Functional role of Na+-HCO3- cotransport in migration of transformed renal epithelial cells

Cell migration is crucial for immune defence, wound healing or formation of tumour metastases. It has been shown that the activity of the Na(+)-H(+) exchanger (NHE1) plays an important role in cell migration. However, so far it is unknown whether Na(+)- HCO(3)(-) cotransport (NBC), which has similar functions in the regulation of intracellular pH (pH(i)) as NHE1, is also involved in cell migration. We therefore isolated NHE-deficient Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK-F) cells and tested whether NBC compensates for NHE in pH(i) and cell volume regulation as well as in migration. Intracellular pH was measured with the fluorescent pH indicator 2'7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). The expression of NBC isoforms was determined with semiquantitative PCR. Migration was monitored with time-lapse video microscopy and quantified as the displacement of the cell centre. We found that MDCK-F cells express the isoform NBC1 (SLCA4A gene product) at a much higher level than the isoform kNBC3 (SLCA4A8 gene product). This difference is even more pronounced in NHE-deficient cells so that NBC1 is likely to be the major acid extruder in these cells and the major mediator of propionate-induced cell volume increase. NHE-deficient MDCK-F cells migrate more slowly than normal MDCK-F cells. NBC activity promotes migration during an acute intracellular acid load and increases migratory speed and displacement on a short timescale (< 30 min) whereas it has no effect on the long-term behaviour of migrating MDCK-F cells. Taken together, our results show that NBC actvity, despite many functional similarities, does not have the same importance for cell migration as NHE1 activity.