Beta-arrestin2 is critically involved in CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis, and this is mediated by its enhancement of p38 MAPK activation.

Chemotaxis mediated by chemokine receptors such as CXCR4 plays a key role in lymphocyte homing and hematopoiesis as well as in breast cancer metastasis. We have demonstrated previously that beta-arrestin2 functions to attenuate CXCR4-mediated G protein activation and to enhance CXCR4 internalization. Here we show further that the expression of beta-arrestin2 in both HeLa and human embryonic kidney 293 cells significantly enhances the chemotactic efficacy of stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha, the specific agonist of CXCR4, whereas the suppression of beta-arrestin2 endogenous expression by antisense or RNA-mediated interference technology considerably attenuates stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha-induced cell migration. Expression of beta-arrestin2 also augmented chemokine receptor CCR5-mediated but not epidermal growth factor receptor-mediated chemotaxis, indicating the specific effect of beta-arrestin2. Further analysis reveals that expression of beta-arrestin2 strengthened CXCR4-mediated activation of both p38 MAPK and ERK, and the suppression of beta-arrestin2 expression blocked the activation of two kinases. Interestingly, inhibition of p38 MAPK activation (but not ERK activation) by its inhibitors or by expression of a dominant-negative mutant of p38 MAPK effectively blocked the chemotactic effect of beta-arrestin2. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of ASK1 also exerted the similar blocking effect. The results of our study suggest that beta-arrestin2 can function not only as a regulator of CXCR4 signaling but also as a mediator of stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha-induced chemotaxis and that this activity probably occurs via the ASK1/p38 MAPK pathway.