Correspondence to: Kenneth M. Yamada, Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 30, Room 421, 30 Convent Drive MSC 4370, Bethesda, MD 20892-4370. Tel:(301) 496-9124 Fax:(301) 402-0897 E-mail:ky4w{at}nih.gov.
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Abstract |
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Fibronectin matrix assembly is a multistep, integrin-dependent process. To investigate the role of integrin dynamics in fibronectin fibrillogenesis, we developed an antibody-chasing technique for simultaneous tracking of two integrin populations by different antibodies. We established that whereas the vitronectin receptor vß3 remains within focal contacts, the fibronectin receptor
5ß1 translocates from focal contacts into and along extracellular matrix (ECM) contacts. This escalator-like translocation occurs relative to the focal contacts at 6.5 ± 0.7 µm/h and is independent of cell migration. It is induced by ligation of
5ß1 integrins and depends on interactions with a functional actin cytoskeleton and vitronectin receptor ligation. During cell spreading, translocation of ligand-occupied
5ß1 integrins away from focal contacts and along bundles of actin filaments generates ECM contacts. Tensin is a primary cytoskeletal component of these ECM contacts, and a novel dominant-negative inhibitor of tensin blocked ECM contact formation, integrin translocation, and fibronectin fibrillogenesis without affecting focal contacts. We propose that translocating
5ß1 integrins induce initial fibronectin fibrillogenesis by transmitting cytoskeleton-generated tension to extracellular fibronectin molecules. Blocking this integrin translocation by a variety of treatments prevents the formation of ECM contacts and fibronectin fibrillogenesis. These studies identify a localized, directional, integrin translocation mechanism for matrix assembly.
Key Words: fibronectin, integrin, tensin, vitronectin, extracellular matrix
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Introduction |
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Cells secrete and organize extracellular matrix (ECM),1 which provides structural support for cell adhesion, migration, and tissue organization, as well as external regulation of cellular functions (
Integrins have a central role in FN matrix assembly. These ubiquitous /ß heterodimeric transmembrane receptors also mediate cell adhesion, migration, and bidirectional signal transduction through interaction with different ECM proteins (
5ß1 integrin. Transfection of
5 integrin into CHO cells leads to a large increase in FN assembly (
5 or ß1 subunits (
5ß1-binding domain (
5ß1,
vß3 (
IIbß3 (
5 integrinnull mice (
Although some of the integrin interactions and cellular states important for matrix assembly have been identified, the relationship between these factors and the role of integrins is not clear. Truncation of the ß1 cytoplasmic domain can block FN matrix assembly by severing the link between ligand-occupied integrins and the cytoskeleton (
It has been proposed that integrins are the transmitters of this tension (5ß1-containing structures where transmission of cell-generated tension could occur: focal contacts (FC) and ECM contacts (
We speculated that these structures are under different types of tension and that the isometric (static) tension at FC (5ß1 integrins out of FC to stretch and unfold bound FN. To test the hypothesis that
5ß1 integrins undergo directional motion on the cell surface, we developed an antibody-chasing technique that permits comparisons of the dynamic behavior of two different integrin populations on the cell surface. We established that ligated
5ß1 integrins actively translocate along stress fibers, moving from FC into and along ECM contacts containing tensin. At the same time, the vitronectin (VN) receptor
vß3 remains resident within FC, but its ligation is necessary for
5ß1 movement. Translocating FN receptors could initiate FN fibrillogenesis by transmitting cytoskeleton-generated forces to extracellular FN molecules. We propose a novel model for early FN fibril formation driven by localized
5ß1 integrin translocation dependent on the cytoskeletal protein tensin.
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Materials and Methods |
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Antibodies and Purified Proteins
Antibodies to human ß1 integrins included rat mAb 9EG7 (PharMingen) and mouse mAbs 12G10 (5 antibodies were described previously (
FN was purified as described by
Cell Culture and Substrate Coating
Primary human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) were a gift from S. Yamada (NIDCR, NIH) and were used at passages 918 after plating on sterile untreated glass coverslips in DME (GIBCO BRL Life Technologies) supplemented with 10% FBS (Hyclone), 100 U/ml penicillin, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin (complete medium). When indicated, the coverslips were precoated by incubating 1 h at 37°C or overnight at 4°C with FN or VN at 10 µg/ml. For mixed substrates, 5 µg/ml FN was mixed with 5 µg/ml VN or poly-L-lysine.
