezrin-radixin-moesin family of cytoskeletal proteins and to activate the small GTPase Rho. To determine whether tuberin, the TSC2 product, can also activate Rho, we stably expressed full-length human tuberin in two cell types: MDCK cells and ELT3 cells. ELT3 cells lack endogenous tuberin expression. We found that expression of human tuberin in both MDCK and ELT3 cells was associated with an increase in the amount of Rho-GTP, but not in Rac1-GTP or cdc42-GTP. Tuberin expression increased cell adhesion in both cell types, and decreased chemotactic cell migration in ELT3 cells. In MDCK cells, there was a decrease in the amount of total Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and an increase in the fraction of phosphorylated FAK. These findings demonstrate for the first time that tuberin activates Rho and regulates cell adhesion and migration. Pathways involving Rho activation may have relevance to the clinical manifestations of TSC, including pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
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PMID:Tuberin, the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 tumor suppressor gene product, regulates Rho activation, cell adhesion and migration. 1246 66

Members of the Rho GTPase family are key regulatory molecules that link surface receptors to the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. It is now well established that these small GTPases are also crucial for neuronal morphogenesis and connectivity. Moreover, mutations in ARHGEF6 (also known as alphaPIX or Cool-2 ), encoding a Rac1/Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, have been implicated in X-linked mental retardation. In an attempt to get insight into the biological function of ARHGEF6 and the upstream signaling cascades leading to its activation, we used the full-length coding region of ARHGEF6 as bait in yeast-two hybrid screens and identified PARVB (beta-parvin or affixin) as a novel binding partner. The interaction was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down. We showed by immunofluorescence that ARHGEF6 and PARVB co-localize at the cell periphery to lamellipodia and ruffles in well-spread and actively spreading cells adhered to fibronectin. In addition, interaction of ARHGEF6 to ARHGEF7 (betaPIX or Cool-1), a close homolog of ARHGEF6, was confirmed. In in vivo assays, two ARHGEF6 mutations identified previously in patients with X-linked non-specific mental retardation, ARHGEF6 deltaaa56-83 and deltaaa396-776, abolished interaction of ARHGEF6 to PARVB. Binding between ARHGEF6 and ARHGEF7 was not affected by ARHGEF6 deltaaa56-83 but did not occur with ARHGEF6 deltaaa396-776. These data suggest that both the N-terminal calponin homology (CH) and C-terminal coiled-coil domains are necessary for the ARHGEF6-PARVB binding. In contrast, it seems that only the coiled-coil domain is required for the interaction and heterodimerization of ARHGEF6 and ARHGEF7. PARVB is known to interact with integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and is involved in the early stage of cell-substrate interaction through integrins. The identification of PARVB as an ARHGEF6 interacting partner together with the co-localization of ARHGEF6 and ILK in spreading cells suggest that ARHGEF6 is involved in integrin-mediated signaling leading to activation of the GTPases Rac1 and/or Cdc42.
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PMID:Interaction of alphaPIX (ARHGEF6) with beta-parvin (PARVB) suggests an involvement of alphaPIX in integrin-mediated signaling. 1249 96

Dendritic spines in the central nervous system undergo rapid actin-based shape changes, making actin regulators potential modulators of spine morphology and synapse formation. Although several potential regulators and effectors for actin organization have been identified, the mechanisms by which these molecules assemble and localize are not understood. Here we show that the G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein (GIT)1 serves such a function by targeting actin regulators and locally modulating Rac activity at synapses. In cultured hippocampal neurons, GIT1 is enriched in both pre- and postsynaptic terminals and targeted to these sites by a novel domain. Disruption of the synaptic localization of GIT1 by a dominant-negative mutant results in numerous dendritic protrusions and a significant decrease in the number of synapses and normal mushroom-shaped spines. The phenotype results from mislocalized GIT1 and its binding partner PIX, an exchange factor for Rac. In addition, constitutively active Rac shows a phenotype similar to the GIT1 mutant, whereas dominant-negative Rac inhibits the dendritic protrusion formation induced by mislocalized GIT1. These results demonstrate a novel function for GIT1 as a key regulator of spine morphology and synapse formation and point to a potential mechanism by which mutations in Rho family signaling leads to decreased neuronal connectivity and cognitive defects in nonsyndromic mental retardation.
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PMID:Synapse formation is regulated by the signaling adaptor GIT1. 1269 2

Mutations in either the Rho GTPase pathway or in the fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) gene produce neuronal connectivity defects. In this issue of Neuron, Schenck et al. use biochemical and genetic approaches in Drosophila to examine the interactions between dFMR1 and dRac1 and provide evidence that the cytoplasmic FMRP interacting protein (CYFIP) links Rac-dependent cytoskeleton remodeling and dFMR1-dependent control of translation in a unique pathway to modulate neuronal morphogenesis.
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PMID:From fragile X mental retardation protein to Rac1 GTPase: new insights from Fly CYFIP. 1281 75

Neuronal plasticity requires actin cytoskeleton remodeling and local protein translation in response to extracellular signals. Rho GTPase pathways control actin reorganization, while the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) regulates the synthesis of specific proteins. Mutations affecting either pathway produce neuronal connectivity defects in model organisms and mental retardation in humans. We show that CYFIP, the fly ortholog of vertebrate FMRP interactors CYFIP1 and CYFIP2, is specifically expressed in the nervous system. CYFIP mutations affect axons and synapses, much like mutations in dFMR1 (the Drosophila FMR1 ortholog) and in Rho GTPase dRac1. CYFIP interacts biochemically and genetically with dFMR1 and dRac1. Finally, CYFIP acts as a dRac1 effector that antagonizes FMR1 function, providing a bridge between signal-dependent cytoskeleton remodeling and translation.
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PMID:CYFIP/Sra-1 controls neuronal connectivity in Drosophila and links the Rac1 GTPase pathway to the fragile X protein. 1281 67

Neurons possess a polarized morphology. In general, each neuron has several dendrites but only one axon. Such morphology is the basis for directionalized rapid signaling, information flowing from the short dendrites to the long axon. The mechanisms involved in the establishment of the neuronal polarity remain largely unknown. However, recently, members of Rho family proteins have been implicated in the regulation of neuronal morphology especially development of neuronal polarity, axon outgrowth and guidance, dendritic tree elaboration and synapse formation. Moreover, the Rho GTPases have been reported to be directly or indirectly involved in some neurological conditions such as X-linked mental retardation as well as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. These findings demonstrate the importance of Rho GTPases in the development, maintenance and function of the nervous system.
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PMID:[Rho proteins: their function in neurons]. 1283 19

The oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe (OCRL) is a rare X-linked disorder characterized by severe mental retardation, congenital cataracts and renal Fanconi syndrome. OCRL1 protein is a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 5-phosphatase with a C-terminal RhoGAP domain. Considering the pleiotropic cellular functions of Rho GTPases (Rho, Rac and Cdc42) and their dysregulation in several forms of mental retardation, we have investigated the so far unexplored function of the RhoGAP domain of OCRL1. Activated Rac GTPase was found to stably associate with the OCRL1 RhoGAP domain in vitro and to co-immunoprecipitate with endogenous OCRL1. Contrasting with other GAPs, OCRL1 RhoGAP exhibited a significant interaction with GDP bound Rac in vitro. As compared to Rac, other Rho GTPases tested showed reduced (Cdc42) or no binding (RhoA, RhoG) to OCRL1 RhoGAP. Immunofluorescence studies in HEK and COS7 cells and Golgi perturbation assays with Brefeldin A demonstrated that a fraction of endogenous Rac co-localizes with OCRL1 and gamma-adaptin in the trans-Golgi network. The OCRL1 RhoGAP domain showed low Rac GAP activity in vitro, and when expressed in Swiss 3T3 cells induced specific inhibition of RacGTP dependent ruffles, consistent with OCRL1 being an active RacGAP. OCRL1 appears to be a bifunctional protein which, in addition to its PIP2 5-phosphatase activity, binds to Rac GTPase. This novel property may play a role in localizing OCRL1 to the trans-Golgi network. Moreover, loss of OCRL1 RhoGAP and the resulting alteration in Rho pathways may contribute to mental retardation in Lowe syndrome, as illustrated in other forms of X-linked mental retardation.
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PMID:Lowe syndrome protein OCRL1 interacts with Rac GTPase in the trans-Golgi network. 1291 45

