1
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Fan Q, Hadla M, Peterson Z, Nelson G, Ye H, Wang X, Mardirossian JM, Harris PC, Alper SL, Prakash YS, Beyder A, Torres VE, Chebib FT. Activation of Piezo1 Inhibits Kidney Cystogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.11.593717. [PMID: 38766249 PMCID: PMC11101129 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.11.593717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The disruption of calcium signaling associated with polycystin deficiency has been proposed as the primary event underlying the increased abnormally patterned epithelial cell growth characteristic of Polycystic Kidney Disease. Calcium can be regulated through mechanotransduction, and the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1 has been implicated in sensing of intrarenal pressure and in urinary osmoregulation. However, a possible role for PIEZO1 in kidney cystogenesis remains undefined. We hypothesized that cystogenesis in ADPKD reflects altered mechanotransduction, suggesting activation of mechanosensitive cation channels as a therapeutic strategy for ADPKD. Here, we show that Yoda-1 activation of PIEZO1 increases intracellular Ca 2+ and reduces forskolin-induced cAMP levels in mIMCD3 cells. Yoda-1 reduced forskolin-induced IMCD cyst surface area in vitro and in mouse metanephros ex vivo in a dose-dependent manner. Knockout of polycystin-2 dampened the efficacy of PIEZO1 activation in reducing both cAMP levels and cyst surface area in IMCD3 cells. However, collecting duct-specific Piezo1 knockout neither induced cystogenesis in wild-type mice nor affected cystogenesis in the Pkd1 RC/RC model of ADPKD. Our study suggests that polycystin-2 and PIEZO1 play a role in mechanotransduction during cystogenesis in vitro , and ex vivo , but that in vivo cyst expansion may require inactivation or repression of additional suppressors of cystogenesis and/or growth. Our study provides a preliminary proof of concept for PIEZO1 activation as a possible component of combination chemotherapy to retard or halt cystogenesis and/or cyst growth.
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2
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Horo U, Clarke DN, Martin AC. Drosophila Fog/Cta and T48 pathways have overlapping and distinct contributions to mesoderm invagination. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar69. [PMID: 38536475 PMCID: PMC11151099 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e24-02-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of the cytoskeleton by multiple signaling pathways, sometimes in parallel, is a common principle of morphogenesis. A classic example of regulation by parallel pathways is Drosophila gastrulation, where the inputs from the Folded gastrulation (Fog)/Concertina (Cta) and the T48 pathways induce apical constriction and mesoderm invagination. Whether there are distinct roles for these separate pathways in regulating the complex spatial and temporal patterns of cytoskeletal activity that accompany early embryo development is still poorly understood. We investigated the roles of the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways and found that, by themselves, the Cta and T48 pathways both promote timely mesoderm invagination and apical myosin II accumulation, with Cta being required for timely cell shape change ahead of mitotic cell division. We also identified distinct functions of T48 and Cta in regulating cellularization and the uniformity of the apical myosin II network, respectively. Our results demonstrate that both redundant and distinct functions for the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzuki Horo
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - D. Nathaniel Clarke
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Adam C. Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
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3
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Sun X, Decker J, Sanchez-Luege N, Rebay I. Inter-plane feedback coordinates cell morphogenesis and maintains 3D tissue organization in the Drosophila pupal retina. Development 2024; 151:dev201757. [PMID: 38533736 PMCID: PMC11006395 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
How complex organs coordinate cellular morphogenetic events to achieve three-dimensional (3D) form is a central question in development. The question is uniquely tractable in the late Drosophila pupal retina, where cells maintain stereotyped contacts as they elaborate the specialized cytoskeletal structures that pattern the apical, basal and longitudinal planes of the epithelium. In this study, we combined cell type-specific genetic manipulation of the cytoskeletal regulator Abelson (Abl) with 3D imaging to explore how the distinct cellular morphogenetic programs of photoreceptors and interommatidial pigment cells (IOPCs) organize tissue pattern to support retinal integrity. Our experiments show that photoreceptor and IOPC terminal differentiation is unexpectedly interdependent, connected by an intercellular feedback mechanism that coordinates and promotes morphogenetic change across orthogonal tissue planes to ensure correct 3D retinal pattern. We propose that genetic regulation of specialized cellular differentiation programs combined with inter-plane mechanical feedback confers spatial coordination to achieve robust 3D tissue morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Sun
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jacob Decker
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicelio Sanchez-Luege
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ilaria Rebay
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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4
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Burda I, Martin AC, Roeder AHK, Collins MA. The dynamics and biophysics of shape formation: Common themes in plant and animal morphogenesis. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2850-2866. [PMID: 38113851 PMCID: PMC10752614 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of tissue form in multicellular organisms results from the complex interplay between genetics and physics. In both plants and animals, cells must act in concert to pattern their behaviors. Our understanding of the factors sculpting multicellular form has increased dramatically in the past few decades. From this work, common themes have emerged that connect plant and animal morphogenesis-an exciting connection that solidifies our understanding of the developmental basis of multicellular life. In this review, we will discuss the themes and the underlying principles that connect plant and animal morphogenesis, including the coordination of gene expression, signaling, growth, contraction, and mechanical and geometric feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Burda
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Genetic Genomics and Development Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Adam C Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Adrienne H K Roeder
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Genetic Genomics and Development Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Mary Ann Collins
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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5
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Merle T, Theis S, Kamgoué A, Martin E, Sarron F, Gay G, Farge E, Suzanne M. DISSECT is a tool to segment and explore cell and tissue mechanics in highly deformed 3D epithelia. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2181-2193.e4. [PMID: 37586367 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding morphogenesis strongly relies on the characterization of tissue topology and mechanical properties deduced from imaging data. The development of new imaging techniques offers the possibility to go beyond the analysis of mostly flat surfaces and image and analyze complex tissue organization in depth. An important bottleneck in this field is the need to analyze imaging datasets and extract quantifications not only of cell and tissue morphology but also of the cytoskeletal network's organization in an automatized way. Here, we describe a method, called DISSECT, for DisPerSE (Discrete Persistent Structure Extractor)-based Segmentation and Exploration of Cells and Tissues, that offers the opportunity to extract automatically, in strongly deformed epithelia, a precise characterization of the spatial organization of a given cytoskeletal network combined with morphological quantifications in highly remodeled three-dimensional (3D) epithelial tissues. We believe that this method, applied here to Drosophila tissues, will be of general interest in the expanding field of morphogenesis and tissue biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Merle
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology unit (MCD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
| | - Sophie Theis
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology unit (MCD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Alain Kamgoué
- Image Processing Facility, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel Martin
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology unit (MCD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Florian Sarron
- IRAP, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, 14 avenue E. Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France; Université de Toulouse, CNES, UPS-OMP, 14 avenue E. Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Guillaume Gay
- Aix Marseille Université, Mutli-Engineering Platform, CENTURI, Marseille, France
| | - Emmanuel Farge
