Rho-kinase signaling controls nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC7) and transcriptional activation of orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1.

Claudia Compagnucci, Sabina Barresi, Stefania Petrini, Enrico Bertini, Ginevra Zanni

Index: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 459(2) , 179-83, (2015)

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Abstract

Rho-kinase (ROCK) has been well documented to play a key role in RhoA-induced actin remodeling. ROCK activation results in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation either by direct action on MLC kinase (MLCK) or by inhibition of MLC phosphatase (MLCP), modulating actin-myosin contraction. We found that inhibition of the ROCK pathway in induced pluripotent stem cells, leads to nuclear export of HDAC7 and transcriptional activation of the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 while in cells with constitutive ROCK hyperactivity due to loss of function of the RhoGTPase activating protein Oligophrenin-1 (OPHN1), the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 is downregulated. Our study identify a new target of ROCK signaling via myosin phosphatase subunit (MYPT1) and Histone Deacetylase (HDAC7) at the nuclear level and provide new insights in the cellular functions of ROCK. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.