Coordination of signaling at the NHERF scaffold

University Of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cancer metastasis occurs when cells migrate from the primary tumor and invade other tissues. The long-term goal of this study is to characterize the Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1) scaffold in cell migration in order to aid in design of drugs that could inhibit this process to prevent metastasis. We propose to investigate the role of the scaffold protein NHERF1 at the leading edge of migrating cells in the coordination of protein kinase D (PKD) and PH domain Leucine-rich repeat Protein Phosphatase (PHLPP) signaling; NHERF1 has been shown to be involved in cell movement and, in independent studies, PKD has been shown to modulate the actin cytoskeleton necessary in this process. We will characterize the NHERF1 scaffold and its role in the coordination of actin remodeling at the leading edge of migrating cells through use of fluorescence imaging, novel miniSOG (singlet oxygen generator) technology that is revolutionizing electron microscopy, as well as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques. Through FRET, we can image the dynamic changes in protein conformation within NHERF1 as well as changes in protein-protein interactions between NHERF1 and its actin-binding partner ezrin; such changes reflect alterations in NHERF1 conformation between its inactive and active state. We will then investigate the impact that two mutations identified in human cancers within NHERF1 have on its function. These studies could provide a basis for the design of novel therapeutics to prevent cancer metastasis.