Microtubules Regulate Migratory Polarity through Rho/ROCK Signaling in T Cells
File(s)
Author(s)
Takesono, A
Heasman, SJ
Wojciak-Stothard, B
Garg, R
Ridley, A
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Migrating leukocytes normally have a polarized morphology with an actin-rich lamellipodium at the front and a uropod at the rear. Microtubules (MTs) are required for persistent migration and chemotaxis, but how they affect cell polarity is not known. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report that T cells treated with nocodazole to disrupt MTs are unable to form a stable uropod or lamellipodium, and instead often move by membrane blebbing with reduced migratory persistence. However, uropod-localized receptors and ezrin/radixin/moesin proteins still cluster in nocodazole-treated cells, indicating that MTs are required specifically for uropod stability. Nocodazole stimulates RhoA activity, and inhibition of the RhoA target ROCK allows nocodazole-treated cells to re-establish lamellipodia and uropods and persistent migratory polarity. ROCK inhibition decreases nocodazole-induced membrane blebbing and stabilizes MTs. The myosin inhibitor blebbistatin also stabilizes MTs, indicating that RhoA/ROCK act through myosin II to destabilize MTs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicate that RhoA/ROCK signaling normally contributes to migration by affecting both actomyosin contractility and MT stability. We propose that regulation of MT stability and RhoA/ROCK activity is a mechanism to alter T-cell migratory behavior from lamellipodium-based persistent migration to bleb-based migration with frequent turning.
Date Issued
2010-01-19
Date Acceptance
2009-08-21
Citation
PLoS ONE, 2010, 5 (1)
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
5
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2010 Takesono et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
NEUTROPHIL POLARIZATION
ACTIN CYTOSKELETON
ALPHA-TUBULIN
RHO-GTPASES
IN-VIVO
CHEMOTAXIS
MOTILITY
LYMPHOCYTES
DYNAMICS
MYOSIN
Cell Line, Tumor
Cell Polarity
Humans
Microtubules
Nocodazole
Signal Transduction
T-Lymphocytes
rho-Associated Kinases
rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
MD Multidisciplinary
General Science & Technology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e8774
Date Publish Online
2010-01-19