Regulation of cell-cell adhesion of MDCK cells by Cdc42 and Rac1 small GTPases.

Rac1, a member of the Rho small GTPases family, has recently been shown to be involved in the regulation of cell-cell adhesion mediated by cadherin. Here we showed that Cdc42, another member of Rho family, accumulated at cell-cell contact sites. Microinjection of Rho GDI, a negative regulator of the Rho family members, into Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells resulted in perturbation of epithelial cell morphology and of cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesions, and comicroinjection of dominant active Cdc42 or Rac1 reversed the action of Rho GDI, suggesting that the active form of Cdc42 or Rac1 is required for maintaining the cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesions. These observations suggest that Cdc42, in addition to Rac1, can regulate the cell-cell adhesion.