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Originally published In Press as doi:10.1074/jbc.M212396200 on May 16, 2003
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 31, 29115-29120, August 1, 2003
Targeting Membrane-localized Focal Adhesion Kinase to Focal Adhesions
ROLES OF TYROSINE PHOSPHORYLATION AND SRC FAMILY KINASES*
Ben-Zion Katz ¶,
Lewis Romer || **,
Shingo Miyamoto ,
Tova Volberg  ,
Kazue Matsumoto ,
Edna Cukierman ,
Benjamin Geiger   and
Kenneth M. Yamada
From the
Craniofacial Developmental Biology and
Regeneration Branch, NIDCR, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
20892, the ||Departments of Anesthesiology, Cell
Biology, and Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
Baltimore, Maryland 21224, the Hematology
Institute, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel, and the
 Department of Molecular Cell Biology,
The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Received for publication, December 5, 2002
, and in revised form, May 4, 2003.
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ABSTRACT
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In the present study, we examined regulation of activated focal adhesion
kinase localization in focal adhesions. By using focal adhesion kinase fused
to an inert transmembrane anchor, we found that the focal contact targeting
region within focal adhesion kinase was preserved in the membrane-targeted
fusion protein. However, upon tyrosine phosphorylation, full-length focal
adhesion kinase became excluded from focal adhesions. This negative regulation
of localization could be abolished by mutating key amino acid residues of
focal adhesion kinase shown previously to be involved in adhesion-mediated
signal transduction. Hyper-phosphorylation of endogenous focal adhesion kinase
induced by pervanadate resulted in a similar reduction of localization at
focal adhesions. We also show here that Src family kinases are essential for
the phosphorylation-dependent exclusion of focal adhesion kinase from focal
adhesions. We propose here a molecular model for the tyrosine
phosphorylation-dependent regulation of focal adhesion kinase organization
involving Src kinases and an inhibitory phosphorylation of the C-terminal
(Tyr-925) tyrosine residue.
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INTRODUCTION
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Adhesion-mediated signaling triggers tyrosine phosphorylation of a
multitude of proteins, including paxillin, tensin, and focal adhesion kinase
(FAK)1
(14).
FAK phosphorylation following adhesion depends on its association with Src
family kinases, leading to the formation of multimolecular signaling complexes
in which FAK serves as a scaffold
(57).
Following activation, residue Tyr-397 of FAK becomes auto-phosphorylated,
resulting in the formation of an SH2-docking site
(5). Src family kinases then
associate with Tyr-397 and phosphorylate several other tyrosine residues in
FAK, including Tyr-925 that resides within the focal
adhesion targeting (FAT) sequence at the FAK C terminus
(5). The adaptor protein Grb2
then binds phosphorylated Tyr-925 and forms a signaling complex that includes
the nucleotide exchange factor Sos and the small GTP-binding protein Ras
(5). This sequence of events
contributes to activation of the ERK1/2 response
(5). Two additional pathways
lead to FAK-mediated activation of ERK1/2: one involves binding of the adaptor
protein p130Cas to the prolinerich region of FAK via an SH3 domain
interaction, and the second is the result of FAK association with the adaptor
protein Shc
(810).
The mechanisms that underlie FAK activation are not yet clear. Although FAK
lacks any myristoylation or farnesylation signals, membrane translocation of
FAK could be initiated by direct association with the 1
integrin tail (11). Close
indirect interaction between FAK and integrin cytoplasmic tails may also be
mediated via talin or paxillin
(12,
13). Indeed, several studies
(11,
14) have demonstrated that a
membrane-translocated form of FAK (following fusion to an inert transmembrane
anchor) results in an adhesion-independent, constitutive phosphorylation of
the molecule. This phosphorylated state of FAK depends on its association with
Src and is accompanied by constitutive association with several signaling
molecules including Cas and Grb2
(11,
14). Integrin/FAK association
may be essential for adhesion-mediated signaling, which can protect cells
against apoptosis (11).
