Alternatively spliced EDA segment regulates fibronectin-dependent cell cycle progression and mitogenic signal transduction. (1/577)

Fibronectin (FN) is comprised of multiple isoforms arising from alternative splicing of a single gene transcript. One of the alternatively spliced segments, EDA, is expressed prominently in embryonic development, malignant transformation, and wound healing. We showed previously that EDA+ FN was more potent than EDA- FN in promoting cell spreading and cell migration because of its enhanced binding affinity to integrin alpha5beta1 (Manabe, R., Oh-e, N., Maeda, T., Fukuda, T., and Sekiguchi, K. (1997) J. Cell Biol. 139, 295-307). In this study, we compared the cell cycle progression and its associated signal transduction events induced by FN isoforms with or without the EDA segment to examine whether the EDA segment modulates the cell proliferative potential of FN. We found that EDA+ FN was more potent than EDA- FN in inducing G1-S phase transition. Inclusion of the EDA segment potentiated the ability of FN to induce expression of cyclin D1, hyperphosphorylation of pRb, and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal regulated kinase 2 (ERK2). EDA+ FN was also more potent than EDA- FN in promoting FN-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of p130(Cas), but not focal adhesion kinase, which occurred in parallel with the activation of ERK2, suggesting that p130(Cas) may be involved in activation of ERK2. These results indicated that alternative splicing at the EDA region is a novel mechanism that promotes FN-induced cell cycle progression through up-regulation of integrin-mediated mitogenic signal transduction.  (+info)

H-Ras is involved in the inside-out signaling pathway of interleukin-3-induced integrin activation. (2/577)

The proto-oncogene product, p21(ras), has been implicated in the cellular mechanism of adhesion, although its precise role has been controversial. Numerous cytokines and growth-factors activate Ras, which is an important component of their growth-promoting signaling pathways. On the other hand, the role of Ras in cytokine-induced adhesion has not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the function of H-Ras in the inside-out signaling pathway of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-induced integrin activation in the murine Baf3 cell line after transfection of cells with either constitutively active, dominant-negative, or wild-type H-Ras cDNAs. Adhesion of Baf3 cells to fibronectin was induced by IL-3 in a dose-dependent manner via very late antigen-4 (VLA-4; alpha4beta1 integrins) and VLA-5 (alpha5beta1 integrins) activation. On the other hand, IL-4 did not induce the adhesion of Baf3 cells to fibronectin, although IL-4 did stimulate the cell proliferation of Baf3 cells. Constitutively active H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells adhered to fibronectin without IL-3 stimulation through VLA-4 and VLA-5, whereas dominant-negative H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells showed significantly less adhesion induced by IL-3 compared with wild-type and constitutively active H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells. Anti-beta1 integrin antibody (clone; 9EG7), which is known to change integrin conformation and activate integrins, induced the adhesion of dominant-negative H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells as much as the other types of H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells. 8-Br-cAMP, Dibutyryl-cAMP, Ras-Raf-1 pathway inhibitors, and PD98059, a MAPK kinase inhibitor, suppressed proliferation and phosphorylation of MAPK detected by Western blotting with anti-phospho-MAPK antibody, but not adhesion of any type of H-Ras-transfected Baf3 cells, whereas U-73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, suppressed adhesion of these cells completely. These data indicate that H-Ras and PLC, but not Raf-1, MAPK kinase, or the MAPK pathway, are involved in the inside-out signaling pathway of IL-3-induced VLA-4 and VLA-5 activation in Baf3 cells.  (+info)

Use of a novel fibronectin receptor for liver infiltration by a mouse lymphoma cell line RL-male1. (3/577)

