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Richa P, Häring M, Wang Q, Choudhury AR, Göpfert MC, Wolf F, Großhans J, Kong D. Synchronization in epithelial tissue morphogenesis. Curr Biol 2025:S0960-9822(25)00382-3. [PMID: 40239658 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2025] [Accepted: 03/26/2025] [Indexed: 04/18/2025]
Abstract
Coordination of cell behavior is central to morphogenesis, when arrays of cells simultaneously undergo shape changes or dynamic rearrangements. In epithelia, cell shape changes invariably exert mechanical forces, which adjacent cells could sense to trigger an active response. However, molecular mechanisms for such mechano-transduction and especially their role for tissue-wide coordination in morphogenesis have remained ambiguous. Here, we investigate the function of Tmc, a key component of cellular mechano-transduction in vertebrate hearing, for coordination of cell dynamics in the epithelial amnioserosa of Drosophila embryos. We directly probed cell-cell mechano-transduction in vivo by opto-chemically inducing single-cell contractions and discovered a Tmc-dependent contraction response in neighboring cell groups. On the tissue scale, we uncover synchronization of neighboring cell area oscillations, which is impaired in Tmc mutants. A data-driven model of Tmc-dependent cell-cell interactions predicts that synchronization leads to an isotropic force map and effectively shields the tissue from external mechanical pulling. By microdissection, we detect equal junction tension along the axial and lateral axis in wild-type but increased lateral tension in Tmc mutants. Thus, Tmc transduces forces into an intracellular response that coordinates mechanical cell behavior in epithelial tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi Richa
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, Marburg 35043, Germany; Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, Göttingen 37073, Germany
| | - Matthias Häring
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, Göttingen 37073, Germany; Institute for Nonlinear Dynamics, Georg August University, Friedrich-Hund-Pl. 1, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Faßberg 17, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Qiyan Wang
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, Marburg 35043, Germany
| | - Ankit Roy Choudhury
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, Marburg 35043, Germany
| | - Martin C Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Georg August University, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, Göttingen 37073, Germany; Institute for Nonlinear Dynamics, Georg August University, Friedrich-Hund-Pl. 1, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Faßberg 17, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann Rein Straße 3, Göttingen 37075, Germany.
| | - Jörg Großhans
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, Marburg 35043, Germany; Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, Göttingen 37073, Germany.
| | - Deqing Kong
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, Marburg 35043, Germany; Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University, Heinrich-Düker-Weg 12, Göttingen 37073, Germany; Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education) and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Yushan Road 5, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Teran A, Jung J, Platenkamp A, Pardini A, Zhao A, Chandramouli S, Jefferis A, Applewhite DA. The Drosophila SPECC1L homolog, Split Discs, co-localizes with non-muscle myosin II and regulates focal adhesion dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.04.06.647460. [PMID: 40236004 PMCID: PMC11996496 DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.06.647460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2025]
Abstract
Allelic variations of Sperm antigen with calponin homology and Coiled-Coil domains 1 Like (SPECC1L) have been associated with a spectrum of cranial-facial pathologies including Teebi hypertelorism and Opitz G/BBB syndrome which manifest as clefting of the palate, wide-eyes, and incomplete closure of the esophagus among others. These pathologies may be indicative of improper cranial neural crest cell (CNCC) delamination and migration. SPECC1L is hypothesized to be an actin-microtubule cross-linking protein as it co-localizes with both microtubules and actin in tissue culture cells. Further, it has been shown to immunoprecipitate with a protein phosphatase complex-1β (PP1β) member, MYPT1, as well as being involved in the PI3K-AKT signaling axis. In this study we sought to investigate the SPECC1L Drosophila homolog Spdi and despite sharing close homology with its mammalian counterpart we found that Spdi is associated with both non-muscle myosin-II and actin. RNAi depletion of Spdi led to an increase in focal adhesion dynamics and when we introduced conserved point mutations to Spdi that are analogous to those associated with human disease we observed a further increase in focal adhesion dynamics above that of depletion alone. Collectively, our findings suggest that Spdi is a non-muscle myosin II (NMII) binding protein that likely affects focal adhesion dynamics through this association. Our results also suggest that some of the pathologies associated with allelic variants of SPECC1L may be the result of aberrant cell-matrix adhesion.