However, adhesion-mediated signaling responses are transient, pointing to the
activity of negative regulatory mechanisms
(15,
16). For example, the
adhesion-induced ERK1/2 response is rapid, reaching a peak by 15 min, followed
by a swift decay
(1517).
Potential negative regulators of FAK activities include the phosphatases
Shp-2, PTP-PEST, and the dual specificity tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN
(1820).
In the present study, we examined whether membrane association of FAK
affects its interaction with focal adhesions and whether such interaction is
regulated by the phosphorylation state of FAK. We found that constitutively
activated FAK, induced by membrane translocation, is excluded from focal
adhesions of murine 3T3 and primary embryonic fibroblasts, as well as primary
human fibroblasts. The exclusion of hyper-phosphorylated FAK from focal
adhesions was prevented by mutating to arginine the Lys-454 residue (in the
ATP-binding site, making this a kinase-crippled mutation after a Lys-to-Arg
point mutation), Tyr-397 (the Src family kinase docking site), or Tyr-925 (the
C-terminal Grb2 docking site). All of these residues are known to contribute
to the FAK/Src family kinase signaling complex. Moreover, induction of
hyper-phosphorylation by pervanadate resulted in a similar reduction of FAK at
focal adhesions without affecting vinculin localization. We found that the
localization of a wild-type FAK transmembrane chimera to focal adhesions
improved when Src or a combination of Src, Yes, and Fyn were absent. We
suggest that the hyper-phosphorylation of juxtamembrane FAK inhibits its
localization to focal adhesions. Furthermore, this hyper-phosphorylation and
subsequent interference with FAK localization and function is regulated by Src
family kinases. This study demonstrates a novel regulatory mode of FAK
subcellular localization controlled by specific tyrosine phosphorylation.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
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Construction of Chimeric ReceptorsChimeric transmembrane
receptors were constructed using standard methods
(21). The sequences of all
constructs were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing, and protein expression
from the constructs described in this study was confirmed following
transfection by both immunofluorescence staining and Western immunoblotting.
The general approach to generate a chimera with each type of cytoplasmic
domain was to insert partial or full-length cDNA molecules into
HindIII-XhoI or HindIII-XbaI restriction
sites of the plasmid vector pCMV/IL-2R
(22). This vector is driven by
the CMV promoter, and it expresses the extracellular and transmembrane domains
of the non-signaling subunit of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) as
a fusion protein with any molecule of interest as the cytoplasmic domain, as
illustrated in Fig.
1A. Mouse FAK cDNA clone (pT7-7-FAK) was obtained from
the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA). Full-length mouse FAK
cDNA was inserted into pCMV/IL-2R as follows. A PCR product encoding the first
500 bp of FAK cDNA was generated using pT7-7-FAK as template with a primer
containing a HindIII site followed by 15 nucleotides encoding the
first 5 amino acids of FAK (GenBankTM MUSFAK, residue 110):
5'-GGCTAGAAGCTTATGGCAGCTGCTTAT-3', and the antisense
primer 5'-GGTGCTTCTAGAGGTCTACTTGATCAGC-3' corresponding
to nucleotides 586602 followed by an XbaI site. The PCR
product was ligated into CMV/IL-2R using its HindIII and
XbaI sites. An AccI-XbaI fragment was then removed
from the ligation product and replaced by an AccI-XbaI
fragment from pT7-7-FAK, creating a full-length IL-2R/FAK chimera that
included the FAK 3' non-translated region. The FAK454R mutant
was generated by converting codon 454 encoding lysine to an arginine residue,
and FAK397F and FAK925F were obtained by replacing the
tyrosine residue corresponding to amino acid position 397 or 925 with a
phenylalanine residue, using PCR-directed mutagenesis. Mutations were
confirmed by DNA sequencing. IL-2R/FRNK chimera was kindly provided by T.
Takino (CDBRB, NIDCR, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda).

