Movin' on up:: the role of Ptdlns(4,5)P2 in cell migration

Cell migration requires the coordination of many biochemical events, including cell-matrix contact turnover and cytoskeletal restructuring. Recent advances further implicate phosphatidylinositol(4,5)-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P-2] in the control of these events. Many proteins that are crucial to the assembly of the migration machinery are regulated by PtdIns(4,5)P-2. Coordinated synthesis of PtdIns(4,5)P-2 at these sites is dependent on the precise targeting of the type I phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIPKs). Two PIPKI isoforms target to, and generate, PtdIns(4,5)P-2 at membrane ruffles and focal adhesions during cell migration. Here, we discuss our current understanding of PtdIns(4,5)P-2 in the regulation of cell responses to migratory stimuli and how the migrating cell controls PtdIns(4,5)P-2 availability.