PLEKHG2/FLJ00018, a Rho family-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is tyrosine phosphorylated via the EphB2/cSrc signaling pathway.

PLEKHG2/FLJ00018, a Rho family-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF), is activated by heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein (G protein) Gβγ subunits, and in turn activates the small G protein Rac and Cdc42, which have been shown to mediate signaling pathways leading to actin cytoskeletal reorganization. In the present study, we show that co-expression of the constitutively active mutant of cSrc, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and PLEKHG2 induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of PLEKHG2 in HEK293 cells. Through deletion and base substitution mutagenesis we have identified Tyr489 of PLEKHG2 as the site phosphorylated by cSrc. Furthermore, using a high-throughput src homology 2 (SH2) domain binding assay, the SH2 domain of ABL1 and the PI 3-kinse regulator subunit (PIK3R3) were identified as candidates for the binding partner of tyrosine-phosphorylated PLEKHG2. The interaction between PLEKHG2 and the full-length of PIK3R3, but not ABL1, occurs in a tyrosine-phosphorylation-dependent manner. Furthermore, PLEKHG2 is tyrosine phosphorylated at Tyr489 by ephrinB2 receptor signaling via cSrc. Investigation of the physiological function of tyrosine phosphorylation at Tyr489 in PLEKHG2 remains a subject for future studies.