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FIG. 1. Generation and expression of IL-2R/FAK chimeras. A,
full-length wild type murine FAK and its mutant variants (Y397F, K454R, and
Y925F) were fused with the non-signaling IL-2R subunit. Non-fused IL-2R
served as a negative control. IL-2R fused to the C terminus of FAK
corresponding to FRNK was also utilized. B, murine 3T3 cells were
transfected with IL-2R/FAK (lane 1), IL-2R/FAK397F
(lane 2), IL-2R/FAK454R (lane 3), or
IL-2R/FAK925F (lane 4). After 48 h the cells were
incubated in suspension for 1 h and then lysed, and immunoprecipitation
(IP) with anti-FAK monoclonal antibody was performed, followed by
Western blotting (WB) with anti-FAK monoclonal antibody (top
panel) or anti-phosphotyrosine (bottom panel).
Arrow-heads indicate the location of chimeric FAK molecules, and
arrows indicate the location of endogenous FAK.
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Cells and TransfectionsHuman foreskin fibroblasts were
kindly provided by Susan S. Yamada (NIDCR, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda). NIH 3T3 cells were kindly provided by J. Silvio Gutkind (NIDCR,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda). pp60c-Src null cells
(src/), derived from mice homozygous for a disruption of the
Src gene, as well as wild-type mouse embryo fibroblasts (wt), were
kindly provided by P. Schwartzberg and H. Varmus (NHGRI, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda). Fibroblasts homozygous for disruption of the Src,
Fyn, and Yes genes were generously provided by P. Soriano (Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle). All cell lines were maintained in culture
in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine
serum, glutamine, penicillin, streptomycin (Biological Industries, Beit
Ha'emek, Israel), and 1 mM sodium pyruvate (Sigma). Electroporation
of these cells with 30 µg of DNA for each chimeric IL-2R/cytoplasmic
protein construct was performed as described previously at 170 V and 960
microfarads with a Bio-Rad Gene Pulser but without any thymidine block
(22). Some transfections were
performed using LipofectAMINE Plus (Invitrogen) utilizing standard protocols.
Treatment of cells with vanadate was performed using activation to pervanadate
as described (23). Briefly,
vanadate was activated to pervanadate with hydrogen peroxide, and excess
hydrogen peroxide was removed with catalase as described
(23). The solution was added
to regular culture medium at a final concentration of 0.1 mM
pervanadate, and cells were fixed for immunofluorescence after incubation for
5120 min. Controls were untreated or treated with an equal quantity of
control hydrogen peroxide/catalase solution.
Immunological ReagentsMouse monoclonal antibodies 7G7/B6
against the human IL-2 receptor subunit (Tac antigen) and
anti-phosphotyrosine 4G10 were from Upstate Biotechnology, Inc. (Lake Placid,
NY). FITC-conjugated rat anti-human IL-2 receptor antibody MCA350F was
purchased from Serotec (Raleigh, NC). Mouse anti-human vinculin monoclonal
antibody was kindly provided by V. Koteliansky (Biogen, Boston). Mouse
monoclonal antibody against FAK was purchased from Transduction Laboratories
(Lexington, KY).
Immunoprecipitation and Western BlottingMurine 3T3 cells
were transfected with the indicated plasmids, and 48 h later the cells were
rinsed with PBS containing 1 mM sodium orthovanadate and lysed with
RIPA buffer (1% Triton X-100, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS, 150
mM NaCl, 50 mM Tris, pH 8.0, 20 µg/ml aprotinin, 2
µg/ml leupeptin, 1 µg/ml pepstatin A, 2 mM
phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 mM sodium orthovanadate). Protein
extracts were subjected to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.
