title: Focal adhesion kinase enhances signaling through the Shc/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway in anaplastic astrocytoma tumor biopsy samples.
abstract: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that on activation generates signals that can modulate crucial cell functions, including cell proliferation, migration, and survival. In vitro, overexpression of FAK has been shown to promote cell proliferation by signaling through the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in several cell types. We have shown previously that overexpression of exogenous FAK lacking alternative splicing in malignant astrocytoma clones injected intracerebrally into SCID mouse brains promotes tumor cell proliferation. Here, we show that in anaplastic astrocytoma biopsy samples, FAK is expressed as an unspliced variant and migrates with a faster mobility similar to that observed in embryonic brain. Compared with nonneoplastic adult brain biopsies, the levels of FAK protein are elevated as are its levels of activation as assessed by autophosphorylation and overall tyrosine phosphorylation. The activity of Src kinase in these tumors is also elevated, as well as the activity of Src kinase associated with FAK; the latter may result in enhanced Src kinase phosphorylation of FAK. Phosphorylated Shc is associated with FAK in the anaplastic astrocytoma biopsy samples and in astrocytoma cells overexpressing FAK in vitro but not in nonneoplastic brain biopsy samples. Elevated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 activation and elevated expression of cyclins D and E are also found in anaplastic astrocytoma biopsy samples. These data provide evidence that the increased FAK activity in these tumors contributes to phosphorylation of Shc and likely to the promotion of Ras activity, extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 activation, and cell proliferation in vivo.
authors: Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
authors: Timothy P
authors: TP
authors: Hecker
authors: J Robert
authors: JR
authors: Grammer
authors: G Yancey
authors: GY
authors: Gillespie
authors: Jerry
authors: J
authors: Stewart
authors: Candece L
authors: CL
authors: Gladson
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D033942:Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport; D000328:Adult; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D056741:Cyclin D; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000378:metabolism; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055765:Shc Signaling Adaptor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D000071425:Src Homology 2 Domain-Containing, Transforming Protein 1; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D033942:Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport; D056741:Cyclin D; D019927:Cyclin E; D016213:Cyclins; D011506:Proteins; C528024:SHC1 protein, human; D055765:Shc Signaling Adaptor Proteins; C528034:Shc1 protein, mouse; D000071425:Src Homology 2 Domain-Containing, Transforming Protein 1; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C496050:PTK2 protein, human; D019061:src-Family Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1