NZO-3 expression causes global changes to actin cytoskeleton in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells: linking a tight junction protein to Rho GTPases

We previously demonstrated that exogenous expression of a truncated form of the tight junction protein ZO-3 affected junctional complex assembly and function. Current results indicate that this ZO-3 construct influences actin cytoskeleton dynamics more globally. We show that expression of the amino-terminal half of ZO-3 (NZO-3) in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells results in a decreased number of stress fibers and focal adhesions and causes an increased rate of cell migration in a wound healing assay. We also demonstrate that RhoA activity is reduced in NZO-3-expressing cells. We determined that ZO-3 interacts with p120 catenin and AF-6, proteins localized to the junctional complex and implicated in signaling pathways important for cytoskeleton regulation and cell motility. We also provide evidence that NZO-3 interacts directly with the C terminus of ZO-3, and we propose a model where altered interactions between ZO-3 and p120 catenin in NZO-3-expressing cells affect RhoA GTPase activity. This study reveals a potential link between ZO-3 and RhoA-related signaling events.