Focal Adhesion Complex Proteins Research Articles

Rigidity of Collagen Fibrils Controls Collagen Gel-induced Down-regulation of Focal Adhesion Complex Proteins Mediated by α2β1 Integrin

Previous studies have shown that collagen gel overlay induced selective proteolysis of focal adhesion complex proteins in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. In this study, we examined whether morphological and biochemical changes were present in cells cultured on collagen gel. We found that focal adhesion complex proteins, including focal adhesion kinase (FAK), talin, paxillin, and p130cas, but not vinculin, were decreased within 1 h when MDCK cells were cultured on collagen gel. Collagen gel-induced selective decrease of focal adhesion proteins was observed in all lines of cells examined, including epithelial, fibroblastic, and cancer cells. Matrigel also induced selective down-regulation of focal adhesion proteins. However, cells cultured on collagen gel- or matrigel-coated dishes did not show any changes of focal adhesion proteins. These data suggest that the physical nature of the gel, i.e. the rigidity, is involved in the expression of focal adhesion proteins. The collagen gel-induced down-regulation of focal adhesion complex proteins was caused by reduction of protein synthesis and activation of proteases such as calpain. Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) or FAK-related non-kinase (FRNK) did not prevent collagen gel-induced down-regulation of the focal adhesion complex protein, whereas an anti-alpha2beta1 integrin-neutralizing antibody completely blocked it. Taken together, our results indicate that the rigidity of collagen gel controls the expression of focal adhesion complex proteins, which is mediated by alpha2beta1 integrin but not DDR1.

Adhering junction dynamics in the testis are regulated by an interplay of beta 1-integrin and focal adhesion complex-associated proteins.

During spermatogenesis, the movement of developing germ cells across the seminiferous epithelium associates with extensive restructuring of cell-cell actin-based adherens junctions (AJs), such as ectoplasmic specialization (ES, a testis-specific AJ junction), between Sertoli and germ cells. Although this event of germ cell movement is essential to the completion of spermatogenesis, the mechanism(s) that regulates AJ restructuring is largely unknown. Using Sertoli-germ cells cocultured in vitro to study the regulation of AJ assembly, it was shown that this event associated with a transient induction of beta 1-integrin, vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) but not the nonphosphorylated form of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, and p130 Cas. Furthermore, p-FAK-Tyr(397) was shown to coimmunoprecipitate with beta 1-integrin, vinculin, and c-Src both in vitro and in vivo using Sertoli-germ cell cocultures and seminiferous tubules, respectively. These results seemingly suggest that the testis is using constituent proteins of the focal adhesion complex (FAC) found in other epithelia between cell and extracellular matrix to regulate AJ dynamics. To further confirm that p-FAK, a putative FAC protein in other epithelia, is indeed present at the site of ES, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent microscopy were used. The p-FAK-Tyr(397) and p-FAK-Tyr(576) were found to localize almost exclusively at the site of apical ES with weak staining at the basal ES in the seminiferous epithelium in a stage-specific manner, being highest at stages VI-VIII. In contrast, FAK was largely restricted to the basal compartment but with weak staining at the apical compartment. When rats were treated with 1-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-indazole-3-carbohydrazide (AF-2364) to perturb Sertoli-germ cell AJs, an induction of beta 1-integrin, vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), PI3K, and p130 Cas but not the nonphosphorylated form of FAK and paxillin was also detected in the testis, coinciding with the time spermatids began to deplete from the epithelium, indicating their involvement in AJ disassembly. Thereafter, the levels of vinculin, p-FAK-Tyr(397), PI3K, and p130 Cas in the testis plunged, coinciding with the declining events of AJ disruption when virtually all spermatids were depleted from the epithelium. Taken collectively, these results suggest a bifunctional role of p-FAK, being involved in the events of Sertoli-germ cell AJ assembly and disassembly. In summary, the events of AJ dynamics in the testis, in particular at the site of ES, are regulated, at least in part, by proteins that are found in the FAC in other epithelia, such as beta1-integrin, vinculin, and FAK utilizing the integrin/pFAK/PI3K/p130 Cas signaling pathway.

Selective roles of protein kinase C isoforms on cell motility of GT1 immortalized hypothalamic neurones.