- Mechanics and Genetics of Embryonic Development group, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR168, Inserm, Marie Curie UnivParis 06, Institut Curie, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Magali Suzanne
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology unit (MCD), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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6
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Zhu H, O’Shaughnessy B. Actomyosin pulsing rescues embryonic tissue folding from disruption by myosin fluctuations. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2948564. [PMID: 37886516 PMCID: PMC10602173 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2948564/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
During early development, myosin II mechanically reshapes and folds embryo tissue. A muchstudied example is ventral furrow formation in Drosophila, marking the onset of gastrulation. Furrowing is driven by contraction of actomyosin networks on apical cell surfaces, but how the myosin patterning encodes tissue shape is unclear, and elastic models failed to reproduce essential features of experimental cell contraction profiles. The myosin patterning exhibits substantial cell-to-cell fluctuations with pulsatile time-dependence, a striking but unexplained feature of morphogenesis in many organisms. Here, using biophysical modeling we find viscous forces offer the principal resistance to actomyosin-driven apical constriction. In consequence, tissue shape is encoded in the direction-dependent curvature of the myosin patterning which orients an anterior-posterior furrow. Tissue contraction is highly sensitive to cell-to-cell myosin fluctuations, explaining furrowing failure in genetically perturbed embryos whose fluctuations are temporally persistent. In wild-type embryos this disastrous outcome is averted by pulsatile myosin time-dependence, which rescues furrowing by eliminating high frequencies in the fluctuation power spectrum. This low pass filter mechanism may underlie the usage of actomyosin pulsing in diverse morphogenetic processes across many organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkang Zhu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ben O’Shaughnessy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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7
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Dehn AS, Duhaime L, Gogna N, Nishina PM, Kelley K, Losick VP. Epithelial mechanics are maintained by inhibiting cell fusion with age in Drosophila. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260974. [PMID: 37732459 PMCID: PMC10651104 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A characteristic of normal aging and age-related diseases is the remodeling of the cellular organization of a tissue through polyploid cell growth. Polyploidy arises from an increase in nuclear ploidy or the number of nuclei per cell. However, it is not known whether age-induced polyploidy is an adaption to stressors or a precursor to degeneration. Here, we find that abdominal epithelium of the adult fruit fly becomes polyploid with age through generation of multinucleated cells by cell fusion. Inhibition of fusion does not improve the lifespan of the fly, but does enhance its biomechanical fitness, a measure of the healthspan of the animal. Remarkably, Drosophila can maintain their epithelial tension and abdominal movements with age when cell fusion is inhibited. Epithelial cell fusion also appears to be dependent on a mechanical cue, as knockdown of Rho kinase, E-cadherin or α-catenin is sufficient to induce multinucleation in young animals. Interestingly, mutations in α-catenin in mice result in retina pigment epithelial multinucleation associated with macular disease. Therefore, we have discovered that polyploid cells arise by cell fusion and contribute to the decline in the biomechanical fitness of the animal with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari S. Dehn
- Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Levi Duhaime
- Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Navdeep Gogna
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Patsy M. Nishina
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Kristina Kelley
- Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Vicki P. Losick
- Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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8
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Niloy RA, Holcomb MC, Thomas JH, Blawzdziewicz J. The mechanics of cephalic furrow formation in the Drosophila embryo. Biophys J 2023; 122:3843-3859. [PMID: 37571824 PMCID: PMC10560681 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cephalic furrow formation (CFF) is a major morphogenetic movement during gastrulation in Drosophila melanogaster embryos that gives rise to a deep, transitory epithelial invagination. Recent studies have identified the individual cell shape changes that drive the initiation and progression phases of CFF; however, the underlying mechanics are not yet well understood. During the progression phase, the furrow deepens as columnar cells from both the anterior and posterior directions fold inwards rotating by 90°. To analyze the mechanics of this process, we have developed an advanced two-dimensional lateral vertex model that includes multinode representation of cellular membranes and allows us to capture the membrane curvature associated with pressure variation. Our investigations reveal some key potential mechanical features of CFF, as follows. When cells begin to roll over the cephalic furrow cleft, they become wedge shaped as their apical cortices and overlying membranes expand, lateral cortices and overlying membranes release tension, internal pressures drop, and basal cortices and membranes contract. Then, cells reverse this process by shortening apical cortices and membranes, increasing lateral tension, and causing internal pressures to rise. Since the basal membranes expand, the cells recover their rotated columnar shape once in the furrow. Interestingly, our findings indicate that the basal membranes may be passively reactive throughout the progression phase. We also find that the smooth rolling of cells over the cephalic furrow cleft necessitates that internalized cells provide a solid base through high levels of membrane tension and internal pressure, which allows the transmission of tensile force that pulls new cells into the furrow. These results lead us to suggest that CFF helps to establish a baseline tension across the apical surface of the embryo to facilitate cellular coordination of other morphogenetic movements via mechanical stress feedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Redowan A Niloy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
| | - Michael C Holcomb
- Department of Physics and Geosciences, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas
| | - Jeffrey H Thomas
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
| | - Jerzy Blawzdziewicz
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
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9
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Smits CM, Dutta S, Jain-Sharma V, Streichan SJ, Shvartsman SY. Maintaining symmetry during body axis elongation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3536-3543.e6. [PMID: 37562404 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Bilateral symmetry defines much of the animal kingdom and is crucial for numerous functions of bilaterian organisms. Genetic approaches have discovered highly conserved patterning networks that establish bilateral symmetry in early embryos,1 but how this symmetry is maintained throughout subsequent morphogenetic events remains largely unknown.2 Here we show that the terminal patterning system-which relies on Ras/ERK signaling through activation of the Torso receptor by its ligand Trunk3-is critical for preserving bilateral symmetry during Drosophila body axis elongation, a process driven by cell rearrangements in the two identical lateral regions of the embryo and specified by the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior patterning systems.4 We demonstrate that fluctuating asymmetries in this rapid convergent-extension process are attenuated in normal embryos over time, possibly through noise-dissipating forces from the posterior midgut invagination and movement. However, when Torso signaling is attenuated via mutation of Trunk or RNAi directed against downstream Ras/ERK pathway components, body axis elongation results in a characteristic corkscrew phenotype,5 which reflects dramatic reorganization of global tissue flow and is incompatible with viability. Our results reveal a new function downstream of the Drosophila terminal patterning system in potentially active control of bilateral symmetry and should motivate systematic search for similar symmetry-preserving regulatory mechanisms in other bilaterians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia M Smits
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sayantan Dutta
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Vishank Jain-Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Sebastian J Streichan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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10
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Häring M, Wolf F, Großhans J, Kong D. Morphogenesis: Unstable rods and how genetics tames them. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R873-R875. [PMID: 37607486 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Rods under mechanical stress are a classic example of dynamic instability. Axis elongation in Drosophila usually leads to a U-shaped axis, but folded or twisted axes are observed in certain mutants. Analysis of these mutants now reveals the source of the instability and the mechanism for maintaining left-right symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Häring
