Aortic endothelial cells (GM7372A) express a major cell adhesion molecule, CD44v10, which binds the extracellular matrix component, hyaluronan (HA), at its external domain and interacts with various signaling molecules at its cytoplasmic domain. In this study, we have determined that CD44v10 and Rho-Kinase (ROK) are physically associated as a complex in vivo. Using a recombinant fragment of ROK (in particular, the pleckstrin homology [PH] domain) and in vitro binding assays, we have detected a specific binding interaction between the PH domain of ROK and the cytoplasmic domain of CD44. Scatchard plot analysis indicates that there is a single high-affinity CD44 binding site in the PH domain of ROK with an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.76 nM, which is comparable to CD44 binding (Kd approximately 1.56 nM) to intact ROK. These findings suggest that the PH domain is the primary ROK binding region for CD44. Furthermore, HA binding to GM7372A cells promotes RhoA-mediated ROK activity, which, in turn, increases phosphorylation of three different inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)Rs) [in particular, subtype 1 (IP(3)R1), and to a lesser extent subtype 2 (IP(3)R2) and subtype 3 (IP(3)R3)] all known as IP(3)-gated Ca(2+) channels. The phosphorylated IP(3)R1 (but not IP(3)R2 or IP(3)R3) is enhanced in its binding to IP(3) which subsequently stimulates IP(3)-mediated Ca(2+) flux. Transfection of the endothelial cells with ROK's PH cDNA significantly reduces ROK association with CD44v10, and effectively inhibits ROK-mediated phosphorylation of IP(3)Rs and IP(3)R-mediated Ca(2+) flux in vitro. The PH domain of ROK also functions as a dominant-negative mutant in vivo to block HA-dependent, CD44v10-specific intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization and endothelial cell migration. Taken together, we believe that CD44v10 interaction with ROK plays a pivotal role in IP(3)R-mediated Ca(2+) signaling during HA-mediated endothelial cell migration.
Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.