Recently, we demonstrated that activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) signalling pathway promoted morphological differentiation of GT1 hypothalamic neurones via an increase in beta-catenin, a cell-cell adhesion molecule, indicating a possible involvement of PKC in cellular motility. In this study, we explored the differential roles of PKC isoforms in GT1 cell migration. First, we transiently transfected GT1 cells with enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-tagged actin to monitor the dynamic rearrangement of filamentous-actin (F-actin) in living cells. Treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator, markedly promoted lamellipodia formation, while safingol (a PKC alpha-selective inhibitor) blocked the TPA-induced lamellipodial actin structure. Both wound-healing and Boyden migration assays showed that TPA treatment promoted neuronal migration of GT1 cells; however, cotreatment of TPA with safingol or rottlerin (a PKC delta-selective inhibitor) clearly blocked this TPA effect, indicating that both PKC alpha and PKC delta may be positive regulators of neuronal migration. By contrast, PKC gamma-EGFP-expressing GT1 cells exhibited decreased cellular motility and weak staining for actin stress fibres, suggesting that PKC gamma may act as a negative mediator of cell migration in these neurones. Among the PKC downstream signal molecules, p130Cas, a mediator of cell migration, and its kinase, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), increased following TPA treatment; phosphorylation of p130Cas was induced in a PKC alpha-dependent manner. Together, these results demonstrate that PKC alpha promotes GT1 neuronal migration by activating focal adhesion complex proteins such as p130Cas and FAK.

Collagen gel overlay induces two phases of apoptosis in MDCK cells.

We previously demonstrated that collagen gel overlay induced cell remodeling to form lumen and apoptosis in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. In the present study, we established that collagen gel overlay-induced apoptosis was initiated at areas exclusive of cell remodeling within 24 h (first phase) and extended into areas of cell remodeling within 48 h (second phase). Collagen gel overlay-induced apoptosis was accompanied by selective proteolysis of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), talin, p130(cas), and c-src. Upon collagen gel overlay, FAK was initially degraded into a 90-kDa product during the first phase and subsequently into a 80-kDa product during the second phase. Collagen gel overlay-induced apoptosis of focal adhesion complex proteins and apoptosis of the first phase could be blocked only by a protease inhibitor cocktail. In addition, we found that both DEVD-fmk and ZVAD-fmk inhibited secondary proteolysis of FAK, but only ZVAD-fmk blocked collagen gel overlay-induced apoptosis of the second phase. Finally, collagen gel overlay-induced apoptosis and proteolysis of focal adhesion complex proteins were completely inhibited by the combination of protease inhibitor cocktail and ZVAD-fmk. Taken together, collagen gel overlay induces two phases of apoptosis; the first phase is dependent on proteolysis of focal adhesion complex proteins, and the second phase on activation of caspases.

Role of α3β1 integrin in tubulogenesis of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells

We isolated several Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) subclones that exhibit different degrees of branching tubulogenesis in lower concentrations of collagen gel. The M634 clone formed cell aggregates in 0.3% collagen gel, but developed branching tubules vigorously in 0.1% collagen gel. In contrast, the Y224 clone formed cysts in 0.3% collagen gel and displayed fewer branching structures in 0.1% collagen gel. Morphologically, M634 cells exhibited higher levels of cell scattering as well as collagen-induced cell migration than Y224. We conducted this study to delineate the underlying mechanism of branching tubulogenesis in M634 cells. Components of the focal contact machinery were analyzed in both cell lines, including the extracellular matrix glycoproteins fibronectin, laminin, and vitronectin; cytoskeleton-associated elements alpha-actinin, talin, and vinculin; and receptors for extracellular matrix and alpha(2), alpha(3), alpha(5), alpha(v), beta(1), and beta(3) integrins. Furthermore, we established several stable transfectants of alpha(3) integrin antisense RNA in M634 cells to examine the role of alpha(3)beta(1) integrin in branching morphogenesis directly. There were no obvious differences in levels of the focal adhesion complex proteins between M634 and Y224 cells, except that the content of the alpha(3) and beta1 integrins were 1.2- and 0.6-fold higher in M634 cells, respectively. The expression of alpha(3) integrin antisense RNA significantly lowered the levels of alpha(3) integrin mRNA and protein. The potential of cell scattering, migration, and branching tubulogenesis in M634 cells was inhibited according to the decrease in alpha(3) integrin expression. Our data indicate that expression of alpha(3)beta(1) integrin regulates cell scattering, migration, and branching tubulogenesis of MDCK cells, possibly via adhesion to or serving as a signaling molecule for type I collagen.

Selected Contribution: Skeletal muscle focal adhesion kinase, paxillin, and serum response factor are loading dependent

This investigation examined the effect of mechanical loading state on focal adhesion kinase (FAK), paxillin, and serum response factor (SRF) in rat skeletal muscle. We found that FAK concentration and tyrosine phosphorylation, paxillin concentration, and SRF concentration are all lower in the lesser load-bearing fast-twitch plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles compared with the greater load-bearing slow-twitch soleus muscle. Of these three muscles, 7 days of mechanical unloading via tail suspension elicited a decrease in FAK tyrosine phosphorylation only in the soleus muscle and decreases in FAK and paxillin concentrations only in the plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles. Unloading decreased SRF concentration in all three muscles. Mechanical overloading (via bilateral gastrocnemius ablation) for 1 or 8 days increased FAK and paxillin concentrations in the soleus and plantaris muscles. Additionally, whereas FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and SRF concentration were increased by < or =1 day of overloading in the soleus muscle, these increases did not occur until somewhere between 1 and 8 days of overloading in the plantaris muscle. These data indicate that, in the skeletal muscles of rats, the focal adhesion complex proteins FAK and paxillin and the transcription factor SRF are generally modulated in association with the mechanical loading state of the muscle. However, the somewhat different patterns of adaptation of these proteins to altered loading in slow- vs. fast-twitch skeletal muscles indicate that the mechanisms and time course of adaptation may partly depend on the prior loading state of the muscle.

Motility of Vinculin-Deficient F9 Embryonic Carcinoma Cells Analyzed by Video, Laser Confocal, and Reflection Interference Contrast Microscopy

We have studied the motility of wild-type F9 and vinculin-deficient (5.51) mouse embryonal carcinoma cells. F9 cells extended filopodia at a rate of 61 (±18) nm/s over a distance of 3.18 (±0.29) μm. In contrast, 5.51 cells exhibited filopodia which extended at a similar speed of 57 (±17) nm/s but over a longer distance of 5.10 (±2.14) μm. Cell-substratum contact areas of both cell types were examined by reflection interference contrast microscopy. Wild-type F9 cells had distinct close contacts (dark gray areas) at the cell periphery, whereas 5.51 cells had only a few light gray pinpoint contacts with the substrate. Confocal microscopy showed α-actinin to be localized along actin stress fibers in wild-type cells, and in 5.51 cells stress fibers were absent and α-actinin was associated with F-actin in the filopodia. β 1-integrin, talin, and paxillin were concentrated in focal contacts in wild-type cells, but in 5.51 cells β 1-integrin and talin were in patches under the plasma membrane and paxillin was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm. We conclude that changes in cell shape and motility of 5.51 compared to wild-type F9 cells are due to the absence of vinculin even though there may be functions of other focal adhesion complex proteins, e.g., talin, linking the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane.

Direct Binding of F Actin to the Cytoplasmic Domain of the α2 Integrin Chain in Vitro

The transmembrane integrins have been shown to interact with the cytoskeleton via noncovalent binding between cytoplasmic domains (CDs) of integrin β chains and various actin binding proteins within the focal adhesion complex. Direct or indirect integrin α chain CD binding to the actin cytoskeleton has not been reported. We show here that actin, as an abundant constituent of focal adhesion complex proteins isolated from fibroblasts, binds strongly and specifically to α2 CD, but not to α1 CD peptide. Similar specific binding to α2 CD peptide was seen for highly purified F actin, free of putative actin-binding proteins. The bound complex of actin and peptide was visualized directly by coprecipitation, and actin binding was abrogated by removal of a five amino acid sequence from the α2 CD peptide. Our findings may explain the earlier observation that, while integrins α2β1 and α1β1 both bind to collagen, only α2β1 can mediate contraction of extracellular collagen matrices.