Urokinase Receptors Promote β1 Integrin Function through Interactions with Integrin α3β1

The urokinase receptor (uPAR) is linked to cellular migration through its capacity to promote pericellular proteolysis, regulate integrin function, and mediate cell signaling in response to urokinase (uPA) binding. The mechanisms for these activities remain incompletely defined, although uPAR was recently identified as a cis-acting ligand for the β2 integrin CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1). Here we show that a major β1 integrin partner for uPAR/uPA signaling is α3. In uPAR-transfected 293 cells uPAR complexed (>90%) with α3β1 and antibodies to α3 blocked uPAR-dependent vitronectin (Vn) adhesion. Soluble uPAR bound to recombinant α3β1 in a uPA-dependent manner (K(d) < 20 nM) and binding was blocked by a 17-mer α3β1 integrin peptide (α325) homologous to the CD11b uPAR-binding site. uPAR colocalized with α3β1 in MDA-MB-231 cells and uPA (1 nM) enhanced spreading and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation on fibronectin (Fn) or collagen type I (Col) in a pertussis toxin- and α325-sensitive manner. A critical role of α3β1 in uPA signaling was verified by studies of epithelial cells from α3-deficient mice. Thus, uPAR preferentially complexes with α3β1, promoting direct (Vn) and indirect (Fn, Col) pathways of cell adhesion, the latter a heterotrimeric G protein-dependent mechanism of signaling between α3β1 and other β1 integrins.