Ratios of phospho-FAK to total FAK and total FAK to control bands were also normalized to dormant cells. b GRAF LDK378 in vitro membrane localization in dormant cells and the BX-795 corresponding RhoA departure form its membrane localization was demonstrated on immunofluorescence-stained cells on fibronectin-coated cover slips (red) and photography at 630 x magnification. Growing cells exhibited membrane localization of RhoA (arrows) which disappeared in dormant cells,

while GRAF membrane localization appeared in dormant cells (arrows). Immunostaining with antibody to p190 Rho GAP was used as a negative control, demonstrating no evident staining in either growing or dormant cells. Nuclear DAPI staining is shown in blue. c Membrane fractionation of growing and dormant cells with and without added blocking antibodies to integrin α5β1 and integrin α2β1 2 μg/ml and western blotting of isolates with antibody to GRAF and BAX, used as a cytoplasm-localizing control. Bands were quantitated using a densitometer and ratios of membrane- to cytoplasm-localizing GRAF and BAX

were calculated To determine a possible mechanism for the inactivation of RhoA in dormant cells, we analyzed the FAK immunoprecipitates for GTPase Regulator Associated with the Focal Adhesion Kinase pp125(FAK) (GRAF), a protein with demonstrated RhoA GAP activity shown to co-localize with activated FAK in focal complexes. Figure 6a suggests selleckchem that GRAF becomes associated with FAK in dormant cells, an effect exclusively dependent on integrin α5β1. To confirm this result, we analyzed the cells by immunfluorescence. Figure

6b demonstrates that GRAF became membrane localized in the dormant cells in a reciprocal relationship to the loss of RhoA membrane localization. As a control, Fig 6b demonstrates that the RhoA GAP p190 was not affected in dormant cells. To further confirm the activation by membrane localization of GRAF in dormancy, we carried out membrane fractionation experiments. Figure 6c demonstrates that GRAF was primarily cytoplasm localized in growing cells with a membrane to cytoplasm (m/c) ratio of 0.25. Sulfite dehydrogenase In dormant cells, GRAF membrane localization increased to an m/c ratio of 0.61. This effect once again was dependent on integrin α5β1, as blocking antibody to this integrin decreased the ratio to 0.15. With blocking antibody to integrin α2β1 used as a control, the GRAF m/c ratio was 0.80. These data support the hypothesis that the RhoA GAP GRAF becomes activated and membrane localized in dormant cells causing an inactivation of RhoA and that this effect depends on binding of integrin α5β1. Activation of PI3K is Independent of Integrins α5β1 Binding in Dormant Cells We have previously demonstrated that the PI3K pathway is activated in these dormant cells [3]. This activation is sustained for the 5 days assayed and its inhibition blocked survival of the dormant clones.