Targeting RING domains of Mdm2–MdmX E3 complex activates apoptotic arm of the p53 pathway in leukemia/lymphoma cells

Reactivation of tumor-suppressor p53 for targeted cancer therapy is an attractive strategy for cancers bearing wild-type (WT) p53. Targeting the Mdm2–p53 interface or MdmX ((MDM4), mouse double minute 4)–p53 interface or both has been a focus in the field. However, targeting the E3 ligase activity of Mdm2–MdmX really interesting new gene (RING)–RING interaction as a novel anticancer strategy has never been explored. In this report, we describe the identification and characterization of small molecule inhibitors targeting Mdm2–MdmX RING–RING interaction as a new class of E3 ligase inhibitors. With a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based E3 activity assay in high-throughput screening of a chemical library, we identified inhibitors (designated as MMRis (Mdm2–MdmX RING domain inhibitors)) that specifically inhibit Mdm2–MdmX E3 ligase activity toward Mdm2 and p53 substrates. MMRi6 and its analog MMRi64 are capable of disrupting Mdm2–MdmX interactions in vitro and activating p53 in cells. In leukemia cells, MMRi64 potently induces downregulation of Mdm2 and MdmX. In contrast to Nutlin3a, MMRi64 only induces the expression of pro-apoptotic gene PUMA (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis) with minimal induction of growth-arresting gene p21. Consequently, MMRi64 selectively induces the apoptotic arm of the p53 pathway in leukemia/lymphoma cells. Owing to the distinct mechanisms of action of MMRi64 and Nutlin3a, their combination synergistically induces p53 and apoptosis. Taken together, this study reveals that Mdm2–MdmX has a critical role in apoptotic response of the p53 pathway and MMRi64 may serve as a new pharmacological tool for p53 studies and a platform for cancer drug development.Activation of tumor-suppressor p53 as a targeted non-genotoxic cancer therapy has been pursued for many years,^{1, 2} because p53 possesses potent tumor-suppressing activity in vivo.^{3, 4, 5} p53 can inhibit cancer cell growth by cell cycle arrest or terminate their proliferation by inducing apoptosis and senescence.⁶ The p53-based therapy is particularly attractive for cancer types including retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma and leukemia/lymphoma in which p53 is rarely mutated⁷ and p53-dependent apoptotic pathway is a predominant endpoint.^{8, 9, 10} Except for cancer-selected p53 mutations, the p53 activity is mainly inhibited by p53-binding proteins Mdm2 and MdmX ((MDM4), mouse double minute 4) in normal and cancer cells.^{11, 12} Prior focus of p53 reactivation strategy has been on targeting the Mdm2–p53 and/or MdmX–p53 interface. This has led to the discovery of a list of potent Mdm2–p53 inhibitors¹³ with several compounds of this class being advanced to phase I clinical trials in hematological neoplasia and solid tumors.² However, the therapeutic effects of these Mdm2–p53 inhibitors can be attenuated by MdmX overexpression.^{14, 15, 16} Although peptide inhibitors with dual functions of inhibiting both Mdm2–p53 and MdmX–p53 interactions will overcome this problem and enhance p53-dependent cancer killing;^{17, 18} these inhibitors will not inhibit Mdm2 E3 ligase activity toward non-p53 targets such as retinoblastoma protein (RB), p21 and DAXX (death domain-associated protein),^{19, 20, 21} which to a different extent contributes to the p53-dependent biological effects.Recent genetic studies indicated that really interesting new gene (RING) domains of Mdm2 and MdmX are required for in vivo inhibition of p53 activity during development.^{22, 23, 24} MdmX was reported to stimulate Mdm2-mediated p53 multiple monoubiquitination using glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion Hdm2 proteins.^{25, 26} Using non-GST Hdm2 proteins in in vitro biochemical assays, we found that MdmX–Mdm2 RING–RING interaction is essential for p53 polyubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation.²⁶ These findings established that Mdm2–MdmX complex is the key regulator of p53 activity and Mdm2–MdmX RING–RING interaction is a critical but an unexplored interface for drug targeting.²⁷ Identification of E3 ligase inhibitors for cancer therapy presents a huge opportunity but with great challenges.²⁸ In this report, we describe successful identification and characterization of small molecule inhibitors for the E3 ligase activity of Mdm2–MdmX E3 complex. Among seven specific MMRis (Mdm2–MdmX RING domain inhibitors), MMRi64 was followed up in detail in this report. MMRi64 has several unique features that distinguish it from Mdm2–p53 inhibitor Nutlin3a. MMRi64 disrupts Mdm2–MdmX interaction in vitro and inhibits the E3 ligase activity of Mdm2–MdmX without affecting the E3 ligase activity of Mdm2 RING domain homodimers. MMRi64 induces p53 accumulation without induction of Mdm2 and p21 in lymphoma cells, which is distinct from the effects of Nutlin3a. Finally, MMRi64 induces PUMA (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis) but strongly downregulates MdmX and Mdm2, consequently activating the apoptotic arm of the p53 pathway in leukemia/lymphoma cells without the induction of growth arrest.     