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Clarke DN, Miller PW, Martin AC. EGFR-dependent actomyosin patterning coordinates morphogenetic movements between tissues in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Cell 2025; 60:270-287.e6. [PMID: 39461341 PMCID: PMC11755374 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 10/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
The movements that give rise to the body's structure are powered by cell shape changes and rearrangements that are coordinated at supracellular scales. How such cellular coordination arises and integrates different morphogenetic programs is unclear. Using quantitative imaging, we found a complex pattern of adherens junction (AJ) levels in the ectoderm prior to gastrulation onset in Drosophila. AJ intensity exhibited a double-sided gradient, with peaks at the dorsal midline and ventral neuroectoderm. We show that this dorsal-ventral AJ pattern is regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling and that this signal is required for ectoderm cell movement during mesoderm invagination and axis extension. We identify AJ levels and junctional actomyosin as downstream effectors of EGFR signaling. Overall, our study demonstrates an EGF-patterned mechanical feedback mechanism that coordinates tissue folding and convergent extension to facilitate embryo-wide gastrulation movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Nathaniel Clarke
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pearson W Miller
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Cohen D, Fernandez D, Lázaro-Diéguez F, Überheide B, Müsch A. Borg5 restricts contractility and motility in epithelial MDCK cells. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261705. [PMID: 39503295 PMCID: PMC11698036 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261705] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2024] [Indexed: 12/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Borg (or Cdc42EP) family consists of septin-binding proteins that are known to promote septin-dependent stress fibers and acto-myosin contractility. We show here that epithelial Borg5 (also known as Cdc42EP1) instead limits contractility, cell-cell adhesion tension and motility, as is required for the acquisition of columnar, isotropic cell morphology in mature MDCK monolayers. Borg5 depletion inhibited the development of the lateral F-actin cortex and stimulated microtubule-dependent leading-edge lamellae as well as radial stress fibers and, independently of the basal F-actin phenotype, caused anisotropy of apical surfaces within compacted monolayers. We determined that Borg5 limits colocalization of septin proteins with microtubules, and that like septin 2, Borg5 interacts with the rod-domain of myosin IIA (herein referring to the MYH9 heavy chain). The interaction of myosin IIA with Borg5 was reduced in the presence of septins. Because septins also mediate myosin activation, we propose that Borg5 limits contractility in MDCK cells in part by counteracting septin-associated myosin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cohen
- Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Dawn Fernandez
- Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | - Beatrix Überheide
- Proteomics Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anne Müsch
- Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Kruse K, Berthoz R, Barberi L, Reymann AC, Riveline D. Actomyosin clusters as active units shaping living matter. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R1045-R1058. [PMID: 39437723 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.043] [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: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
Stress generation by the actin cytoskeleton shapes cells and tissues. Despite impressive progress in live imaging and quantitative physical descriptions of cytoskeletal network dynamics, the connection between processes at molecular scales and spatiotemporal patterns at the cellular scale is still unclear. Here, we review studies reporting actomyosin clusters of micrometre size and with lifetimes of several minutes in a large number of organisms, ranging from fission yeast to humans. Such structures have also been found in reconstituted systems in vitro and in theoretical analyses of cytoskeletal dynamics. We propose that tracking these clusters could provide a simple readout for characterising living matter. Spatiotemporal patterns of clusters could serve as determinants of morphogenetic processes that have similar roles in diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Kruse
- Departments of Theoretical Physics and Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Rémi Berthoz
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch CEDEX, France; Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7104, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Luca Barberi
- Departments of Theoretical Physics and Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Cécile Reymann
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch CEDEX, France; Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7104, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Daniel Riveline
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch CEDEX, France; Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC UMR 7104 - UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7104, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S 1258, F-67400 Illkirch, France.
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6
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Ghosh N, Treisman JE. Apical cell expansion maintained by Dusky-like establishes a scaffold for corneal lens morphogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado4167. [PMID: 39167639 PMCID: PMC11338227 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The Drosophila corneal lens is entirely composed of chitin and other apical extracellular matrix components, and it is not known how it acquires the biconvex shape that enables it to focus light onto the retina. We show here that the zona pellucida domain-containing protein Dusky-like is essential for normal corneal lens morphogenesis. Dusky-like transiently localizes to the expanded apical surfaces of the corneal lens-secreting cells and prevents them from undergoing apical constriction and apicobasal contraction. Dusky-like also controls the arrangement of two other zona pellucida domain proteins, Dumpy and Piopio, external to the developing corneal lens. Loss of either dusky-like or dumpy delays chitin accumulation and disrupts the outer surface of the corneal lens. We find that artificially inducing apical constriction by activating myosin contraction is sufficient to similarly alter chitin deposition and corneal lens morphology. These results demonstrate the importance of cell shape in controlling the morphogenesis of overlying apical extracellular matrix structures such as the corneal lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Ghosh
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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7
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Alonso-Matilla R, Provenzano PP, Odde DJ. Biophysical modeling identifies an optimal hybrid amoeboid-mesenchymal phenotype for maximal T cell migration speeds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.29.564655. [PMID: 39026744 PMCID: PMC11257493 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.29.564655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent experimental progress in characterizing cell migration mechanics, our understanding of the mechanisms governing rapid cell movement remains limited. To effectively limit tumor growth, antitumoral T cells need to rapidly migrate to find and kill cancer cells. To investigate the upper limits of cell speed, we developed a new hybrid stochastic-mean field model of bleb-based cell motility. We first examined the potential for adhesion-free bleb-based migration and show that cells migrate inefficiently in the absence of adhesion-based forces, i.e., cell swimming. While no cortical contractility oscillations are needed for cells to swim in viscoelastic media, high-to-low cortical contractility oscillations are necessary for cell swimming in viscous media. This involves a high cortical contractility phase with multiple bleb nucleation events, followed by an intracellular pressure buildup recovery phase at low cortical tensions, resulting in modest net cell motion. However, our model suggests that cells can employ a hybrid bleb- and adhesion-based migration mechanism for rapid cell motility and identifies conditions for optimality. The model provides a momentum-conserving mechanism underlying rapid single-cell migration and identifies factors as design criteria for engineering T cell therapies to improve movement in mechanically complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Alonso-Matilla
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Paolo P. Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, USA
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, USA
| | - David J. Odde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, USA
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8
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Ghosh N, Treisman JE. Apical cell expansion maintained by Dusky-like establishes a scaffold for corneal lens morphogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.17.575959. [PMID: 38293108 PMCID: PMC10827211 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.17.575959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The biconvex shape of the Drosophila corneal lens, which enables it to focus light onto the retina, arises by organized assembly of chitin and other apical extracellular matrix components. We show here that the Zona Pellucida domain-containing protein Dusky-like is essential for normal corneal lens morphogenesis. Dusky-like transiently localizes to the expanded apical surfaces of the corneal lens-secreting cells, and in its absence, these cells undergo apical constriction and apicobasal contraction. Dusky-like also controls the arrangement of two other Zona Pellucida-domain proteins, Dumpy and Piopio, external to the developing corneal lens. Loss of either dusky-like or dumpy delays chitin accumulation and disrupts the outer surface of the corneal lens. Artificially inducing apical constriction with constitutively active Myosin light chain kinase is sufficient to similarly alter chitin deposition and corneal lens morphology. These results demonstrate the importance of cell shape for the morphogenesis of overlying apical extracellular matrix structures.
