Leading the way: directional sensing through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and other signaling pathways

Chemoattractant-responsive cells are able to translate a shallow extracellular chemical gradient into a steep intracellular gradient resulting in the localization of F-actin assembly at the front and an actomyosin network at the rear that moves the cell forward. Recent evidence suggests that one of the first asymmetric cellular responses is the localized accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P-3, the product of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) at the site of the new leading edge. The strong accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P-3 results from the localized activation of PI3K and also from feedback loops that amplify PtdIns(3,4,5)P-3 synthesis at the front and control its degradation at the side and back of cells. These different pathways are temporally and spatially regulated and integrate with other signaling pathways during directional sensing and chemotaxis.