PAI‐1 expression is required for epithelial cell migration in two distinct phases of in vitro wound repair

Several proteases and their specific inhibitors modulate the interdependent processes of cell migration and matrix proteolysis as part of the global program of trauma repair. Expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type‐1 (PAI‐1), a serine protease inhibitor (SERPIN) important in the control of barrier proteolysis and cell‐to‐matrix adhesion, for example, is spatially‐temporally regulated following epithelial denudation injury in vitro as well as in vivo. PAI‐1 mRNA/protein synthesis was induced early after epidermal monolayer scraping and restricted to keratinocytes comprising the motile cohort closely recapitulating, thereby, similar events during cutaneous healing. The time course of PAI‐1 promoter‐driven PAI‐1‐GFP fusion “reporter” expression in wound‐juxtaposed cells approximated that of the endogenous PAI‐1 gene confirming the location‐specificity of gene regulation in this model. ERK activation was evident within 5 min after injury and particularly prominent in cells residing at the scrape‐edge (suggesting a possible role in PAI‐1 induction and/or the motile response) as was myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Indeed, MEK blockade with PD98059 or U0126 attenuated keratinocyte migration (by ≥60%), as did transient transfection of a dominant‐negative ERK1 construct (40% decrease in monolayer repair), and completely inhibited PAI‐1 transcript expression. Anti‐sense down‐regulation of PAI‐1 synthesis (by 80–85%), or addition of PAI‐1 neutralizing antibodies also inhibited injury site closure over a 24 h period establishing that PAI‐1 was required for efficient long‐term planar motility in this system. PAI‐1 anti‐sense transfection or actinomycin D transcriptional blockade, in contrast, did not affect the initial migratory response suggesting that residual PAI‐1 protein levels (at least in transfectant cells and actinomycin D‐treated cultures) may be sufficient to support early cell movement. Pharmacologic inhibition of keratinocyte MEK signaling effectively ablated scrape‐induced PAI‐1 mRNA expression but failed to attenuate wound‐associated increases in cellular PAI‐1 protein levels soon after monolayer injury. Collectively, these data suggest that basal PAI‐1 transcripts may be mobilized for initial PAI‐1 synthesis and, perhaps, the early motile response while maintenance of the normal rate of migration requires the prolonged PAI‐1 expression that typically accompanies the repair response. To assess this possibility, scrape site closure studies were designed using keratinocytes isolated from PAI‐1−/− mice. PAI‐1−/− keratinocytes, in fact, had a significant wound healing defect evident even within the first 6 h following monolayer denudation injury. Addition of active PAI‐1 protein to PAI−/− keratinocytes rescued the migratory phenotype that that approximating wild‐type cells. These findings validate use of the present keratinocyte model to investigate injury‐related controls on PAI‐1 gene regulation and, collectively, implicate participation of PAI‐1 in two distinct phases of epidermal wound repair. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.