ArticleMolecular biology of the cell2021
Spatial regulation of MCAK promotes cell polarization and focal adhesion turnover to drive robust cell migration.
Article in Molecular biology of the cell, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Retinal Pigment Epithelium Phagocytosis and Retinal Degenerative Diseases.Aging and disease · 2025Pooled it
- KIF2C/MCAK a prognostic biomarker and its oncogenic potential in malignant progression, and prognosis of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis as biomarker.Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences · 2024Pooled it
- The deficiency of KIF2C leads to abnormal distribution of cortical neurons and behavioral deficits in mice.iScience · 2026Article
- 45A ncRNA Expression Leads to Chromosomal Instability and Cytoskeletal Dynamics Impairment by Modulating GTSE1/p53/AurB Subcellular Localization.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Decoding Rho GTPase signalling networks in directed cell migration.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Article
- Identification of lactylation-related biomarkers in HNSC by integrating machine learning and Spatial transcriptomics analysis.Discover oncology · 2025Article
- Article
- Microtubule detyrosination drives symmetry breaking to polarize cells for directed cell migration.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023Article
- Septins guide noncentrosomal microtubules to promote focal adhesion disassembly in migrating cells.Molecular biology of the cell · 2022Article
- Manipulation of the Tubulin Code Alters Directional Cell Migration and Ciliogenesis.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The asymmetric distribution of microtubule (MT) dynamics in migrating cells is important for cell polarization, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we addressed this question by studying the role of the MT depolymerase, MCAK (mitotic centromere-associated kinesin), in the highly persistent migration of RPE-1 cells. MCAK knockdown leads to slowed migration and poor directional movement. Fixed and live cell imaging revealed that MCAK knockdown results in excessive membrane ruffling as well as defects in cell polarization and the maintenance of a major protrusive front. Additionally, loss of MCAK increases the lifetime of focal adhesions by decreasing their disassembly rate. These functions correlate with a spatial distribution of MCAK activity, wherein activity is higher in the trailing edge of cells compared with the leading edge. Overexpression of Rac1 has a dominant effect over MCAK activity, placing it downstream of or in a parallel pathway to MCAK function in migration. Together, our data support a model in which the polarized distribution of MCAK activity and subsequent differential regulation of MT dynamics contribute to cell polarity, centrosome positioning, and focal adhesion dynamics, which all help facilitate robust directional migration.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.