The Adenovirus E4orf4 Protein Induces G2/M Arrest and Cell Death by Blocking Protein Phosphatase 2A Activity Regulated by the B55 Subunit

Human adenovirus E4orf4 protein is toxic in human tumor cells. Its interaction with the Bα subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is critical for cell killing; however, the effect of E4orf4 binding is not known. Bα is one of several mammalian B-type regulatory subunits that form PP2A holoenzymes with A and C subunits. Here we show that E4orf4 protein interacts uniquely with B55 family subunits and that cell killing increases with the level of E4orf4 expression. Evidence suggesting that Bα-specific PP2A activity, measured in vitro against phosphoprotein substrates, is reduced by E4orf4 binding was obtained, and two potential B55-specific PP2A substrates, 4E-BP1 and p70^S6K, were seen to be hypophosphorylated in vivo following expression of E4orf4. Furthermore, treatment of cells with low levels of the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid or coexpression of the PP2A inhibitor I₁^PP2A enhanced E4orf4-induced cell killing and G₂/M arrest significantly. These results suggested that E4orf4 toxicity results from the inhibition of B55-specific PP2A holoenzymes, an idea that was strengthened by an observed growth arrest resulting from treatment of H1299 cells with Bα-specific RNA interference. We believe that E4orf4 induces growth arrest resulting in cell death by reducing the global level of B55-specific PP2A activity, thus preventing the dephosphorylation of B55-specific PP2A substrates, including those involved in cell cycle progression.Our research group and others have shown that the 114-residue product of early region E4 of human adenoviruses, termed E4orf4, induces p53-independent cell death in human tumor cells (24, 25, 34-36, 55) and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (23, 53). E4orf4 protein, which shares no obvious homology with other viral or cellular products, kills a wide range of human cancer cells but is believed to have reduced activity against normal human primary cells (6, 55, 56). Although in some cases E4orf4-expressing cells exhibit characteristics typical of apoptosis, including the presence of irregularly shaped and shrunken nuclei, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and membrane blebbing (24, 25, 50, 55), cell death may more typically be independent of caspase activation (24, 25, 30, 32, 50). With H1299 human non-small-cell lung carcinoma cells, death is characterized by rapid cell rounding, enlargement, release from the surface of culture plates, cell cycle arrest in G₂/M and possibly G₁, and eventually, after an extended period, loss of membrane integrity (30). Both cytoplasmic and nuclear pathways have been observed, the former involving interactions with c-Src family kinases, activation of calpain, and remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton (7, 24, 50, 51, 58). Little is known about the nuclear pathway, which may represent the predominant death-inducing process. Our current evidence suggests that H1299 cells die following prolonged irreversible cell cycle arrest leading to mitotic catastrophe and death by a necrosis-like process (30).E4orf4 is known to associate with the Bα regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) (22, 34), and this interaction appears to be necessary for the majority of E4orf4 toxicity in both yeast (23, 53) and human tumor cells (34, 56). PP2A is an abundant serine-threonine phosphatase involved in regulation of metabolism, splicing, translation, morphogenesis, development, and cell cycle progression (15, 19, 27, 43, 59). PP2A holoenzymes exist as multiple heterotrimeric complexes composed of a catalytic C subunit, an A subunit that functions as a scaffold, and a B-type regulatory subunit. Two forms each of the A and C subunits exist in mammalian cells; however, more than 20 B-type subunits have been identified in three unique classes (B/B55, B′/B56, B″/PR72), plus striatin/SG2NA (sometimes called B‴) (10, 19, 26). Although one group has suggested that E4orf4 protein interacts with one or more members of the B′/B56 class (57), it is generally accepted that interaction with the Bα/B55 subunit (Cdc55 in yeast) is important for induction of cell death in both human tumor cells and yeast (53, 57). Interestingly, a recent report has also suggested that in yeast, growth suppression induced by E4orf4 is mediated only in part by the catalytic C subunit of PP2A (31).In the present report, we show that E4orf4 protein interacts uniquely with members of the B55 class of PP2A B-type subunits, and at sufficient concentrations, it appears to become toxic by reducing dephosphorylation of substrates of B55-containing PP2A holoenzymes. As cell death is preceded by cell cycle arrest, we believe that key substrates may include proteins required for cell cycle progression.     

