Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 21, 2026

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
Proximal, selective, and dynamic interactions between integrin alphaIIbbeta3 and protein tyrosine kinases in living
Maddalena de Virgilio1, William B Kiosses, Sanford J Shattil
1Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Rd., VB-5, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Stable platelet aggregation, adhesion, and spreading during hemostasis are promoted by outside-in alphaIIbbeta3 signals that feature rapid activation of c-Src and Syk, delayed activation of FAK, and cytoskeletal reorganization. To evaluate these alphaIIbbeta3-tyrosine kinase interactions at nanometer proximity in living cells, we monitored bioluminescence resonance energy transfer between GFP and Renilla luciferase chimeras and bimolecular fluorescence complementation between YFP half-molecule chimeras. These techniques revealed that alphaIIbbeta3 interacts with c-Src at the periphery of nonadherent CHO cells. After plating cells on fibrinogen, complexes of alphaIIbbeta3-c-Src, alphaIIbbeta3-Syk, and c-Src-Syk are observed in membrane ruffles and focal complexes, and the interactions involving Syk require Src activity. In contrast, FAK interacts with alphaIIbbeta3 and c-Src, but not with Syk, in focal complexes and adhesions. All of these interactions require the integrin beta3 cytoplasmic tail. Thus, alphaIIbbeta3 interacts proximally, if not directly, with tyrosine kinases in a coordinated, selective, and dynamic manner during sequential phases of alphaIIbbeta3 signaling to the actin cytoskeleton.
Related Concept Videos
Receptor Tyrosine Kinases
Integrins
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Activation of Integrins
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:

