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The GRP1 protein contains a Sec7 homology domain that catalyzes guanine nucleotide exchange on ADP-ribosylation factors (ARF) 1 and 5 as well as a pleckstrin homology domain that binds phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)P(3), an intermediate in cell signaling by insulin and other extracellular stimuli (Klarlund, J. K., Guilherme, A., Holik, J. J., Virbasius, J. V., Chawla, A., and Czech, M. P. (1997) Science 275, 1927-1930). Here we show that both endogenous GRP1 and ARF6 rapidly co-localize in plasma membrane ruffles in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-T) cells expressing human insulin receptors and COS-1 cells in response to insulin and epidermal growth factor, respectively. The pleckstrin homology domain of GRP1 appears to be sufficient for regulated membrane localization. Using a novel method to estimate GTP loading of expressed HA epitope-tagged ARF proteins in intact cells, levels of biologically active, GTP-bound ARF6 as well as GTP-bound ARF1 were elevated when these ARF proteins were co-expressed with GRP1 or the related protein cytohesin-1. GTP loading of ARF6 in both control cells and in response to GRP1 or cytohesin-1 was insensitive to brefeldin A, consistent with previous data on endogenous ARF6 exchange activity. The ability of GRP1 to catalyze GTP/GDP exchange on ARF6 was confirmed using recombinant proteins in a cell-free system. Taken together, these results suggest that phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)P(3) may be generated in cell membrane ruffles where receptor tyrosine kinases are concentrated in response to growth factors, causing recruitment of endogenous GRP1. Further, co-localization of GRP1 with ARF6, combined with its demonstrated ability to activate ARF6, suggests a physiological role for GRP1 in regulating ARF6 functions.

Cellular levels of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3) are rapidly elevated in response to activation of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. This polyphosphoinositide binds the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of GRP1, a protein that also contains 200 residues with high sequence similarity to a segment of the yeast Sec7 protein that functions as an ADP ribosylation exchange factor (ARF) (Klarlund, J., Guilherme, A., Holik, J. J., Virbasius, J. V., Chawla, A., and Czech, M. P. (1997) Science 275, 1927-1930). Here we show that dioctanoyl PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 binds the PH domain of GRP1 with a Kd = 0.5 microM, an affinity 2 orders of magnitude greater than dioctanoyl-PtdIns(4,5)P2. Further, the Sec7 domain of GRP1 is found to catalyze guanine nucleotide exchange of ARF1 and -5 but not ARF6. Importantly, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, but not PtdIns(4,5)P2, markedly enhances the ARF exchange activity of GRP1 in a reaction mixture containing dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine micelles, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid, and a low concentration of sodium cholate. PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-mediated ARF nucleotide exchange through GRP1 is selectively blocked by 100 microM inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, which also binds the PH domain of GRP1. Taken together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that selective recruitment of GRP1 to PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 in membranes activates ARF1 and -5, known regulators of intracellular membrane trafficking.

Cellular mechanisms for regulating membrane movements appear to involve small GTPases of the Rab subfamily. Binding of GDP-bound Rab proteins to donor membranes and their release from target membranes appear to be regulated by GDP-dissociation inhibitor (GDI) protein isoforms. Previous work showed strikingly higher levels of GDI-2 than GDI-1 fractionate with total membranes of cultured cells and are visualized in the perinuclear region in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Here we report that GDI-2-containing structural elements are concentrated predominantly in the pericentriolar area in interphase CHO-T cells and differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes based on colocalization of GDI-2 and the centrosomal marker pericentrin. This finding is documented by both immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. Expressed c-Myc-tagged GDI-2 in transfected COS-7 cells targets to the same region. During mitotic resolution of the centrosome into two identifiable foci in CHO-T cells, GDI-2 containing structures remain intact and also resolve into two regions surrounding the centrosome. Dissociation of pericentriolar GDI-2 from the Golgi markers beta-COP and lectin receptors was apparent upon brefeldin A treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes or CHO-T cells. The integrity of pericentriolar GDI-2-binding elements was not disrupted by either brief Triton X-100 extraction or microtubule cytoskeletal disassembly, achieved with nocodazole. These data demonstrate the presence of highly ordered, detergent-resistant GDI-2-specific structural elements around the centrosome and indicate functional differences for the GDI-1 and GDI-2 protein isoforms. The results suggest the presence of selective GDI-2 acceptors in this region and a possible role of pericentriolar GDI-2 in membrane recycling.