Signal-Transducing Adaptor Protein-2 Regulates Integrin-Mediated T Cell Adhesion through Protein Degradation of Focal Adhesion Kinase

Authors:
Sekine Y, Tsuji S, Ikeda O, Sugiyma K, Oritani K, Shimoda K, Muromoto R, Ohbayashi N, Yoshimura A, Matsuda T
In:
Source: J Immunol
Publication Date: (2007)
Issue: 179(4): 2397-407
Research Area:
Immunotherapy / Hematology
Cells used in publication:
Jurkat
Species: human
Tissue Origin: blood
Jurkat-modified
Species: human
Tissue Origin:
Platform:
Nucleofector® I/II/2b
Abstract
Signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 (STAP-2) is a recently identified adaptor protein that contains pleckstrin homology- and Src homology 2-like domains as well as a YXXQ motif in its C-terminal region. Our previous studies demonstrated that STAP-2 binds to STAT3 and STAT5, and regulates their signaling pathways. In the present study, we find that STAP-2-deficient splenocytes or T cells exhibit enhanced cell adhesion to fibronectin after PMA treatment, and that STAP-2-deficient T cells contain the increased protein contents of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Furthermore, overexpression of STAP-2 induces a dramatic decrease in the protein contents of FAK and integrin-mediated T cell adhesion to fibronectin in Jurkat T cells via the degradation of FAK. Regarding the mechanism for this effect, we found that STAP-2 associates with FAK and enhances its degradation, proteasome inhibitors block FAK degradation, and STAP-2 recruits an endogenous E3 ubiquitin ligase, Cbl, to FAK. These results reveal a novel regulation mechanism for integrin-mediated signaling in T cells via STAP-2, which directly interacts with and degrades FAK.