. Increased extracellular pressure enhances cancer cell integrin-binding affinity through phosphorylation of 1-integrin at threonine 788/789. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 296: C193-C204, 2009. First published November 12, 2008 doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00355.2008.-Increased extracellular pressure stimulates 1-integrin-dependent cancer cell adhesion. We asked whether pressure-induced adhesion is mediated by changes in 1-integrin binding affinity or avidity and whether these changes are phosphorylation dependent. We evaluated integrin affinity and clustering in human SW620 colon cancer cells by measuring differences in binding between soluble Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-Fc ligands and RGD-Fc-F(abЈ)2 multimeric complexes under ambient and 15-mmHg increased pressures. Phosphorylation of 1-integrin S785 and T788/9 residues in SW620 and primary malignant colonocytes was assessed in parallel. We further used GD25-1-integrin-null murine fibroblasts stably transfected with either wild-type 1A-integrin, S785A, TT788/9AA, or T788D mutants to investigate the role of 1-integrin site-specific phosphorylation. SW620 binding of RGD-Fc-F(abЈ)2 multimeric complexes, but not soluble RGD-Fc ligands, was sensitive to integrin clustering. RGD-Fc ligand binding was significantly increased under elevated pressure, suggesting that pressure modulates 1-integrin affinity. Pressure stimulated both 1-integrin S785 and T788/9 phosphorylation. GD25-1A-integrin wild-type and S785A cells displayed an increase in adhesion to fibronectin under elevated pressure, an effect absent in 1-integrin-null and TT788/9AA cells. T788D substitution significantly elevated basal cell adhesion but displayed no further increase under pressure. These results suggest pressure-induced cell adhesion is mediated by 1-integrin T788/9 phosphorylation-dependent changes in integrin binding affinity. adhesion; mechanotransduction; metastasis INTEGRIN-MEDIATED TUMOR CELL adhesion to extracellular matrix components or endothelial cells is an important step in the development of metastatic lesions. Integrin binding affinity is regulated by distinct receptor activation states (23). Initial cell attachment requires integrin activation by cytoplasmic signals that convey large conformational changes to the extracellular domain and enhance ligand-binding affinity (56). The avidity and strength of the interaction is further increased through the redistribution of integrins in the cell membrane, often referred to as receptor clustering (65). The tendency of some malignancies to exhibit reduced integrin expression while maintaining adhesive properties underscores the significance of integrin activation states in mediating tumor cell adhesion (33, 47).Likewise, mutations conferring constitutive integrin activation have been shown to directly contribute to the metastatic potential of cancer cells (20,53). Mechanisms underlying integrin affinity and avidity modulation are therefore of significant interest in the control of tumor metastasis.It is increasingly clear that integrin modulation may...