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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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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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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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Zhao A, Varady S, O'Kelley-Bangsberg M, Deng V, Platenkamp A, Wijngaard P, Bern M, Gormley W, Kushkowski E, Thompson K, Tibbetts L, Conner AT, Noeckel D, Teran A, Ritz A, Applewhite DA. From network analysis to experimental validation: identification of regulators of non-muscle myosin II contractility using the folded-gastrulation signaling pathway. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:32. [PMID: 37821823 PMCID: PMC10568788 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-023-00492-3] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The morphogenetic process of apical constriction, which relies on non-muscle myosin II (NMII) generated constriction of apical domains of epithelial cells, is key to the development of complex cellular patterns. Apical constriction occurs in almost all multicellular organisms, but one of the most well-characterized systems is the Folded-gastrulation (Fog)-induced apical constriction that occurs in Drosophila. The binding of Fog to its cognizant receptors Mist/Smog results in a signaling cascade that leads to the activation of NMII-generated contractility. Despite our knowledge of key molecular players involved in Fog signaling, we sought to explore whether other proteins have an undiscovered role in its regulation. We developed a computational method to predict unidentified candidate NMII regulators using a network of pairwise protein-protein interactions called an interactome. We first constructed a Drosophila interactome of over 500,000 protein-protein interactions from several databases that curate high-throughput experiments. Next, we implemented several graph-based algorithms that predicted 14 proteins potentially involved in Fog signaling. To test these candidates, we used RNAi depletion in combination with a cellular contractility assay in Drosophila S2R + cells, which respond to Fog by contracting in a stereotypical manner. Of the candidates we screened using this assay, two proteins, the serine/threonine phosphatase Flapwing and the putative guanylate kinase CG11811 were demonstrated to inhibit cellular contractility when depleted, suggestive of their roles as novel regulators of the Fog pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Zhao
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Sophia Varady
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | | | - Vicki Deng
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Amy Platenkamp
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Petra Wijngaard
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Miriam Bern
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Wyatt Gormley
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Elaine Kushkowski
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Kat Thompson
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Logan Tibbetts
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - A Tamar Conner
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - David Noeckel
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Aidan Teran
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Anna Ritz
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA.
| | - Derek A Applewhite
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA.
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12
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Tokamov SA, Nouri N, Rich A, Buiter S, Glotzer M, Fehon RG. Apical polarity and actomyosin dynamics control Kibra subcellular localization and function in Drosophila Hippo signaling. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1864-1879.e4. [PMID: 37729921 PMCID: PMC10591919 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of tissue growth that integrates inputs from both polarity and actomyosin networks. An upstream activator of the Hippo pathway, Kibra, localizes at the junctional and medial regions of the apical cortex in epithelial cells, and medial accumulation promotes Kibra activity. Here, we demonstrate that cortical Kibra distribution is controlled by a tug-of-war between apical polarity and actomyosin dynamics. We show that while the apical polarity network, in part via atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), tethers Kibra at the junctional cortex to silence its activity, medial actomyosin flows promote Kibra-mediated Hippo complex formation at the medial cortex, thereby activating the Hippo pathway. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between the Hippo pathway, polarity, and actomyosin cytoskeleton, and it offers novel insights into how fundamental features of epithelial tissue architecture can serve as inputs into signaling cascades that control tissue growth, patterning, and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherzod A Tokamov
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicki Nouri
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ashley Rich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Stephan Buiter
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael Glotzer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Richard G Fehon
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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13
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Rosa C, Malin J, Hatini V. Medioapical contractile pulses coordinated between cells regulate Drosophila eye morphogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.529936. [PMID: 36993651 PMCID: PMC10055172 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.529936] [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
Lattice cells (LCs) in the developing Drosophila retina constantly move and change shape before attaining final forms. Previously we showed that repeated contraction and expansion of apical cell contacts affect these dynamics. Here we describe a second contributing factor, the assembly of a medioapical actomyosin ring composed of nodes linked by filaments that attract each other, fuse, and contract the LCs' apical area. This medioapical actomyosin network is dependent on Rho1 and its known effectors. Apical cell area contraction alternates with relaxation, generating pulsatile changes in apical cell area. Strikingly, cycles of contraction and relaxation of cell area are reciprocally synchronized between adjacent LCs. Further, in a genetic screen, we identified RhoGEF2 as an activator of these Rho1 functions and RhoGAP71E/C-GAP as an inhibitor. Thus, Rho1 signaling regulates pulsatile medioapical actomyosin contraction exerting force on neighboring cells, coordinating cell behavior across the epithelium. This ultimately serves to control cell shape and maintain tissue integrity during epithelial morphogenesis of the retina.
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14
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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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15
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Contractile and expansive actin networks in Drosophila: Developmental cell biology controlled by network polarization and higher-order interactions. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:99-129. [PMID: 37100525 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Actin networks are central to shaping and moving cells during animal development. Various spatial cues activate conserved signal transduction pathways to polarize actin network assembly at sub-cellular locations and to elicit specific physical changes. Actomyosin networks contract and Arp2/3 networks expand, and to affect whole cells and tissues they do so within higher-order systems. At the scale of tissues, actomyosin networks of epithelial cells can be coupled via adherens junctions to form supracellular networks. Arp2/3 networks typically integrate with distinct actin assemblies, forming expansive composites which act in conjunction with contractile actomyosin networks for whole-cell effects. This review explores these concepts using examples from Drosophila development. First, we discuss the polarized assembly of supracellular actomyosin cables which constrict and reshape epithelial tissues during embryonic wound healing, germ band extension, and mesoderm invagination, but which also form physical borders between tissue compartments at parasegment boundaries and during dorsal closure. Second, we review how locally induced Arp2/3 networks act in opposition to actomyosin structures during myoblast cell-cell fusion and cortical compartmentalization of the syncytial embryo, and how Arp2/3 and actomyosin networks also cooperate for the single cell migration of hemocytes and the collective migration of border cells. Overall, these examples show how the polarized deployment and higher-order interactions of actin networks organize developmental cell biology.
