We show that combinatorial mouse alleles for the secreted metalloproteases Adamts5, Adamts20 (bt), and Adamts9 result in fully penetrant soft-tissue syndactyly. Interdigital webs in Adamts5−/−; bt/bt mice had reduced apoptosis and decreased cleavage of the proteoglycan versican; however, the BMP-FGF axis, which regulates interdigital apoptosis was unaffected. BMP4 induced apoptosis, but without concomitant versican proteolysis. Haploinsufficiency of either Vcan or Fbln1, a co-factor for versican processing by ADAMTS5, led to highly penetrant syndactyly in bt mice, suggesting that cleaved versican was essential for web regression. The local application of an amino-terminal versican fragment corresponding to ADAMTS-processed versican, induced cell death in Adamts5−/−; bt/bt webs. Thus, ADAMTS proteases cooperatively maintain versican proteolysis above a required threshold to create a permissive environment for apoptosis. The data highlight the developmental significance of proteolytic action on the ECM, not only as a clearance mechanism, but also as a means to generate bioactive versican fragments.

The fibulins are a family of proteins that are associated with basement membranes and elastic extracellular matrix fibres. This review summarizes findings from studies of animal models of fibulin deficiency, human fibulin gene mutations, human tumours and injury models that have advanced our understanding of the normal and pathological roles of members of this formerly obscure family.

Airway and/or lung remodeling, involving exaggerated extracellular matrix (ECM) protein deposition, is a critical feature common to pulmonary diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Fibulin-1 (Fbln1), an important ECM protein involved in matrix organization, may be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. We found that Fbln1 was increased in COPD patients and in cigarette smoke–induced (CS-induced) experimental COPD in mice. Genetic or therapeutic inhibition of Fbln1c protected against CS-induced airway fibrosis and emphysema-like alveolar enlargement. In experimental COPD, this occurred through disrupted collagen organization and interactions with fibronectin, periostin, and tenascin-c. Genetic inhibition of Fbln1c also reduced levels of pulmonary inflammatory cells and proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines (TNF-α, IL-33, and CXCL1) in experimental COPD. Fbln1c−/− mice also had reduced airway remodeling in experimental chronic asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Our data show that Fbln1c may be a therapeutic target in chronic respiratory diseases.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin are focal adhesion-associated, phosphotyrosine-containing proteins that physically interact. A previous study has demonstrated that paxillin contains two binding sites for FAK. We have further characterized these two binding sites and have demonstrated that the binding affinity of the carboxyl-terminal domain of FAK is the same for each of the two binding sites. The presence of both binding sites increases the affinity for FAK by 5-10-fold. A conserved paxillin sequence called the LD motif has been implicated in FAK binding. We show that mutations in the LD motifs in both FAK-binding sites are required to dramatically impair FAK binding in vitro. A paxillin mutant containing point mutations in both FAK-binding sites was characterized. The mutant exhibited reduced levels of phosphotyrosine relative to wild type paxillin in subconfluent cells growing in culture, following cell adhesion to fibronectin and in src-transformed fibroblasts. These results suggest that paxillin must bind FAK for maximal phosphorylation in response to cell adhesion and that FAK may function to direct tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin in the process of transformation by the src oncogene. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK)1 and paxillin are two focal adhesion-associated proteins that were initially isolated as phosphotyrosine containing proteins in src-transformed fibroblasts (1, 2). FAK and paxillin colocalize with integrins, which are transmembrane receptors that engage extracellular matrix ligands, e.g. fibronectin (3, 4). Upon binding ligand, the integrins trigger cytoplasmic signals that modulate cellular functions (5). One major mechanism of signal transduction utilized by integrins involves tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins (5, 6). Upon integrin-dependent cell adhesion, FAK becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and enzymatically activated. Other focal adhesion-associated proteins, including paxillin, also become tyrosine phosphorylated upon cell adhesion. FAK has been implicated in controlling several integrin-regulated biological functions including cell spreading, motility, growth, and survival (7-12).Several features of FAK that are important for its function have been defined and include its focal adhesion targeting (FAT) sequence and its autophosphorylation site. The carboxylterminal domain of FAK contains the FAT sequence and binding sites for the focal adhesion-associated proteins talin and paxillin (13-15). FAK autophosphorylates on tyrosine 397, creating a high affinity Src SH2-binding site (16 -18). Src family kinases associate with FAK using this SH2-binding site and a proximal Src SH3-binding site in FAK (16, 17, 19 -21). Two proteins that regulate the generation of lipid second messengers, phosphatidylinosotide 3Ј kinase and phospholipase C-␥1, can also bind to FAK through an SH2-mediated interaction with tyrosine 397 (22, 23). The association of one or more of these molecules with FAK is critical for biochemical signaling and the control of biological responses because mutation of tyr...

Here we report that mouse embryos homozygous for a gene trap insertion in the fibulin-1 (Fbln1) gene are deficient in Fbln1 and exhibit cardiac ventricular wall thinning and ventricular septal defects with double outlet right ventricle or overriding aorta. Fbln1 nulls also display anomalies of aortic arch arteries, hypoplasia of the thymus and thyroid, underdeveloped skull bones, malformations of cranial nerves and hemorrhagic blood vessels in the head and neck. The spectrum of malformations is consistent with Fbln1 influencing neural crest cell (NCC)-dependent development of these tissues. This is supported by evidence that Fbln1 expression is associated with streams of cranial NCCs migrating adjacent to rhombomeres 2-7 and that Fbln1-deficient embryos display patterning anomalies of NCCs forming cranial nerves IX and X, which derive from rhombomeres 6 and 7. Additionally, Fbln1-deficient embryos show increased apoptosis in areas populated by NCCs derived from rhombomeres 4, 6 and 7. Based on these findings, it is concluded that Fbln1 is required for the directed migration and survival of cranial NCCs contributing to the development of pharyngeal glands, craniofacial skeleton, cranial nerves, aortic arch arteries, cardiac outflow tract and cephalic blood vessels.