Targeting of p0071 to the midbody depends on KIF3

P0071 (plakophilin-4) is a member of the p120ctn subfamily of armadillo proteins that are essential for cell contact formation. Additionally, p0071 plays a role in cytokinesis, in which it regulates local activation of RhoA together with Ect2. Because spatiotemporal regulation is required for progression through cytokinesis, we analyzed when and how p0071 is targeted to the midbody to induce RhoA activation. We show that Ect2 precedes p0071 accumulation at the midbody and that targeting is mediated by different motor proteins. p0071 interacted with the kinesin-II family member KIF3b, and knockdown of KIF3b interfered with p0071 midbody recruitment whereas Ect2 or RhoA localization was not affected in these cells. Moreover, knockdown of KIF3b induced a similar phenotype as the p0071 knockdown, with reduced actin and phospho-myosin-light-chain accumulation at the midbody and decreased levels of active RhoA during cytokinesis. The lack of RhoA activation in KIF3b-deficient cells was not rescued by overexpression of wild-type p0071 but was substantially ameliorated by a p0071-MKLP1-motor-domain fusion protein that was targeted to the furrow independently of KIF3. These data indicate that p0071 and Ect2 are transported via distinct motors and identify a novel pathway implicating KIF3 in the regulation of actin organization during cytokinesis.