Nef-Induced CD4 Endocytosis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Host Cells: Role of p56lck Kinase

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef interferes with the endocytic machinery to modulate the cell surface expression of CD4. However, the basal trafficking of CD4 is governed by different rules in the target cells of HIV-1: whereas CD4 is rapidly internalized from the cell surface in myeloid cells, CD4 is stabilized at the plasma membrane through its interaction with the p56^lck kinase in lymphoid cells. In this study, we showed that Nef was able to downregulate CD4 in both lymphoid and myeloid cell lines but that an increase in the internalization rate of CD4 could be observed only in lymphoid cells. Expression of p56^lck in nonlymphoid CD4-expressing cells restores the ability of Nef in order to increase the internalization rate of CD4. Concurrent with this observation, the expression of a p56^lck-binding-deficient mutant of CD4 in lymphoid cells abrogates the Nef-induced acceleration of CD4 internalization. We also show that the expression of Nef causes a decrease in the association of p56^lck with cell surface-expressed CD4. Regardless of the presence of p56^lck, the downregulation of CD4 by Nef was followed by CD4 degradation. Our results imply that Nef uses distinct mechanisms to downregulate the cell surface expression levels of CD4 in either lymphoid or myeloid target cells of HIV-1.Besides proteins that are essential for proper virus processing and assembly, the genomes of primate lentiviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encode auxiliary proteins that modulate viral infectivity. The 27-kDa auxiliary protein Nef is a key element in the progression of primary HIV-1 infection toward AIDS. Cases of patients infected with HIV-1 strains harboring a deletion in the nef gene or a defective nef allele have been reported. Some of these patients exhibit asymptomatic or slow progression toward the disease (6, 17, 37). In vitro, Nef facilitates viral replication and enhances the infectivity of viral particles (13, 47, 69). The mechanisms involved in the Nef-induced increase of viral infectivity remain elusive; however, it is a multifactorial process related to the ability of Nef to alter the trafficking of host cell proteins.Indeed, the most documented effect of Nef during the course of viral infection is its ability to disturb the clathrin-dependent trafficking machinery involved in the transport of transmembrane proteins through endosomal compartments. This leads to the modulation of the level of cell surface expression for some receptors, including CD4, which is the primary receptor of HIV-1 (35) and major histocompatibility complex class I (reviewed in references 22 and 27). The downregulation of CD4, which results in the impairment of the immunological synapse (72) and the downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules (reviewed in reference 16), is believed to contribute to the escape of HIV-1-infected cells from immunosurveillance. Moreover, the downregulation of CD4 helps avoid superinfection of cells, which would be deleterious to the virus (reviewed in reference 21), and has a direct impact on viral fitness by allowing better incorporation of the functional envelope in viral particles produced from CD4-expressing cells (3, 36, 53).Nef-induced cell surface downregulation of CD4 is efficient in all CD4-expressing cells and depends on the integrity of a di-Leu motif at position 164/165 of the C-terminal flexible loop of HIV-1 Nef (2, 9, 25). This di-Leu motif allows for the interaction with clathrin-associated adaptor protein (AP) complexes that participate in the clathrin-dependent vesicular transport within the endocytic pathway. The AP type 2 (AP-2) complex is localized at the plasma membrane and is essential to the assembly and function of clathrin-coated pits involved in the internalization of receptors from the cell surface (59). The interaction of Nef with AP-2 is well delineated and has been proposed to enhance the targeting of CD4 to clathrin-coated pits and its internalization (10, 12, 26, 32, 39).Helper T lymphocytes are the predominant cell type that expresses CD4; however, CD4 is also present at the surfaces of monocytes