Differential regulation of FAK and PYK2 tyrosine phosphorylation after electroconvulsive shock in the rat brain

It has been suggested that FAK and PYK2 have differential regulatory pathways and differential functions in the central nervous system. The authors have previously reported that electroconvulsive shock (ECS) activates PYK2 mediated signaling in the rat hippocampus. In the present article, the authors examined the effect of ECS on PYK2 and FAK mediated signaling in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Our results showed that ECS activated PYK2 more preferentially than FAK in both the cortex and the hippocampus. The association of Src-family kinases with FAK and PYK2 was also distinctively affected by ECS; Src was mainly associated with PYK2 while Yes was associated with FAK. The phosphorylation of FAK and PYK2 at the key tyrosine residue was not well correlated with the association with Src-family kinases.