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany; Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Großhans
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Deqing Kong
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
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11
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Marín-Llauradó A, Kale S, Ouzeri A, Golde T, Sunyer R, Torres-Sánchez A, Latorre E, Gómez-González M, Roca-Cusachs P, Arroyo M, Trepat X. Mapping mechanical stress in curved epithelia of designed size and shape. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4014. [PMID: 37419987 PMCID: PMC10329037 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38879-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The function of organs such as lungs, kidneys and mammary glands relies on the three-dimensional geometry of their epithelium. To adopt shapes such as spheres, tubes and ellipsoids, epithelia generate mechanical stresses that are generally unknown. Here we engineer curved epithelial monolayers of controlled size and shape and map their state of stress. We design pressurized epithelia with circular, rectangular and ellipsoidal footprints. We develop a computational method, called curved monolayer stress microscopy, to map the stress tensor in these epithelia. This method establishes a correspondence between epithelial shape and mechanical stress without assumptions of material properties. In epithelia with spherical geometry we show that stress weakly increases with areal strain in a size-independent manner. In epithelia with rectangular and ellipsoidal cross-section we find pronounced stress anisotropies that impact cell alignment. Our approach enables a systematic study of how geometry and stress influence epithelial fate and function in three-dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Marín-Llauradó
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sohan Kale
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| | - Adam Ouzeri
- LaCàN, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tom Golde
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raimon Sunyer
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Torres-Sánchez
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- LaCàN, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ernest Latorre
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Gómez-González
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Roca-Cusachs
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marino Arroyo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- LaCàN, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria (CIMNE), 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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12
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Shellard A, Mayor R. Sculpting with stiffness: rigidity as a regulator of morphogenesis. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:1009-1021. [PMID: 37114613 PMCID: PMC10317161 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
From a physical perspective, morphogenesis of tissues results from interplay between their material properties and the mechanical forces exerted on them. The importance of mechanical forces in influencing cell behaviour is widely recognised, whereas the importance of tissue material properties in vivo, like stiffness, has only begun to receive attention in recent years. In this mini-review, we highlight key themes and concepts that have emerged related to how tissue stiffness, a fundamental material property, guides various morphogenetic processes in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Shellard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
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13
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Zhu H, Oâ Shaughnessy B. Actomyosin pulsing rescues embryonic tissue folding from disruption by myosin fluctuations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.16.533016. [PMID: 36993262 PMCID: PMC10055118 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.16.533016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
During early development, myosin II mechanically reshapes and folds embryo tissue. A much-studied example is ventral furrow formation in Drosophila , marking the onset of gastrulation. Furrowing is driven by contraction of actomyosin networks on apical cell surfaces, but how the myosin patterning encodes tissue shape is unclear, and elastic models failed to reproduce essential features of experimental cell contraction profiles. The myosin patterning exhibits substantial cell-to-cell fluctuations with pulsatile time-dependence, a striking but unexplained feature of morphogenesis in many organisms. Here, using biophysical modeling we find viscous forces offer the principle resistance to actomyosin-driven apical constriction. In consequence, tissue shape is encoded in the direction-dependent curvature of the myosin patterning which orients an anterior-posterior furrow. Tissue contraction is highly sensitive to cell-to-cell myosin fluctuations, explaining furrowing failure in genetically perturbed embryos whose fluctuations are temporally persistent. In wild-type embryos, this catastrophic outcome is averted by pulsatile myosin time-dependence, a time-averaging effect that rescues furrowing. This low pass filter mechanism may underlie the usage of actomyosin pulsing in diverse morphogenetic processes across many organisms.
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14
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Sun X, Decker J, Sanchez-Luege N, Rebay I. Orthogonal coupling of a 3D cytoskeletal scaffold coordinates cell morphogenesis and maintains tissue organization in the Drosophila pupal retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531386. [PMID: 36945525 PMCID: PMC10028844 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
How complex three-dimensional (3D) organs coordinate cellular morphogenetic events to achieve the correct final form is a central question in development. The question is uniquely tractable in the late Drosophila pupal retina where cells maintain stereotyped contacts as they elaborate the specialized cytoskeletal structures that pattern the apical, basal and longitudinal planes of the epithelium. In this study, we combined cell type-specific genetic manipulation of the cytoskeletal regulator Abelson (Abl) with 3D imaging to explore how the distinct cellular morphogenetic programs of photoreceptors and interommatidial pigment cells coordinately organize tissue pattern to support retinal integrity. Our experiments revealed an unanticipated intercellular feedback mechanism whereby correct cellular differentiation of either cell type can non-autonomously induce cytoskeletal remodeling in the other Abl mutant cell type, restoring retinal pattern and integrity. We propose that genetic regulation of specialized cellular differentiation programs combined with inter-plane mechanical feedback confers spatial coordination to achieve robust 3D tissue morphogenesis.
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15
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Villedieu A, Alpar L, Gaugué I, Joudat A, Graner F, Bosveld F, Bellaïche Y. Homeotic compartment curvature and tension control spatiotemporal folding dynamics. Nat Commun 2023; 14:594. [PMID: 36737611 PMCID: PMC9898526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape is a conspicuous and fundamental property of biological systems entailing the function of organs and tissues. While much emphasis has been put on how tissue tension and mechanical properties drive shape changes, whether and how a given tissue geometry influences subsequent morphogenesis remains poorly characterized. Here, we explored how curvature, a key descriptor of tissue geometry, impinges on the dynamics of epithelial tissue invagination. We found that the morphogenesis of the fold separating the adult Drosophila head and thorax segments is driven by the invagination of the Deformed (Dfd) homeotic compartment. Dfd controls invagination by modulating actomyosin organization and in-plane epithelial tension via the Tollo and Dystroglycan receptors. By experimentally introducing curvature heterogeneity within the homeotic compartment, we established that a curved tissue geometry converts the Dfd-dependent in-plane tension into an inward force driving folding. Accordingly, the interplay between in-plane tension and tissue curvature quantitatively explains the spatiotemporal folding dynamics. Collectively, our work highlights how genetic patterning and tissue geometry provide a simple design principle driving folding morphogenesis during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Villedieu
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Lale Alpar
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Gaugué
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Amina Joudat
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - François Graner
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Matière et Systèmes Complexes, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Floris Bosveld
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France. .,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France.
| | - Yohanns Bellaïche
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, Paris, France. .,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005, Paris, France.
