EphA2 signaling within integrin adhesions regulates fibrillar adhesion elongation and fibronectin deposition

The multifunctional glycoprotein fibronectin influences several crucial cellular processes and contributes to multiple pathologies. While a link exists between fibronectin-associated pathologies and the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2, the mechanism by which EphA2 promotes fibronectin matrix remodeling remains unknown. We previously demonstrated that EphA2 deletion reduces smooth muscle fibronectin deposition and blunts fibronectin deposition in atherosclerosis without influencing fibronectin expression. We now show that EphA2 expression is required for contractility-dependent elongation of tensin-and a5b1 integrin-rich fibrillar adhe-sions that drive fibronectin fibrillogenesis. Mechanistically, EphA2 localizes to integrin adhesions where focal adhesion kinase mediates ligand-independent Y772 phosphorylation, and mutation of this site significantly blunts fibrillar adhesion length. EphA2 deficiency decreases smooth muscle cell contractility by enhancing p190RhoGAP activation and reducing RhoA activity, whereas stimulating RhoA signaling in EphA2 deficient cells rescues fibrillar adhesion elongation. Together, these data identify EphA2 as a novel regulator of fibrillar adhesion elongation and provide the first data identifying a role for EphA2 signaling in integrin adhesions. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Automated summary

The study reveals that EphA2 plays a crucial role in regulating fibrillar adhesion elongation and its deficiency affects fibronectin deposition by influencing cell contractility and RhoA signaling.