Indirect ImmunofluorescenceTransfected cells were stained
by indirect immunofluorescence as described previously
(24). Cells were fixed with 4%
formaldehyde in PBS for 20 min and permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 in PBS
for 5 min. The cells were then incubated with the indicated first (45 min) and
second (45 min) antibodies in PBS. Anti-FAK, anti-vinculin or
anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies were used at 10 µg/ml followed by staining
with secondary Alexa- or Cy3-conjugated goat anti-mouse antiserum diluted
1:200. In some experiments, FITC-conjugated rat anti-human IL-2 receptor
antibody was utilized at a 1:50 dilution.
Digital Fluorescence Image Analysis of Subcellular
Distribution The system used for quantitative fluorescence
microscopy and image analysis is described in detail elsewhere
(25). Briefly, the specimens
were examined with a DeltaVision digital microscope system (Applied
Precision). Images of focal adhesions were segmented by the Water algorithm
following high pass filtration (subtracting from each pixel the average over 4
x 4 µm area around the particle). The parameters in Water were
adjusted to the typical dimensions of focal adhesions and were kept constant
for all the analyses. To analyze the relationships between fluorescent probes
(IL-2R or phosphotyrosine), focal adhesions were segmented separately, and
fluorescence intensities were measured for each probe in the segmented focal
adhesions. Ratio images were calculated and presented in a spectral, log
scale, color look-up table that ranged from blue for low label ratios
( 0.1) to red for high label ratios ( 10). To utilize this 2
order-of-magnitude range optimally, and to compensate for the differences in
photon yields of different fluorescent labels, all the ratios were normalized
linearly by a constant that shifted their average toward a ratio value of 1.
In order to compare fluorescence intensity visually, spectrum scale
presentations of filtered fluorescence data were presented using a blue-to-red
linear spectrum scale.
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RESULTS
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Expression and Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Transmembrane FAK
ChimerasIt has been established that FAK can be activated by
membrane translocation to mimic its proximity to the plasma membrane in focal
adhesions (11,
14). In order to examine
whether the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues can regulate the
subcellular localization of highly phosphorylated FAK, we generated a
membrane-targeted form of FAK by fusing it to the non-signaling
subunit of the IL-2R as an inert transmembrane anchor
(Fig. 1A). The IL-2R
tac antigen ( subunit) was utilized to follow the specific location of
the transfected FAK molecules in cells.
In addition, we constructed several FAK transmembrane chimeras mutated at
residues previously shown to be involved in functions of the wild-type
molecule (Fig. 1A).
First, we examined the levels of FAK tyrosine phosphorylation following
expression of the chimeras in murine 3T3 cells. Previous studies indicated
that membrane translocation was sufficient to induce FAK tyrosine
phosphorylation even when the cells were maintained in suspension
(11,
14). In agreement with these
studies, we found that membrane-translocated FAK becomes hyper-phosphorylated
(Fig. 1B). As reported
previously, mutations of residues K454R (kinase-mutated) and Y397F (inactive
Src family SH2 docking site) significantly reduced FAK hyper-phosphorylation
(Fig. 1B)
(11,
14). Mutating residue Tyr-925
had no apparent effect on the overall level of FAK phosphorylation
(Fig. 1B). In
concurrence with previous studies, we observed trans-phosphorylation of
endogenous cytoplasmic FAK in cells expressing highly phosphorylated wild type
FAK or Y925F chimeras (Fig.
1B)
(14).
Subcellular Localization of Hyper-phosphorylated FAK and Its
MutantsOur previous studies indicated that transmembrane chimeras
containing integrin tails or cytoskeletal molecules (e.g.
vinculin) as their cytoplasmic fusions can localize to focal adhesions, in a
similar manner to their wild-type counterparts
(Fig. 2)
(22). We tested whether the
FAK C-terminal segment designated the focal adhesion
targeting (FAT) region is indeed functional when located close to
the plane of the membrane. Therefore, we fused the FAK C terminus
corresponding to the FRNK region to IL-2R
(Fig. 1A). When
expressed in human foreskin fibroblasts, this IL-2R/FRNK chimera localized to
focal adhesions (not shown).

