Prickle1 promotes focal adhesion disassembly in cooperation with the CLASP-LL5β complex in migrating cells

Prickle is known to be involved in planar cell polarity, including convergent extension and cell migration; however, the detailed mechanism by which Prickle regulates cellular functions is not well understood. Here, we show that Prickle1 regulates front-rear polarization and migration of gastric cancer MKN1 cells. Prickle1 preferentially accumulated at the cell retraction site in close proximity to paxillin at focal adhesions. Prickle1 dynamics correlated with those of paxillin during focal adhesion disassembly. Furthermore, Prickle1 was required for focal adhesion disassembly. CLASPs (of which there are two isoforms, CLASP1 and CLASP2, in mammals) and LL5β (also known as PHLDB2) have been reported to form a complex at cell edges and to control microtubule-dependent focal adhesion disassembly. Prickle1 was associated with CLASPs and LL5β, and was required for the LL5β-dependent accumulation of CLASPs at the cell edge. Knockdown of CLASPs and LL5β suppressed Prickle1-dependent cell polarization and migration. Prickle1 localized to the membrane through its farnesyl moiety, and the membrane localization was necessary for Prickle1 to regulate migration, to bind to CLASPs and LL5β, and to promote microtubule targeting of focal adhesions. Taken together, these results suggest that Prickle1 promotes focal adhesion disassembly during the retraction processes of cell polarization and migration.