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16
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Cell polarity and extrusion: How to polarize extrusion and extrude misspolarized cells? Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:131-167. [PMID: 37100516 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The barrier function of epithelia is one of the cornerstones of the body plan organization of metazoans. It relies on the polarity of epithelial cells which organizes along the apico-basal axis the mechanical properties, signaling as well as transport. This barrier function is however constantly challenged by the fast turnover of epithelia occurring during morphogenesis or adult tissue homeostasis. Yet, the sealing property of the tissue can be maintained thanks to cell extrusion: a series of remodeling steps involving the dying cell and its neighbors leading to seamless cell expulsion. Alternatively, the tissue architecture can also be challenged by local damages or the emergence of mutant cells that may alter its organization. This includes mutants of the polarity complexes which can generate neoplastic overgrowths or be eliminated by cell competition when surrounded by wild type cells. In this review, we will provide an overview of the regulation of cell extrusion in various tissues focusing on the relationship between cell polarity, cell organization and the direction of cell expulsion. We will then describe how local perturbations of polarity can also trigger cell elimination either by apoptosis or by cell exclusion, focusing specifically on how polarity defects can be directly causal to cell elimination. Overall, we propose a general framework connecting the influence of polarity on cell extrusion and its contribution to aberrant cell elimination.
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17
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Fierling J, John A, Delorme B, Torzynski A, Blanchard GB, Lye CM, Popkova A, Malandain G, Sanson B, Étienne J, Marmottant P, Quilliet C, Rauzi M. Embryo-scale epithelial buckling forms a propagating furrow that initiates gastrulation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3348. [PMID: 35688832 PMCID: PMC9187723 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30493-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell apical constriction driven by actomyosin contraction forces is a conserved mechanism during tissue folding in embryo development. While much is now understood of the molecular mechanism responsible for apical constriction and of the tissue-scale integration of the ensuing in-plane deformations, it is still not clear if apical actomyosin contraction forces are necessary or sufficient per se to drive tissue folding. To tackle this question, we use the Drosophila embryo model system that forms a furrow on the ventral side, initiating mesoderm internalization. Past computational models support the idea that cell apical contraction forces may not be sufficient and that active or passive cell apico-basal forces may be necessary to drive cell wedging leading to tissue furrowing. By using 3D computational modelling and in toto embryo image analysis and manipulation, we now challenge this idea and show that embryo-scale force balance at the tissue surface, rather than cell-autonomous shape changes, is necessary and sufficient to drive a buckling of the epithelial surface forming a furrow which propagates and initiates embryo gastrulation. Drosophila mesoderm invagination begins with the formation of a furrow. Here they show that a long-range mechanism, powered by actomyosin contraction between the embryo polar caps, works like a ‘cheese-cutter wire’ indenting the tissue surface and folding it into a propagating furrow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alphy John
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
| | | | | | - Guy B Blanchard
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Great-Britain, England
| | - Claire M Lye
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Great-Britain, England
| | - Anna Popkova
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France
| | | | - Bénédicte Sanson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Great-Britain, England
| | | | | | | | - Matteo Rauzi
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Nice, France.
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18
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Molina E, Cataldo VF, Eggers C, Muñoz-Madrid V, Glavic Á. p53 Related Protein Kinase is Required for Arp2/3-Dependent Actin Dynamics of Hemocytes in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:859105. [PMID: 35721516 PMCID: PMC9201722 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.859105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells extend membrane protrusions like lamellipodia and filopodia from the leading edge to sense, to move and to form new contacts. The Arp2/3 complex sustains lamellipodia formation, and in conjunction with the actomyosin contractile system, provides mechanical strength to the cell. Drosophila p53-related protein kinase (Prpk), a Tsc5p ortholog, has been described as essential for cell growth and proliferation. In addition, Prpk interacts with proteins associated to actin filament dynamics such as α-spectrin and the Arp2/3 complex subunit Arpc4. Here, we investigated the role of Prpk in cell shape changes, specifically regarding actin filament dynamics and membrane protrusion formation. We found that reductions in Prpk alter cell shape and the structure of lamellipodia, mimicking the phenotypes evoked by Arp2/3 complex deficiencies. Prpk co-localize and co-immunoprecipitates with the Arp2/3 complex subunit Arpc1 and with the small GTPase Rab35. Importantly, expression of Rab35, known by its ability to recruit upstream regulators of the Arp2/3 complex, could rescue the Prpk knockdown phenotypes. Finally, we evaluated the requirement of Prpk in different developmental contexts, where it was shown to be essential for correct Arp2/3 complex distribution and actin dynamics required for hemocytes migration, recruitment, and phagocytosis during immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Molina
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente F. Cataldo
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristián Eggers
- Department for Chemistry and Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Muñoz-Madrid
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Álvaro Glavic
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Álvaro Glavic,
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19
