Ll. Zhou et al., Signal transduction mediated by adhesion of human trabecular meshwork cells to extracellular matrix, EXP EYE RES, 70(4), 2000, pp. 457-465
In this study we investigated the signaling event induced by adhesion of hu
man trabecular meshwork (TM) cells to extracellular matrix (ECM) elements s
uch as fibronectin, The role of tyrosine phosphorylation in adhesion was ev
aluated. A number of intracellular entities involved in the adhesion-mediat
ed pathways were identified, For the experiments, human TM cells were seede
d onto fibronectin- or polylysine (negative control)-coated plates. Fifteen
, 30, 90 and 240 min after the seeding, cell lysates were collected. Immuno
blotting analysis revealed that tyrosine phosphorylation occurred within 15
min of adhesion of TM cells to fibronectin and the level increased with ti
me. The phosphotyrosyl proteins had molecular masses 25-220 kDa. A much low
er level of tyrosine phosphorylation was observed when cells were plated on
polylysine. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that the phosphotyro
sine-containing proteins included focal adhesion kinase, paxillin, phosphat
idylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen activated protein kinase. Within 30 ruin
of adherence to fibronectin, human TM cells immunostained for paxillin and
phosphotyrosine and exhibited prominent focal contacts. When treated with t
yrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and herbimycin A and a protein kinase C
(PRC) pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor, cell adhesion to fibronectin was
compromised and focal contact formation was limited. These results demonstr
ated that in human TM cells, tyrosine kinase was activated upon their adher
ence to fibronectin. PKC also appeared to play a role in modulation of the
cell-matrix adhesion process. The current study provides insight into the s
ignaling pathways that are linked to the ECM-induced events in TM cells. El
ucidation of the hierarchy of signal responses may help develop strategies
manipulating the cell-matrix interactions in the TM system. (C) 2000 Academ
ic Press.