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16
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Coupling of microtubule bundles isolates them from local disruptions to set the structural stability of the anaphase spindle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204068119. [PMID: 36122237 PMCID: PMC9522340 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204068119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation requires load-bearing interactions across kinetochore fibers and antiparallel microtubule bundles, which constitute the spindle midzone. Mechanical properties of kinetochore fibers have been characterized during metaphase, when the mitotic spindle achieves steady state. However, it has been difficult to probe the mechanics of the spindle midzone that elongates during anaphase. Here, we combine superresolution expansion and electron microscopies, lattice light-sheet imaging, and laser microsurgery to examine how midzone organization sets its mechanics. We find that individual midzone bundles extend out to multiple positions across chromosomes and form multiple apparent microtubule-based connections with each other. Across the spindle's short axis, these microtubule bundles exhibit restricted, submicrometer-amplitude motions, which are weakly correlated on <10s timescales. Severing individual midzone bundles near their center does not substantially affect positions of neighboring bundles, nor the overall structural stability of the midzone. In contrast, severing multiple midzone bundles or individual bundles at their chromosome-proximal ends significantly displaces neighboring microtubule bundles. Together, these data suggest a model wherein multiple midzone connections both reinforce its structure and mechanically isolate individual bundles from local perturbations. This feature sets the robust midzone architecture to accommodate disruptions, including those which result from lagging chromosomes, and achieve stereotypic outputs, such as proper chromosome separation.
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17
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Camuglia J, Chanet S, Martin AC. Morphogenetic forces planar polarize LGN/Pins in the embryonic head during Drosophila gastrulation. eLife 2022; 11:78779. [PMID: 35796436 PMCID: PMC9262390 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Spindle orientation is often achieved by a complex of Partner of Inscuteable (Pins)/LGN, Mushroom Body Defect (Mud)/Nuclear Mitotic Apparatus (NuMa), Gαi, and Dynein, which interacts with astral microtubules to rotate the spindle. Cortical Pins/LGN recruitment serves as a critical step in this process. Here, we identify Pins-mediated planar cell polarized divisions in several of the mitotic domains of the early Drosophila embryo. We found that neither planar cell polarity pathways nor planar polarized myosin localization determined division orientation; instead, our findings strongly suggest that Pins planar polarity and force generated from mesoderm invagination are important. Disrupting Pins polarity via overexpression of a myristoylated version of Pins caused randomized division angles. We found that disrupting forces through chemical inhibitors, depletion of an adherens junction protein, or blocking mesoderm invagination disrupted Pins planar polarity and spindle orientation. Furthermore, directional ablations that separated mesoderm from mitotic domains disrupted spindle orientation, suggesting that forces transmitted from mesoderm to mitotic domains can polarize Pins and orient division during gastrulation. To our knowledge, this is the first in vivo example where mechanical force has been shown to polarize Pins to mediate division orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Camuglia
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Soline Chanet
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Adam C Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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18
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Guo H, Swan M, He B. Optogenetic inhibition of actomyosin reveals mechanical bistability of the mesoderm epithelium during Drosophila mesoderm invagination. eLife 2022; 11:69082. [PMID: 35195065 PMCID: PMC8896829 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Apical constriction driven by actin and non-muscle myosin II (actomyosin) provides a well-conserved mechanism to mediate epithelial folding. It remains unclear how contractile forces near the apical surface of a cell sheet drive out-of-the-plane bending of the sheet and whether myosin contractility is required throughout folding. By optogenetic-mediated acute inhibition of actomyosin, we find that during Drosophila mesoderm invagination, actomyosin contractility is critical to prevent tissue relaxation during the early, ‘priming’ stage of folding but is dispensable for the actual folding step after the tissue passes through a stereotyped transitional configuration. This binary response suggests that Drosophila mesoderm is mechanically bistable during gastrulation. Computer modeling analysis demonstrates that the binary tissue response to actomyosin inhibition can be recapitulated in the simulated epithelium that undergoes buckling-like deformation jointly mediated by apical constriction in the mesoderm and in-plane compression generated by apicobasal shrinkage of the surrounding ectoderm. Interestingly, comparison between wild-type and snail mutants that fail to specify the mesoderm demonstrates that the lateral ectoderm undergoes apicobasal shrinkage during gastrulation independently of mesoderm invagination. We propose that Drosophila mesoderm invagination is achieved through an interplay between local apical constriction and mechanical bistability of the epithelium that facilitates epithelial buckling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Guo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, United States
| | - Michael Swan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Bing He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, United States
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19
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Saraswathibhatla A, Zhang J, Notbohm J. Coordination of contractile tension and cell area changes in an epithelial cell monolayer. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:024404. [PMID: 35291100 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.024404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During tissue development and repair, cells contract and expand in coordination with their neighbors, giving rise to tissue deformations that occur on length scales far larger than that of a single cell. The biophysical mechanisms by which the contractile forces of each cell cause deformations on multicellular length scales are not fully clear. To investigate this question, we began with the principle of force equilibrium, which dictates a balance of tensile forces between neighboring cells. Based on this principle, we hypothesized that coordinated changes in cell area result from tension transmitted across the cell layer. To test this hypothesis, spatial correlations of both contractile tension and the divergence of cell velocities were measured as readouts of coordinated contractility and collective area changes, respectively. Experiments were designed to alter the spatial correlation of contractile tension using three different methods, including disrupting cell-cell adhesions, modulating the alignment of actomyosin stress fibers between neighboring cells, and changing the size of the cell monolayer. In all experiments, the spatial correlations of both tension and divergence increased or decreased together, in agreement with our hypothesis. To relate our findings to the intracellular mechanism connecting changes in cell area to contractile tension, we disrupted activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which is known to mediate the intracellular relationship between cell area and contraction. Consistent with prior knowledge, a temporal cross-correlation between cell area and tension revealed that ERK was responsible for a proportional relationship between cell area and contraction. Inhibition of ERK activation reduced the spatial correlations of the divergence of cell velocity but not of tension. Together, our findings suggest that coordination of cell contraction and expansion requires transfer of cell tension over space and ERK-mediated coordination between cell area and contraction in time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Jacob Notbohm
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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20
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Paci G, Mao Y. Forced into shape: Mechanical forces in Drosophila development and homeostasis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:160-170. [PMID: 34092509 PMCID: PMC8681862 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical forces play a central role in shaping tissues during development and maintaining epithelial integrity in homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the roles of mechanical forces in Drosophila development and homeostasis, starting from the interplay of mechanics with cell growth and division. We then discuss several examples of morphogenetic processes where complex 3D structures are shaped by mechanical forces, followed by a closer look at patterning processes. We also review the role of forces in homeostatic processes, including cell elimination and wound healing. Finally, we look at the interplay of mechanics and developmental robustness and discuss open questions in the field, as well as novel approaches that will help tackle them in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Paci
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yanlan Mao
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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21
