KINETIC IS AN EFFECTOR FOR ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM MEDIATED CELL PROTRUSION SELECTION AND FOCAL ADHESION FORMATION FOR PROTRUSION STABILIZATION DURING CHEMOTAXIS

Abstract

Kinectin mediates ER transport to promote maturation of focal complexes (FXs) to focal adhesions (FAs). Knockdown of kinectin in HeLa cells caused morphological changes reminiscent of mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and reduced migration. Here, I investigated the roles of kinectin in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration. I determined that kinectin is not a mesenchymal marker but contributes to the acquisition of mesenchymal phenotype. The expression of kinectin was not upregulated after TGF-?1-induced EMT. However, kinectin supported morphological changes and cell migration during culture density-induced EMT. I also demonstrated that kinectin contributes to the directional bias but not motility of migration. Kinectin-dependent ER transport promotes preferential maintenance of leading protrusions oriented towards the chemoattractant source. Kinectin mediated ER transport to correctly oriented protrusions while ER promoted the formation of FAs for protrusion stabilization.