and macrophages (70), where its function is yet to be elucidated. Whereas cell surface CD4 is rapidly internalized in myeloid cells, CD4 is stabilized at the plasma membrane in lymphoid cells through its interaction with the Src family protein tyrosine kinase p56^lck. Cys residues located at positions 420/422 in the CD4 cytoplasmic tail are essential to the constitutive association with p56^lck (73). Besides its role in signal transduction, this interaction also correlates with an accumulation of CD4 in lipid rafts and enhanced exclusion of CD4 from clathrin-coated pits (50).In T cells, treatment with phorbol esters such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) provokes the phosphorylation of Ser residues found in the cytoplasmic tail of CD4. This correlates with a decreased association of p56^lck with CD4 and the internalization of the receptor (24, 32-34, 41, 45, 48, 52, 56, 61, 66-68). Nef-induced CD4 downregulation is known to be independent of Ser phosphorylation (20) and is therefore governed by mechanisms different from those involved in PMA-induced CD4 downregulation. However, the Leu-based sorting motif in the CD4 cytoplasmic tail is critical for both PMA and Nef-induced CD4 downregulation (2, 5, 24, 31, 56, 60, 68), thus indicating that despite being different, the mechanisms involved in Nef- and PMA-induced CD4 downregulation partially overlap.In the present study, we investigated whether the mechanisms used by Nef to downregulate CD4 are cell type-dependent processes. We looked at the trafficking and steady-state expression of CD4 in the main target cells of HIV-1, CD4-positive T lymphocytes, and cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Our results demonstrate that the presence of p56^lck has a direct impact on the mechanisms used by Nef to downregulate CD4 from the cell surface of T lymphocytes. They also reveal that Nef uses distinct pathways to decrease levels of cell surface expression of CD4 in lymphoid or myeloid target cells of HIV-1.     

Divergent Evolution of Norovirus GII/4 by Genome Recombination from May 2006 to February 2009 in Japan

Norovirus GII/4 is a leading cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in humans. We examined here how the GII/4 virus evolves to generate and sustain new epidemics in humans, using 199 near-full-length GII/4 genome sequences and 11 genome segment clones from human stool specimens collected at 19 sites in Japan between May 2006 and February 2009. Phylogenetic studies demonstrated outbreaks of 7 monophyletic GII/4 subtypes, among which a single subtype, termed 2006b, had continually predominated. Phylogenetic-tree, bootscanning-plot, and informative-site analyses revealed that 4 of the 7 GII/4 subtypes were mosaics of recently prevalent GII/4 subtypes and 1 was made up of the GII/4 and GII/12 genotypes. Notably, single putative recombination breakpoints with the highest statistical significance were constantly located around the border of open reading frame 1 (ORF1) and ORF2 (P ≤ 0.000001), suggesting outgrowth of specific recombinant viruses in the outbreaks. The GII/4 subtypes had many unique amino acids at the time of their outbreaks, especially in the N-term, 3A-like, and capsid proteins. Unique amino acids in the capsids were preferentially positioned on the outer surface loops of the protruding P2 domain and more abundant in the dominant subtypes. These findings suggest that intersubtype genome recombination at the ORF1/2 boundary region is a common mechanism that realizes independent and concurrent changes on the virion surface and in viral replication proteins for the persistence of norovirus GII/4 in human populations.Norovirus (NoV) is a nonenveloped RNA virus that belongs to the family Caliciviridae and can cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. The NoV genome is a single-stranded, positive-sense, polyadenylated RNA that encodes three open reading frames, ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3 (68). ORF1 encodes a long polypeptide (∼200 kDa) that is cleaved in the cells by the viral proteinase (3C^pro) into six proteins (4). These proteins function in NoV replication in host cells (19). ORF2 encodes a viral capsid protein, VP1. The capsid gene evolved at a rate of 4.3 × 10⁻³ nucleotide substitutions/site/year (7), which is comparable to the substitution rates of the envelope and capsid genes of human immunodeficiency virus (30). The capsid protein of NoV consists of a shell (S) and two protruding (P) domains: P1 and P2 (47). The S domain is relatively conserved within the same genetic lineages of NoVs (38) and is responsible for the assembly of VP1 (6). The P1 subdomain is also relatively conserved (38) and has a role in enhancing the stability of virus particles (6). The P2 domain is positioned at the most exposed surface of the virus particle (47) and forms binding clefts for putative infection receptors, such as human histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) (8, 13, 14, 60). The P2 domain also contains epitopes for neutralizing antibodies (27, 33) and is consistently highly variable even within the same genetic lineage of NoVs (38). ORF3 encodes a VP2 protein that is suggested to be a minor structural component of virus particles (18) and to be responsible for the expression and stabilization of VP1 (5).Thus far, the NoVs found in nature are classified into five genogroups (GI to GV) and multiple genotypes on the basis of the phylogeny of capsid sequences (71). Among them, genogroup II genotype 4 (GII/4), which was present in humans in the mid-1970s (7), is now the leading cause of NoV-associated acute gastroenteritis in humans (54). The GII/4 is further subclassifiable into phylogenetically distinct subtypes (32, 38, 53). Notably, the emergence and spread of a new GII/4 subtype with multiple amino acid substitutions on the capsid surface are often associated with greater magnitudes of NoV epidemics (53, 54). In 2006 and 2007, a GII/4 subtype, termed 2006b, prevailed globally over preexisting GII/4 subtypes in association with increased numbers of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis cases in many countries, including Japan (32, 38, 53). The 2006b subtype has multiple unique amino acid substitutions that occur most preferentially in the protruding subdomain of the capsid, the P2 subdomain (32, 38, 53). Together with information on human population immunity against NoV GII/4 subtypes (12, 32), it has been postulated that the accumulation of P2 mutations gives rise to antigenic drift and plays a key role in new epidemics of NoV GII/4 in humans (32, 38, 53).Genetic recombination is common in RNA viruses (67). In NoV, recombination was first suggested by the phylogenetic analysis of an NoV genome segment clone: a discordant branching order was noted with the trees of the 3D^pol and capsid coding regions (21). Subsequently, many studies have reported the phylogenetic discordance using sequences from various epidemic sites in different study periods (1, 10, 11, 16, 17, 22, 25, 40, 41, 44-46, 49, 51, 57, 63, 64, 66). These results suggest that genome recombination frequently occurs among distinct lineages of NoV variants in vivo. However, the studies were done primarily with direct sequencing data of the short genome portion, and information on the cloned genome segment or full-length genome sequences is very limited (21, 25). Therefore, we lack an overview of the structural and temporal dynamics of viral genomes during NoV epidemics, and it remains unclear whether NoV mosaicism plays a role in these events.To clarify these issues, we collected 199 near-full-length genome sequences of GII/4 from NoV outbreaks over three recent years in Japan, divided them into monophyletic subtypes, analyzed the temporal and geographical distribution of the subtypes, collected phylogenetic evidence for the viral genome mosaicism of the subtypes, identified putative recombination breakpoints in the genomes, and isolated mosaic genome segments from the stool specimens. We also performed computer-assisted sequence and structural analyses with the identified subtypes to address the relationship between the numbers of P2 domain mutations at the times of the outbreaks and the magnitudes of the epidemics. The obtained data suggest that intersubtype genome recombination at the ORF1/2 boundary region is common in the new GII/4 outbreaks and promotes the effective acquisition of mutation sets of heterogeneous capsid surface and viral replication proteins.     