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Bhide S, Gombalova D, Mönke G, Stegmaier J, Zinchenko V, Kreshuk A, Belmonte JM, Leptin M. Mechanical competition alters the cellular interpretation of an endogenous genetic program. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212605. [PMID: 34449835 PMCID: PMC8406609 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202104107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic genetic program of a cell is not sufficient to explain all of the cell's activities. External mechanical stimuli are increasingly recognized as determinants of cell behavior. In the epithelial folding event that constitutes the beginning of gastrulation in Drosophila, the genetic program of the future mesoderm leads to the establishment of a contractile actomyosin network that triggers apical constriction of cells and thereby tissue folding. However, some cells do not constrict but instead stretch, even though they share the same genetic program as their constricting neighbors. We show here that tissue-wide interactions force these cells to expand even when an otherwise sufficient amount of apical, active actomyosin is present. Models based on contractile forces and linear stress-strain responses do not reproduce experimental observations, but simulations in which cells behave as ductile materials with nonlinear mechanical properties do. Our models show that this behavior is a general emergent property of actomyosin networks in a supracellular context, in accordance with our experimental observations of actin reorganization within stretching cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourabh Bhide
- Director's Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Denisa Gombalova
- Director's Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gregor Mönke
- Director's Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Stegmaier
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Valentyna Zinchenko
- Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Kreshuk
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julio M Belmonte
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.,Quantitative and Computational Developmental Biology Cluster, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Maria Leptin
- Director's Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.,European Molecular Biology Organization, Heidelberg, Germany
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22
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Orchestration of Force Generation and Nuclear Collapse in Apoptotic Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910257. [PMID: 34638598 PMCID: PMC8508646 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a form of cell suicide that is extremely important for ridding the body of cells that are no longer required, to protect the body against hazardous cells, such as cancerous ones, and to promote tissue morphogenesis during animal development. Upon reception of a death stimulus, the doomed cell activates biochemical pathways that eventually converge on the activation of dedicated enzymes, caspases. Numerous pieces of information on the biochemical control of the process have been gathered, from the successive events of caspase activation to the identification of their targets, such as lamins, which constitute the nuclear skeleton. Yet, evidence from multiple systems now shows that apoptosis is also a mechanical process, which may even ultimately impinge on the morphogenesis of the surrounding tissues. This mechanical role relies on dramatic actomyosin cytoskeleton remodelling, and on its coupling with the nucleus before nucleus fragmentation. Here, we provide an overview of apoptosis before describing how apoptotic forces could combine with selective caspase-dependent proteolysis to orchestrate nucleus destruction.
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23
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Hansen CL, Pelegri F. Primordial Germ Cell Specification in Vertebrate Embryos: Phylogenetic Distribution and Conserved Molecular Features of Preformation and Induction. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:730332. [PMID: 34604230 PMCID: PMC8481613 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.730332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) occurs during early embryonic development and is critical for the survival and fitness of sexually reproducing species. Here, we review the two main mechanisms of PGC specification, induction, and preformation, in the context of four model vertebrate species: mouse, axolotl, Xenopus frogs, and zebrafish. We additionally discuss some notable molecular characteristics shared across PGC specification pathways, including the shared expression of products from three conserved germline gene families, DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia) genes, nanos-related genes, and DEAD-box RNA helicases. Then, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the distribution of germ cell determination systems across kingdom Animalia, with particular attention to vertebrate species, but include several categories of invertebrates - ranging from the "proto-vertebrate" cephalochordates to arthropods, cnidarians, and ctenophores. We also briefly highlight ongoing investigations and potential lines of inquiry that aim to understand the evolutionary relationships between these modes of specification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Pelegri
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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24
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Fiuza UM, Lemaire P. Mechanical and genetic control of ascidian endoderm invagination during gastrulation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:108-118. [PMID: 34393069 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is a near universal developmental process of animal embryogenesis, during which dramatic morphogenetic events take place: the mesodermal and endodermal tissues are internalized, the ectoderm spreads to cover the embryo surface, and the animal body plan and germ layers are established. Morphogenesis during gastrulation has long been considered the result of spatio-temporally localised forces driven by the transcriptional programme of the embryo. Recent work has shown that tissue rheological properties, which define the mechanical response of tissues to internally-generated or external forces, are also important dynamic regulators of gastrulation. Here, we first introduce how embryonic mechanics can be represented, before outlining current knowledge of the mechanical and genetic control of gastrulation in ascidians, invertebrate marine chordates which develop with invariant cell lineages and a solid-like rheological behaviour until the neurula stages. We discuss the potential of these organisms for the experimental and computational whole-embryo characterisation of the mechanisms shaping gastrulation, and how they may inform the more complex tissue internalization strategies used by other model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulla-Maj Fiuza
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- Centre de Recherches de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, France.
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25
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Holcomb MC, Gao GJJ, Servati M, Schneider D, McNeely PK, Thomas JH, Blawzdziewicz J. Mechanical feedback and robustness of apical constrictions in Drosophila embryo ventral furrow formation. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009173. [PMID: 34228708 PMCID: PMC8284804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of the ventral furrow in the Drosophila embryo relies on the apical constriction of cells in the ventral region to produce bending forces that drive tissue invagination. In our recent paper we observed that apical constrictions during the initial phase of ventral furrow formation produce elongated patterns of cellular constriction chains prior to invagination and argued that these are indicative of tensile stress feedback. Here, we quantitatively analyze the constriction patterns preceding ventral furrow formation and find that they are consistent with the predictions of our active-granular-fluid model of a monolayer of mechanically coupled stress-sensitive constricting particles. Our model shows that tensile feedback causes constriction chains to develop along underlying precursor tensile stress chains that gradually strengthen with subsequent cellular constrictions. As seen in both our model and available optogenetic experiments, this mechanism allows constriction chains to penetrate or circumvent zones of reduced cell contractility, thus increasing the robustness of ventral furrow formation to spatial variation of cell contractility by rescuing cellular constrictions in the disrupted regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Holcomb
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Guo-Jie Jason Gao
- Department of Mathematical and Systems Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Mahsa Servati
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dylan Schneider
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Presley K. McNeely
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey H. Thomas
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jerzy Blawzdziewicz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
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26
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Rich A, Glotzer M. Small GTPases modulate intrinsic and extrinsic forces that control epithelial folding in Drosophila embryos. Small GTPases 2021; 12:416-428. [PMID: 33985411 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2021.1926879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial folding is a common means to execute morphogenetic movements. The gastrulating Drosophila embryo offers many examples of epithelial folding events, including the ventral, cephalic, and dorsal furrows. Each of these folding events is associated with changes in intracellular contractility and/or cytoskeleton structures that autonomously promote epithelial folding. Here, we review accumulating evidence that suggests the progression and final form of ventral, cephalic, and dorsal furrows are also influenced by the behaviour of cells neighbouring these folds. We further discuss the prevalence and importance of junctional rearrangements during epithelial folding events, suggesting adherens junction components are prime candidates to modulate the transmission of the intercellular forces that influence folding events. Finally, we discuss how recently developed methods that enable precise spatial and/or temporal control of protein activity allow direct testing of molecular models of morphogenesis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Rich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael Glotzer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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27
