Endocytosis of E-cadherin regulated by Rac and Cdc42 small G proteins through IQGAP1 and actin filaments

E-cadherin is a key cell-cell adhesion molecule at adherens junctions (AJs) and undergoes endocytosis when AJs are disrupted by the action of extracellular signals. To elucidate the mechanism of this endocytosis, we developed here a new cell-free assay system for this reaction using the AJ-enriched fraction from rat liver. We found here that non-trans-interacting, but not trans-interacting, E-cadherin underwent endocytosis in a clathrin-dependent manner. The endocytosis of trans-interacting E-cadherin was inhibited by Rac and Cdc42 small G proteins, which were activated by trans-interacting E-cadherin or trans-interacting nectins, which are known to induce the formation of AJs in cooperation with E-cadherin. This inhibition was mediated by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton by Rac and Cdc42 through IQGAP1, an actin filament-binding protein and a downstream target of Rac and Cdc42. These results indicate the important role of the Rac/Cdc42-IQGAP1 system in the dynamic organization and maintenance of the E-cadherin-based AJs.