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FIG. 2. Localization patterns of IL-2R chimeras in primary human
fibroblasts. Human foreskin fibroblasts were transfected with the IL-2
receptor gp55 subunit in chimeric combination with full-length vinculin, FAK
(wild type), or FAK with Y397F, K454R, or Y925F mutations. Non-fused IL2R
served as a control. Forty eight hours following transfection, the cells were
stained for IL-2 receptor and vinculin or phosphotyrosine to confirm focal
contact localization. At least 50 transfected cells (stained for IL-2R) were
counted for each experiment, and the percentage of cells with focal
adhesion-localized chimera was calculated. Each chimera was examined in
35 independent transfections, and the average and S.E. of these
experiments are presented.
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However, as shown in Figs. 2
and 3, IL-2R/FAK that contains
the full-length FAK molecule did not localize to focal adhesions of primary
human fibroblasts. Lack of IL-2R/FAK localization was also observed in murine
3T3 cells and primary murine fibroblasts (not shown). In a similar manner, the
IL-2R molecule without any cytoplasmic tail that served as a negative control
was diffusely distributed on the cell membrane in agreement with previous
studies (Fig. 2)
(22). The inability of the FAK
chimera to localize was not due to destruction of cell-matrix adhesion sites,
as confirmed by double-labeling the transfected cells with anti-vinculin
antibody, demonstrating that focal adhesions persist in the transfected cells
(Fig. 3). The lack of
hyper-phosphorylated FAK localization has been reported previously and may
depend on the cell type being examined
(11). One possibility was that
FAK turnover within focal adhesions might decrease, thereby reducing the rate
of incorporation of the chimeric form into already-established focal
adhesions. To test this hypothesis, the transfected cells were detached and
replated on fibronectin-coated coverslips. After 10, 30, 60, and 120 min, the
cells were fixed, permeabilized, and double-stained for the IL-2R portion of
the chimera and for vinculin. These double-localization analyses demonstrated
that even though focal adhesions were formed in the transfected cells (as
confirmed by vinculin staining), the chimera was not incorporated into these
structures (not shown). This analysis indicates that the IL-2R/FAK chimera is
specifically excluded from focal adhesions.

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FIG. 3. Localization of IL-2R/FAK chimeras in primary human fibroblasts.
Human foreskin fibroblasts were transfected with the IL-2 receptor in chimeric
combination with full-length FAK (WT) or FAK with Y397F, K454R, or Y925F
mutations. Forty-eight hours after transfection, the cells were prepared for
immunofluorescence analysis of the localization of IL-2 receptor (left
panels) and vinculin (right panels). Note that the wild-type
(WT) FAK chimera failed to localize to focal adhesions. In contrast,
the Y397F, K454R, and Y925F chimeras localized effectively to focal
adhesions.
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To test whether the localization of endogenous FAK is also sensitive to its
tyrosine phosphorylation state, cells were treated with pervanadate for 5, 15,
30, 60, or 120 min; they were then fixed, permeabilized, and double-stained
with anti-Tyr-397-phosphorylated FAK and anti-FAK or with
anti-Tyr-397-phosphorylated FAK and anti-vinculin. At the earliest time point
examined (5 min), a substantial increase in diffusely localized
Tyr-397-phosphorylated FAK was observed concomitant with a loss of
hyper-phosphorylated FAK from focal adhesions that became striking by
1530 min (Fig. 4).
Because phospho-FAK remaining in focal adhesions might theoretically have been
masked by the large increases in general cytoplasmic phospho-FAK staining, we
also compared the localization of total FAK protein after pervanadate
treatment. Total FAK localized to focal adhesions was also substantially
reduced, whereas double-staining with anti-vinculin confirmed that the focal
adhesions remained intact (Fig.