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Guo H, Huang S, He B. Evidence for a Role of the Lateral Ectoderm in Drosophila Mesoderm Invagination. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:867438. [PMID: 35547820 PMCID: PMC9081377 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.867438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The folding of two-dimensional epithelial sheets into specific three-dimensional structures is a fundamental tissue construction mechanism in animal development. A common mechanism that mediates epithelial folding is apical constriction, the active shrinking of cell apices driven by actomyosin contractions. It remains unclear whether cells outside of the constriction domain also contribute to folding. During Drosophila mesoderm invagination, ventrally localized mesoderm epithelium undergoes apical constriction and subsequently folds into a furrow. While the critical role of apical constriction in ventral furrow formation has been well demonstrated, it remains unclear whether, and if so, how the laterally localized ectodermal tissue adjacent to the mesoderm contributes to furrow invagination. In this study, we combine experimental and computational approaches to test the potential function of the ectoderm in mesoderm invagination. Through laser-mediated, targeted disruption of cell formation prior to gastrulation, we found that the presence of intact lateral ectoderm is important for the effective transition between apical constriction and furrow invagination in the mesoderm. In addition, using a laser-ablation approach widely used for probing tissue tension, we found that the lateral ectodermal tissues exhibit signatures of tissue compression when ablation was performed shortly before the onset of mesoderm invagination. These observations led to the hypothesis that in-plane compression from the surrounding ectoderm facilitates mesoderm invagination by triggering buckling of the mesoderm epithelium. In support of this notion, we show that the dynamics of tissue flow during mesoderm invagination displays characteristic of elastic buckling, and this tissue dynamics can be recapitulated by combining local apical constriction and global compression in a simulated elastic monolayer. We propose that Drosophila mesoderm invagination is achieved through epithelial buckling jointly mediated by apical constriction in the mesoderm and compression from the neighboring ectoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bing He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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20
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Chen W, He B. Actomyosin activity-dependent apical targeting of Rab11 vesicles reinforces apical constriction. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213118. [DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202103069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During tissue morphogenesis, the changes in cell shape, resulting from cell-generated forces, often require active regulation of intracellular trafficking. How mechanical stimuli influence intracellular trafficking and how such regulation impacts tissue mechanics are not fully understood. In this study, we identify an actomyosin-dependent mechanism involving Rab11-mediated trafficking in regulating apical constriction in the Drosophila embryo. During Drosophila mesoderm invagination, apical actin and Myosin II (actomyosin) contractility induces apical accumulation of Rab11-marked vesicle-like structures (“Rab11 vesicles”) by promoting a directional bias in dynein-mediated vesicle transport. At the apical domain, Rab11 vesicles are enriched near the adherens junctions (AJs). The apical accumulation of Rab11 vesicles is essential to prevent fragmented apical AJs, breaks in the supracellular actomyosin network, and a reduction in the apical constriction rate. This Rab11 function is separate from its role in promoting apical Myosin II accumulation. These findings suggest a feedback mechanism between actomyosin activity and Rab11-mediated intracellular trafficking that regulates the force generation machinery during tissue folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Bing He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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21
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Özgüç Ö, de Plater L, Kapoor V, Tortorelli AF, Clark AG, Maître JL. Cortical softening elicits zygotic contractility during mouse preimplantation development. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001593. [PMID: 35324889 PMCID: PMC8982894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin contractility is a major engine of preimplantation morphogenesis, which starts at the 8-cell stage during mouse embryonic development. Contractility becomes first visible with the appearance of periodic cortical waves of contraction (PeCoWaCo), which travel around blastomeres in an oscillatory fashion. How contractility of the mouse embryo becomes active remains unknown. We have taken advantage of PeCoWaCo to study the awakening of contractility during preimplantation development. We find that PeCoWaCo become detectable in most embryos only after the second cleavage and gradually increase their oscillation frequency with each successive cleavage. To test the influence of cell size reduction during cleavage divisions, we use cell fusion and fragmentation to manipulate cell size across a 20- to 60-μm range. We find that the stepwise reduction in cell size caused by cleavage divisions does not explain the presence of PeCoWaCo or their accelerating rhythm. Instead, we discover that blastomeres gradually decrease their surface tensions until the 8-cell stage and that artificially softening cells enhances PeCoWaCo prematurely. We further identify the programmed down-regulation of the formin Fmnl3 as a required event to soften the cortex and expose PeCoWaCo. Therefore, during cleavage stages, cortical softening, mediated by Fmnl3 down-regulation, awakens zygotic contractility before preimplantation morphogenesis. During preimplantation morphogenesis, the mouse embryo relies on forces generated by the actomyosin cytoskeleton. This study uncovers how periodic actomyosin contractions increase in frequency during cleavage stages as blastomeres soften with each cleavage division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge Özgüç
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Ludmilla de Plater
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Varun Kapoor
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Anna Francesca Tortorelli
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Andrew G. Clark
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Center for Personalized Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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22
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Hadjivasiliou Z, Hunter G. Talking to your neighbors across scales: Long-distance Notch signaling during patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:299-334. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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23
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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: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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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24