The mechanism whereby some lymphomas invade liver extensively has not been fully investigated. There is no basement membrane under the sinusoidal endothelium of the liver, and hepatocytes produce fibronectin (FN); therefore, adhesion to this FN may be particularly important for liver infiltration by lymphoma cells. A mouse lymphoma cell line, RL-male1, adhered to FN. However, this cell line did not express classical FN receptors such as very late antigen (VLA)-4 and VLA-5, as estimated by immunofluorescent staining. We have generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that inhibit adhesion of RL-male1 cells to FN. Western blot and immunoprecipitation analyses showed that the new mAbs recognize a protein with an approximate molecular weight of 55,000 (p55). This antigenic protein was highly purified by immunoprecipitation and processed for microsequencing. From NH2-terminal sequence results, the p55 antigen was not identical to known FN receptors. Radioisotope-labeled RL-male1 cells, when injected i.v. into mice, rapidly infiltrated the liver (30-35% of injected cells), as measured by a gamma counter. Intravenous injection of the new mAbs partially (20%) blocked the infiltration of i.v.-injected lymphoma cells into the liver, whereas control rat IgG and an anti-CD11a mAb did not. These results demonstrate that the mouse lymphoma cell line RL-male1 nses a novel FN receptor for liver infiltration.  (+info)

Affinity modulation of very late antigen-5 through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in mast cells. (4/577)

Adhesiveness of integrins is up-regulated rapidly by a number of molecules, including growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and other cell surface receptors, through a mechanism termed inside-out signaling. The inside-out signaling pathways are thought to alter integrin affinity for ligand, or cell surface distribution of integrin by diffusion/clustering. However, it remains to be clarified whether any physiologically relevant agonists induce a rapid change in the affinity of beta1 integrins and how ligand-binding affinity is modulated upon stimulation. In this study, we reported that affinity of beta1 integrin very late Ag-5 (VLA-5) for fibronectin was rapidly increased in bone marrow-derived mast cells by Ag cross-linking of FcepsilonRI. Ligand-binding affinity of VLA-5 was also augmented by receptor tyrosine kinases when the phospholipase Cgamma-1/protein kinase C pathway was inhibited. Wortmannin suppressed induction of the high affinity state VLA-5 in either case. Conversely, introduction of a constitutively active p110 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) increased the binding affinity for fibronectin. Failure of a constitutively active Akt to stimulate adhesion suggested that the affinity modulation mechanisms mediated by PI 3-kinase are distinct from the mechanisms to control growth and apoptosis by PI 3-kinase. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that the increase of affinity of VLA-5 was induced by physiologically relevant stimuli and PI 3-kinase was a critical affinity modulator of VLA-5.  (+info)

Development of cytotrophoblast columns from explanted first-trimester human placental villi: role of fibronectin and integrin alpha5beta1. (5/577)

Human first-trimester floating mesenchymal villi explanted onto gels of collagen I or Matrigel were observed to undergo de novo development of anchoring sites. These consisted of cytotrophoblast columns that formed by proliferation of stem villous cytotrophoblast cells, as revealed by whole-mount and thin-section microscopy and incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine into DNA. Column formation occurred exclusively at the distal tips of the villi. No column formation was observed in tissue explanted onto agarose. On Matrigel, the developing columns penetrated downwards into the matrix, whereas on collagen I, cytotrophoblast sheets spread across the surface of the gel and merged to form a shell. The developing columnar cytotrophoblast up-regulated integrins alpha1beta1 and alpha5beta1 and produced an extracellular matrix containing oncofetal fibronectin, as in vivo. Function-blocking antibodies were used to investigate the role of the integrin-fibronectin interaction in anchoring villus development on collagen I. Antibodies to fibronectin and the integrin subunits alpha5 and beta1, added at 24 h, all changed the pattern of cytotrophoblast outgrowth. Anti-fibronectin caused cell rounding within the cytotrophoblast sheet and increased the population of single cells at its periphery. Anti-integrin alpha5 caused rounding and redistribution of cells within the outgrowth. In the presence of anti-integrin beta1, cell-collagen interactions within the sheet were destabilized, often leading to the appearance of an annulus of aggregated cells at the periphery. These results show that 1) mesenchymal villi retain the potential to form anchoring sites until at least the end of the first trimester, 2) adhesion to a permissive extracellular matrix stimulates cytotrophoblast proliferation and differentiation along the extravillous lineage, 3) integrin alpha5beta1-fibronectin interactions contribute significantly to anchorage of the placenta to uterine extracellular matrix. We suggest that as the developing placenta ramifies, new sites of anchorage form whenever peripheral villi contact decidua. This process is predicted to contribute to the stability of the placental-decidual interface.  (+info)

