Focal adhesion kinase and paxillin promote migration and adhesion to fibronectin by swine skeletal muscle satellite cells

The focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway contributes to the cell migration and adhesion that is critical for wound healing and regeneration of damaged muscle, but its function in skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) is less clear. We compared the migration and adhesion of SCs derived from two species of pig (Lantang and Landrace) in vitro, and explored how FAK signaling modulates the two processes. The results showed that Lantang SCs had greater ability to migrate and adhere to fibronection (P < 0.05) than Landrace SCs. Compared to Landrace SCs, Lantang SCs expressed many more focal adhesion (FA) sites, which were indicated by the presence of p-paxillin (Tyr118), and exhibited less F-actin reorganization 24 h after seeding onto fibronectin. Levels of p-FAK (Tyr397) and p-paxillin (Tyr118) were greater (P < 0.05) in Lantang SCs than Landrace SCs after migration for 24 h. Similarly, Lantang SCs showed much higher levels of p-FAK (Tyr397), p-paxillin (Tyr118) and p-Akt (Ser473) than Landrace SCs 2 h after adhesion. Treatment with the FAK inhibitor PF-573228 (5 or 10 μmol/L) inhibited Lantang SC migration and adhesion to fibronectin (P < 0.05), decreased levels of p-paxillin (Tyr118) and p-Akt (Ser473) (P < 0.05), and suppressed the formation of FA sites on migrating SCs. Thus FAK appears to play a key role in the regulation of SC migration and adhesion necessary for muscle regeneration.