Figure 1 (IMAGE) Osaka University Caption Mutually exclusive distribution of PIP3 and PTEN on the plasma membrane of a migrating cell. (left) A Dictyostelium discoideum cell migrating rightward. The cell expresses PIP3-binding protein tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and PTEN labeled with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR). A PIP3-enriched domain and a PTEN-enriched domain emerge at the front and back of the migrating cell in a mutually exclusive manner. The major question examined in this study is how the PIP3-enriched domain and the PTEN-enriched domain are clearly separated. (right) An illustration summarizing the main point of this study. This study reveals mutual inhibition between PTEN and PIP3, which provides the mechanistic basis for the clear spatial separation between the PIP3-enriched domain and the PTEN-enriched domain. Credit Masahiro Ueda, Osaka University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.