Alpha2beta1 integrin promotes T cell survival and migration through the concomitant activation of ERK/Mcl-1 and p38 MAPK pathways.

Integrin-mediated attachment to extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for cancer progression. Malignant T cells such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) express β1 integrins, which mediate their interactions with ECM. However, the role of these interactions in T-ALL malignancy is still poorly explored. In the present study, we investigated the effect of collagen; an abundant ECM, on T-ALL survival and migration. We found that collagen through α2β1 integrin promotes the survival of T-ALL cell lines in the absence of growth factors. T-ALL cell survival by collagen is associated with reduced caspase activation and maintenance of Mcl-1 levels. Collagen activated both ERK and p38 MAPKs but only MAPK/ERK was required for collagen-induced T-ALL survival. However, we found that α2β1 integrin promoted T-ALL migration via both ERK and p38. Together these data indicate that α2β1 integrin signaling can represent an important signaling pathway in T-ALL pathogenesis and suggest that its blockade could be beneficial in T-ALL treatment.