Subcellular localization of glypican-5 associates with dynamic cell motility and cell communication of the human mesenchymal stem cell line U3DT

Glypican-5 (GPC5) is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) localized to the plasma membrane. We previously reported that in the human mesenchymal stem cell line UE6E7T3, GPC5 is overexpressed in association with transformation and promotes cell proliferation by acting as a co-receptor for Sonic hedgehog signaling. In this study, we found using an immunofluorescence microscopy that in transformed cells (U3DT), GPC5 localized not only at primary cilia on the cell surface, but also at the leading edge of migrating cells, at the intercellular bridge and blebs during cytokinesis, and in extracellular vesicles. In each subcellular region, GPC5 colocalized with the small GTPase Rab11. These observations suggest that the colocalization of GPC5 with Rab11 is crucial for its function, and that its activity in each subcellular compartment promotes proliferation of U3DT cells. Our findings indicate that GPC5 plays active and essential roles in regulation of U3DT cell proliferation, and provides several insights into the functions of GPC5 that could be elucidated by future studies.