Tetraspanin CD9 links junctional adhesion molecule-A to αvβ3 integrin to mediate basic fibroblast growth factor-specific angiogenic signaling

Mol Biol Cell. 2013 Apr;24(7):933-44. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E12-06-0481. Epub 2013 Feb 6.

Abstract

Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) is a member of the immunoglobulin family with diverse functions in epithelial cells, including cell migration, cell contact maturation, and tight junction formation. In endothelial cells, JAM-A has been implicated in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-regulated angiogenesis through incompletely understood mechanisms. In this paper, we identify tetraspanin CD9 as novel binding partner for JAM-A in endothelial cells. CD9 acts as scaffold and assembles a ternary JAM-A-CD9-αvβ3 integrin complex from which JAM-A is released upon bFGF stimulation. CD9 interacts predominantly with monomeric JAM-A, which suggests that bFGF induces signaling by triggering JAM-A dimerization. Among the two vitronectin receptors, αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrin, which have been shown to cooperate during angiogenic signaling with bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), respectively, CD9 links JAM-A specifically to αvβ3 integrin. In line with this, knockdown of CD9 blocks bFGF- but not VEGF-induced ERK1/2 activation. JAM-A or CD9 knockdown impairs endothelial cell migration and tube formation. Our findings indicate that CD9 incorporates monomeric JAM-A into a complex with αvβ3 integrin, which responds to bFGF stimulation by JAM-A release to regulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, endothelial cell migration, and angiogenesis. The data also provide new mechanistic insights into the cooperativity between bFGF and αvβ3 integrin during angiogenic signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CHO Cells
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism*
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / pharmacology*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Integrin alphaVbeta3 / genetics
  • Integrin alphaVbeta3 / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mutation
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / genetics
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tetraspanin 29 / genetics
  • Tetraspanin 29 / metabolism*
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • CD9 protein, human
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • F11R protein, human
  • Integrin alphaVbeta3
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Tetraspanin 29
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases