Suet-Mien Tan

ANGPTL4 modulates vascular junction integrity by integrin signaling and disruption of intercellular VE-cadherin and claudin-5 clusters

Vascular disruption induced by interactions between tumor-secreted permeability factors and adhesive proteins on endothelial cells facilitates metastasis. The role of tumor-secreted C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain of angiopoietin-like 4 (cANGPTL4) in vascular leakiness and metastasis is controversial because of the lack of understanding of how cANGPTL4 modulates vascular integrity. Here, we show that cANGPTL4 instigated the disruption of endothelial continuity by directly interacting with 3 novel binding partners, integrin α5β1, VE-cadherin, and claudin-5, in a temporally sequential manner, thus facilitating metastasis. We showed that cANGPTL4 binds and activates integrin α5β1-mediated Rac1/PAK signaling to weaken cell-cell contacts. cANGPTL4 subsequently associated with and declustered VE-cadherin and claudin-5, leading to endothelial disruption. Interfering with the formation of these cANGPTL4 complexes delayed vascular disruption. In vivo vascular permeability and metastatic assays performed using ANGPTL4-knockout and wild-type mice injected with either control or ANGPTL4-knockdown tumors confirmed that cANGPTL4 induced vascular leakiness and facilitated lung metastasis in mice. Thus, our findings elucidate how cANGPTL4 induces endothelial disruption. Our findings have direct implications for targeting cANGPTL4 to treat cancer and other vascular pathologies.

Neutrophil mobilization via plerixafor-mediated CXCR4 inhibition arises from lung demargination and blockade of neutrophil homing to the bone marrow

The CXCR4 antagonist plerixafor augments frequency of circulating neutrophils via release from the lung and prevents neutrophil homing to the bone marrow.

Angiopoietin-Like 4 Interacts with Integrins β1 and β5 to Modulate Keratinocyte Migration

Adipose tissue secretes adipocytokines for energy homeostasis, but recent evidence indicates that some adipocytokines also have a profound local impact on wound healing. Upon skin injury, keratinocytes use various signaling molecules to promote reepithelialization for efficient wound closure. In this study, we identify a novel function of adipocytokine angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) in keratinocytes during wound healing through the control of both integrin-mediated signaling and internalization. Using two different in vivo models based on topical immuno-neutralization of ANGPTL4 as well as ablation of the ANGPTL4 gene, we show that ANGPTL4-deficient mice exhibit delayed wound reepithelialization with impaired keratinocyte migration. Human keratinocytes in which endogenous ANGPTL4 expression was suppressed by either siRNA or a neutralizing antibody show impaired migration associated with diminished integrin-mediated signaling. Importantly, we identify integrins β1 and β5, but not β3, as novel binding partners of ANGPTL4. ANGPTL4-bound integrin β1 activated the FAK-Src-PAK1 signaling pathway, which is important for cell migration. The findings presented herein reveal an unpredicted role of ANGPTL4 during wound healing and demonstrate how ANGPTL4 stimulates intracellular signaling mechanisms to coordinate cellular behavior. Our findings provide insight into a novel cell migration control mechanism and underscore the physiological importance of the modulation of integrin activity in cancer metastasis.

The leucocyte β2 (CD18) integrins : the structure, functional regulation and signalling properties

Leucocytes are highly motile cells. Their ability to migrate into tissues and organs is dependent on cell adhesion molecules. The integrins are a family of heterodimeric transmembrane cell adhesion molecules that are also signalling receptors. They are involved in many biological processes, including the development of metazoans, immunity, haemostasis, wound healing and cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. The leucocyte-restricted β2 integrins comprise four members, namely αLβ2, αMβ2, αXβ2 and αDβ2, which are required for a functional immune system. In this paper, the structure, functional regulation and signalling properties of these integrins are reviewed.

