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Weaver Laboratory

Bves and NDRG4 regulate directional epicardial cell migration through autocrine extracellular matrix deposition

AUTHORS

Benesh ECEmily C , Miller PMPaul M , Pfaltzgraff ERElise R , Grega-Larson NENathan E , Hager HAHillary A , Sung BHBong Hwan , Qu XXianghu , Baldwin HSH Scott , Weaver AMAlissa M , Bader DMDavid M . Molecular biology of the cell. 2013 09 18; 24(22). 3496-510

ABSTRACT

Directional cell movement is universally required for tissue morphogenesis. Although it is known that cell/matrix interactions are essential for directional movement in heart development, the mechanisms governing these interactions require elucidation. Here we demonstrate that a novel protein/protein interaction between blood vessel epicardial substance (Bves) and N-myc downstream regulated gene 4 (NDRG4) is critical for regulation of epicardial cell directional movement, as disruption of this interaction randomizes migratory patterns. Our studies show that Bves/NDRG4 interaction is required for trafficking of internalized fibronectin through the “autocrine extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition” fibronectin recycling pathway. Of importance, we demonstrate that Bves/NDRG4-mediated fibronectin recycling is indeed essential for epicardial cell directional movement, thus linking these two cell processes. Finally, total internal reflectance fluorescence microscopy shows that Bves/NDRG4 interaction is required for fusion of recycling endosomes with the basal cell surface, providing a molecular mechanism of motility substrate delivery that regulates cell directional movement. This is the first evidence of a molecular function for Bves and NDRG4 proteins within broader subcellular trafficking paradigms. These data identify novel regulators of a critical vesicle-docking step required for autocrine ECM deposition and explain how Bves facilitates cell-microenvironment interactions in the regulation of epicardial cell-directed movement.