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Denk-Lobnig M, Totz JF, Heer NC, Dunkel J, Martin AC. Combinatorial patterns of graded RhoA activation and uniform F-actin depletion promote tissue curvature. Development 2021; 148:dev199232. [PMID: 34124762 PMCID: PMC8254875 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During development, gene expression regulates cell mechanics and shape to sculpt tissues. Epithelial folding proceeds through distinct cell shape changes that occur simultaneously in different regions of a tissue. Here, using quantitative imaging in Drosophila melanogaster, we investigate how patterned cell shape changes promote tissue bending during early embryogenesis. We find that the transcription factors Twist and Snail combinatorially regulate a multicellular pattern of lateral F-actin density that differs from the previously described Myosin-2 gradient. This F-actin pattern correlates with whether cells apically constrict, stretch or maintain their shape. We show that the Myosin-2 gradient and F-actin depletion do not depend on force transmission, suggesting that transcriptional activity is required to create these patterns. The Myosin-2 gradient width results from a gradient in RhoA activation that is refined through the balance between RhoGEF2 and the RhoGAP C-GAP. Our experimental results and simulations of a 3D elastic shell model show that tuning gradient width regulates tissue curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlis Denk-Lobnig
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jan F. Totz
- Mathematics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Natalie C. Heer
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Mathematics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Adam C. Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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28
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Abstract
The generation of organismal form - morphogenesis - arises from forces produced at the cellular level. In animal cells, much of this force is produced by the actin cytoskeleton. Here, we review how mechanisms of actin-based force generation are deployed during animal morphogenesis to sculpt organs and organisms. Furthermore, we consider how cytoskeletal forces are coupled through cell adhesions to propagate across tissues, and discuss cases where cytoskeletal force or adhesion is patterned across a tissue to direct shape changes. Together, our review provides a conceptual framework that reflects our current understanding of animal morphogenesis and gives perspectives on future opportunities for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Nathaniel Clarke
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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29
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Shard C, Luna-Escalante J, Schweisguth F. Tissue-wide coordination of epithelium-to-neural stem cell transition in the Drosophila optic lobe requires Neuralized. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:152101. [PMID: 32946560 PMCID: PMC7594497 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202005035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many tissues are produced by specialized progenitor cells emanating from epithelia via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Most studies have so far focused on EMT involving single or isolated groups of cells. Here we describe an EMT-like process that requires tissue-level coordination. This EMT-like process occurs along a continuous front in the Drosophila optic lobe neuroepithelium to produce neural stem cells (NSCs). We find that emerging NSCs remain epithelial and apically constrict before dividing asymmetrically to produce neurons. Apical constriction is associated with contractile myosin pulses and involves RhoGEF3 and down-regulation of the Crumbs complex by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Neuralized. Anisotropy in Crumbs complex levels also results in accumulation of junctional myosin. Disrupting the regulation of Crumbs by Neuralized lowered junctional myosin and led to imprecision in the integration of emerging NSCs into the front. Thus, Neuralized promotes smooth progression of the differentiation front by coupling epithelium remodeling at the tissue level with NSC fate acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Shard
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Juan Luna-Escalante
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - François Schweisguth
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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30
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Haas PA, Goldstein RE. Morphoelasticity of large bending deformations of cell sheets during development. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:022411. [PMID: 33736073 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.022411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Deformations of cell sheets during morphogenesis are driven by developmental processes such as cell division and cell shape changes. In morphoelastic shell theories of development, these processes appear as variations of the intrinsic geometry of a thin elastic shell. However, morphogenesis often involves large bending deformations that are outside the formal range of validity of these shell theories. Here, by asymptotic expansion of three-dimensional incompressible morphoelasticity in the limit of a thin shell, we derive a shell theory for large intrinsic bending deformations and emphasize the resulting geometric material anisotropy and the elastic role of cell constriction. Taking the invagination of the green alga Volvox as a model developmental event, we show how results for this theory differ from those for a classical shell theory that is not formally valid for these large bending deformations and reveal how these geometric effects stabilize invagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre A Haas
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom.,Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond E Goldstein
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom
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31
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Abstract
Epithelial cells possess the ability to change their shape in response to mechanical stress by remodelling their junctions and their cytoskeleton. This property lies at the heart of tissue morphogenesis in embryos. A key feature of embryonic cell shape changes is that they result from repeated mechanical inputs that make them partially irreversible at each step. Past work on cell rheology has rarely addressed how changes can become irreversible in a complex tissue. Here, we review new and exciting findings dissecting some of the physical principles and molecular mechanisms accounting for irreversible cell shape changes. We discuss concepts of mechanical ratchets and tension thresholds required to induce permanent cell deformations akin to mechanical plasticity. Work in different systems has highlighted the importance of actin remodelling and of E-cadherin endocytosis. We also list some novel experimental approaches to fine-tune mechanical tension, using optogenetics, magnetic beads or stretching of suspended epithelial tissues. Finally, we discuss some mathematical models that have been used to describe the quantitative aspects of accounting for mechanical cell plasticity and offer perspectives on this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Molnar
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR7622, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Michel Labouesse
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), CNRS UMR7622, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
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32
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Martin E, Theis S, Gay G, Monier B, Rouvière C, Suzanne M. Arp2/3-dependent mechanical control of morphogenetic robustness in an inherently challenging environment. Dev Cell 2021; 56:687-701.e7. [PMID: 33535069 PMCID: PMC7955168 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial sheets undergo highly reproducible remodeling to shape organs. This stereotyped morphogenesis depends on a well-defined sequence of events leading to the regionalized expression of developmental patterning genes that finally triggers downstream mechanical forces to drive tissue remodeling at a pre-defined position. However, how tissue mechanics controls morphogenetic robustness when challenged by intrinsic perturbations in close proximity has never been addressed. Using Drosophila developing leg, we show that a bias in force propagation ensures stereotyped morphogenesis despite the presence of mechanical noise in the environment. We found that knockdown of the Arp2/3 complex member Arpc5 specifically affects fold directionality while altering neither the developmental nor the force generation patterns. By combining in silico modeling, biophysical tools, and ad hoc genetic tools, our data reveal that junctional myosin II planar polarity favors long-range force channeling and ensures folding robustness, avoiding force scattering and thus isolating the fold domain from surrounding mechanical perturbations. Drosophila developing leg folding is extremely robust Fold orientation becomes variable in Arp2/3 knockdown condition Arp2/3 controls junctional myosin II planar polarity Myosin II planar polarity ensures fold robustness through force channeling
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Martin
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCD), Center of Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Sophie Theis
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCD), Center of Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; Morphogénie Logiciels, 32110 St Martin d'Armagnac, France
| | - Guillaume Gay
- Morphogénie Logiciels, 32110 St Martin d'Armagnac, France; Turing Center For Living Systems, Aix-MarseilleUniversity, 13009, Marseille, France.