Regulation of IRSp53-Dependent Filopodial Dynamics by Antagonism between 14-3-3 Binding and SH3-Mediated Localization

Filopodia are dynamic structures found at the leading edges of most migrating cells. IRSp53 plays a role in filopodium dynamics by coupling actin elongation with membrane protrusion. IRSp53 is a Cdc42 effector protein that contains an N-terminal inverse-BAR (Bin-amphipysin-Rvs) domain (IRSp53/MIM homology domain [IMD]) and an internal SH3 domain that associates with actin regulatory proteins, including Eps8. We demonstrate that the SH3 domain functions to localize IRSp53 to lamellipodia and that IRSp53 mutated in its SH3 domain fails to induce filopodia. Through SH3 domain-swapping experiments, we show that the related IRTKS SH3 domain is not functional in lamellipodial localization. IRSp53 binds to 14-3-3 after phosphorylation in a region that lies between the CRIB and SH3 domains. This association inhibits binding of the IRSp53 SH3 domain to proteins such as WAVE2 and Eps8 and also prevents Cdc42-GTP interaction. The antagonism is achieved by phosphorylation of two related 14-3-3 binding sites at T340 and T360. In the absence of phosphorylation at these sites, filopodium lifetimes in cells expressing exogenous IRSp53 are extended. Our work does not conform to current views that the inverse-BAR domain or Cdc42 controls IRSp53 localization but provides an alternative model of how IRSp53 is recruited (and released) to carry out its functions at lamellipodia and filopodia.The ability of a cell to rapidly respond to extracellular cues and direct cytoskeletal rearrangements is dependent on an array of signaling complexes that control actin assembly (58). The protrusive structures at the leading edges of motile cells are broadly defined as lamellipodia or filopodia (14). Lamellae are sheet-like protrusions composed of dendritic actin arrays that drive membrane expansion, with the “lamellipodium” representing a narrow region at the edge of the cell (in culture) characterized by rapid actin polymerization. This F-actin assembly is suggested to require Arp2/3 activity that nucleates new actin filaments from the sides of existing ones (58, 71) and capping proteins that limit the length of these new filaments and stabilize them (7). Arp2/3 activity in turn is regulated by the WASP/WAVE family of proteins, such as N-WASP and WAVE2 (68), whose regulation is a subject of intense interest (12, 29, 36, 41, 56, 76).Filopodia contain parallel bundles of actin filaments containing fascin (22). These are dynamic structures that emanate from the periphery of the cell and are retracted, with occasional attachment (to the dish in culture). Thus, they have been thought to have a sensory or exploratory role during cell migration (28). This is the case for neuronal growth cones, where filopodia sense attractant or repulsive cues and dictate direction in axonal path finding (9, 17, 25, 35). Filopodia have been shown to be important in the context of dendritic-spine development (64, 77), epithelial-sheet closure (26, 60, 79), and cell invasion/metastasis (80, 83).Lamellipodia have been well characterized since the pioneering work of Abercrombie et al. in the early 1970s (2, 3, 4). Filopodia require symmetry breaking at the leading edge (initiation), followed by elongation driven by a filopodial-tip protein complex (14, 28). A few proteins have been identified in this complex; Mena/Vasp serve to prevent capping at the barbed ends of bundled actin filaments (7, 53), and Dia2 promotes F-actin elongation (57, 85). Termination of filopodial elongation is not understood but nonetheless is likely to be tightly regulated. In the absence of F-actin elongation, retraction of the filopodium takes place by a rearward flow of F-actin and filament depolymerization (22).IRSp53 is in a position to play a pivotal role in generating filopodia; this brain-enriched protein was discovered as a substrate of the insulin receptor (87). Subsequently, IRSp53 was identified as an effector for Rac1 (50) and Cdc42 (27, 38), where it participates in filopodium and lamellipodium production (38, 51, 54, 86), neurite extension (27), dendritic-spine morphogenesis (1, 15, 66, 67), cell motility