Cross-talk between alpha(4)beta(1)/alpha(5)beta(1) and c-Kit results in opposing effect on growth and survival of hematopoietic cells via the activation of focal adhesion kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Akt signaling pathways.

Erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) are deficient in mice lacking either the ligand stem cell factor (SCF), its receptor c-Kit, or beta(1)-integrins. In nonhematopoietic cells, integrins and receptor tyrosine kinases can collaborate to modulate cellular functions, providing evidence for cross-talk between signals emerging from these cell surface molecules. Using specific recombinant fibronectin peptides that contain the binding site for the integrin alpha(4)beta(1) (FN-H296) or alpha(5)beta(1) (FN-CH271) or both alpha(4)beta(1) and alpha(5)beta(1) (FN-CH296), this study investigated the effect of adhesion alone, or in combination with activation of c-Kit, on functional and biochemical outcomes in an EPC line, G1E-ER2, and primary EPCs. G1E-ER2 cells and primary EPCs cultured on FN-CH271 in the presence of c-Kit activation led to a significant increase in proliferation in comparison with cells grown on FN-H296 or FN-CH296. G1E-ER2 cells cultured on FN-H296 or FN-CH296 resulted in significant cell death in comparison to cells grown on FN-CH271. Activation of c-Kit enhanced the survival of G1E-ER2 cells grown on FN-H296 or FN-CH296; however, the rescue was only partial. The reduced survival of G1E-ER2 cells on FN-H296 correlated with reduced activation of Akt and expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L), whereas increase in proliferation on FN-CH271 correlated with significantly enhanced and sustained activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. These data demonstrate that adhesion-induced signals emanating from ligation of alpha(4)beta(1) and alpha(5)beta(1) result in distinct biologic outcomes, including death via alpha(4)beta(1) and survival/proliferation via alpha(5)beta(1). (Blood. 2001;97:1975-1981)