| | - Bruno Monier
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCD), Center of Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Christian Rouvière
- Image Processing Facility, Center of Integrative Biology (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France
| | - Magali Suzanne
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCD), Center of Integrative Biology (CBI), Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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33
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Collinet C, Lecuit T. Programmed and self-organized flow of information during morphogenesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:245-265. [PMID: 33483696 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-020-00318-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
How the shape of embryos and organs emerges during development is a fundamental question that has fascinated scientists for centuries. Tissue dynamics arise from a small set of cell behaviours, including shape changes, cell contact remodelling, cell migration, cell division and cell extrusion. These behaviours require control over cell mechanics, namely active stresses associated with protrusive, contractile and adhesive forces, and hydrostatic pressure, as well as material properties of cells that dictate how cells respond to active stresses. In this Review, we address how cell mechanics and the associated cell behaviours are robustly organized in space and time during tissue morphogenesis. We first outline how not only gene expression and the resulting biochemical cues, but also mechanics and geometry act as sources of morphogenetic information to ultimately define the time and length scales of the cell behaviours driving morphogenesis. Next, we present two idealized modes of how this information flows - how it is read out and translated into a biological effect - during morphogenesis. The first, akin to a programme, follows deterministic rules and is hierarchical. The second follows the principles of self-organization, which rests on statistical rules characterizing the system's composition and configuration, local interactions and feedback. We discuss the contribution of these two modes to the mechanisms of four very general classes of tissue deformation, namely tissue folding and invagination, tissue flow and extension, tissue hollowing and, finally, tissue branching. Overall, we suggest a conceptual framework for understanding morphogenetic information that encapsulates genetics and biochemistry as well as mechanics and geometry as information modules, and the interplay of deterministic and self-organized mechanisms of their deployment, thereby diverging considerably from the traditional notion that shape is fully encoded and determined by genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Collinet
- Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS, IBDM - UMR7288 & Turing Centre for Living Systems, Campus de Luminy Case 907, Marseille, France
| | - Thomas Lecuit
- Aix-Marseille Université & CNRS, IBDM - UMR7288 & Turing Centre for Living Systems, Campus de Luminy Case 907, Marseille, France. .,Collège de France, Paris, France.
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34
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Rich A, Fehon RG, Glotzer M. Rho1 activation recapitulates early gastrulation events in the ventral, but not dorsal, epithelium of Drosophila embryos. eLife 2020; 9:56893. [PMID: 33200987 PMCID: PMC7717907 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventral furrow formation, the first step in Drosophila gastrulation, is a well-studied example of tissue morphogenesis. Rho1 is highly active in a subset of ventral cells and is required for this morphogenetic event. However, it is unclear whether spatially patterned Rho1 activity alone is sufficient to recapitulate all aspects of this morphogenetic event, including anisotropic apical constriction and coordinated cell movements. Here, using an optogenetic probe that rapidly and robustly activates Rho1 in Drosophila tissues, we show that Rho1 activity induces ectopic deformations in the dorsal and ventral epithelia of Drosophila embryos. These perturbations reveal substantial differences in how ventral and dorsal cells, both within and outside the zone of Rho1 activation, respond to spatially and temporally identical patterns of Rho1 activation. Our results demonstrate that an asymmetric zone of Rho1 activity is not sufficient to recapitulate ventral furrow formation and reveal that additional, ventral-specific factors contribute to the cell- and tissue-level behaviors that emerge during ventral furrow formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Rich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Richard G Fehon
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Michael Glotzer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
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35
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López-Gay JM, Nunley H, Spencer M, di Pietro F, Guirao B, Bosveld F, Markova O, Gaugue I, Pelletier S, Lubensky DK, Bellaïche Y. Apical stress fibers enable a scaling between cell mechanical response and area in epithelial tissue. Science 2020; 370:370/6514/eabb2169. [PMID: 33060329 DOI: 10.1126/science.abb2169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Biological systems tailor their properties and behavior to their size throughout development and in numerous aspects of physiology. However, such size scaling remains poorly understood as it applies to cell mechanics and mechanosensing. By examining how the Drosophila pupal dorsal thorax epithelium responds to morphogenetic forces, we found that the number of apical stress fibers (aSFs) anchored to adherens junctions scales with cell apical area to limit larger cell elongation under mechanical stress. aSFs cluster Hippo pathway components, thereby scaling Hippo signaling and proliferation with area. This scaling is promoted by tricellular junctions mediating an increase in aSF nucleation rate and lifetime in larger cells. Development, homeostasis, and repair entail epithelial cell size changes driven by mechanical forces; our work highlights how, in turn, mechanosensitivity scales with cell size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M López-Gay
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Hayden Nunley
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Meryl Spencer
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Florencia di Pietro
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Boris Guirao
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Floris Bosveld
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Olga Markova
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Gaugue
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pelletier
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - David K Lubensky
- Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. .,Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yohanns Bellaïche
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France. .,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, F-75005 Paris, France
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36
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Martin AC. Self-organized cytoskeletal alignment during Drosophila mesoderm invagination. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190551. [PMID: 32829683 PMCID: PMC7482211 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During tissue morphogenesis, mechanical forces are propagated across tissues, resulting in tissue shape changes. These forces in turn can influence cell behaviour, leading to a feedback process that can be described as self-organizing. Here, I discuss cytoskeletal self-organization and point to evidence that suggests its role in directing force during morphogenesis. During Drosophila mesoderm invagination, the shape of the region of cells that initiates constriction creates a mechanical pattern that in turn aligns the cytoskeleton with the axis of greatest resistance to contraction. The wild-type direction of the force controls the shape and orientation of the invaginating mesoderm. Given the ability of the actomyosin cytoskeleton to self-organize, these types of feedback mechanisms are likely to play important roles in a range of different morphogenetic events. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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37
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Röper K. Microtubules enter centre stage for morphogenesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190557. [PMID: 32829681 PMCID: PMC7482213 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell shape changes are key to observable changes at the tissue level during morphogenesis and organ formation. The major driver of cell shape changes in turn is the actin cytoskeleton, both in the form of protrusive linear or branched dynamic networks and in the form of contractile actomyosin. Over the last 20 years, actomyosin has emerged as the major cytoskeletal system that deforms cells in epithelial sheets during morphogenesis. By contrast, the second major cytoskeletal system, microtubules, have so far mostly been assumed to serve 'house-keeping' functions, such as directed transport or cell division, during morphogenetic events. Here, I will reflect on a subset of studies over the last 10 years that have clearly shown a major direct role for the microtubule cytoskeleton in epithelial morphogenesis, suggesting that our focus will need to be widened to give more attention and credit to this cytoskeletal system in playing an active morphogenetic role. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Röper
- MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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38