4). These analyses of endogenous FAK confirm that the amount of
FAK in focal adhesions is reduced upon its hyper-phosphorylation. In order to
examine the regulation of FAK localization to focal adhesions by specific
tyrosine phosphorylation, we transfected human foreskin fibroblasts with IL-2R
chimeras containing FAK mutated at the K454R residue (a kinase active-site
mutation), Y397F (the Src family kinase docking site), or Y925F (the Grb2
docking site). As shown in Figs.
2 and
3, the IL-2R/FAK Y397F, K454R,
and Y925F mutant chimeras localized properly to focal adhesions of these
cells. Identical focal adhesion localization patterns were detected with the
FAK-mutated chimeras in murine 3T3 fibroblasts and murine embryonic
fibroblasts (not shown).

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FIG. 4. Pervanadate treatment induces reduction of FAK at focal adhesions.
Primary human fibroblasts were cultured overnight on glass coverslips and then
treated with 0.1 mM pervanadate or the hydrogen peroxide/catalase
control solution for 30 min as described under "Materials and
Methods." Double indirect immunofluorescence staining of
phospho-FAK397 (FAK pY397 in green)
and FAK or vinculin (in red) was performed. Note that in controls,
both FAK and vinculin co-localize in focal adhesions with
phospho-FAK397 (yellow in panels where red and
green localizations are merged). In contrast, treatment with
pervanadate not only disperses phospho-specific staining of FAK397
diffusely throughout the cell, but it also decreases total FAK in focal
adhesions without affecting the focal adhesion localization of vinculin.
Scale bar, 10 µm.
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Regulation of FAK Localization to Focal Adhesions by Src Family
KinasesSrc family kinases are important for generating
adhesion-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK
(5,
7). We hypothesized that the
presence of Src family kinases may be necessary for regulating FAK association
with focal adhesions. Therefore, we transfected the wild-type IL-2R/FAK
chimera into primary embryonic murine fibroblasts, which served as the control
for null fibroblasts. As demonstrated for primary human fibroblasts and murine
3T3 cells, the chimera did not localize to the focal adhesions of these cells
(not shown). However, when transfected into Src-deficient fibroblasts (Src
/) the wild type IL-2R/FAK chimera localized to focal adhesions
in 100% of the transfected cells (not shown).
Since Src family kinases Fyn and Yes may also bind to and phosphorylate
FAK, we transfected the wild type IL-2R/FAK chimera into fibroblasts obtained
from triple Src family null embryos (SYF /), and we examined its
subcellular localization. In this experiment, the wild-type IL-2R/FAK chimera
(as well as FAK mutants chimeras) localized effectively to focal adhesions of
89% of the transfected cells (Fig.
5). FAK mutant chimeras (e.g. FAK K454R) also
demonstrated similar localization to focal adhesions of SYF /
cells (Fig. 5).

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FIG. 5. IL-2R/FAK chimeras localization in
src/yes/fyn/
murine fibroblasts. Murine embryo fibroblasts lacking expression of
Src, Yes, and Fyn (SYF) were transfected with the IL-2 receptor in
chimeric combination with full-length FAK (WT) or FAK with a K454R mutation in
the kinase activation loop (K454R). One hour after plating on fibronectin, the
cells were prepared for immunofluorescence analysis of the localization of
IL-2 receptor (IL-2R and Cy3 labeling, red images) and
phosphotyrosine (pTyr, FITC labeling, green images). Ratio
images of IL-2 receptor to phosphotyrosine are shown for each type of
transfectant in the panels on the right. As shown in the ratio scale
bar, high ratios (IL-2R in excess) appear red, and low ratios
(phosphotyrosine (pTyr) in excess) appear blue, and regions
of relative identity between the intensity of the two labels appear
yellow. Note that both the wild type and K454R FAK chimeras localized
to focal adhesions. These adhesions appear yellow in the ratio
images, indicating that relative equal amounts of the two fluorescence
intensities (Cy3 and FITC) are found in these focal adhesions. FRI,
fluorescence ratio imaging. Scale bar, 10 µm.