Modified Media.
When cycloheximide was used to block endogenous FN synthesis, FN-free medium was used containing 1% FN-depleted FBS. Serum-free medium was used for evaluating effects of VN on integrin translocation. To block FN synthesis and secretion, HFF were passaged with trypsin-EDTA and cultured overnight in FN-free medium with 1025 µg/ml cycloheximide. Inhibitors included cytochalasin D (Calbiochem), jasplakinolide (Molecular Probes), and phenylarsine oxide (ICN Biomedicals). Nocadazole, vinblastine, paclitaxel, and 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime were from Sigma Chemical Co.
Antibody-Chasing and Conventional Immunofluorescence
HFF were plated on regular or precoated glass coverslips (12 mm; Carolina Biological Supply Company) at 2 x 104 cells/coverslip. After culturing overnight, cells were incubated with warm medium containing 10 µg/ml primary antibody for 30 min. The specific amounts of serum, integrin ligands, or inhibitors are indicated in the text. In some experiments, a mixture of two primary antibodies was used. After two washes, the cells were incubated for different time periods (chasing periods) in medium without antibody. All incubations were at 37°C with 10% CO2. Samples taken at the end of each labeling and chasing period were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS with 5% sucrose for 20 min without permeabilization. Primary antibodies were visualized with secondary CY3- or FITC-conjugated antibody. Stained samples were mounted in GEL/MOUNTTM (Biomeda Corp.) containing 1 mg/ml 1,4-phenylendiamine (Fluka) to reduce photobleaching.
For monovalent antibody labeling, HFF were sequentially labeled for 30 min each with 3 µg/ml FITC-tagged (first and third incubations) or 3 µg/ml TRITC-tagged (second incubation) Fab' fragments of mAb 12G10. Each incubation was followed by three washes with warm medium. After each Fab' incubation, samples were fixed and mounted as above. Conventional immunofluorescence was performed as described (
Immunofluorescence Time-Lapse, Cell Motility, and Image Processing
For time-lapse recording, HFF were cultured in 50-mm glass microwell dishes (MatTek Corp.) in a 10% CO2 atmosphere at 37°C. Video immunofluorescence images of cells labeled with fluorochrome-tagged antibodies or FN were obtained using a Nikon Diaphot inverted microscope with Zeiss 63x/1.4 objective using a Princeton Instruments cooled CCD camera (RTE/CCD-1300; Rooper Scientific) and MetaMorph 3.5 software (Universal Imaging Corp.). Cells were then fixed and stained with antibodies as indicated.
Cell movements were monitored using a Zeiss inverted microscope with a 10x phase-contrast objective. Video images were collected with a Hamamatsu model 2400 CCD camera at 30-min intervals, digitized, and converted to Quick Time movies using MetaMorph 3.5 software; positions of nuclei were tracked to quantitate cell motility.
Immunofluorescence images from fixed cells were obtained with a Zeiss Axiophot microscope equipped with a Photometrix CH 350 cooled CCD camera. Digital images and image overlays were obtained using MetaMorph 3.5 software. The velocity of ß1 integrin translocation was measured with the same software on image overlays obtained from samples chased for 30 min and 1 h by calculating distances between ß3 and ß1 integrin signals divided by the chasing time.
Coimmunoprecipitation and Western Blotting
Overnight cultures of HFF were solubilized on ice in RIPA buffer (150 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS, 1% Triton X-100, 10% glycerol, 50 mM Hepes, pH 7.5) containing protease inhibitors (CompleteTM; Boehringer Mannheim). Homogenates were centrifuged at 20,000 g for 15 min at 4°C. Immunoprecipitates using antiß1 integrin antibodies and GammaBindTM Plus SepharoseTM (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech) were resolved on 412% gradient gels (Novex). After electrotransfer to nitrocellulose membranes (Novex), the filters were blocked (5% non-fat dry milk in T-TBS: 150 mM NaCl, 50 mM Tris HCl, 0.1% Tween 20, pH 7.4) for 1 h. Immunoblots were visualized using the ECL system and Hyperfilm X-ray film (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech).
