FGF-2 stimulates migration of Kaposi's sarcoma-like vascular cells by HGF-dependent relocalization of the urokinase receptor

The spindle-shaped cell line TTB was recently isolated from highly vascularized skin lesions of BKV/HIV-1 tat transgenic mice and shown to possess an autocrine loop for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). We show that fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) stimulates TTB cell migration and promotes polarization of uPAR at the leading edge of migrating cells. FGF-stimulated TTB cells presented the typical migratory phenotype, with a triangular cell shape and concomitant breakdown of actin stress fibers and smooth muscle-specific actin isoform. FGF-2-stimulated migration was blocked by antibodies against urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) or uPA receptor (uPAR) and by neutralizing anti-HGF antibodies. The latter also inhibited uPAR relocalization at the cell surface of FGF-2-treated TTB cells. This points to a crosstalk between FGF-2 and HGF that might mediate TTB cell migration by modulating the localization of cell surface uPAR.