Microtubules stabilize cell polarity by localizing rear signals

Microtubules are known to play an important role in cell polarity; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Using cells migrating persistently on micropatterned strips, we found that depolymerization of microtubules caused cells to change from persistent to oscillatory migration. Mathematical modeling in the context of a local-excitation-global-inhibition control mechanism indicated that this mechanism can account for microtubule-dependent...