Fibronectin-stimulated signaling from a focal adhesion kinase-c-Src complex: involvement of the Grb2, p130cas, and Nck adaptor proteins

G protein-coupled receptors mediate two functionally distinct pathways of tyrosine phosphorylation in rat 1a fibroblasts. Shc phosphorylation and receptor endocytosis correlate with activation of Erk kinases

The Ras-dependent activation of Erk kinases by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is thought to involve tyrosine phosphorylation of docking proteins that serve as scaffolds for the plasma membrane recruitment of Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors, such as the Grb2-mSos complex. We have investigated the role of two GPCR-regulated tyrosine phosphoproteins, p125(FAK) (FAK) and Shc, in the Ras-dependent activation of Erk kinases by endogenously expressed GPCRs in Rat 1a fibroblasts. Several lines of evidence suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and Shc are independently regulated. The GPCRs for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), thrombin, and bombesin mediate equivalent increases in FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and FAK-Grb2 association. In contrast, only LPA and thrombin receptors significantly stimulate Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and Shc-Grb2 complex formation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK is pertussis toxin-insensitive, can be mimicked by calcium ionophore, and is inhibited by treatment with cytochalasin D, which depolymerizes the actin cytoskeleton. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc is inhibited by pertussis toxin treatment, is not induced by calcium ionophore, and is insensitive to cytochalasin D. In each case, the rapid stimulation of Erk 1/2 correlates with tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc but not of FAK. The dissociation of FAK-Grb2 complex formation from receptor-mediated activation of Erk 1/2 indicates that recruitment of Grb2-mSos to the plasma membrane is not sufficient to mediate rapid Erk activation. Using four mechanistically distinct inhibitors of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, concanavalin A, hypertonic medium, depletion of intracellular potassium, and monodansylcadaverine, we find that GPCR-mediated Erk 1/2 activation is also endocytosis-dependent. Thus, we propose that an additional step involving vesicle-mediated endocytosis is required for the rapid, Ras-dependent activation of Erk kinases in fibroblasts.

Signal characteristics of G protein-transactivated EGF receptor

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase recently was identified as providing a link to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in response to G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists in Rat-1 fibroblasts. This cross-talk pathway is also established in other cell types such as HaCaT keratinocytes, primary mouse astrocytes and COS-7 cells. Transient expression of either Gq- or Gi-coupled receptors in COS-7 cells allowed GPCR agonist-induced EGFR transactivation, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-generated signals involved the docking protein Gab1. The increase in SHC tyrosine phosphorylation and MAPK stimulation through both Gq- and Gi-coupled receptors was reduced strongly upon selective inhibition of EGFR function. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase did not affect GPCR-induced stimulation of EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation, but inhibited MAPK stimulation, upon treatment with both GPCR agonists and low doses of EGF. Furthermore, the Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP1 strongly interfered with LPA- and EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and MAPK activation downstream of EGFR. Our results demonstrate an essential role for EGFR function in signaling through both Gq- and Gi-coupled receptors and provide novel insights into signal transmission downstream of EGFR for efficient activation of the Ras/MAPK pathway.

Reconstitution of high affinity IgE receptor-mediated secretion by transfecting protein tyrosine kinase pp125FAK

To study the role of the focal adhesion tyrosine kinase (FAK) in receptor-mediated secretion, we transfected FAK cDNA into a variant (3B6) of the RBL-2H3 mast cell line. This 3B6 cell line expressed low levels of FAK and was defective in high affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI) but not Ca2+ ionophore-mediated secretion. FcepsilonRI-mediated secretion was reconstituted after transfection of wild-type FAK. Histamine release was also enhanced by the stable expression of two mutants of FAK: a kinase-inactive form in which the ATP binding site Lys-454 was replaced by Arg or a mutant in which the autophosphorylation site Tyr-397 was replaced by Phe. Therefore, the catalytic activity and the autophosphorylation site of FAK are not essential for secretion. FcepsilonRI aggregation increased the tyrosine phosphorylation of both mutants of FAK to the same extent as wild-type FAK. Therefore, tyrosine kinases activated by FcepsilonRI aggregation are phosphorylating FAK and some of these phosphorylation sites are other than Tyr-397. These results strongly suggest that FAK plays a role in FcepsilonRI-induced secretion by functioning as an adapter or linker molecule.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk-associated substrates by focal adhesion kinase. A putative mechanism for the integrin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk-associated substrates

