Laminin regulates a tumor cell chemotaxis receptor through the laminin-binding integrin subunit alpha 6

Chemotaxis of the M27 variant of Lewis lung carcinoma to VGVAPG, an elastin-derived chemoattractant, is restricted by the basement membrane glycoprotein laminin. Laminin does not inhibit random migration of M27 tumor cells, nor does it inhibit M27 cell chemotaxis to a second chemotactic peptide, fMLF. The laminin sensitivity of VGVAPG chemotaxis appears to be independent of adhesion to laminin, and it is not due to competitive inhibition of VGVAPG receptor binding. Preincubation of M27 cells with laminin reduces the affinity of VGVAPG-specific binding without altering the number of available VGVAPG receptors. Reduced VGVAPG receptor affinity was previously observed: (a) a nonresponsive Lewis lung carcinoma variant, H59, expresses low-affinity VGVAPG binding and (b) maintenance of high-affinity VGVAPG receptors on M27 tumor cells is correlated with elevated protein kinase C activity in the particulate cell fraction (C. H. Blood and B. R. Zetter, J. Biol. Chem., 264: 10614-10620, 1989). The negative regulation of VGVAPG chemotaxis by laminin is consistent with these observations: laminin coordinately inhibits VGVAPG chemotaxis, reduces VGVAPG receptor affinity, and decreases protein kinase C activity in the particulate fraction of M27 cells. These parameters are not affected by a second glycoprotein, fibronectin. Anti-alpha 6 antibodies neutralize the laminin inhibition of both VGVAPG chemotaxis and protein kinase C activity. The results demonstrate that laminin can modulate cell behavior by regulating cell surface receptors for biologically active ligands.