Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor interaction with β1 integrin is required for platelet-derived growth factor-AB-induced human mesenchymal stem/stromal cell migration

Introduction Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are well described for their role in tissue regeneration following injury. Migratory properties of endogenous or administrated MSC are critical for tissue repair processes. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a chemotactic growth factor that elicits mesenchymal cell migration. However, it is yet to be elucidated if signaling pathways other than direct activation of PDGF receptor (PDGF-R) are involved in PDGF-induced cell migration. Methods Knocking down and co-immunoprecipitation approaches were used to evaluate urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) requirement and its interactions with proteins involved in migration mechanisms, in human MSC induced to migrate under PDGF-AB effect. Results We demonstrated that uPAR activation and its association with β1-integrin are required for PDGF-AB-induced migration. This phenomenon takes place in MSC derived from bone marrow and from adipose tissue. Conclusions We showed that PDGF-AB downstream signaling requires other effector molecules in MSC such as the uPA/uPAR system and β1 integrin signaling pathway known for their role in migration. These findings provide new insights in molecular mechanisms of PDGF-AB-induced migration of human MSC that may be relevant to control MSC function and tissue remodeling after injury.