Expression Plasmids and Transfection
The tensin fragment comprising residues 659 to 762 containing the actin homology 2 region (residues 674 to 706) (xZ. The sequence was verified by DNA sequencing. Transfections were performed by electroporation as described (
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Results |
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Ligand-occupied ß1 Integrins Translocate Centripetally on the Cell Surface in ECM Contacts
Nonoccupied integrins are diffusely distributed in the plasma membrane, but after activation and occupancy they localize into two distinct structures, FC and ECM contacts. After detachment of cells from substrates, both structures are destroyed. To determine the sequence of formation and the possible relationship between these two types of adhesive structures, we characterized the distribution and dynamics of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins on the surface of spreading HFF. We used the cation and ligand-induced binding site (CLIBS) type of mAbs, which recognize extracellular epitopes expressed after ligand occupation of mouse and human (mAb 9EG7 and mAb 12G10) ß1 integrin receptors. The differentiation of ECM from FC was on the basis of their morphology (axial ratio >7;
30 min after plating, cells organized FC, but there were no detectable ECM contacts (Fig 1 A, 0.5 h). Over the subsequent 1.5 h, the FC became larger. In addition, fibrillar structures projecting from the FC towards the cell center also appeared and lengthened over time (Fig 1 A, 2 h). After 5 h of spreading, cells had acquired a polarized morphology, and they contained well developed ß1 integrinpositive ECM contacts (Fig 1 A, 5 h). These results establish that FC are the first structures formed during cell spreading, and they suggest that ECM contacts, which formed later, might be organized through centripetal translocation of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins from FC.
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Such integrin dynamics might occur continuously on the surface of spread cells, but conventional immunofluorescence techniques only permit evaluation of antigen distribution at the time of fixation and are not adequate to probe for exchanges of antigens between established structures. To test our hypothesis concerning direct ß1 integrin translocation and to compare the dynamic behavior of integrin populations on the cell surface of spread cells, we designed antibody-chasing experiments in which living cells were labeled with nonperturbing anti-integrin antibodies (see Materials and Methods). Labeled cells were incubated in culture medium for different time periods (chasing time), which allowed normal cell surface dynamics to continue and redistribute the antibody-tagged integrins. At the end of labeling and after each chasing period, samples were fixed and stained with species-specific fluorochrome-conjugated secondary antibodies. Cells were not permeabilized to eliminate the possibility of false-positive results due to endocytosed primary antibody. Such endocytosis was detected to occur during labeling, but the endocytosed antibodies were located centrally, distant from the sites of dynamics examined in this study (data not shown). In subsequent studies, a second or third round of labeling could be performed using antibodies labeled directly with different fluorochromes.
Thus, by comparing the distribution patterns of the labeled integrins immediately after antibody incubation (0 time) with those obtained after different chasing periods, we were able to follow the redistribution of labeled integrin populations. We also compared results using these cation and ligand-induced binding site antibodies with those using mAb K20, a noninhibitory antibody that binds to all ß1 integrins.
As expected, immediately after labeling, ligand-occupied ß1 integrins were localized to both focal and ECM contacts (Fig 1 B, mAb 12G10, 0 time). However, after 4 h of chasing, the labeled population of ß1 integrins was found only within ECM contacts (Fig 1 B, 4 h chase). Some staining of these fibrillar structures could be detected even after 30 h of chasing, with no FC staining (Fig 1 B, 30 h chase). Similar results were obtained by using mAb 9EG7 (data not shown), supporting the hypothesis of continuous translocation of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins from the FC to (and possibly within) ECM contacts. In contrast, mAb K20-labeled ß1 integrins showed strong diffuse staining that persisted throughout all periods of chasing (Fig 1 B, mAb K20), consistent with free diffusion of nonactivated ß1 integrins on the cell surface.
