No abstract

RHO GTPases are key regulators of the cytoskeletal architecture, which impacts on a broad range of biological processes in malignant cells including motility, invasion and metastasis, thereby affecting tumor progression. One of the constrains during cell migration, is the diameter of the pores through which cells pass. In this respect, the size and shape of the nucleus poses a major limitation. Therefore, enhanced nuclear plasticity can promote cell migration. Nuclear morphology is determined in part through the cytoskeleton, which connects to the nucleoskeleton through the LINC complex. Here, we unravel the role of RAC1 as an orchestrator of nuclear morphology in melanoma cells. We demonstrate that activated RAC1 promotes nuclear alterations through its effector PAK1 and the tubulin cytoskeleton, thereby enhancing migration and intravasation of melanoma cells. Disruption of the LINC complex prevented RAC1-induced nuclear alterations and the invasive properties of melanoma cells. Thus, RAC1 induces nuclear morphology alterations through microtubules and the LINC complex to promote an invasive phenotype in melanoma cells. [Media: see text]