BetaPix-enhanced p38 activation by Cdc42/Rac/PAK/MKK3/6-mediated pathway. Implication in the regulation of membrane ruffling.

betaPix (PAK-interacting exchange factor) is a recently identified guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho family small G protein Cdc42/Rac. The protein interacts with p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) through its SH3 domain. We examined the effect of betaPix on MAP kinase signaling and cytoskeletal rearrangement in NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. Overexpression of betaPix enhanced the activation of p38 in the absence of other stimuli and also induced translocation of p38 to the nucleus. This betaPix-induced p38 activation was blocked by coexpression of dominant-negative Cdc42/Rac or kinase-inactive PAK, indicating that the effect of betaPix on p38 is exerted through the Cdc42/Rac-PAK pathway and requires PAK kinase activity. The essential role of betaPix in growth factor-stimulated p38 activation was evidenced by the blocking of platelet-derived growth factor-induced p38 activation in the cells expressing betaPix SH3m (W43K) and betaPix DHm (L238R,L239R). In addition, SB203580, a p38 inhibitor, and kinase-inactive p38 (T180A,Y182F) blocked membrane ruffling induced by betaPix, suggesting that p38 might be involved in mediating betaPix-induced membrane ruffling. The results in this study suggest that betaPix might have a role in nuclear signaling, as well as in actin cytoskeleton regulation, and that some part of these cellular functions is possibly mediated by p38 MAP kinase.