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DISCUSSION
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Appropriate adhesion-mediated signaling responses require tight regulatory
mechanisms. Indeed, signaling responses mediated by focal adhesion kinase have
been shown to be activated by protein tyrosine kinases (e.g. Src
family kinases) or down-regulated by specific phosphatases (e.g.
Shp-2 and PTEN) (5,
7,
1820).
However, adhesion-mediated signaling may be mediated by a variety of
molecularly and structurally distinct cell-matrix adhesion sites that include
focal adhesions, fibrillar adhesions, three-dimensional matrix adhesions, and
podosomes (4,
27,
29). In fact, cell-matrix
adhesion sites not only mediate physical association of cells with the
extracellular matrix but may also function as specialized sites that initiate
and regulate signaling responses
(3032).
Although focal adhesion targeting regions have been identified in several
cytoskeletal and signaling molecules, including FAK, the regulation of these
regions still remains to a large extent unclear. One interesting exception is
vinculin. It was shown that vinculin/talin and vinculin/actin associations are
regulated by the intramolecular interactions of the vinculin N-terminal head
domain with its C-terminal tail
(33,
34). Phosphatidylinositol
4,5-bisphosphate may govern the vinculin head/tail association, thereby
controlling its molecular associations within focal adhesions
(33,
34). Mutations in the
proline-rich region of vinculin, which links the head and neck domains, may
affect the localization of the molecule
(35).
In the present study, we evaluated for the first time the regulation of
focal adhesion targeting of FAK by specific tyrosine phosphorylation. We also
tested the contribution of Src family kinases to the regulation of FAK
targeting to focal adhesions. Following association with the phosphorylated
FAK Tyr-397 residue, Src family kinases phosphorylate additional tyrosine
residues on FAK (5). Tyr-925 is
one of several tyrosine residues reported to be phosphorylated by Src family
kinases, generating a docking site for the adaptor protein Grb2 and a
signaling complex, resulting in activation of the ERK1/2 response
(5). It is interesting to note
that Tyr-925 resides within the region defined as the FAT sequence of FAK
(Fig. 1)
(36). Recent studies have
indicated that in some cell types, FAK molecules that reside close to the
plasma membrane are phosphorylated at residue Tyr-397. These molecules,
however, are predominantly diffusely distributed, and only a minor fraction is
localized in specific domains
(37). In contrast, the
predominant in vivo state of residue Tyr-925 is apparently
unphosphorylated (26).
Although focal adhesions of cells in vitro contain high levels of
tyrosine-phosphorylated molecules, non-phosphorylated or partially
phosphorylated FAK molecules appear to be the predominant form of this
molecule associated with matrix adhesions in vivo
(29). Tyr-397-phosphorylated
FAK does not localize to "three-dimensional matrix adhesions" in
fibroblasts attaching to three-dimensional matrices in vitro,
although it can be found in small focal complexes. Similarly,
5 integrin co-localizes with FAK in mouse embryonic tissue
sections but not with Tyr-397-phosphorylated FAK
(29).
We speculate that hyper-phosphorylated FAK is excluded from focal adhesions
for a variety of reasons. Phosphorylation that includes Tyr-925 may generate a
constitutive association with Grb2, as shown in previous studies
(11). The constitutive
signaling complex might sterically block the focal adhesion targeting site,
thereby inhibiting the association of activated FAK with focal adhesions
(Fig. 6). Alternatively, the
phosphorylation per se could have an inhibitory effect. The fact that
the highly phosphorylated IL-2R/FAK Y925F mutant does localize to focal
adhesions indicates that inhibition of FAK incorporation into focal adhesions
does not stem merely from total tyrosine phosphorylation of the molecule but
from the phosphorylation of specific residue(s). As depicted in
Fig. 1A, Tyr-925
resides within the FAT segment of FAK. Therefore, the specific tyrosine
phosphorylation of the Tyr-925 residue may be important for the regulation of
FAK localization to focal adhesions. An additional mechanism that may explain
the failure of highly phosphorylated FAK to localize to focal adhesions
requires a higher affinity association of hyper-phosphorylated FAK with other
molecular complexes, the FAK "scaffold." These complexes may be
tied up elsewhere within the cytoplasm, and the off-rates of these
interactions significantly altered such that availability of FAK for standard
focal adhesion targeting (e.g. via paxillin and talin) is decreased.
