| First Author | Parameswaran N | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 186 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 4088-97 |
| PubMed ID | 21339367 | Mgi Jnum | J:170843 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4947472 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.1001139 |
| Citation | Parameswaran N, et al. (2011) Conformational switching in ezrin regulates morphological and cytoskeletal changes required for B cell chemotaxis. J Immunol 186(7):4088-97 |
| abstractText | B cell chemotaxis occurs in response to specific chemokine gradients and is critical for homeostasis and immune response. The molecular regulation of B cell membrane-actin interactions during migration is poorly understood. In this study, we report a role for ezrin, a member of the membrane-cytoskeleton cross-linking ezrin-radixin-moesin proteins, in the regulation of the earliest steps of B cell polarization and chemotaxis. We visualized chemokine-induced changes in murine B cell morphology using scanning electron microscopy and spatiotemporal dynamics of ezrin in B cells using epifluorescence and total internal reflection microscopy. Upon chemokine stimulation, ezrin is transiently dephosphorylated to assume an inactive conformation and localizes to the lamellipodia. B cells expressing a phosphomimetic conformationally active mutant of ezrin or those in which ezrin dephosphorylation was pharmacologically inhibited displayed impaired microvillar dynamics, morphological polarization, and chemotaxis. Our data suggest a 2-fold involvement of ezrin in B cell migration, whereby it first undergoes chemokine-induced dephosphorylation to facilitate membrane flexibility, followed by relocalization to the actin-rich lamellipodia for dynamic forward protrusion of the cells. |
