Radial intercalation is regulated by the par complex and the microtubule-stabilizing protein CLAMP/Spef1

Michael E. Werner, Jennifer W. Mitchell, William Putzbach, Elizabeth Bacon, Sun K. Kim, Brian J. Mitchell*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

The directed movement of cells is critical for numerous developmental and disease processes. A developmentally reiterated form of migration is radial intercalation; the process by which cells move in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the tissue from an inner layer to an outer layer. We use the radial intercalation of cells into the skin of Xenopus laevis embryos as a model to study directed cell migration within an epithelial tissue. We identify a novel function for both the microtubule-binding protein CLAMP and members of the microtubule-regulating Par complex during intercalation. Specifically, we show that Par3 and aPKC promote the apical positioning of centrioles, whereas CLAMP stabilizes microtubules along the axis of migration. We propose a model in which the Par complex defines the orientation of apical migration during intercalation and in which subcellular localization of CLAMP promotes the establishment of an axis of microtubule stability required for the active migration of cells into the outer epithelium.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)367-376
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Cell Biology
Volume206
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cell Biology

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