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A Rac switch regulates random versus directionally persistent cell migration.

Roumen Pankov·Yukinori Endo·Sharona Even-Ram·Masaru Araki·Katherine Clark·Edna Cukierman·Kazue Matsumoto·Kenneth M Yamada
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Abstract

Directional migration moves cells rapidly between points, whereas random migration allows cells to explore their local environments. We describe a Rac1 mechanism for determining whether cell patterns of migration are intrinsically random or directionally persistent. Rac activity promoted the formation of peripheral lamellae that mediated random migration. Decreasing Rac activity suppressed peripheral lamellae and switched the cell migration patterns of fibroblasts and epithelial cells from random to directionally persistent. In three-dimensional rather than traditional two-dimensional cell culture, cells had a lower level of Rac activity that was associated with rapid, directional migration. In contrast to the directed migration of chemotaxis, this intrinsic directional persistence of migration was not mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase lipid signaling. Total Rac1 activity can therefore provide a regulatory switch between patterns of cell migration by a mechanism distinct from chemotaxis.

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Cell Culture TechniquesCell MovementCell Surface ExtensionsCells, CulturedEpithelial CellsFibroblastsFibronectinsGuanosine TriphosphateHumansIntegrinsPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesPhosphoinositide-3 Kinase InhibitorsRNA, Small InterferingRandom AllocationSignal Transductioncdc42 GTP-Binding Proteinrac GTP-Binding Proteinsrho GTP-Binding ProteinsJournal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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BibTeXRIS

Roumen Pankov, Yukinori Endo, Sharona Even-Ram, Masaru Araki, Katherine Clark, Edna Cukierman, Kazue Matsumoto, Kenneth M Yamada. 2005-08-29. A Rac switch regulates random versus directionally persistent cell migration.. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200503152

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