Matrix adhesion characteristics of corneal myofibroblasts. (6/577)

PURPOSE: To investigate the adhesion characteristics of corneal myofibroblasts in a cell culture model. METHODS: Immunocytochemistry, immunoprecipitation, western blot analysis, and attachment assays were used to evaluate matrix adhesion characteristics of myofibroblasts. RESULTS: Myofibroblasts, defined by their expression of the smooth muscle isoform of alpha-actin, were evaluated and compared with fibroblasts. Myofibroblasts had larger vinculin-containing focal adhesions and expressed more of the classic fibronectin receptor (FNR) alpha5beta1 per cell. However, myofibroblasts had less surface expression of the higher molecular weight alpha4 subunit of another FNR, alpha4beta1, than did fibroblasts. Myofibroblasts adhered more avidly in an integrin-dependent manner to fibronectin than did fibroblasts. The attachment to fibronectin was actin-dependent for both phenotypes, but the myofibroblasts' adhesion was more resistant to disruption by cytochalasin than were fibroblasts'. In addition to the previously described expression of a 135-kDa classic cadherin, myofibroblasts also expressed a 115-kDa mesenchymal cadherin, cadherin-11. CONCLUSIONS: Differentiation of corneal fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is associated with characteristics that would indicate that the latter have a special role in wound closure. The increase in focal and cell adhesion molecules that accompanies smooth muscle-specific actin expression provides the basis for the myofibroblasts' enhanced cell-fibronectin and cell-cell adhesion.  (+info)

Surface densities of ephrin-B1 determine EphB1-coupled activation of cell attachment through alphavbeta3 and alpha5beta1 integrins. (7/577)

Receptors of the Eph family and their ligands (ephrins) mediate developmental vascular assembly and direct axonal guidance. Migrating cell processes identify appropriate targets within migratory fields based on topographically displayed ephrin gradients. Here, EphB1 regulated cell attachment by discriminating the density at which ephrin-B1 was displayed on a reconstituted surface. EphB1-ephrin-B1 engagement did not promote cell attachment through mechanical tethering, but did activate integrin-mediated attachment. In endothelial cells, attachment to RGD peptides or fibrinogen was mediated through alphavbeta3 integrin. EphB1 transfection conferred ephrin-B1-responsive activation of alpha5beta1 integrin-mediated cell attachment in human embryonic kidney cells. Activation-competent but signaling-defective EphB1 point mutants failed to stimulate ephrin-B1 dependent attachment. These findings lead us to propose that EphB1 functions as a 'ligand density sensor' to signal integrin-mediated cell-matrix attachment.  (+info)

The RGD motif and the C-terminal segment of proprotein convertase 1 are critical for its cellular trafficking but not for its intracellular binding to integrin alpha5beta1. (8/577)

Cellular trafficking of subtilisin/kexin-like precursor convertases (PCs) may be regulated by a number of motifs, some of which are present within the P-domain and in the C-terminal sequence. Six of the seven known PCs contain a conserved RGD sequence within the P domain. In order to investigate the functional importance of this motif, we generated mutants of PC1 that contain a Myc tag epitope inserted between the prosegment and the catalytic subunit. Cellular expression of vaccinia virus recombinants revealed that this tag did not seem to influence the autocatalytic conversion of proPC1 into PC1 or its bioactivity. The two PC1 variants produced possess either the wild type RGD sequence or its RGE mutant. Stable transfectants of these variants in AtT20 cells revealed that similar to the wild type enzyme, PC1-RGD-Myc is sorted to secretory granules. In contrast, PC1-RGE-Myc exits the cell via the constitutive secretory pathway. In vitro, a 14-mer peptide spanning the RGD sequence of PC1, but not its RGE mutant, binds to cell surface vitronectin-binding integrins of Chinese hamster ovary cells. However, within the endoplasmic reticulum and in an RGD-independent fashion, integrin alpha5beta1 associates primarily with the zymogens proPC1, proPC1-DeltaC (missing the C-terminal 137 residues), as well as proPC2. Thus, the observed discrimination between the secretion routes of PC1-RGD and PC1-RGE does not implicate integrins such as alpha5beta1.  (+info)