Integrin-ligand binding induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of various proteins including focal adhesion kinase (pp125(FAK)) and Crk-associated substrate (Cas). FAK is activated and autophosphorylated by the ligation of integrins, although the substrate of FAK has not been revealed. We show here that p130(Cas) and Cas-L are FAK substrates. FAK directly phosphorylates Cas proteins primarily at the YDYVHL sequence that is conserved among all Cas proteins. Furthermore, the phosphorylated YDYVHL sequence is a binding site for Src family protein-tyrosine kinases, and the recruited Src family kinase phosphorylates the other tyrosine residues within Cas. The Cas-L YDYVHL sequence is phosphorylated upon integrin-ligand binding, and this integrin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation is inhibited by the cotransfection of the FAK COOH-terminal domain that does not contain a kinase domain. These findings strongly suggest that FAK initiates integrin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of Cas proteins; then, Src family tyrosine kinases, which are recruited to phosphorylated Cas and FAK, further phosphorylate Cas proteins.

Rescue of osteoclast function by transgenic expression of kinase-deficient Src in src-/- mutant mice

The Src tyrosine kinase has been implicated in a wide variety of signal transduction pathways, yet despite the nearly ubiquitous expression of c-src, src-/- mice show only one major phenotype-osteopetrosis caused by an intrinsic defect in osteoclasts, the cells responsible for resorbing bone. To explore further the role of Src both in osteoclasts and other cell types, we have generated transgenic mice that express the wild-type and mutated versions of the chicken c-src proto-oncogene from the promoter of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a gene that is expressed highly in osteoclasts. We demonstrate here that expression of a wild-type transgene in only a limited number of tissues can fully rescue the src-/- phenotype. Surprisingly, expression of kinase-defective alleles of c-src also reduces osteopetrosis in src-/- animals and partially rescues a defect in cytoskeletal organization observed in src-/- osteoclasts. These results suggest that there are essential kinase-independent functions for Src in vivo. Biochemical examination of osteoclasts from these mice suggest that Src may function in part by recruiting or activating other tyrosine kinases.

Osmotic shock stimulates GLUT4 translocation in 3T3L1 adipocytes by a novel tyrosine kinase pathway

Similar to insulin, osmotic shock of 3T3L1 adipocytes stimulated an increase in glucose transport activity and translocation of GLUT4 protein from intracellularly localized vesicles to the plasma membrane. The docking/fusion of GLUT4 vesicles with the plasma membrane appeared to utilize a similar mechanism, since expression of a dominant interfering mutant of syntaxin-4 prevented both insulin- and osmotic shock-induced GLUT4 translocation. However, although the insulin stimulation of GLUT4 translocation and glucose transport activity was completely inhibited by wortmannin, activation by osmotic shock was wortmannin-insensitive. Furthermore, insulin stimulated the phosphorylation and activation of the Akt kinase, whereas osmotic shock was completely without effect. Surprisingly, treatment of cells with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, or microinjection of phosphotyrosine antibody prevented both the insulin- and osmotic shock-stimulated translocation of GLUT4. In addition, osmotic shock induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of several discrete proteins including Cbl, p130(cas), and the recently identified soluble tyrosine kinase, calcium-dependent tyrosine kinase (CADTK). In contrast, insulin had no effect on CADTK but stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl and the tyrosine dephosphorylation of pp125(FAK) and p130(cas). These data demonstrate that the osmotic shock stimulation of GLUT4 translocation in adipocytes occurs through a novel tyrosine kinase pathway that is independent of both the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the Akt kinase.

Epidermal growth factor modulates tyrosine phosphorylation of p130Cas. Involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase and actin cytoskeleton

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment of Rat-1 cells expressing human EGF receptor results in the modification of the tyrosine phosphorylation of the p130 Crk-associated substrate (Cas), a novel signaling molecule residing in focal adhesions. At low, mitogenic concentrations (<10 ng/ml), EGF treatment induced a rapid and transient tyrosine phosphorylation of Cas and promoted the formation of a Cas-adapter protein Crk complex in intact cells. The increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of Cas paralleled an increase in the cellular content of actin stress fibers and occurred via a pathway that depended on the integrity of the cytoskeleton. Further, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity was found to be required for the EGF-stimulated Cas phosphorylation and actin polymerization. At high concentrations (>30 ng/ml), EGF treatment resulted in the tyrosine dephosphorylation of Cas in a time-dependent manner with a concomitant decrease in the length and number of actin stress fibers. Thus, Cas exhibits an unusual bell-shaped dose-response curve in response to EGF stimulation. These results demonstrate a novel signaling role for EGF in inducing changes in tyrosine phosphorylation of Cas and Cas-Crk complex formation and suggest that Cas could be a signaling component in EGF-mediated signal transduction.

