A Scribble/Cdep/Rac pathway controls follower-cell crawling and cluster cohesion during collective border-cell migration

TitleA Scribble/Cdep/Rac pathway controls follower-cell crawling and cluster cohesion during collective border-cell migration
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsCampanale JP, Mondo JA, Montell DJ
JournalDevelopmental Cell
Volume57
Pagination2483-2496.e4
ISSN1534-5807
Keywordsapicobasal polarity, border cells, Cdep, collective cell migration, FARP2, par complex, Rac1, RhoGTPases, Scribble complex
Abstract

Summary Collective cell movements drive normal development and metastasis. Drosophila border cells move as a cluster of 6–10 cells, where the role of the Rac GTPase in migration was first established. In border cells, as in most migratory cells, Rac stimulates leading-edge protrusion. Upstream Rac regulators in leaders have been identified; however, the regulation and function of Rac in follower border cells is unknown. Here, we show that all border cells require Rac, which promotes follower-cell motility and is important for cluster compactness and movement. We identify a Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Cdep, which also regulates follower-cell movement and cluster cohesion. Scribble, Discs large, and Lethal giant larvae localize Cdep basolaterally and share phenotypes with Cdep. Relocalization of Cdep::GFP partially rescues Scribble knockdown, suggesting that Cdep is a major downstream effector of basolateral proteins. Thus, a Scrib/Cdep/Rac pathway promotes cell crawling and coordinated, collective migration in vivo.

URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1534580722007535
DOI10.1016/j.devcel.2022.10.004