Kindlin-3 Mediates Integrin αLβ2 Outside-in Signaling, and It Interacts with Scaffold Protein Receptor for Activated-C Kinase 1 (RACK1)

Background: Kindlin-3 is a cytoplasmic protein that binds and modulates the ligand binding property of integrin αLβ2. Results: Kindlin-3 induces integrin αLβ2 clustering, and it interacts with the scaffold protein RACK1. Conclusion: Kindlin-3 is involved in integrin αLβ2 outside-in signaling. Significance: This study presents important findings in understanding the role of kindlin-3 in integrin signaling. Integrins are heterodimeric type I membrane cell adhesion molecules that are involved in many biological processes. Integrins are bidirectional signal transducers because their cytoplasmic tails are docking sites for cytoskeletal and signaling molecules. Kindlins are cytoplasmic molecules that mediate inside-out signaling and activation of the integrins. The three kindlin paralogs in humans are kindlin-1, -2, and -3. Each of these contains a 4.1-ezrin-radixin-moesin (FERM) domain and a pleckstrin homology domain. Kindlin-3 is expressed in platelets, hematopoietic cells, and endothelial cells. Here we show that kindlin-3 is involved in integrin αLβ2 outside-in signaling. It also promotes micro-clustering of integrin αLβ2. We provide evidence that kindlin-3 interacts with the receptor for activated-C kinase 1 (RACK1), a scaffold protein that folds into a seven-blade propeller. This interaction involves the pleckstrin homology domain of kindlin-3 and blades 5–7 of RACK1. Using the SKW3 human T lymphoma cells, we show that integrin αLβ2 engagement by its ligand ICAM-1 promotes the association of kindlin-3 with RACK1. We also show that kindlin-3 co-localizes with RACK1 in polarized SKW3 cells and human T lymphoblasts. Our findings suggest that kindlin-3 plays an important role in integrin αLβ2 outside-in signaling.

The crystal structure of the plexin-semaphorin-integrin domain/ hybrid domain/I-EGF1 segment from the human integrin β2 subunit at 1.8-Å resolution

Integrins are modular (αβ) heterodimeric proteins that mediate cell adhesion and convey signals across the plasma membrane. Interdomain motions play a key role in signal transduction by propagating structural changes through the molecule, thus controlling the activation state and adhesive properties of the integrin. We expressed a soluble fragment of the human integrin β2 subunit comprising the plexin-semaphorin-integrin domain (PSI)/hybrid domain/I-EGF1 fragment and present its crystal structure at 1.8-Å resolution. The structure reveals an elongated molecule with a rigid architecture stabilized by nine disulfide bridges. The PSI domain is located centrally and participates in the formation of extended interfaces with the hybrid domain and I-EGF1 domains, respectively. The hybrid domain/PSI interface involves the burial of an Arg residue, and contacts between PSI and I-EGF1 are mainly mediated by well conserved Arg and Trp residues. Conservation of key interacting residues across the various integrin β subunits sequences suggests that our structure represents a good model for the entire integrin family. Superposition with the integrin β3 receptor in its bent conformation suggests that an articulation point is present at the linkage between its I-EGF1 and I-EGF2 modules and underlines the importance of this region for the control of integrin-mediated cell adhesion.

A structural hypothesis for the transition between bent and extended conformations of the leukocyte β2 integrins

Integrins mediate cell adhesion in response to activation signals that trigger conformational changes within their ectodomain. It is thought that a compact bent conformation of the molecule represents its physiological low affinity state and extended conformations its active state. We have determined the structure of two integrin fragments of the β2 subunit. The first structure, consisting of the plexin-semaphorin-integrin domain, hybrid, integrin-epidermal growth factor 1 (I-EGF1), and I-EGF2 domains (PHE2), showed an L-shaped conformation with the bend located between the I-EGF1 and I-EGF2 domains. The second structure, which includes, in addition, the I-EGF3 domain, showed an extended conformation. The major reorientation of I-EGF2 with respect to the other domains in the two structures is accompanied by a change of torsion angle of the disulfide bond between Cys461-Cys492 by 180° and the conversion of a short α-helix (residues Ser468-Cys475) into a flexible coil. Based on the PHE2 structure, we introduced a disulfide bond between the plexin-semaphorin-integrin domain and I-EGF2 domains in the β2 subunit. The resultant αLβ2 integrin (leukocyte function-associated antigen-1) variant was locked in a bent state and could not be detected with the monoclonal antibody KIM127 in Mg2+/EGTA. However, it retained the binding activity to ICAM-1. These results provide a structural hypothesis for our understanding of the transition between the resting and active states of leukocyte function-associated antigen-1.

