Multi-drug resistance protein 4 (MRP4)-mediated regulation of fibroblast cell migration reflects a dichotomous role of intracellular cyclic nucleotides.

It has long been known that cyclic nucleotides and cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling molecules control cell migration. However, the concept that it is not just the absence or presence of cyclic nucleotides, but a highly coordinated balance between these molecules that regulates cell migration, is new and revolutionary. In this study, we used multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4)-expressing cell lines and MRP4 knock-out mice as model systems and wound healing assays as the experimental system to explore this unique and emerging concept. MRP4, a member of a large family of ATP binding cassette transporter proteins, localizes to the plasma membrane and functions as a nucleotide efflux transporter and thus plays a role in the regulation of intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels. Here, we demonstrate that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) isolated from Mrp4(-/-) mice have higher intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels and migrate faster compared with MEFs from Mrp4(+/+) mice. Using FRET-based cAMP and cGMP sensors, we show that inhibition of MRP4 with MK571 increases both cAMP and cGMP levels, which results in increased migration. In contrast to these moderate increases in cAMP and cGMP levels seen in the absence of MRP4, a robust increase in cAMP levels was observed following treatment with forskolin and isobutylmethylxanthine, which decreases fibroblast migration. In response to externally added cell-permeant cyclic nucleotides (cpt-cAMP and cpt-cGMP), MEF migration appears to be biphasic. Altogether, our studies provide the first experimental evidence supporting the novel concept that balance between cyclic nucleotides is critical for cell migration.