SWAP70 undergoes dynamic conformational regulation at the leading edge of migrating cells

Rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton are regulated in part by dynamic localised activation and inactivation of Rho family small GTPases. SWAP70 binds to and activates the small GTPase RAC1 as well as binding to filamentous actin and PIP₃ . We have developed an encoded biosensor, which uses Forster resonance energy transfer to reveal conformational changes in SWAP70 in live cells. SWAP70 adopts a distinct conformation at the plasma membrane, which in migrating glioma cells is enriched at the leading edge but does not always associate with its PIP₃ -dependent translocation to the membrane. This supports a role for SWAP70 in positive feedback activation of RAC1 at sites of filamentous actin, PIP₃ and active RAC1.