Alternatively, the constitutively hyper-phosphorylated FAK may have more
restricted mobility in the plane of the membrane due to interactions (directly
or indirectly via phosphatidylinositol phosphate) with membrane
lipoproteins.

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FIG. 6. Regulation of FAK localization by specific tyrosine phosphorylation.
A, in non-adherent cells FAK is not phosphorylated. B, upon
adhesion, FAK is recruited to the plasma membrane and clustered and
subsequently phosphorylated by adjacent FAK molecules and Src family kinases.
Specific phosphorylated tyrosine residues bind signaling molecules that
generate signaling responses (e.g. mitogenactivated protein kinase).
C, simultaneously to the progression of the biochemical signaling
responses, FAK-signaling complexes inhibit the focal adhesion localization
targeting sequences thereby reducing the association of FAK with
cell-extracellular matrix adhesion sites.
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The common denominator of these putative mechanisms is the basic principle
that tyrosine residues on FAK may function as molecular binary switches
("transistors"), cycling between states of reactivity according to
their phosphorylation level. Tyr-397 is trans-phosphorylated by nearby FAK
molecules and thus is regulated by the local density of the molecules
localized at the plasma membrane (Fig.
6). Phosphorylation at this site determines whether FAK will bind
Src family kinases and possibly other molecules, e.g. phospholipase
C (28). Src family
kinases expand the biochemical signal to additional tyrosine residues,
including Tyr-925 (Fig. 6).
Phosphorylation of Tyr-925 may require its molecular association with an Src
family kinase domain. Such association may be transient, but at high molecular
density of FAK and Src family molecules close to the inner plasma membrane
plane it may become more continuous. This specific state is achieved by use of
the chimeric FAK, which may represent the early stages of cell adhesion, where
FAK is recruited to the plasma membrane via direct and/or indirect
interactions with integrin tails. A previous study
(11) indicated that
anti-apoptotic signals, mediated by cell adhesion, may be inhibited by
peptides that inhibit direct interactions between FAK and integrin tails. This
inhibition was effective only during the early stages of cell adhesion
(11).
Therefore, several tyrosine residues of FAK may have a dual function as
follows: 1) regulation of biochemical signaling responses, by directly
controlling FAK enzymatic activity and its associations with signaling
molecules; and 2) regulation of FAK localization by modulation of
intermolecular and/or intramolecular interactions. This concept may apply to
other molecules as well. The two regulatory modes may be linked to an
integrated mode combining the subcellular localization of active signaling
complexes. In the case of FAK, hyper-phosphorylated molecules on specific
tyrosine residues may be selectively excluded from cell-matrix adhesion
sites.
 |
FOOTNOTES
|
|---|
* The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734
solely to indicate this fact. 
** Recipient of National Institutes of Health Grant HL03299, a Michael
Visiting Professorship from the Weizmann Institute, and Fogarty Senior
International Fellowship F06TW02341. 
 The E. Neter Chair in Cell and Tumor Biology. 
¶
To whom correspondence should be addressed: Hematology Institute, Tel Aviv
Medical Center, 6 Weizman St., Tel Aviv, Israel. Tel.: 972-3-6973517; Fax:
972-3-6974452.
1 The abbreviations used are: FAK, focal adhesion kinase; ERK, extracellular
signal-regulated kinase; FAT, focal adhesion targeting; FITC, fluorescein
isothiocyanate; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; IL-2, interleukin-2; IL-2R,
interleukin-2 receptor; SH, Src homology; CMV, cytomegalovirus. 
 |
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