Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2025

Impedance-based Real-time Measurement of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion
09:23

Impedance-based Real-time Measurement of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion

Published on: April 2, 2020

6.4K

PLK1 phosphorylates RhoGDI1 and promotes cancer cell migration and invasion

Jeewon Lim1,2, Yo Sep Hwang1, Hyang Ran Yoon1

  • 1Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.

Cancer Cell International
|February 14, 2024
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) phosphorylates Rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor 1 (RhoGDI1), promoting cancer cell migration and invasion via RhoA activation. This interaction offers potential therapeutic targets for cancer progression.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Oncology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor 1 (RhoGDI1) regulates Rho GTPase activity, crucial for cellular processes like migration.
  • Phosphorylation of RhoGDI1 influences Rho GTPase activation during cell migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Identify novel kinases phosphorylating RhoGDI1.
  • Investigate the mechanism linking RhoGDI1-PLK1 interaction to cancer cell migration.

Main Methods:

  • Protein interaction assays (Immunoprecipitation, GST pull-down, PLA).
  • In vitro kinase assays and RhoA activation assays.
  • Cell migration and invasion assays (Transwell), including in vivo metastasis models.

Main Results:

  • Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) directly interacts with RhoGDI1.
  • PLK1 phosphorylates RhoGDI1 at Thr7 and Thr91, enhancing cell motility.
  • Mutant RhoGDI1 (aa 90-111) inhibited PLK1 interaction, attenuated RhoA activation, and reduced cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.

Conclusions:

  • PLK1-mediated phosphorylation of RhoGDI1 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion by activating RhoA.
  • The PLK1-RhoGDI1 interaction is linked to malignant progression, suggesting therapeutic potential.
Keywords:
CancerMigrationPLK1RhoARhoGDI1

More Related Videos

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection11:00

Real-Time Quantitative Measurement of Tumor Cell Migration and Invasion Following Synthetic mRNA Transfection

Published on: June 23, 2023

1.0K
RhoC GTPase Activation Assay09:58

RhoC GTPase Activation Assay

Published on: August 22, 2010

12.4K

Related Concept Videos

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
4.0K
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
2.7K
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
2.3K
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a...
3.6K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.8K
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a...
6.2K