Integrins Regulate Microtubule Nucleating Activity of Centrosome through Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase/Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Kinase/Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (MEK/ERK) Signaling

Microtubule nucleation is an essential step in the formation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. We recently showed that androgen and Src promote microtubule nucleation and gamma-tubulin accumulation at the centrosome. Here, we explore the mechanisms by which androgen and Src regulate these processes and ask whether integrins play a role. We perturb integrin function by a tyrosine-to-alanine substitution in membrane-proximal NPIY motif in the integrin beta 1 tail and show that this mutant substantially decreases microtubule nucleation and gamma-tubulin accumulation at the centrosome. Because androgen stimulation promotes the interaction of the androgen receptor with Src, resulting in PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling, we asked whether these pathways are inhibited by the mutant integrin and whether they regulate microtubule nucleation. Our results indicate that the formation of the androgen receptor-Src complex and the activation of downstream pathways are significantly suppressed when cells are adhered by the mutant integrin. Inhibitor studies indicate that microtubule nucleation requires MEK/ERK but not PI3K/AKT signaling. Importantly, the expression of activated RAF-1 is sufficient to rescue microtubule nucleation inhibited by the mutant integrin by promoting the centrosomal accumulation of gamma-tubulin. Our data define a novel paradigm of integrin signaling, where integrins regulate microtubule nucleation by promoting the formation of androgen receptor-Src signaling complexes to activate the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.