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Updated: May 15, 2026

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
IQGAP1: a key regulator of adhesion and migration
Jun Noritake1, Takashi Watanabe, Kazumasa Sato
1Department of Cell Pharmacology, Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
Abstract:
The dynamic rearrangement of cell-cell adhesion is one of the major physiological events in tissue development and tumor metastasis. Polarized cell migration, another key event, is a tightly regulated process that occurs during tissue development, chemotaxis and wound healing. Rho-family small GTPases, especially Rac1 and Cdc42, play pivotal roles in these processes through one of their effectors, IQGAP1. Recent studies reveal that IQGAP1 regulates cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion both positively and negatively. It captures and stabilizes microtubules through the microtubule-binding protein CLIP-170 near the cell cortex, leading to establishment of polarized cell morphology and directional cell migration. Furthermore, Rac1 and Cdc42 link the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein to actin filaments through IQGAP1 at the leading edge and thereby regulate polarization and directional migration.
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