Ras-like GTPases are ubiquitously expressed, evolutionarily conserved molecular switches that couple extracellular signals to various cellular responses. Rap1, the closest relative of Ras, has attracted much attention because of the possibility that it regulates Ras-mediated signalling. Rap1 is activated by extracellular signals through several regulatory proteins, and it might function in diverse processes, ranging from modulation of growth and differentiation to secretion, integrin-mediated cell adhesion and morphogenesis.

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Integrin-mediated leukocyte adhesion is a critical aspect of leukocyte function that is tightly regulated by diverse stimuli, including chemokines, antigen receptors, and adhesion receptors. How cellular signals from CD31 and other adhesion amplifiers are integrated with those from classical mitogenic stimuli to regulate leukocyte function remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the cytoplasmic tail of CD31, an important integrin adhesion amplifier, propagates signals that induce T cell adhesion via β1 (VLA-4) and β2 (LFA-1) integrins. We identify the small GTPase, Rap1, as a critical mediator of this effect. Importantly, CD31 selectively activated the small Ras-related GTPase, Rap1, but not Ras, R-Ras, or Rap2. An activated Rap1 mutant stimulated T lymphocyte adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), as did the Rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor C3G and a catalytically inactive mutant of RapGAP. Conversely, negative regulators of Rap1 signaling blocked CD31-dependent adhesion. These findings identify a novel important role for Rap1 in regulating ligand-induced cell adhesion and suggest that Rap1 may play a more general role in coordinating adhesion-dependent signals during leukocyte migration and extravasation. Our findings also suggest an alternative mechanism, distinct from interference with Ras-proximal signaling, by which Rap1 might mediate transformation reversion.

The protooncogene product Cbl has emerged as a novel signal transduction protein downstream of a number of cell surface receptors coupled to tyrosine kinases. Recently, we and others have reported the activation-dependent association of Cbl with the Syk and ZAP-70 tyrosine kinases through presently undefined mechanisms. Potential Src homology 2 and 3 domain binding sites within the C-terminal half of Cbl mediate in vivo interactions with several signaling proteins; however, the N-terminal transforming region (Cbl-N) lacks recognizable catalytic or protein interaction motifs. Here, we show that in vitro Cbl-N (amino acids 1-357) but not Cbl-C (amino acids 358-906) binds to ZAP-70 in a T cell-activation-dependent manner. A point mutation in Cbl-N, G306E, corresponding to a loss-of-function mutation in the Caenorhabditis elegans Cbl homologue, SLI-1, severely compromised Cbl-N/ZAP-70 binding. Cbl-N/ZAP-70 binding was direct and phosphotyrosine-dependent, thus identifying a phosphotyrosine-binding domain within the transforming region of Cbl. In vivo, Cbl-N expressed in T cells selectively associated with the ZAP-70/zeta complex. These results identify a novel mechanism for the direct participation of the N-terminal region of Cbl in ZAP-70 signal transduction, and suggest a biochemical mechanism for the leukemogenicity of the oncogene v-cbl through potential interaction with proliferation-related phosphotyrosyl proteins.