EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL-REGULATED KINASE AND C-JUN NH2-TERMINAL KINASE ACTIVATION BY MECHANICAL STRETCH IS INTEGRIN-DEPENDENT AND MATRIX-SPECIFIC IN RAT CARDIAC FIBROBLASTS
Da. Mackenna et al., EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL-REGULATED KINASE AND C-JUN NH2-TERMINAL KINASE ACTIVATION BY MECHANICAL STRETCH IS INTEGRIN-DEPENDENT AND MATRIX-SPECIFIC IN RAT CARDIAC FIBROBLASTS, The Journal of clinical investigation, 101(2), 1998, pp. 301-310
Integrins, which connect the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix
and mediate a variety of signaling cascades, may transduce mechanical
stimuli into biochemical signals. We studied integrin-and matrix-depen
dent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK2), c-Jun
NH2-terminal kinase (JNK1), and p38 in response to 4% static biaxial
stretch in rat cardiac fibroblasts. ERK2 and JNK1, but not p38, were r
apidly activated by stretch when the fibroblasts were allowed to synth
esize their own matrices. When the cells were limited to specific matr
ix substrates, ERK2 and JNK1 were differentially activated: ERK2 was o
nly activated when the cells were plated on fibronectin, while JNK1 wa
s activated when the cells were plated on fibronectin, vitronectin, or
laminin. Plating cells on collagen before stretching did not activate
either kinase. Adhesion to all matrices was integrin-dependent becaus
e it could be blocked by inhibitors of specific integrins. ERK2 activa
tion could be blocked with a combination of anti-alpha 4 and -alpha 5
antibodies and an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide, while
the antibodies or peptide used separately failed to block ERK2 activat
ion. This result suggests that at least two integrins, alpha 4 beta 1
and an RGD-directed, non-alpha 5 beta 1 integrin, activate ERK2 in res
ponse to mechanical stimulation. Activation of JNK1 could not be block
ed with the inhibitors, suggesting that an RGD-independent integrin or
integrins other than alpha 4 beta 1 can activate JNK1 in cells adhere
nt to fibronectin. This study demonstrates that integrins act as mecha
notransducers, providing insight into potential mechanisms for in vivo
responses to mechanical stimuli.