Movin' on up: the role of PtdIns(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)P2] in the control of these events. Many proteins that are crucial to the assembly of the migration machinery are regulated by PtdIns(4,5)P2. Coordinated synthesis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 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)P2 at membrane ruffles and focal adhesions during cell migration. Here, we discuss our current understanding of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the regulation of cell responses to migratory stimuli and how the migrating cell controls PtdIns(4,5)P2 availability.