RhoGEF Solo regulates cell density-dependent keratin remodeling and desmosome maturation

Solo RhoGEF activity is linked to cell density–dependent keratin remodeling, where high density reduces radial keratin spokes at adhesion sites and Solo localization increases.

• Why it matters: Desmosomes coordinate keratin organization and tissue mechanics, but how RhoGEFs tune keratin–desmosome architecture with cell density is unclear.
• What they did: In epithelial cells, radial keratin spokes at cell-cell adhesion sites were quantified across densities; Solo knockout increased spokes, while wild-type Solo (not a GEF-inactive mutant) rescued in confluent cells. Actin polymerization or ROCK inhibition suppressed the high-density spoke reduction, and expansion/electron microscopy assessed desmosome maturation.
• The result: Solo-KO kept desmosomes small and immature under confluent conditions and partially affected plakoglobin localization; plakoglobin knockout increased radial spokes, implying Solo supports density-driven DSM maturation and keratin–DSM coupling via Rho–ROCK–actin remodeling.

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