👤 Youhei Egami

Macropinocytosis, a fluid-phase endocytosis, is a crucial pathway for antigen uptake and presentation in macrophages. We attempted to characterise the activation and deactivation of a small GTPase molecular switch, Rac1, in macropinocytosis using microscopic photo-manipulation. Expression of genetically encoded photoactivatable-Rac1 (PA-Rac1) in RAW264 macrophages enabled the local, reversible control of macropinocytosis using blue laser irradiation. Marked membrane ruffling and unclosed pre-macropinosomes were observed in the irradiated region of macrophages under the persistent activation of PA-Rac1. Although phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and actin were also localised to this region, the recruitment of maturating endosome markers, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate and Rab21, was restricted until PA-Rac1 deactivation. After deactivating PA-Rac1 by ceasing irradiation, membrane ruffling immediately receded, and the macropinosomes acquired maturation markers. These data suggest that activation of Rac1 is sufficient to induce membrane ruffling and macropinocytic cup formation, but subsequent deactivation of Rac1 is required for macropinosome closure and further maturation. Show less

Rab20 is a member of the Rab GTPase family, but its implication in macropinocytosis is unclear. We examined the spatiotemporal localization of Rab20 in RAW264 macrophages by the live-cell imaging of fluorescent protein-fused Rab20. It was shown that Rab20 was transiently associated with macropinosomal membranes. During the early stage of macropinosome formation, Rab20 was slightly localized on the circular ruffles (macropinocytic cups), the precursor forms of macropinosomes, and was increasingly recruited to the newly formed macropinosomes. Although Rab20 was colocalized with Rab5 and Rab21 on macropinosomal membranes, the association of Rab20 with macropinosomes persisted even after the dissociations of Rab5 and Rab21 from macropinosomal membranes. Rab20 was then colocalized with Rab7 and Lamp1, late endosomal/lysosomal markers, on macropinosomes for a while. Our data indicate that Rab20 is a novel component of macropinocytic pathway and functions at long-standing stages from early to late macropinosome maturation. Show less

Rab21, a member of the Rab GTPase family, is known to be involved in membrane trafficking, but its implication in macropinocytosis is unclear. We analyzed the spatiotemporal localization of Rab21 in M-CSF-stimulated RAW264 macrophages by the live-cell imaging of fluorescent protein-fused Rab21. It was demonstrated that wild-type Rab21 was transiently associated with macropinosomes. Rab21 was recruited to the macropinosomes after a decrease in PI(4,5)P(2) and PI(3,4,5)P(3) levels. Although Rab21 was largely colocalized with Rab5, the recruitment of Rab21 to the macropinosomes lagged a minute behind that of Rab5, and preceded that of Rab7. Then, Rab21 was dissociated from the macropinosomes prior to the accumulation of Lamp1, a late endosomal/lysosomal marker. Our analysis of Rab21 mutants revealed that the GTP-bound mutant, Rab21-Q78L, was recruited to the macropinosomes, similarly to wild-type Rab21. However, the GDP-bound mutant, Rab21-T33N, did not localize on the formed macropinosomes, suggesting that the binding of GTP to Rab21 is required for the proper recruitment of Rab21 onto the macropinosomes. However, neither mutation of Rab21 significantly affected the rate of macropinosome formation. These data indicate that Rab21 is a transient component of early and intermediate stages of macropinocytosis, and probably functions in macropinosome maturation before fusing with lysosomal compartments. Show less

We found that wortmannin, a potent phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, markedly induced the formation of Rab21-positive tubular compartments in A431 cells. By time-lapse fluorescence microscopy of live cells co-expressing fluorescent protein-fused Rab21 and other marker proteins, it was shown that the Rab21-positive tubules in wortmannin-treated cells were derived from Rab5-positive early endosomes, but not from late endosomes, recycling endosomes, lysosomes or the trans-Golgi network. The formation of Rab21-positive tubules was very dynamic and required microtubules. Rab21-positive tubules were also formed by the treatment of cells with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), which inhibits class III PI3K rather than class I PI3K. Furthermore, the loss of PI(3)P correlated with the tubulation of Rab21-positive endosomes in cells co-expressing fluorescent protein-fused Rab21 and a tandem FYVE domain. These results suggest that the lowering of PI(3)P as a result of class III PI3K inhibition may be an important cue for the morphological change of Rab21-positive early endosomes from vesicular to tubular form. Show less