Surface-induced phase separation of reconstituted nascent integrin clusters on lipid membranes.

Integrin adhesion complexes are essential membrane-associated cellular compartments for metazoan life. The formation of initial integrin adhesion complexes is a dynamic process involving focal adhesion proteins assembled at the integrin cytoplasmic tails and the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The weak multivalent protein interactions within the complex and with the plasma membrane suggest that liquid-liquid phase separation could play a role in the nascent adhesion assembly. Here, we report that solid-supported lipid membranes supplemented with phosphoinositides induce the phase separation of minimal integrin adhesion condensates composed of integrin ß1 tails, kindlin, talin, paxillin, and FAK at physiological ionic strengths and protein concentrations. We show that the presence of phosphoinositides is key to enriching kindlin and talin on the lipid membrane, which is necessary to further induce the phase separation of paxillin and FAK at the membrane. Our data demonstrate that lipid membrane surfaces set the local solvent conditions for steering the membrane-localized phase separation even in a regime where no condensate formation of proteins occurs in bulk solution.

Type IX collagen knock-out mouse shows progressive hearing loss.

Type IX collagen is one of the important components, together with type II, V, and XI collagens, in the tectorial membrane of the organ of Corti. To confirm the significance of type IX collagen for normal hearing, we assessed the detailed morphological and electrophysiological features of type IX collagen knock-out mice, which have recently been reported as a deafness model. Through assessment by auditory brainstem response (ABR), knock-out mice were shown to have progressive hearing loss. At the light microscopic level, the tectorial membrane of knock-out mice was found to be abnormal in shape. These morphological changes started in the basal turn and were progressive toward the apical turn. Electron microscopy confirmed disturbance of organization of the collagen fibrils. These results suggest that mutations in type IX collagen genes may lead to abnormal integrity of collagen fibers in the tectorial membrane.

Complementary roles of glycoprotein VI and alpha2beta1 integrin in collagen-induced thrombus formation in flowing whole blood ex vivo.

Platelets interact vigorously with subendothelial collagens that are exposed by injury or pathological damage of a vessel wall. The collagen-bound platelets trap other platelets to form aggregates, and they expose phosphatidylserine (PS) required for coagulation. Both processes are implicated in the formation of vaso-occlusive thrombi. We previously demonstrated that the immunoglobulin receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI), but not integrin alpha2beta1, is essential in priming platelet-collagen interaction and subsequent aggregation. Here, we report that these receptors have yet a complementary function in ex vivo thrombus formation during perfusion of whole blood over collagen. With mice deficient in GPVI or blocking antibodies, we found that GPVI was indispensable for collagen-dependent Ca2+ mobilization, exposure of PS, and aggregation of platelets. Deficiency of integrin beta1 reduces the GPVI-evoked responses but still allows the formation of loose platelet aggregates. By using mice deficient in G(alpha)q or specific thromboxane A2 and ADP antagonists, we show that these autocrine agents mediated aggregation but not collagen-induced Ca2+ mobilization or PS exposure. Collectively, these data indicate that integrin alpha2beta1 facilitates the central function of GPVI in the platelet activation processes that lead to thrombus formation, whereas the autocrine thromboxane A2 and ADP serve mainly to trigger aggregate formation.