We have examined the mechanism of signal transduction by the hemidesmosomal integrin alpha 6 beta 4, a laminin receptor involved in morphogenesis and tumor progression. Immunoprecipitation and immune complex kinase assays indicated that antibody‐ or laminin‐induced ligation of alpha 6 beta 4 causes tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta 4 subunit in intact cells and that this event is mediated by a protein kinase(s) physically associated with the integrin. Co‐immunoprecipitation and GST fusion protein binding experiments showed that the adaptor protein Shc forms a complex with the tyrosine‐phosphorylated beta 4 subunit. Shc is then phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and recruits the adaptor Grb2, thereby potentially linking alpha 6 beta 4 to the ras pathway. The beta 4 subunit was found to be phosphorylated at multiple tyrosine residues in vivo, including a tyrosine‐based activation motif (TAM) resembling those found in T and B cell receptors. Phenylalanine substitutions at the beta 4 TAM disrupted association of alpha 6 beta 4 with hemidesmosomes, but did not interfere with tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and recruitment of Grb2. These results indicate that signal transduction by the alpha 6 beta 4 integrin is mediated by an associated tyrosine kinase and that phosphorylation of distinct sites in the beta 4 tail mediates assembly of the hemidesmosomal cytoskeleton and recruitment of Shc/Grb2.

The transcription factor Sox2 is active in neural stem cells, and Sox2 'knockdown' mice show defects in neural stem/progenitor cells in the hippocampus and eye, and possibly some neurons. In humans, heterozygous Sox2 deficiency is associated with eye abnormalities, hippocampal malformation and epilepsy. To better understand the role of Sox2, we performed in vitro differentiation studies on neural stem cells cultured from embryonic and adult brains of 'knockdown' mutants. Sox2 expression is high in undifferentiated cells, and declines with differentiation, but remains visible in at least some of the mature neurons. In mutant cells, neuronal, but not astroglial, differentiation was profoundly affected. ␤-Tubulin-positive cells were abundant, but most failed to progress to more mature neurons, and showed morphological abnormalities. Overexpression of Sox2 in neural cells at early, but not late, stages of differentiation, rescued the neuronal maturation defect. In addition, it suppressed GFAP expression in glial cells. Our results show an in vitro requirement for Sox2 in early differentiating neuronal lineage cells, for maturation and for suppression of alternative lineage markers. Finally, we examined newly generated neurons from Sox2 'knockdown' newborn and adult mice. GABAergic neurons were greatly diminished in number in newborn mouse cortex and in the adult olfactory bulb, and some showed abnormal morphology and migration properties. GABA deficiency represents a plausible explanation for the epilepsy observed in some of the knockdown mice, as well as in SOX2-deficient individuals.

The alpha 6 beta 4 integrin is structurally distinct from all the other known integrins because the cytoplasmic domain of beta 4 is unusually large and contains four type III fibronectin-like modules toward its C-terminus. To examine the function of the beta 4 cytoplasmic tail, we have expressed full-length and truncated human beta 4 cDNAs in rat bladder epithelial 804G cells, which form hemidesmosome-like adhesions in vitro. The cDNA encoded wild-type beta 4 subunit associated with endogenous alpha 6 and was recruited at the cell surface within hemidesmosome-like adhesions. A recombinant form of beta 4, lacking almost the entire cytoplasmic domain associated with alpha 6, reached the cell surface but remained diffusely distributed. A beta 4 molecule lacking almost the entire extracellular portion did not associate with alpha 6 but was correctly targeted to the hemidesmosome-like adhesions. Thus, the cytoplasmic portion of beta 4 contains sequences that are required and may be sufficient for the assembly of the alpha 6 beta 4 integrin into hemidesmosomes. To localize these sequences we examined the properties of additional mutant forms of beta 4. A truncated beta 4 subunit, lacking the most C-terminal pair of type III fibronectin homology domains, was incorporated into hemidesmosome-like adhesions, but another recombinant beta 4 molecule, lacking both pairs of type III fibronectin repeats, was not. Finally a recombinant beta 4 molecule, which was created by adjoining the region of the cytoplasmic domain including all type III repeats to the transmembrane segment, was efficiently recruited in hemidesmosome-like adhesions. Taken together these results suggest that the assembly of the alpha 6 beta 4 integrin into hemidesmosomes is mediated by a 303-amino acid region of beta 4 tail that comprises the first pair of type III fibronectin repeats and the segment between the second and third repeats. These data imply a function of a specific segment of the beta 4 cytoplasmic domain in interaction with cytoskeletal components of hemidesmosomes.

Abstract. To examine the function of the c~d~4 integrin we have determined its ligand-binding ability and overexpressed two potentially dominant negative mutant ~4 subunits, lacking either the cytoplasmic or extracellular domain, in bladder epithelial 804G cells. The results of cell adhesion and radioligand-binding assays showed that O/6~4 is a receptor for several laminin isoforms, including laminin 1, 2, 4, and 5. Overexpression of the tail-less or head-less mutant J~4 subunit did not suppress ota34-mediated adhesion to laminins, as both types of transfectants adhered to these ligands in the presence of blocking anti-Bt antibodies as well as the controls. However, immunotiuorescence experiments indicated that the endogenous Og6~4 integrin and other hemidesmosomal markers were not concentrated in hemidesmosomes in cells overexpressing tail-less/34, while the distribution of these molecules was not altered in cells overexpressing the head-less subunit. Electron microscopic studies confirmed that cells overexpressing tail-less ~4 had a drastically reduced number of hemidesmosomes, while cells expressing the head-less subunit had a normal number of these structures. Thus, expression of a tail-less, but not a head-less mutant/~4 subunit leads to a dominant negative effect on hemidesmosome assembly without suppressing initial adhesion to laminins. We conclude that the c~/34 integrin binds to several laminins and plays an essential role in the assembly and/or stability of hemidesmosomes, that otd34-mediated adhesion and hemidesmosome assembly have distinct requirements, and that it is possible to use a dominant negative approach to selectively interfere with a specific function of an integrin.

No abstract

Lymphoid organ stromal cells comprise different subsets whose origin remains unknown. Herein, we exploit a genetic lineage-tracing approach to show that splenic fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs), follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), marginal reticular cells (MRCs), and mural cells, but not endothelial cells, originated from embryonic mesenchymal progenitors of the Nkx2-5+Islet1+ lineage. This lineage included embryonic mesenchymal cells with lymphoid tissue organizer (LTo) activity capable of supporting ectopic lymphoid-like structures, and a subset of resident spleen stromal cells that proliferated and regenerated the splenic stromal microenvironment following resolution of a viral infection. These findings identify progenitor cells that generate stromal diversity in spleen development and repair, and suggest the existence of multipotent stromal progenitors in the adult spleen with regenerative capacity.

No abstract

No abstract