title: Activation of focal adhesion kinase enhances the adhesion of Fusarium solani to human corneal epithelial cells via the tyrosine-specific protein kinase signaling pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the role of the integrin-FAK signaling pathway triggered by the adherence of F. solani to human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs).
  
  
  METHODS
  After pretreatment with/without genistein, HCECs were incubated with F. solani spores at different times (0-24 h). Cell adhesion assays were performed by optical microscopy. Changes of the ultrastructure were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of F-actin and Paxillin (PAX) were detected by immunofluorescence and western blotting to detect the expression of these key proteins with/without genistein treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cell adhesion assays showed that the number of adhered spores began to rise at 6 h after incubation and peaked at 8 h. SEM and TEM showed that the HCECs exhibited a marked morphological alteration induced by the attachment and entry of the spores. The expression of PAX increased, while the expression of F-actin decreased by stimulation with F. solani. The interaction of F. solani with HCECs causes actin rearrangement in HCECs. Genistein strongly inhibited FAK phosphorylation and the activation of the downstream protein (PAX). F. solani-induced enhancement of cell adhesion ability was inhibited along with the inhibition of FAK phosphorylation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the integrin-FAK signaling pathway is involved in the control of F. solani adhesion to HCECs and that the activation of focal adhesion kinase enhances the adhesion of human corneal epithelial cells to F. solani via the tyrosine-specific protein kinase signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Qingdao,China.
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qingjun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D019012:Integrin beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D051419:Paxillin / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019012:Integrin beta1; D051419:Paxillin; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases