MEK signalling tunes actin treadmilling for interstitial lymphocyte migration

When lymphocytes follow chemotactic cues, they can adopt different migratory modes depending on the geometry and molecular composition of their extracellular environment. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Klemke et al (2010) describe a novel Ras-dependent chemokine receptor signalling pathway that leads to activation of cofilin, which in turn amplifies actin turnover. This signalling module is exclusively required for lymphocyte migration in three-dimensional (3D) environments, but not for locomotion on two-dimensional (2D) surfaces.