and invasiveness (24). The N terminus of IRSp53 contains a conserved helical domain that is found in five different gene products and is referred to as the IRSp53/MIM homology domain (IMD) (51, 70). This domain has been postulated to bind to Rac1 (50, 70) in a nucleotide-independent manner (52), but no convincing effector-like region has been identified. A Cdc42-specific CRIB-like sequence that does not bind Rac1 (27, 38) allows coupling of this and perhaps related Rho GTPases. The structure of the IMD reveals a zeppelin-shaped dimer that could bind “bent” membranes; thus, its potential as an F-actin-bundling domain (51, 82) could be an in vitro artifact often attributed to proteins with basic patches (46). Although there are reports of F-actin binding at physiological ionic strength (ca. 100 mM KCl) (82, 19), this region when expressed in isolation does not decorate F-actin in vivo.Two reports showed the IMD to be an “inverse-BAR” domain. BAR (Bin-amphipysin-Rvs) domains are found in proteins involved in endocytic trafficking, such as amphipysin and endophilin, and stabilize positively bent membranes, such as those on endocytic vesicles (31, 47). The IMD domains of both IRSp53 (70) and MIM-B (46) associate with lipids and can induce tubulations of PI(3,4,5)P₃ or PI(4,5)P₂-rich membranes, respectively. These tubulations are equivalent to membrane protrusions and are also referred to as negatively bent membranes. Ectopic expression of the IMD from IRSp53 (51, 70, 82, 86) or two other family members, MIM-B (11, 46) and IRTKS (52), can give rise to cells with many peripheral extensions. MIM-B is said to stimulate lamellipodia (11), while IRTKS generates “short actin clusters” at the cell periphery (52).In IRSp53 is a CRIB-like motif that mediates binding to Cdc42 (27, 38), but the function of this interaction in unclear. Cdc42 could relieve IRSp53 autoinhibition as described for N-Wasp (38), but there is little evidence for this. It has been suggested that Cdc42 controls IRSp53 localization and actin remodeling (27, 38), but another study indicated that these events are Cdc42 independent (19). IRSp53 contains a central SH3 domain that may bind proline-rich proteins, such as Dia1 (23), Mena (38), WAVE2 (49, 50, 69), and Eps8 (19, 24). However, it seems unlikely that all of these represent bona fide partners, and side-by-side comparison is provided in this study. Mena is involved in filopodium production (37), Dia1 in stress fiber formation (81), and WAVE2 in lamellipodium extension (72). Thus, Mena is a better candidate as a partner for IRSp53-mediated filopodia than Dia1 or WAVE2.There is good evidence for IRSp53 as a cellular partner for Eps8 (19). Eps8 is an adaptor protein containing an N-terminal PTB domain that can associate with receptor tyrosine kinases (65), and perhaps β integrins (13), and a C-terminal SH3 domain that can associate with Abi1 (30). Binding of the general adaptor Abi1 appears to positively regulate the actin-capping domain at the C terminus of Eps8 (18). It has been suggested that IRSp53 and Eps8 as a complex regulate cell motility, and perhaps Rac1 activation, via SOS (24); more recently, their roles in filopodium formation have been addressed (19). The involvement of IRSp53, but not MIM-B or IRTKS, in filopodium formation might be related to its role as a Cdc42 effector. We show here that, surprisingly, the CRIB motif is not essential for this activity, but rather, the ability of IRSp53 to associate via its SH3 domain is required, and that this domain is controlled by 14-3-3 binding.We have focused on the regulation of Cdc42 effectors that bind 14-3-3, including IRSp53 and PAK4, which are found as 14-3-3 targets in various proteomic projects (32, 44). In this study, we characterize the binding of 14-3-3 to IRSp53 and uncover how this activity regulates IRSp53 function. The phosphorylation-dependent 14-3-3 binding is GSK3β dependent, and 14-3-3 blocks the accessibility of both the CRIB and SH3 domains of IRSp53, thus indicating its primary function in controlling IRSp53 partners. This regulation of the SH3 domain by 14-3-3 is critical in the proper localization and termination of IRSp53 function to promote filopodium dynamics.