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Perez-Vale KZ, Peifer M. Orchestrating morphogenesis: building the body plan by cell shape changes and movements. Development 2020; 147:dev191049. [PMID: 32917667 PMCID: PMC7502592 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic development, a simple ball of cells re-shapes itself into the elaborate body plan of an animal. This requires dramatic cell shape changes and cell movements, powered by the contractile force generated by actin and myosin linked to the plasma membrane at cell-cell and cell-matrix junctions. Here, we review three morphogenetic events common to most animals: apical constriction, convergent extension and collective cell migration. Using the fruit fly Drosophila as an example, we discuss recent work that has revealed exciting new insights into the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to change shape and move without tearing tissues apart. We also point out parallel events at work in other animals, which suggest that the mechanisms underlying these morphogenetic processes are conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia Z Perez-Vale
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mark Peifer
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3280, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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39
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Miao H, Blankenship JT. The pulse of morphogenesis: actomyosin dynamics and regulation in epithelia. Development 2020; 147:dev186502. [PMID: 32878903 PMCID: PMC7490518 DOI: 10.1242/dev.186502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Actomyosin networks are some of the most crucial force-generating components present in developing tissues. The contractile forces generated by these networks are harnessed during morphogenesis to drive various cell and tissue reshaping events. Recent studies of these processes have advanced rapidly, providing us with insights into how these networks are initiated, positioned and regulated, and how they act via individual contractile pulses and/or the formation of supracellular cables. Here, we review these studies and discuss the mechanisms that underlie the construction and turnover of such networks and structures. Furthermore, we provide an overview of how ratcheted processivity emerges from pulsed events, and how tissue-level mechanics are the coordinated output of many individual cellular behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Miao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - J Todd Blankenship
- Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
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40
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Tozluoǧlu M, Mao Y. On folding morphogenesis, a mechanical problem. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190564. [PMID: 32829686 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue folding is a fundamental process that sculpts a simple flat epithelium into a complex three-dimensional organ structure. Whether it is the folding of the brain, or the looping of the gut, it has become clear that to generate an invagination or a fold of any form, mechanical asymmetries must exist in the epithelium. These mechanical asymmetries can be generated locally, involving just the invaginating cells and their immediate neighbours, or on a more global tissue-wide scale. Here, we review the different mechanical mechanisms that epithelia have adopted to generate folds, and how the use of precisely defined mathematical models has helped decipher which mechanisms are the key driving forces in different epithelia. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melda Tozluoǧlu
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yanlan Mao
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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41
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Denk-Lobnig M, Martin AC. Divergent and combinatorial mechanical strategies that promote epithelial folding during morphogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 63:24-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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42
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Sokac AM. Mechanical Networks Have Robustness Built into Their Topology, Too. Dev Cell 2020; 50:527-528. [PMID: 31505172 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Network topology ensures robust outcomes for information-transferring networks in biology (e.g., signaling and gene regulatory networks). In this issue of Developmental Cell, Yevick et al. (2019) demonstrate that a similar principle holds for the mechanical networks that drive morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marie Sokac
- Chemical & Life Sciences Laboratory, Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 601 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 60801, USA.
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43
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Tissue-Scale Mechanical Coupling Reduces Morphogenetic Noise to Ensure Precision during Epithelial Folding. Dev Cell 2020; 53:212-228.e12. [PMID: 32169160 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Morphological constancy is universal in developing systems. It is unclear whether precise morphogenesis stems from faithful mechanical interpretation of gene expression patterns. We investigate the formation of the cephalic furrow, an epithelial fold that is precisely positioned with a linear morphology. Fold initiation is specified by a precise genetic code with single-cell row resolution. This positional code activates and spatially confines lateral myosin contractility to induce folding. However, 20% of initiating cells are mis-specified because of fluctuating myosin intensities at the cellular level. Nevertheless, the furrow remains linearly aligned. We find that lateral myosin is planar polarized, integrating contractile membrane interfaces into supracellular "ribbons." Local reduction of mechanical coupling at the "ribbons" using optogenetics decreases furrow linearity. Furthermore, 3D vertex modeling indicates that polarized, interconnected contractility confers morphological robustness against noise. Thus, tissue-scale mechanical coupling functions as a denoising mechanism to ensure morphogenetic precision despite noisy decoding of positional information.
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44
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Martin AC. The Physical Mechanisms of Drosophila Gastrulation: Mesoderm and Endoderm Invagination. Genetics 2020; 214:543-560. [PMID: 32132154 PMCID: PMC7054018 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical juncture in early development is the partitioning of cells that will adopt different fates into three germ layers: the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm. This step is achieved through the internalization of specified cells from the outermost surface layer, through a process called gastrulation. In Drosophila, gastrulation is achieved through cell shape changes (i.e., apical constriction) that change tissue curvature and lead to the folding of a surface epithelium. Folding of embryonic tissue results in mesoderm and endoderm invagination, not as individual cells, but as collective tissue units. The tractability of Drosophila as a model system is best exemplified by how much we know about Drosophila gastrulation, from the signals that pattern the embryo to the molecular components that generate force, and how these components are organized to promote cell and tissue shape changes. For mesoderm invagination, graded signaling by the morphogen, Spätzle, sets up a gradient in transcriptional activity that leads to the expression of a secreted ligand (Folded gastrulation) and a transmembrane protein (T48). Together with the GPCR Mist, which is expressed in the mesoderm, and the GPCR Smog, which is expressed uniformly, these signals activate heterotrimeric G-protein and small Rho-family G-protein signaling to promote apical contractility and changes in cell and tissue shape. A notable feature of this signaling pathway is its intricate organization in both space and time. At the cellular level, signaling components and the cytoskeleton exhibit striking polarity, not only along the apical-basal cell axis, but also within the apical domain. Furthermore, gene expression controls a highly choreographed chain of events, the dynamics of which are critical for primordium invagination; it does not simply throw the cytoskeletal "on" switch. Finally, studies of Drosophila gastrulation have provided insight into how global tissue mechanics and movements are intertwined as multiple tissues simultaneously change shape. Overall, these studies have contributed to the view that cells respond to forces that propagate over great distances, demonstrating that cellular decisions, and, ultimately, tissue shape changes, proceed by integrating cues across an entire embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
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45
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Abstract
Terminal regions of the early Drosophila embryo are patterned by the highly conserved ERK cascade, giving rise to the nonsegmented terminal structures of the future larva. In less than an hour, this signaling event establishes several gene expression boundaries and sets in motion a sequence of elaborate morphogenetic events. Genetic studies of terminal patterning discovered signaling components and transcription factors that are involved in numerous developmental contexts and deregulated in human diseases. This review summarizes current understanding of signaling and morphogenesis during terminal patterning and discusses several open questions that can now be rigorously investigated using live imaging, omics, and optogenetic approaches. The anatomical simplicity of the terminal patterning system and its amenability to a broad range of increasingly sophisticated genetic perturbations will continue to make it a premier quantitative model for studying multiple aspects of tissue patterning by dynamically controlled cell signaling pathways.
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The cellular and molecular mechanisms that establish the mechanics of Drosophila gastrulation. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 136:141-165. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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