Dual signaling by the alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin activates cytosolic PLA(2) in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Vitronectin, which ligates the alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin, increases both lung capillary permeability and lung endothelial Ca(2+). In stable monolayers of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs) viewed with confocal microscopy, multimeric vitronectin aggregated the apically located alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin. This caused arachidonate release that was inhibited by pretreating the monolayers with the anti-alpha(v)beta(3) monoclonal antibody (MAb) LM609. No inhibition occurred in the presence of the isotypic MAb PIF6, which recognizes the integrin alpha(v)beta(5). Vitronectin also caused membrane translocation and phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) as well as tyrosine phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 2. The cPLA(2) inhibitor arachidonyl trifluoromethylketone, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, and the MAPK kinase inhibitor PD-98059 all blocked the induced arachidonate release. PD-98059 did not inhibit the increase of cytosolic Ca(2+) or cPLA(2) translocation, although it blocked tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK2. Moreover, although the intracellular Ca(2+) chelator MAPTAM also inhibited arachidonate release, it did not inhibit tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK2. These findings indicate that ligation of apical alpha(v)beta(3) in BPAECs caused ERK2 activation and an increase of intracellular Ca(2+), both conjointly required for cPLA(2) activation and arachidonate release. This is the first instance of a tyrosine phosphorylation-initiated "two-hit" signaling pathway that regulates an integrin-induced proinflammatory response.