How physical force is sensed by cells and transduced into cellular signaling pathways is poorly understood. Previously, we showed that tyrosine phosphorylation of p130Cas (Cas) in a cytoskeletal complex is involved in force-dependent activation of the small GTPase Rap1. Here, we mechanically extended bacterially expressed Cas substrate domain protein (CasSD) in vitro and found a remarkable enhancement of phosphorylation by Src family kinases with no apparent change in kinase activity. Using an antibody that recognized extended CasSD in vitro, we observed Cas extension in intact cells in the peripheral regions of spreading cells, where higher traction forces are expected and where phosphorylated Cas was detected, suggesting that the in vitro extension and phosphorylation of CasSD are relevant to physiological force transduction. Thus, we propose that Cas acts as a primary force sensor, transducing force into mechanical extension and thereby priming phosphorylation and activation of downstream signaling.

p47v‐crk (v‐Crk), a transforming gene product containing Src homology (SH)‐2 and ‐3 domains, induces an elevated level of tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins. Among these proteins, a 125‐135 kDa protein (p130) shows marked phosphorylation at tyrosines and tight association with v‐Crk, suggesting a direct signal mediator of v‐Crk. Here we report the molecular cloning of rat p130 by immunoaffinity purification. The p130 is a novel SH3‐containing signaling molecule with a cluster of multiple putative SH2‐binding motifs of v‐Crk. Immunochemical analyses revealed that p130 is highly phosphorylated at tyrosines during transformation by p60v‐src (v‐Src), as well as by v‐Crk, forming stable complexes with these oncoproteins. The p130 behaves as an extremely potent substrate of kinase activity included in the complexes and it is a major v‐Src‐associated substrate of the Src kinase by partial peptidase mapping. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated that the cytoplasmic p130 could move to the membrane upon tyrosine phosphorylation. The p130 (designated Cas for Crk‐associated substrate) is a common cellular target of phosphorylation signal via v‐Crk and v‐Src oncoproteins, and its unique structure indicates the possible role of p130Cas in assembling signals from multiple SH2‐containing molecules.

p130Cas (Cas), the protein encoded by the Crkas gene (also known as Cas), is an adaptor molecule with a unique structure that contains a Src homology (SH)-3 domain followed by multiple YXXP motifs and a proline-rich region. Cas was originally cloned as a highly tyrosine-phosphorylated protein in cells transformed by v-Src (refs 2,3) or v-Crk (ref. 4) and has subsequently been implicated in a variety of biological processes including cell adhesion, cell migration, growth factor stimulation, cytokine receptor engagement and bacterial infection. To determine its role in vivo, we generated mice lacking Cas. Cas-deficient embryos died in utero showing marked systemic congestion and growth retardation. Histologically, the heart was poorly developed and blood vessels were prominently dilated. Electron microscopic analysis of the heart revealed disorganization of myofibrils and disruption of Z-disks. In addition, actin stress fiber formation was severely impaired in Cas-deficient primary fibroblasts. Moreover, expression of activated Src in Cas-deficient primary fibroblasts did not induce a fully transformed phenotype, possibly owing to insufficient accumulation of actin cytoskeleton in podosomes. These findings have defined Cas function in cardiovascular development, actin filament assembly and Src-induced transformation.

p130Cas is a major tyrosine-phosphorylated protein that tightly binds v-Crk in v-crk-transformed cells and v-Src in v-src-transformed cells. The "substrate domain" of p130Cas contains 15 possible Src homology (SH) 2-binding motifs, most of which conform to the binding motif for the Crk SH2 domain. Another region near its C terminus contains possible binding motifs for the Src SH2 domain and proline-rich sequences that are candidates for SH3-binding sites.Using GST fusion proteins, we revealed that both SH2 and SH3 domains of Src bind p130

CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) is a membrane protein that is highly expressed in several solid cancers. We reported previously that CDCP1 regulates anoikis resistance as well as cancer cell migration and invasion, although the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we found that expression of CDCP1 in pancreatic cancer tissue was significantly correlated with overall survival and that CDCP1 expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines was relatively high among solid tumor cell lines. Reduction of CDCP1 expression in these cells suppressed extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-9 secretion. Using the Y734F mutant of CDCP1, which lacks the tyrosine phosphorylation site, we showed that CDCP1 regulates cell migration, invasion, and ECM degradation in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent manner and that these CDCP1-associated characteristics were inhibited by blocking the association of CDCP1 and protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta). CDCP1 modulates the enzymatic activity of PKCdelta through the tyrosine phosphorylation of PKCdelta by recruiting PKCdelta to Src family kinases. Cortactin, which was detected as a CDCP1-dependent binding partner of PKCdelta, played a significant role in migration and invasion but not in ECM degradation of pancreatic cells. These results suggest that CDCP1 expression might play a crucial role in poor outcome of pancreatic cancer through promotion of invasion and metastasis and that molecules blocking the expression, phosphorylation, or the PKCdelta-binding site of CDCP1 are potential therapeutic candidates.