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Losick VP, Duhaime LG. The endocycle restores tissue tension in the Drosophila abdomen post wound repair. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109827. [PMID: 34644579 PMCID: PMC8567445 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyploidy frequently arises in response to injury, aging, and disease. Despite its prevalence, major gaps exist in our understanding of how polyploid cells alter tissue function. In the adult Drosophila epithelium, wound healing is dependent on the generation of multinucleated polyploid cells resulting in a permanent change in the epithelial architecture. Here, we study how the wound-induced polyploid cells affect tissue function by altering epithelial mechanics. The mechanosensor nonmuscle myosin II is activated and upregulated in wound-induced polyploid cells and persists after healing completes. Polyploidy enhances relative epithelial tension, which is dependent on the endocycle and not cell fusion post injury. Remarkably, the enhanced epithelial tension mimics the relative tension of the lateral muscle fibers, which are permanently severed by the injury. As a result, we found that the wound-induced polyploid cells remodel the epithelium to maintain fly abdominal movements, which may help compensate for lost tissue tension. Losick and Duhaime show that the generation of polyploid cells by the endocycle induces myosin expression resulting in enhanced epithelial tension after wound repair. This change in epithelial mechanics appears to compensate for the permanent loss of muscle fibers, which is necessary for efficient abdominal bending in the fruit fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki P Losick
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Levi G Duhaime
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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25
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Jewett CE, Soh AWJ, Lin CH, Lu Q, Lencer E, Westlake CJ, Pearson CG, Prekeris R. RAB19 Directs Cortical Remodeling and Membrane Growth for Primary Ciliogenesis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:325-340.e8. [PMID: 33561422 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Primary cilia are sensory organelles that utilize the compartmentalization of membrane and cytoplasm to communicate signaling events, and yet, how the formation of a cilium is coordinated with reorganization of the cortical membrane and cytoskeleton is unclear. Using polarized epithelia, we find that cortical actin clearing and apical membrane partitioning occur where the centrosome resides at the cell surface prior to ciliation. RAB19, a previously uncharacterized RAB, associates with the RAB-GAP TBC1D4 and the HOPS-tethering complex to coordinate cortical clearing and ciliary membrane growth, which is essential for ciliogenesis. This RAB19-directed pathway is not exclusive to polarized epithelia, as RAB19 loss in nonpolarized cell types blocks ciliogenesis with a docked ciliary vesicle. Remarkably, inhibiting actomyosin contractility can substitute for the function of the RAB19 complex and restore ciliogenesis in knockout cells. Together, this work provides a mechanistic understanding behind a cytoskeletal clearing and membrane partitioning step required for ciliogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cayla E Jewett
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Adam W J Soh
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Carrie H Lin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Quanlong Lu
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ezra Lencer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Christopher J Westlake
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Chad G Pearson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rytis Prekeris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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26
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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: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [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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27
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The origin and the mechanism of mechanical polarity during epithelial folding. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:94-107. [PMID: 34059419 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial tissues are sheet-like tissue structures that line the inner and outer surfaces of animal bodies and organs. Their remarkable ability to actively produce, or passively adapt to, complex surface geometries has fascinated physicists and biologists alike for centuries. The most simple and yet versatile process of epithelial deformation is epithelial folding, through which curved shapes, tissue convolutions and internal structures are produced. The advent of quantitative live imaging, combined with experimental manipulation and computational modeling, has rapidly advanced our understanding of epithelial folding. In particular, a set of mechanical principles has emerged to illustrate how forces are generated and dissipated to instigate curvature transitions in a variety of developmental contexts. Folding a tissue requires that mechanical loads or geometric changes be non-uniform. Given that polarity is the most distinct and fundamental feature of epithelia, understanding epithelial folding mechanics hinges crucially on how forces become polarized and how polarized differential deformation arises, for which I coin the term 'mechanical polarity'. In this review, five typical modules of mechanical processes are distilled from a diverse array of epithelial folding events. Their mechanical underpinnings with regard to how forces and polarity intersect are analyzed to accentuate the importance of mechanical polarity in the understanding of epithelial folding.
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Gaston C, De Beco S, Doss B, Pan M, Gauquelin E, D'Alessandro J, Lim CT, Ladoux B, Delacour D. EpCAM promotes endosomal modulation of the cortical RhoA zone for epithelial organization. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2226. [PMID: 33850145 PMCID: PMC8044225 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
At the basis of cell shape and behavior, the organization of actomyosin and its ability to generate forces are widely studied. However, the precise regulation of this contractile network in space and time is unclear. Here, we study the role of the epithelial-specific protein EpCAM, a contractility modulator, in cell shape and motility. We show that EpCAM is required for stress fiber generation and front-rear polarity acquisition at the single cell level. In fact, EpCAM participates in the remodeling of a transient zone of active RhoA at the cortex of spreading epithelial cells. EpCAM and RhoA route together through the Rab35/EHD1 fast recycling pathway. This endosomal pathway spatially organizes GTP-RhoA to fine tune the activity of actomyosin resulting in polarized cell shape and development of intracellular stiffness and traction forces. Impairment of GTP-RhoA endosomal trafficking either by silencing EpCAM or by expressing Rab35/EHD1 mutants prevents proper myosin-II activity, stress fiber formation and ultimately cell polarization. Collectively, this work shows that the coupling between co-trafficking of EpCAM and RhoA, and actomyosin rearrangement is pivotal for cell spreading, and advances our understanding of how biochemical and mechanical properties promote cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Gaston
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Simon De Beco
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Bryant Doss
- Mechanobiology Institute, T-lab, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Meng Pan
- Mechanobiology Institute, T-lab, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Estelle Gauquelin
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Joseph D'Alessandro
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | | | - Benoit Ladoux
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Delacour
- Cell Adhesion and Mechanics, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France.