Mutation of a conserved asparagine in the i-like domain promotes constitutively active integrins αLβ2 and αIIbβ3

The leukocyte β2 integrins are heterodimeric adhesion receptors required for a functional immune system. Many leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1 (LAD-1) mutations disrupt the expression and function of β2 integrins. Herein, we further characterized the LAD-1 mutation N329S in the β2 inserted (I)-like domain. This mutation converted αLβ2 from a resting into a high affinity conformer because αLβ2N329S transfectants adhered avidly to ligand intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-3 in the absence of additional activating agent. An extended open conformation is adopted by αLβ2N329S because of its reactivity with the β2 activation reporter monoclonal antibodies MEM148 and KIM127. A corresponding mutation inβ3 generated constitutively activeαIIbβ3 that adhered to fibrinogen. This Asn is conserved in all human β subunits, and it resides before the last helix of the I-like domain, which is known to be important in activation signal propagation. By mutagenesis studies and review of existing integrin structures, we conjectured that this conserved Asn may have a primary role in shaping the I-like domain by stabilizing the conformation of theα7 helix and the β6-α7 loop in the I-like domain.

NMR Solution Conformations and Interactions of Integrin αLβ2 Cytoplasmic Tails

The integrins are bi-directional signal transducers. Devoid of enzymatic activity, the integrin cytoplasmic tail serves as a hub for the recruitment of cytosolic proteins, and many of these are signaling molecules. The leukocyte-restricted integrin αLβ2 is essential for the adhesion, migration, and proliferation of leukocytes. Here we report solution conformations and interactions of the αLβ2 cytoplasmic tails by NMR analyses. The αL tail is characterized by three helical segments in the order of helix 1-3 that are connected by two loops with helix 3 having a number of nuclear Overhauser effect contacts with helix 1 and helix 2. The conformation of the β2 tail is less defined with only a helical segment restricted at its N terminus. Acidic residues from the helix 2-loop-helix 3 motif of αL were found to be responsible for its binding to calcium ion. There were detectable interactions between αL and β2 tails, involving helix 1 and helix 3 of the αL tail and the N-terminal helix of the β2 tail. Talin head domain that contains the FERM domain showed binding affinity of Kd ∼ 0.5 μm with the β2 tail. The binding affinity of αL and β2 tails is Kd ∼ 2.63 μm. These data are in line with the activating property of talin head domain on αLβ2 by which binding of talin head domain to β2 tail disrupts the interface of the αL and β2 tails that constrains αLβ2 in a resting state.

The Cytosolic Protein Talin Induces an Intermediate Affinity Integrin αLβ2

The integrin αLβ2 mediates leukocyte adhesion and migration that are required for a functional immune system. It is known that inside-out signaling triggers αLβ2 conformational changes, which affect its ligand-binding affinity. At least three αLβ2 affinity states (low, intermediate, and high) were described. The cytosolic protein talin connects αLβ2 to the actin filament. The talin head domain is also known to activate αLβ2 ligand binding. However, it remains to be determined whether talin promotes an intermediate or high affinity αLβ2. In this study using transfectants and T cells, we showed that talin induced an intermediate affinity αLβ2 that adhered constitutively to its ligand intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 but not ICAM-3. Adhesion to ICAM-3 was induced when an additional exogenous activating agent was included. Similar profiles were observed with soluble ICAMs. In addition, the intermediate affinity αLβ2 induced by talin allowed adhesion and migration of T cells on immobilized ICAMs.