title: Phosphorylation-dependent paxillin-ERK association mediates hepatocyte growth factor-stimulated epithelial morphogenesis.
abstract: Activation of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor c-met results in the regulation of cell-matrix interactions, including the MAPK-dependent stimulation of epithelial cell morphogenesis. In the present study we demonstrate that HGF stimulates the localization of ERK to sites of cell-matrix interactions and that this is mediated by the tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent association of inactive ERK and the focal adhesion complex protein paxillin. In addition, paxillin was found to associate with the upstream MAP kinases Raf and MEK, resulting in a complex that can mediate localized ERK activation. Mutation of the ERK binding site in paxillin prevented HGF-stimulated ERK-paxillin association and eliminated HGF-induced cell spreading and branching process formation. These experiments reveal that paxillin-dependent ERK activation at sites of cell-matrix interaction is critical for HGF-stimulated epithelial morphogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Shuta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishibe
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joly
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lloyd G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Cantley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D051419:Paxillin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C496062:Pxn protein, mouse; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019061:src-Family Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases