Significance Directed cell migration is at the center of the pathophysiology of many diseases such as cancer. It requires the coordination of a signal transduction network and an underlying cytoskeleton. Understanding the composition of these networks and the mechanism by which they are coupled is critical to furthering our understanding of how cells move. Here, we have developed a cell-based tool which maximizes the activation of the signal transduction system. This has provided us with insight into its composition and the mechanism by which it controls the activity of the actin cytoskeletal activity, which drives migration. Most striking, the persistent activation of the signal transduction apparatus was discovered to have severe consequences for cell viability.