It has been suggested that IQGAP1 plays a role in actin cross-linking 18, 20, assembly, and patterning through interactions with

the Arp2/3 complex and Diaphanous 1 21, 22. There have also been indications that IQGAP1 is required for exocytosis in pancreatic β-cell lines Idasanutlin through the exocyst septin complex 17, 23. Previously, IQGAP1 was observed at the immunological synapse (IS) between cytotoxic T lymphocytes and target cells 10. There was a clear rearrangement of IQGAP1 and actin at the IS during the final stages of granule delivery to the plasma membrane of the effector T cell. The present studies were undertaken to define the role of IQGAP1 in NK-cell function. Inhibition of IQGAP1 expression caused a marked reduction in the

cytotoxic activity of YTS cells. This loss in cytotoxicity was associated with a failure to reorient the MTOC and deliver granules to the effector target interface. There was also evidence of a role for IQGAP1 in regulating granule interactions with the microtubules of NK cells. These results indicate that IQGAP1 participates in several distinct processes required for NK effector functions. IQGAP has been detected in NK cells 24 and YTS cells 12. However, it is unclear Selleck Bortezomib as to what roles it plays in cell-mediated effector processes. We therefore undertook to address the function of IQGAP1 in YTS cells. The effects of two shRNAmiR constructs

targeting different regions of the IQGAP1 mRNA were initially compared. Both constructs reduced IQGAP1 expression as assessed by Western blot (Fig. 1A) and immunofluorescence (Fig. 1B), though to different extents. Our preliminary experiments suggested that both constructs had similar effects on YTS cells; hence, the cells PRKD3 transduced with construct 2 were selected for subsequent studies as these cells had the highest levels of IQGAP1 silencing. The loss of IQGAP1 did not influence the growth or survival of the cells. However, there were marked changes in cell morphology compared with vector control transduced and wild-type cells. Over 50% of the IQGAP1 knockdown cells displayed an elongated cell shape with one or more membrane extensions (Fig. 2A). However, both the control and the silenced cells displayed a similar submembranous distribution of F-actin (Fig. 2B). Live cell analysis using differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy revealed even greater phenotypic differences between these cells. The cells were allowed to settle down on a glass surface and imaged for up to 30 min at the rate of 12 frames per minute, using Zeiss Observer 710 station while maintaining tissue culture conditions. The control cells adopted a rounded morphology within 10 min of settling onto the slide surface (Supporting Information movie 1).