Fat-like cadherins in cell migration-leading from both the front and the back

•Fat-like cadherins act as pro-migratory signaling proteins for multiple cell types.•Fat-like cadherins in mammals appear to promote migration from the front of the cell.•Fat-like cadherins in Drosophila promote migration from the back of the cell.•Future work is likely to show that both mechanisms are operating in both models.

When cells migrate through the body, their motility is continually influenced by interactions with other cells. The Fat-like cadherins are cell-cell signaling proteins that promote migration in multiple cell types. Recent studies suggest, however, that Fat-like cadherins influence motility differently in mammals versus Drosophila, with the cadherin acting at the leading edge of mammalian cells and the trailing edge of Drosophila cells. As opposed to this being a difference between organisms, it is more likely that the Fat-like cadherins are highly versatile proteins that can interact with the migration machinery in multiple ways. Here, I review what is known about how Fat-like cadherins promote migration, and then explore where conserved features may be found between the mammalian and Drosophila models.