Recent human genetic approaches showed that mutations in three genes encoding OPHN1, PAK3, and alphaPIX cause nonspecific X-linked mental retardation. These three proteins act to modulate Rho GTPase signaling pathways and may participate in neuronal morphogenesis by regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Here we showed that the Oligophrenin-1 gene is expressed in the developing spinal cord and later in brain areas that are characterized by high synaptic plasticity. At the cellular level OPHN1 is expressed in both glial and neuronal cells where it colocalizes with actin, notably at the tip of growing neurites. This interaction seems to be direct through a novel uncharacterized domain in the carboxyl-terminal end of OPHN1. Overexpression experiments in fibroblasts showed that the OPHN1 RhoGAP domain regulates in vivo the actin cytoskeleton by inhibition of Rho pathways. Interestingly the amino-terminal domain of OPHN1 inhibits the RhoGAP activity through an as yet unknown mechanism, suggesting that OPHN1 may be tightly regulated in vivo.
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PMID:The RhoGAP activity of OPHN1, a new F-actin-binding protein, is negatively controlled by its amino-terminal domain. 1293 38

The X chromosomal mental retardation genes have attained high interest in the past. A rough classification distinguishes syndromal mental retardation (MRXS) and nonsyndromal mental retardation (MRX) conditions. The latter are suggested to be responsible for human specific development of cognitive abilities. These genes have been shown to be engaged in chromatin remodelling or in intracellular signalling. During this analysis, we have compared the expression pattern in the mouse of four genes from the latter class of MRX genes: Ophn1, Arhgef6 (also called alphaPix), Pak3, and Gdi1. Ophn1, Pak3, and Gdi1 show a specific neuronal expression pattern with a certain overlap that allows to assign these signalling molecules to the same functional context. We noticed the highest expression of these genes in the dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis of the hippocampus, in structures engaged in learning and memory. A completely different expression pattern was observed for Arhgef6. In the CNS, it is expressed in ventricular zones, where neuronal progenitor cells are located. But Arhgef6 expression is also found in other non-neural tissues. Our analysis provides evidence that these signalling molecules are involved in different spatio-temporal expression domains of common signalling cascades and that for most tissues considerable functional redundancy of Rho-mediated signalling pathways exists.
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PMID:A comparative expression analysis of four MRX genes regulating intracellular signalling via small GTPases. 1467 71

Dendritic spines are small bulbous protrusions on the surface of dendrites that serve as principle postsynaptic targets for excitatory synapses (1-3). Structural modifications of dendritic spines have been implicated as a cellular basis for learning and memory. Morphological abnormalities of spines are observed in some neurological diseases such as mental retardation and schizophrenia (4). Thus, studies on the morphological regulation of dendritic spines could have strong relevance to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the higher brain function and the pathophysiology of neurological disorders. Here we review recent progress on the role of the cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan-2 and ephrin-Eph signaling in dendritic spine development. Information from these new developments suggests a model in which cell surface ephrin-Eph signaling induces clustering of syndecan-2 and recruitment of cytoplasmic molecules, which leads to localized actin polymerization via Rho family GTPases, N-WASP, and the Arp2/3 complex.
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PMID:EPHB receptor signaling in dendritic spine development. 1497 52


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