A role of kindlin-3 in integrin αMβ2 outside-in signaling and the Syk-Vav1-Rac1/Cdc42 signaling axis

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56911. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056911. Epub 2013 Feb 20.

Abstract

Integrins mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix attachments. Integrins are signaling receptors because their cytoplasmic tails are docking sites for cytoskeletal and signaling proteins. Kindlins are a family of band 4.1-ezrin-radixin-moesin-containing intracellular proteins. Apart from regulating integrin ligand-binding affinity, recent evidence suggests that kindlins are involved in integrin outside-in signaling. Kindlin-3 is expressed in platelets, hematopoietic cells and endothelial cells. In humans, loss of kindlin-3 expression accounts for the rare autosomal disease leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) type III that is characterized by bleeding disorders and defective recruitment of leukocytes into sites of infection. Studies have shown that the loss of kindlin-3 expression leads to poor ligand-binding properties of β1, β2 and β3 integrin subfamilies. The leukocyte-restricted β2 integrin subfamily comprises four members, namely αLβ2, αMβ2, αXβ2 and αDβ2. Integrin αMβ2 mediates leukocyte adhesion, phagocytosis, degranulation and it is involved in the maintenance of immune tolerance. Here we provide further evidence that kindlin-3 is required for integrin αMβ2-mediated cell adhesion and spreading using transfected K562 cells that expressed endogenous kindlin-3 but not β2 integrins. K562 stable cell line expressing si-RNA targeting kindlin-3, but not control-si-RNA, and transfected with constitutively activated integrin αMβ2N329S adhered and spread poorly on iC3b. We also show that kindlin-3 is required for the integrin αMβ2-Syk-Vav1 signaling axis that regulates Rac1 and Cdc42 activities. These findings reinforce a role for kindlin-3 in integrin outside-in signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Adhesion / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • K562 Cells
  • Macrophage-1 Antigen / genetics
  • Macrophage-1 Antigen / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-vav / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Syk Kinase
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • FERMT3 protein, human
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Macrophage-1 Antigen
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-vav
  • VAV1 protein, human
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • SYK protein, human
  • Syk Kinase
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein
  • rac1 GTP-Binding Protein
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Singapore Ministry of Education grant 2010-T2-2-014 and Singapore Agency for Science, Technology, and Research Biomedical Research Council grant 10/1/22/19/654. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.