Cx43 increases serum induced filopodia formation via activation of p21-activated protein kinase 1.

In a previous study we could show that connexin 43 (Cx43) expression increased the migration of cells in a channel-independent manner involving the MAPK p38. We analyzed here the mechanism by which Cx43 enhanced p38 activation and migration related changes of the actin cytoskeleton. HeLa cells were used as a model system for the controlled expression of Cx43 and truncated Cx43 proteins. The expression of Cx43 altered the actin cytoskeleton organization in response to serum stimulation. Cx43 expressing HeLa cells had significantly more filopodial protrusions per cell than empty-vector transfected control cells. The expression of the channel incompetent carboxyl tail of Cx43 was sufficient to enhance the filopodia formation whereas the N-terminal, channel-building part, had no such effect. The enhanced filopodia formation was p38 dependent since the p38 blocker SB203580 significantly diminished it. Immunoprecipitation revealed an interaction of the upstream regulator of p38, p21-activated protein kinase 1 (PAK1), with Cx43 resulting in an enhanced phosphorylation of PAK1. Moreover, p38 activation, filopodia formation and cell migration were significantly reduced by blocking the PAK1 activity with its pharmacological inhibitor, IPA-3. The p38 target Hsp27, which favors the actin polymerization in its phosphorylated form, was significantly more phosphorylated characterizing it as a potential candidate molecule to enhance the serum-induced actin polymerization in Cx43 expressing cells. Our results provide a novel mechanism by which Cx43 can modify actin cytoskeletal dynamics and may thereby enhance cell migration.

Clone libraries and single cell genome amplification reveal extended diversity of uncultivated magnetotactic bacteria from marine and freshwater environments.

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which orient along the earth's magnetic field using magnetosomes, are ubiquitous and abundant in marine and freshwater environments. Previous phylogenetic analysis of diverse MTB has been limited to few cultured species and the most abundant and conspicuous members of natural populations, which were assigned to various lineages of the Proteobacteria, the Nitrospirae phylum as well as the candidate division OP3. However, their known phylogenetic diversity still not matches the large morphological and ultrastructural variability of uncultured MTB found in environmental communities. Here, we used analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries in combination with microsorting and whole-genome amplification to systematically address the entire diversity of uncultured MTB from two different habitats. This approach revealed extensive and novel diversity of MTB within the freshwater and marine sediment samples. In total, single-cell analysis identified eight different phylotypes, which were only partly represented in the clone libraries, and which could be unambiguously assigned to their respective morphotypes. Identified MTB belonged to the Alphaproteobacteria (seven species) and the Nitrospirae phylum (two species). End-sequencing of a small insert library created from WGA-derived DNA of a novel conspicuous magnetotactic vibrio identified genes with highest similarity to two cultivated MTB as well as to other phylogenetic groups. In conclusion, the combination of metagenomic cloning and single cell sorting represents a powerful approach to recover maximum bacterial diversity including low-abundant magnetotactic phylotypes from environmental samples and also provides access to genomic analysis of uncultivated MTB.

PKA negatively modulates the migration enhancing effect of Connexin 43.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) expression is associated with an increased cell migration and related changes of the actin cytoskeleton (enhanced filopodia formation). These effects are mediated by the C-terminal cytoplasmic part of Cx43 in a channel-independent manner. Since this part has been shown to interact with a variety of proteins and has multiple phosphorylation sites we analyzed here a potential role of the protein kinase A (PKA) for the Cx43 mediated increase in cell migration. Mutation of the PKA-phosphorylation site (substitution of three serines by alanine or glycine) resulted in a further increase in cell motility compared to wild-type Cx43, but with a loss of directionality. Likewise, cell motility was enhanced by PKA inhibition only in Cx43 expressing cells, while reduced in the presence of the PKA activator forskolin. In contrast, cell motility remained unaffected by stimulation with forskolin in cells expressing Cx43 with the mutated PKA phosphorylation site (Cx43-PKA) as well as in Cx-deficient cells. Moreover, PKA activation resulted in increased binding of PKA and VASP to Cx43 associated with an enhanced phosphorylation of VASP, an important regulatory protein of cell polarity and directed migration. Functionally, we could confirm these results in endothelial cells endogenously expressing Cx43. A Tat-Cx43 peptide containing the PKA phosphorylation site abolished the PKA dependent reduction in endothelial cell migration. Our results indicate that PKA dependent phosphorylation of Cx43 modulates cell motility and plays a pivotal role in regulating directed cell migration.