Because in vivo antibody labeling might induce integrin dimerization and resultant artifacts, we prepared FITC- or rhodamine-conjugated Fab' fragments from mAb 12G10. Sequential incubation with these fragments revealed the same centripetal transition of labeled integrins (Fig 1 C). Since this transition was observed with monomeric antibody tags, the distinctive redistribution of ligand-occupied integrins was not due to clustering induced by bivalent IgG molecules. Moreover, we observed the appearance of new ligand-occupied integrins in FC at the leading edge of cells (Fig 1 C, FITC/TRITC-Fab'), which moved as a red-labeled wave towards the cell body (Fig 1 C, FITC/TRITC/FITC-Fab'). The preservation of rhodamine staining also indicates that the disappearance of the signal from FC was not due to simple loss of antibody from these structures but, instead, translocation of labeled integrins away from FC. This wave-like pattern of staining, with an initial appearance at the leading cell edge followed by translocation towards the cell body, indicates the presence of a persistent and directed flow of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins on the surface of cultured fibroblasts. Similar behavior of activated ß1 integrins was observed in Swiss 3T3 cells and primary mouse fibroblasts (data not shown), indicating that this phenomenon is typical in fibroblastic cells.
5ß1 Is the Translocating Integrin Heterodimer
The ß1 integrin subunit can pair with at least 10 different subunits to form heterodimeric receptors that display differing ligand specificities. To define the ligand specificity of the translocating ß1 heterodimers, the ability of different integrin ligands to trigger integrin withdrawal from FC was compared using antibody-chasing experiments (Fig 2 A). Human fibroblasts grown in FN-free medium were treated with cycloheximide in order to inhibit the synthesis and secretion of endogenous ECM proteins. To ensure better spreading, cells were plated on VN-coated coverslips. Under these conditions, the only ECM protein present as a substrate and in the medium was VN. After initial incubation of cells with mAb 9EG7 together with different ligands, ligand-occupied ß1 integrins showed localization to FC regardless of the type of the ligand added (Fig 2 A, 0 time). However, after 1 h of chasing, the labeled ß1 integrins demonstrated clear ligand-dependent differences in distribution. The presence of VN alone was not capable of inducing redistribution of the ß1 signal from FC (Fig 2 A, compare 0 time with 1 h chase). This result allowed us to evaluate the effect of the other integrin ligands. Collagen- and laminin-treated cells showed irregularly shaped ß1-positive aggregates concentrated at the cell body (Fig 2 A, 1 h chase, COL and LN). These aggregates were located predominantly on the dorsal cell surface and most likely represented ß1 receptors occupied with collagen and laminin. Importantly, however, FC were still well labeled, indicating that laminin and collagen ligands are not capable of inducing ß1 integrin withdrawal from FC. Only FN was effective, indicating that fibril-associated translocation from FC into and within ECM contacts is a distinctive feature of certain ß1-containing integrin receptor(s) for FN (Fig 2 A, 1 h chase, FN).
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Because 5ß1 is a specific receptor for FN and the most abundant ß1 integrin heterodimer on the surface of HFF (our unpublished results), we investigated its role in the integrin translocation process.
5ß1 integrin function was selectively disrupted using an antifunctional antibody. Treatment of HFF with control (noninhibitory anti-
5 mAb 11) did not affect ß1 integrin translocation into ECM contacts (Fig 2 B, anti-ß1) containing characteristic FN fibrils (Fig 2 B, anti-FN). In contrast, cells grown in the presence of function-blocking anti-
5 mAb 16 did not organize ECM contacts. FN remained in small aggregates confined to the lamellae (Fig 2 B, anti-FN). Labeled ß1 integrins showed a punctate, nonfibrillar distribution over the whole cell surface, and positive staining of FC remained even after 1 h of chasing (Fig 2 B, anti-ß1). Cell morphology was not affected; this antibody was previously found to stimulate rather than to inhibit cell migration, perhaps due to the loss of ECM contacts (
5 subunit function strongly indicates that
5ß1 is the major translocating heterodimer.
Consistent with this conclusion, Alexa-tagged anti-5 mAb 11 bound to cell surface
5ß1 integrins underwent a similar pattern of translocation as the anti-ß1 12G10 mAb. In vivo immunofluorescence time-lapse recording (Fig 2 C) showed that the labeled
5 integrins were initially localized within FC (Fig 2 C, 0'), and later they extended toward the cell center as an elongating fibrillar structure (Fig 2 C, 20', 40', and 60').
Occupied 5ß1 Heterodimers in Fibrillar Structures Translocate Relative to FC
Because ß3 integrins (in contrast to ß1) remained strictly confined within FC during the 1-h antibody-chasing period (see below), we used ß3 integrin labeling of these structures as a reference point to determine the velocity of translocation of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins. HFF were incubated in vivo with anti-ß1 and anti-ß3 antibodies simultaneously, and the two antibodies were chased for 30 min or 1 h. Immediately after antibody incubation, FITC staining for ß1 integrins completely overlapped CY3 staining for ß3 integrins in FC, whereas the ECM contacts were only ß1 integrinpositive (Fig 3 A, 0 time, yellow and green staining, respectively). Initial separation between green and red signals was observed after 30 min of chasing (Fig 3 A, 0.5 h chase), and the separation appeared complete by 1 h (Fig 3 A, 1 h chase). The withdrawal of FITC label from FC clearly indicated that activated ß1 integrins translocate relative to the FC and in a direction opposite to migration of the cell (e.g., note the direction of lamellipodial extension on Fig 3 A, phase-contrastmerged). The average rate of this translocation, measured as distance from the red to the green signal/chasing time, was 6.5 ± 0.7 µm/h. The rate of translocation did not depend on the type of substrate used for coating. It also did not appear to correlate with the rate of cell motility. Although the cells on VN-coated surfaces migrated significantly faster than the cells on FN (P < 0.0001), the translocation rates of ß1 integrins under the same conditions were not different statistically (P = 0.15) (Fig 3 B).
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FN Ligation and Interaction with an Intact Actin Cytoskeleton Are Required for 5ß1 Integrin Translocation
Ligand-mediated occupancy and receptor clustering are necessary for activation of certain integrin functions, e.g., stimulation of actin cytoskeletal assembly in adhesion complexes (
ECM contacts were absent under these conditions, but unexpectedly, both mAb 9EG7 (Fig 4 A, 0 time) and mAb 12G10 (data not shown) continued to stain FC, detecting a subclass of ß1 integrins in the putative active conformation in the absence of FN. ß3 integrins were also localized within FC, resulting in yellow FC staining in merged red and green images. After 1 h of chasing, the signals for the two integrins became slightly separated, with ß1 integrins concentrated in the half of FC oriented toward the cell center (Fig 4 A, 1 h chase, no ligand). Extended chasing periods without FN showed gradual fading of the ß1 signal without any translocation towards the cell center. Addition of FN induced normal translocation (Fig 4 A, FN). After a 30-min chase in the presence of FN, ß1 integrins became localized in fibrillar structures extending from FC (Fig 4 A, 1 h chase inset). Prolonging the chase to 1 h resulted in complete separation of labeled ß1 integrins from ß3 in FC (Fig 4 A, 1 h chase). Taken together, these results indicate that ß1 integrins in a ligand-occupied conformation can still be detected transiently within FC even in the absence of FN, but that ligation by FN is necessary for preservation of the clustered, ligand-occupied state, and most importantly, for surface translocation of integrins away from FC.
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A variety of cytoskeletal molecules organize around activated ß1 integrin cytoplasmic tails in complexes that interact with actin filaments (see
This notion was tested further using drugs known to affect actin polymerization (Table 1). Translocation was blocked by both cytochalasin D, which disrupts actin filaments, and jasplakinolide, which induces actin polymerization and stabilizes preexisting actin filaments (
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FN Extension Occurs on the Cell Surface in Association with Translocating 5ß1 Integrins
The existence of translocation of ligand-occupied 5ß1 integrins from FC along ECM contacts suggested that bound FN ligand might also be translocated in a similar manner to mediate the elongation of FN fibrils (i.e., fibrillogenesis). This hypothesis was tested first by examining the dynamic behavior of FITC-labeled FN bound to the surface of cycloheximide-treated HFF. After the initial incubation, labeled FN was found in FC (Fig 5 A, 0 time), presumably by binding to activated
5ß1 integrins residing within FC under these experimental conditions (compare with Fig 4, 0 time). A 1-h chase led to a fibril-associated withdrawal of labeled FN from FC, similar to the translocation of ß1 integrins described above (Fig 5 A, 1 h chase). Moreover, subsequent sequential incubations with FN tagged with different Alexa dyes led to segmented labeling of FN fibrils extending towards the cell center (Fig 5 B). This pattern of formation of FN fibrils strongly resembled the wave-like pattern of surface translocation of ligand-occupied ß1 integrins (compare with Fig 1 C).
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An alternative approach using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy revealed a stepwise translocation of FN fibrils from FC towards the cell center. Initial incubation of cycloheximide-treated cells with labeled FN and subsequent recording in FN-free medium led to formation of short translocating FN fibrils (Fig 5 C, 488-FN time lapse), whereas incubation in the continued presence of unlabeled FN showed continuous growth and extension of the labeled fibrils (Fig 5 D). When translocating fibrils were fixed and examined for association with ligand-occupied ß1 integrins, complete colocalization of FN and ß1 integrins was observed (Fig 5 C, anti-ß1,488-FN), indicating that the receptorligand complexes were translocating together.
It is important to note that the translocation of 5ß1 integrins out of FC and the formation of ECM contacts and FN fibrils was not always continuous (Fig 2 and Fig 5). At any moment, ~50% (3070%) of the FC of a cell were active in integrin translocation. This heterogeneity, as well as the discontinuities in translocating fibrils and separation of ECM contacts from FC, suggest that the process may be switched on and off in individual FC.
The impression that 5ß1 translocation does not correlate with cell migration (Fig 3 B) was further tested under 12 more widely varying experimental or pharmacological conditions (Table 1). For example, even though cell migration was reduced more than sixfold by cycloheximide (Table 1 and Fig 5 E), integrin translocation and FN fibrillogenesis depended solely on whether FN was present. Based on this lack of correlation under 13 different conditions, we conclude that this form of integrin translocation and early FN fibrillogenesis are independent of cell migration.
The observed fibrillar translocation of ß1 integrinlabeled FN complexes, which was also detected on the surface of cells not treated with cycloheximide (data not shown), strongly suggests that the cell can redistribute and organize bound FN into fibrils in a directed manner through translocation of 5ß1 integrins. However, the labeled exogenous FN could have been augmenting preexisting fibrils. To investigate initial steps of FN fibril formation, we examined freshly plated cells using immunofluorescence to follow the distribution of ligated ß1 integrin as described previously by
5 subunit, but in parallel with endogenous FN. Cells plated for 30 min on VN in complete medium organized numerous small FC along the spreading edge (Fig 6 A, anti-ß1), but there was no detectable FN (Fig 6 A, anti-FN). After 1 h, a circle of small FN-positive aggregates appeared that overlapped the inner part of FC (Fig 6 A, 1 h). Detachment of cells from the substrate did not remove these FN circles (data not shown), indicating that the FN was secreted ventrally and firmly attached to the substrate. After an additional hour of spreading, the attached FN aggregates became reorganized into fibrils (Fig 6 A, 2 h, anti-FN) that overlapped with fibrillar ß1 integrinpositive protrusions extending from FC (Fig 6 A, 2 h, anti-ß1 and merged inset). By 5 h, all of the cells had completed the process of spreading and had a polarized shape. Numerous ECM contacts associated with FN fibrils had developed; some extended from FC (Fig 6 A, 5 h, inset). FN fibrils were also observed away from cell bodies, indicating that FN matrix deposition had begun.
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A similar sequence of events was observed when HFF spread on FN precoated substrates (Fig 6 B). As reported previously (
Blocking 5ß1 Integrin Translocation Blocks Early FN Fibrillogenesis
To test the link between integrin translocation and the formation of FN fibrils on the surface of HFF, we used drugs and conditions affecting cell-generated contractility and tension, actin cytoskeleton, microtubule integrity and function, and other functions. There was a complete linkage between integrin translocation and FN fibrillogenesis under 13 different experimental test conditions (Table 1). For example, the myosin inhibitor 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime inhibits contractility, prevents FN fibrillogenesis (
The observed constant flow of ligand-occupied 5ß1 integrins from FC into the ECM contacts appeared inconsistent with the established function of FC as structures providing firm attachment and mechanical support for spread cells. This apparent contradiction could be resolved if a different integrin heterodimer residing within FC provides mechanical support during
5ß1 translocation. A good candidate for this function was the VN receptor, because our antibody-chasing experiments showed that ß3 integrins remained within FC during ß1 integrin translocation (Fig 3 A). Consequently, absence of VN might prevent
5ß1 translocation and associated ECM contact formation and FN fibrillogenesis. To test this possibility, we plated HFF on FN or a surface coated with a mixture of FN and VN in medium lacking serum, which is the major source of VN. As predicted, in the absence of VN, cells plated for 4 h did not translocate ß1 integrin from FC and were unable to reorganize FN (Fig 7, on FN). Moreover, addition of VN to the coating substrate permitted the cells to translocate ß1 integrins into ECM contacts and to reorganize FN into fibrils (Fig 7, on FN+VN). Addition of poly-L-lysine to the coating mixture (with FN but without VN) was ineffective (Fig 7, on FN+PLL), indicating that only specific, integrin-mediated adhesion is capable of supporting this translocation. These results together with those using a dozen other inhibitors or substrate alterations strongly support the notion that early FN fibrillogenesis and
5ß1 integrin translocation are tightly linked inseparable processes and that the translocation is VN-supported and actin-dependent.
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Overexpression of a Specific Tensin Domain Interferes with Integrin Translocation and FN Fibrillogenesis
Recent molecular morphometry studies have identified tensin as the major cytoskeletal protein component of ECM contacts (5ß1 integrins. We searched for such functions using different recombinant tensin fragments as potential dominant-negative inhibitors of integrin translocation in transfection overexpression assays. ECM contacts and associated integrin dynamics and FN fibrillogenesis were inhibited by a domain of tensin spanning residues 659 to 762 containing the actin homology 2 region (residues 674 to 706) (
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Discussion |
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The main objective of this study was to characterize the cell surface dynamics of activated 5ß1 integrins and their role in organizing the ECM. We found that ligation of
5ß1 integrins by FN induced an escalator-like translocation along actin microfilament bundles. These clustered, ligand-occupied integrins moved in linear arrays out from FC towards the cell center in the form of ECM contacts bound to elongating fibrils of FN. This process may mediate initial matrix assembly by pulling a fibril of FN from the pool of FN molecules that accumulates near FC using interactions with actin cytoskeleton in a process dependent on tensin. Consistent with this concept of linked translocation-fibrillogenesis, interfering with any of the molecular components (
5ß1 integrins, FN, actin, or tensin) halted both the integrin translocation process and FN fibrillogenesis, which were found to be tightly coupled under a wide variety of experimental conditions (13 different inhibitors or substrates). These findings point to a specific structure, the ECM contact, and a molecular translocation mechanism in a model proposed to explain how FN can be stretched and organized into a fibril by cellular tension via a specific local pattern of integrin movement.
We initially hypothesized that a dynamic relationship might exist between FC, which act as anchoring sites for stress fibers and are therefore under isometric tension (
To test this hypothesis of a role for specialized integrin translocation, we developed an antibody-chasing technique, a modification of conventional immunofluorescence methods that allows simultaneous characterization of the dynamic behavior of distinct integrin populations on the cell surface. Living cells were labeled with antibodies that recognize either (a) epitopes indicating cation and ligand-induced binding sites (
Using this antibody-chasing technique and time-lapse immunofluorescence microscopy, we established that different integrin heterodimers have different dynamic behavior on the cell surface. Whereas the VN receptor vß3 remains resident within FC, ligated FN receptor
5ß1 actively translocates from FC into and along ECM contacts on the surface of fibroblasts (Fig 9 A). This translocation involves net displacement relative to FC with an average velocity of 6.5 ± 0.7 µm/h that is independent of cell motility. This integrin translocation is oriented along actin stress fibers, and it depends on both interaction with a functional actin cytoskeleton and ligation of VN receptors.
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Tensin is thought to be involved in the interaction between integrins and the cytoskeleton, and the ECM contacts in which we observed integrin translocation were previously found to be uniquely enriched in tensin compared with other FC molecules (5ß1 integrins. In fact, a similar centripetal translocation of GFP-tensin out of FC and along ECM contacts has also been observed (
We conclude that transfer from FC of ligand-occupied 5ß1 integrins along bundles of actin filaments during cell spreading leads to the initial formation of ECM contacts and ensures the maintenance of these structures on the surface of adherent cells. Because integrin translocation and elongation of FN fibrils are so tightly linked (including tensin dependence), we propose that
5ß1 translocation is used by fibroblastic cells to promote initial FN fibrillogenesis in ECM contacts.
It is important to note that the phenomenon we report differs from general centripetal surface translocation of objects (5ß1 integrinpositive macroaggregates has been characterized in vivo on the surface of motile chick skeletal fibroblasts plated on laminin (
Recently, the dynamic behavior of a GFPß1 integrin cytoplasmic tail chimera has been characterized by 5ß1 integrin translocation we observe (6.5 ± 0.7 µm/h). However, the two studies describe different phenomena. The translocation of activated integrins in this study was observed in motile cells moving at an average rate of 37 µm/h, whereas
5ß1 integrins away from FC and along ECM contacts, i.e., movement directly compared with FC, which were relatively stationary in our motile cells. Consistent with this difference, movement of the GFPß1 integrin chimera was reported to be accompanied by equivalent shortening of the stress fiber inserted into the focal contact, whereas we observed translocation of
5ß1 integrins progressively further along a relatively stationary stress fiber inserted into a focal contact. Although the focal contact motility described by Smilenov et al. occurs exclusively in stationary cells, the translocation of
5ß1 integrins out of FC that we describe occurred in both migrating and stationary fibroblasts. Nevertheless, the two types of ß1 integrin movement have comparable rates, which can both be increased by treatment with nocadazole or blocked by an inhibitor of myosin contraction (2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime). These similarities suggest the intriguing possibility that the two phenomena may be powered by similar contractility and tension-dependent molecular mechanisms, even though they are otherwise distinct forms of integrin dynamics.
Our results can be incorporated into a detailed schematic model for early FN fibrillogenesis dependent on translocation of 5ß1 integrins (Fig 9 B). We propose that
5ß1 heterodimers exist in at least four states (Fig 9 B), which differ by levels of activation/occupancy and cell surface distribution. A large population of inactive or unoccupied
5ß1 integrins exists evenly distributed over the entire plasma membrane of fibroblasts and can be detected by staining with general antiß1 integrin antibodies (state 1). We suggest that only a small portion of this total ß1 integrin population is recruited into FC, albeit continuously (state 2). The mechanism of this recruitment is not clear, but could either result from passive entry of inactive integrins as suggested by
Ligation of 5ß1 integrins within FC (state 3) is proposed to act as a switch initiating the formation of a new structure, the ECM contact, since adding FN switches on translocation (Fig 4). Key steps could include integrin occupancy and clustering needed for actin cytoskeletal assembly around
5ß1 tails (
5ß1 integrins in ECM contacts are distinct from those in integrin-heterogeneous FC. First,
5ß1 integrins translocate from FC and along ECM contacts, whereas
v integrins remain immobile. Second, classical FC are rich in vinculin, paxillin, and phosphotyrosine, whereas the fibrillar ECM adhesion complexes are rich in tensin and contain little or no phosphotyrosine or other FC components (
Initiation of ECM contacts appeared to occur on the side of FC facing the nucleus. Interestingly, initial FN secretion/accumulation also occurs at this site during cell spreading, which most probably represents a transitional zone between FC and forming ECM contacts. The observed separation between focal and ECM contacts may result from different interactions of ECM contacts with the actin cytoskeleton (state 4). As suggested by 5ß1 integrin clusters and FN. This local integrin translocation system provides a plausible mechanism for initiating FN fibrillogenesis and matrix assembly, and it identifies a novel role for tensin in these basic processes.
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Footnotes |
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B.-Z. Katz's present address is The Hematology Institute, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Weizman 6 Street, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
1 Abbreviations used in this paper: ECM, extracellular matrix; FC, focal contacts; FN, fibronectin; GFP, green fluorescent protein; HFF, human foreskin fibroblasts; VN, vitronectin.
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We thank Benjamin Geiger for valuable comments and discussions.
Submitted: 3 September 1999
Revised: 28 January 2000
Accepted: 1 February 2000
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