Integrin signaling: specificity and control of cell survival and cell cycle progression

Integrin-mediated adhesion to the extracellular matrix plays an important role in regulating cell survival and proliferation. There is now increasing evidence that integrins activate shared as well as subgroup-specific signaling pathways. The signals from these adhesion receptors are integrated with those originating from growth factor and cytokine receptors in order to organize the cytoskeleton, stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, and regulate immediate early gene expression. The repertoire of integrins and composition of the extracellular matrix appear to dictate whether a cell will survive, proliferate or exit the cell cycle and differentiate in response to soluble factors.

Detection of distinct pools of the adapter protein p130CAS using a panel of monoclonal antibodies

Dynamic protein interactions are thought to play an important role in regulating a wide variety of signal transduction pathways. Adapter molecules that contribute to the assembly and disassembly of these protein complexes are likely to play a critical role in the regulation of these pathways. The function of one such adapter molecule, p130CAS (CAS), has been implicated in signaling pathways involving cell growth, adhesion, and differentiation. We report here the isolation and characterization of a panel of monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize CAS. These antibodies are proving to be invaluable molecular reagents for defining the expression, phosphorylation, binding partners, and ultimately the function of CAS with respect to cell signaling. In addition to their utility as conventional reagents for protein isolation, a subset of these antibodies has also proven to be a sensitive tool for distinguishing between different tyrosine-phosphorylated pools of CAS in the cell. Because tyrosine phosphorylation of CAS provides a dynamic means with which to regulate protein-protein interactions, these antibodies may thus serve as molecular reagents that can discern the protein binding potential of CAS. Collectively, the antibodies described in this report provide the means with which to define specific roles for CAS in cell signaling that have been otherwise difficult to establish.

Focal adhesion kinase in integrin signaling

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has recently been established as a key component of the signal transduction pathways triggered by integrins. Aggregation of integrins and the cytoskeletal proteins tensin, paxillin and talin is proposed to be responsible for FAK activation and autophosphorylation by integrins in cell adhesion. Activation and autophosphorylation of FAK lead to its binding to a number of intracellular signaling molecules, including Src, Grb2 and PI 3-kinase. FAK/Src association activates both kinases, which act on the potential substrates tensin, paxillin and p130cas. Besides cytoskeletal regulation, FAK phosphorylation of paxillin and p130cas could also lead to MAP kinase pathway by adaptor proteins such as Crk and Nck. Recent studies indicated that integrin signaling through FAK causes increased cell migration and potentially regulates cell proliferation and survival. Future challenges will include clarifying the roles of signaling pathways downstream of FAK in cell migration and cell cycle regulation.

The related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase differentially phosphorylates p130Cas and the Cas-like protein, p105HEF1

The related adhesion focal tyrosine kinase (RAFTK) is tyrosine-phosphorylated following beta1 integrin or B cell antigen receptor stimulation in human B cells. Two substrates that are tyrosine-phosphorylated following integrin ligation in B cells are p130(Cas) and the Cas family member human enhancer of filamentation 1 (HEF1), both of which can associate with RAFTK. In this report we observed that RAFTK was involved in the phosphorylation of these two proteins. While a catalytically active RAFTK was required for both p130(Cas) and HEF1, phosphorylation of p130(Cas), but not of HEF1, was dependent on an intact autophosphorylation site (Tyr402) on RAFTK. To determine if RAFTK phosphorylated p130(Cas) and HEF1 directly or through an intermediate, we assayed the ability of RAFTK and of a Tyr402 mutant to phosphorylate purified HEF1 and p130(Cas) domains. RAFTK was able to phosphorylate the substrate domains of both p130(Cas) and HEF1, but only the C-terminal domain of p130(Cas). Furthermore, Tyr402, which mediates the binding of RAFTK to c-Src kinase, was required for the phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of p130(Cas). These data suggest that RAFTK itself is sufficient for HEF1 phosphorylation, whereas a cooperation between RAFTK and Src kinases is required for the complete phosphorylation of p130(Cas).

The role of the Src homology domains in morphological transformation by v-src

The Src homology (SH2 and SH3) domains of v-Src are required for transformation of Rat-2 cells and for wild-type (morphr) transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs). We report herein that the N-terminal domains of v-Src, when expressed in trans, cannot complement the transformation defect of a deletion mutant lacking the "unique," SH3, and SH2 regions. However, the same regions of Src can promote transformation when translocated to the C terminus of v-Src, although the transformation of CEFs is somewhat slower. We conclude that the SH3 and SH2 domains must be present in cis to the catalytic domain to promote transformation but that transformation is not dependent on the precise intramolecular location of these domains. In CEFSs and in Rat-2 cells, the expression of wild-type v-Src results in tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins that bind to the v-Src SH3 and SH2 domains in vitro; mutations in the SH2 or SH3 and SH2 domains prevent the phosphorylation of these proteins. These findings are most consistent with models in which the SH3 and SH2 domains of v-Src directly or indirectly target the catalytic domain to substrates involved in transformation. However, the N-terminal domains of v-Src can promote tyrosine phosphorylation of certain proteins, in particular p130Cas, even when expressed in the absence of the catalytic domain, indicating that the N-terminal domains of v-Src have effects that are independent of the catalytic domain.

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor signaling in transformation by src oncogenes

R- cells, a line of mouse embryo fibroblasts with a targeted disruption of the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor genes, are refractory to transformation by several viral and cellular oncogenes. Using colony formation in soft agar as a measure of full transformation, we report here that R- cells can be transformed by v-src, although they still cannot be transformed by the activated c-src527 (mutation at tyrosine 527 to phenylalanine), which readily transforms mouse embryo cells with a wild-type number of IGF-I receptors (W cells). Although v-src is a more potent inducer of tyrosine phosphorylation than c-src527, the extent of phosphorylation of either insulin receptor substrate 1 or Shc, two of the major substrates of the IGF-I receptor, does not seem sufficiently different to explain the qualitative difference in soft agar growth. v-src, however, is considerably more efficient than c-src527 in its ability to tyrosyl phosphorylate, in R- cells, the focal adhesion kinase, Stat1, and p130cas. These results indicate that v-src, but not c-src527, can bypass the requirement for a functional IGF-I receptor in the full transformation of mouse embryo fibroblasts and suggest that qualitative and quantitative differences between the two oncogenes can be used to identify some of the signals relevant to the mechanism(s) of transformation.

Focal adhesion kinase overexpression enhances ras-dependent integrin signaling to ERK2/mitogen-activated protein kinase through interactions with and activation of c-Src

Cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin (FN) triggers a number of intracellular signaling events including the increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic focal adhesion protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK) and also the stimulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK2. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) associates with integrin receptors, and FN-stimulated phosphorylation of FAK at Tyr-397 and Tyr-925 promotes the binding of Src family PTKs and Grb2, respectively. To investigate the mechanisms by which FAK, c-Src, and Grb2 function in FN-stimulated signaling events to ERK2, we expressed wild type and mutant forms of FAK in human 293 epithelial cells by transient transfection. FAK overexpression enhanced FN-stimulated activation of ERK2 approximately 4-fold. This was blocked by co-expression of the dominant negative Asn-17 mutant Ras, indicating that FN stimulation of ERK2 was Ras-dependent. FN-stimulated c-Src PTK activity was enhanced by wild type FAK expression, whereas FN-stimulated activation of ERK2 was blocked by expression of the c-Src binding site Phe-397 mutant of FAK. Expression of the Grb2 binding site Phe-925 mutant of FAK enhanced activation of ERK2, whereas a kinase-inactive Arg-454 mutant FAK did not. Expression of wild type and Phe-925 FAK, but not Phe-397 FAK, enhanced p130(Cas) association with FAK, Shc tyrosine phosphorylation, and Grb2 binding to Shc after FN stimulation. FN-induced Grb2-Shc association is another pathway leading to activation of ERK2 via Ras. The inhibitory effects of Tyr-397 FAK expression show that FAK-mediated association and activation of c-Src is essential for maximal signaling to ERK2. Moreover, multiple signaling pathways are activated upon the formation of an FAK.c-Src complex, and several of these can lead to Ras-dependent ERK2 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.

Overexpression of c-src and n-src in the developing Xenopus retina differentially impairs axonogenesis

To compare the roles of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-src and its neuronal splice form n-src in developing neurons, Xenopus retinal precursors were transfected in vivo with c-src, n-src, or constitutively active mutants. Axonogenesis of retinal ganglion cells was markedly impaired by the expression of constitutively active c-src and only mildly affected by the expression of constitutively active n-src. This differential phenotype could not be accounted for by raised levels of intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation alone because the average anti-phosphotyrosine staining intensity of retinal neurons expressing mutant n-src was almost twofold greater than that of neurons expressing mutant c-src. The expression of either constitutively active isoform inhibited photoreceptor differentiation by 72% but did not influence other cell fates. These results suggest that c-src and n-src have both overlapping and distinct activities in differentiating retinal neurons.