AUTHOR=Lachowski Dariusz , Cortes Ernesto , Matellan Carlos , Rice Alistair , Lee David A. , Thorpe Stephen D. , del Río Hernández Armando E. TITLE=G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Regulates Actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics to Impair Cell Polarization JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=8 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2020.592628 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2020.592628 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=

Mechanical forces regulate cell functions through multiple pathways. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is a seven-transmembrane receptor that is ubiquitously expressed across tissues and mediates the acute cellular response to estrogens. Here, we demonstrate an unidentified role of GPER as a cellular mechanoregulator. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor signaling controls the assembly of stress fibers, the dynamics of the associated focal adhesions, and cell polarization via RhoA GTPase (RhoA). G protein-coupled estrogen receptor activation inhibits F-actin polymerization and subsequently triggers a negative feedback that transcriptionally suppresses the expression of monomeric G-actin. Given the broad expression of GPER and the range of cytoskeletal changes modulated by this receptor, our findings position GPER as a key player in mechanotransduction.