Concentration of pp125 focal adhesion kinase (FAK) at the myotendinous junction

Author:

Baker L.P.1,Daggett D.F.1,Peng H.B.1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599.

Abstract

Focal adhesion kinase is a recently characterized tyrosine kinase that is concentrated at focal contacts in cultured cells. It is thought to play an important role in the regulation of the integrin-based signal transduction mechanism involved in the assembly of this membrane specialization. In this study, we examined the immunocytochemical distribution of focal adhesion kinase in Xenopus skeletal muscle and its role in the formation of two sarcolemmal specializations, the myotendinous junction and the neuromuscular junction, using a monoclonal antibody (2A7) against this protein. Immunoprecipitation of Xenopus embryonic tissues with this antibody demonstrated a single band at a relative molecular mass of 116 kDa. A distinct concentration of immunolabeling for focal adhesion kinase was observed at the myotendinous junction of muscle fibers in vivo. At this site, the labeling for this protein is correlated with an accumulation of phosphotyrosine immunolabeling. Focal adhesion kinase was not concentrated at the neuromuscular junction in muscle cells either in vivo or in vitro. However, it was localized at spontaneously formed acetylcholine receptor clusters in cultured Xenopus myotomal muscle cells, although its distribution was not exactly congruent with that of the receptors. In these cells, the accumulation focal adhesion kinase was induced by polystyrene microbeads. In addition, beads also induce the formation of acetylcholine receptor clusters and myotendinous junction-like specializations. By following the appearance of the focal adhesion kinase relative to the formation of these sarcolemmal specializations at bead-muscle contacts in cultured muscle cells, we conclude that the accumulation of this protein was in pace with the development of the myotendinous junction, but occurred well after the clustering of acetylcholine receptors. These results suggest that focal adhesion kinase may be involved in the development and/or maintenance of the myotendinous junction through an integrin-based signaling system. Although it can accumulate at acetylcholine receptor clusters formed in culture, it does not appear to be involved in the development of the neuromuscular junction.

Publisher

The Company of Biologists

Subject

Cell Biology

Cited by 18 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3