title: The laminin-nidogen complex is a ligand for a specific splice isoform of the transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase LAR.
abstract: Leukocyte antigen-related protein (LAR) is a prototype for a family of transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatases whose extracellular domain is composed of three Ig and several fibronectin type III (FnIII) domains. Complex alternative splicing of the LAR-FnIII domains 4-8 has been observed. The extracellular matrix laminin-nidogen complex was identified as a ligand for the LAR-FnIII domain 5 (Fn5) using a series of GST-LAR-FnIII domain fusion proteins and testing them in in vitro ligand-binding assays. LAR- laminin-nidogen binding was regulated by alternative splicing of a small exon within the LAR-Fn5 so that inclusion of this exon sequence resulted in disruption of the laminin-nidogen-binding activity. Long cellular processes were observed when HeLa cells were plated on laminin-nidogen, but not when plated on a fibronectin surface. Indirect immunofluorescent antibody staining revealed high expression of LAR in a punctate pattern, throughout the length of these cellular processes observed on laminin-nidogen. Antibody-induced cross-linking of LAR inhibited formation of these cellular processes, and inhibition was correlated with changes in cellular actin cytoskeletal structure. Thus, LAR-laminin-nidogen binding may play a role in regulating cell signaling induced by laminin-nidogen, resulting in cell morphological changes.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Thai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D001665:Binding Sites; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D054630:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 4; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007797:Laminin; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C029967:nidogen; C516841:PTPRA protein, human; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D054630:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 4