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29
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Sharma S, Rikhy R. Spatiotemporal recruitment of RhoGTPase protein GRAF inhibits actomyosin ring constriction in Drosophila cellularization. eLife 2021; 10:63535. [PMID: 33835025 PMCID: PMC8081525 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin contractility is regulated by Rho-GTP in cell migration, cytokinesis and morphogenesis in embryo development. Whereas Rho activation by Rho-GTP exchange factor (GEF), RhoGEF2, is well known in actomyosin contractility during cytokinesis at the base of invaginating membranes in Drosophila cellularization, Rho inhibition by RhoGTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) remains to be studied. We have found that the RhoGAP, GRAF, inhibits actomyosin contractility during cellularization. GRAF is enriched at the cleavage furrow tip during actomyosin assembly and initiation of ring constriction. Graf depletion shows increased Rho-GTP, increased Myosin II and ring hyper constriction dependent upon the loss of the RhoGTPase domain. GRAF and RhoGEF2 are present in a balance for appropriate activation of actomyosin ring constriction. RhoGEF2 depletion and abrogation of Myosin II activation in Rho kinase mutants suppress the Graf hyper constriction defect. Therefore, GRAF recruitment restricts Rho-GTP levels in a spatiotemporal manner for inhibiting actomyosin contractility during cellularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Sharma
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Richa Rikhy
- Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
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30
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Imran Alsous J, Romeo N, Jackson JA, Mason FM, Dunkel J, Martin AC. Dynamics of hydraulic and contractile wave-mediated fluid transport during Drosophila oogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2019749118. [PMID: 33658367 PMCID: PMC7958293 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019749118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
From insects to mice, oocytes develop within cysts alongside nurse-like sister germ cells. Prior to fertilization, the nurse cells' cytoplasmic contents are transported into the oocyte, which grows as its sister cells regress and die. Although critical for fertility, the biological and physical mechanisms underlying this transport process are poorly understood. Here, we combined live imaging of germline cysts, genetic perturbations, and mathematical modeling to investigate the dynamics and mechanisms that enable directional and complete cytoplasmic transport in Drosophila melanogaster egg chambers. We discovered that during "nurse cell (NC) dumping" most cytoplasm is transported into the oocyte independently of changes in myosin-II contractility, with dynamics instead explained by an effective Young-Laplace law, suggesting hydraulic transport induced by baseline cell-surface tension. A minimal flow-network model inspired by the famous two-balloon experiment and motivated by genetic analysis of a myosin mutant correctly predicts the directionality, intercellular pattern, and time scale of transport. Long thought to trigger transport through "squeezing," changes in actomyosin contractility are required only once NC volume has become comparable to nuclear volume, in the form of surface contractile waves that drive NC dumping to completion. Our work thus demonstrates how biological and physical mechanisms cooperate to enable a critical developmental process that, until now, was thought to be mainly biochemically regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Imran Alsous
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Nicolas Romeo
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jonathan A Jackson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Frank M Mason
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139;
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31
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Popkova A, Rauzi M, Wang X. Cellular and Supracellular Planar Polarity: A Multiscale Cue to Elongate the Drosophila Egg Chamber. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:645235. [PMID: 33738289 PMCID: PMC7961075 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.645235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue elongation is known to be controlled by oriented cell division, elongation, migration and rearrangement. While these cellular processes have been extensively studied, new emerging supracellular mechanisms driving tissue extension have recently been unveiled. Tissue rotation and actomyosin contractions have been shown to be key processes driving Drosophila egg chamber elongation. First, egg chamber rotation facilitates the dorsal-ventral alignment of the extracellular matrix and of the cell basal actin fibers. Both fiber-like structures form supracellular networks constraining the egg growth in a polarized fashion thus working as 'molecular corsets'. Second, the supracellular actin fiber network, powered by myosin periodic oscillation, contracts anisotropically driving tissue extension along the egg anterior-posterior axis. During both processes, cellular and supracellular planar polarity provide a critical cue to control Drosophila egg chamber elongation. Here we review how different planar polarized networks are built, maintained and function at both cellular and supracellular levels in the Drosophila ovarian epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Popkova
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, iBV, Nice, France
| | - Matteo Rauzi
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, iBV, Nice, France
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department (MCD), Centre de Biologie Integrative (CBI), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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32
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Galea GL, Maniou E, Edwards TJ, Marshall AR, Ampartzidis I, Greene NDE, Copp AJ. Cell non-autonomy amplifies disruption of neurulation by mosaic Vangl2 deletion in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1159. [PMID: 33608529 PMCID: PMC7895924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21372-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-zygotic mutations that generate tissue mosaicism are increasingly associated with severe congenital defects, including those arising from failed neural tube closure. Here we report that neural fold elevation during mouse spinal neurulation is vulnerable to deletion of the VANGL planar cell polarity protein 2 (Vangl2) gene in as few as 16% of neuroepithelial cells. Vangl2-deleted cells are typically dispersed throughout the neuroepithelium, and each non-autonomously prevents apical constriction by an average of five Vangl2-replete neighbours. This inhibition of apical constriction involves diminished myosin-II localisation on neighbour cell borders and shortening of basally-extending microtubule tails, which are known to facilitate apical constriction. Vangl2-deleted neuroepithelial cells themselves continue to apically constrict and preferentially recruit myosin-II to their apical cell cortex rather than to apical cap localisations. Such non-autonomous effects can explain how post-zygotic mutations affecting a minority of cells can cause catastrophic failure of morphogenesis leading to clinically important birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel L Galea
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
- Comparative Bioveterinary Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
| | - Eirini Maniou
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Timothy J Edwards
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Abigail R Marshall
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Ioakeim Ampartzidis
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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33
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Lehtimäki JI, Rajakylä EK, Tojkander S, Lappalainen P. Generation of stress fibers through myosin-driven reorganization of the actin cortex. eLife 2021; 10:60710. [PMID: 33506761 PMCID: PMC7877910 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Contractile actomyosin bundles, stress fibers, govern key cellular processes including migration, adhesion, and mechanosensing. Stress fibers are thus critical for developmental morphogenesis. The most prominent actomyosin bundles, ventral stress fibers, are generated through coalescence of pre-existing stress fiber precursors. However, whether stress fibers can assemble through other mechanisms has remained elusive. We report that stress fibers can also form without requirement of pre-existing actomyosin bundles. These structures, which we named cortical stress fibers, are embedded in the cell cortex and assemble preferentially underneath the nucleus. In this process, non-muscle myosin II pulses orchestrate the reorganization of cortical actin meshwork into regular bundles, which promote reinforcement of nascent focal adhesions, and subsequent stabilization of the cortical stress fibers. These results identify a new mechanism by which stress fibers can be generated de novo from the actin cortex and establish role for stochastic myosin pulses in the assembly of functional actomyosin bundles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko I Lehtimäki
- HiLIFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eeva Kaisa Rajakylä
- Section of Pathology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sari Tojkander
- Section of Pathology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Lappalainen
- HiLIFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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34
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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: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [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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35
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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: 0.4] [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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36
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Gubieda AG, Packer JR, Squires I, Martin J, Rodriguez J. Going with the flow: insights from Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190555. [PMID: 32829680 PMCID: PMC7482210 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular components along a defined axis. Polarity relies on complex signalling networks between conserved patterning proteins, including the PAR (partitioning defective) proteins, which become segregated in response to upstream symmetry breaking cues. Although the mechanisms that drive the asymmetric localization of these proteins are dependent upon cell type and context, in many cases the regulation of actomyosin cytoskeleton dynamics is central to the transport, recruitment and/or stabilization of these polarity effectors into defined subcellular domains. The transport or advection of PAR proteins by an actomyosin flow was first observed in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote more than a decade ago. Since then a multifaceted approach, using molecular methods, high-throughput screens, and biophysical and computational models, has revealed further aspects of this flow and how polarity regulators respond to and modulate it. Here, we review recent findings on the interplay between actomyosin flow and the PAR patterning networks in the polarization of the C. elegans zygote. We also discuss how these discoveries and developed methods are shaping our understanding of other flow-dependent polarizing systems. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Josana Rodriguez
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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37
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Chowdhary S, Madan S, Tomer D, Mavrakis M, Rikhy R. Mitochondrial morphology and activity regulate furrow ingression and contractile ring dynamics in Drosophila cellularization. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2331-2347. [PMID: 32755438 PMCID: PMC7851960 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-03-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are maternally inherited in many organisms. Mitochondrial morphology and activity regulation is essential for cell survival, differentiation, and migration. An analysis of mitochondrial dynamics and function in morphogenetic events in early metazoan embryogenesis has not been carried out. In our study we find a crucial role of mitochondrial morphology regulation in cell formation in Drosophila embryogenesis. We find that mitochondria are small and fragmented and translocate apically on microtubules and distribute progressively along the cell length during cellularization. Embryos mutant for the mitochondrial fission protein, Drp1 (dynamin-related protein 1), die in embryogenesis and show an accumulation of clustered mitochondria on the basal side in cellularization. Additionally, Drp1 mutant embryos contain lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS depletion was previously shown to decrease myosin II activity. Drp1 loss also leads to myosin II depletion at the membrane furrow, thereby resulting in decreased cell height and larger contractile ring area in cellularization similar to that in myosin II mutants. The mitochondrial morphology and cellularization defects in Drp1 mutants are suppressed by reducing mitochondrial fusion and increasing cytoplasmic ROS in superoxide dismutase mutants. Our data show a key role for mitochondrial morphology and activity in supporting the morphogenetic events that drive cellularization in Drosophila embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayali Chowdhary
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
| | - Somya Madan
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
| | - Darshika Tomer
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
| | - Manos Mavrakis
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, 13013 Marseille, France
| | - Richa Rikhy
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
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Platenkamp A, Detmar E, Sepulveda L, Ritz A, Rogers SL, Applewhite DA. The Drosophila melanogaster Rab GAP RN-tre cross-talks with the Rho1 signaling pathway to regulate nonmuscle myosin II localization and function. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2379-2397. [PMID: 32816624 PMCID: PMC7851959 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-03-0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify novel regulators of nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) we performed an image-based RNA interference screen using stable Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged regulatory light chain (RLC) of NMII and mCherry-Actin. We identified the Rab-specific GTPase-activating protein (GAP) RN-tre as necessary for the assembly of NMII RLC into contractile actin networks. Depletion of RN-tre led to a punctate NMII phenotype, similar to what is observed following depletion of proteins in the Rho1 pathway. Depletion of RN-tre also led to a decrease in active Rho1 and a decrease in phosphomyosin-positive cells by immunostaining, while expression of constitutively active Rho or Rho-kinase (Rok) rescues the punctate phenotype. Functionally, RN-tre depletion led to an increase in actin retrograde flow rate and cellular contractility in S2 and S2R+ cells, respectively. Regulation of NMII by RN-tre is only partially dependent on its GAP activity as overexpression of constitutively active Rabs inactivated by RN-tre failed to alter NMII RLC localization, while a GAP-dead version of RN-tre partially restored phosphomyosin staining. Collectively, our results suggest that RN-tre plays an important regulatory role in NMII RLC distribution, phosphorylation, and function, likely through Rho1 signaling and putatively serving as a link between the secretion machinery and actomyosin contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Detmar
- Department of Biology & Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| | - Liz Sepulveda
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202
| | - Anna Ritz
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202
| | - Stephen L Rogers
- Department of Biology & Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
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Wan L, Flegle J, Ozdoganlar B, LeDuc PR. Toward Vasculature in Skeletal Muscle-on-a-Chip through Thermo-Responsive Sacrificial Templates. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11100907. [PMID: 33007890 PMCID: PMC7601354 DOI: 10.3390/mi11100907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Developing new approaches for vascularizing synthetic tissue systems will have a tremendous impact in diverse areas. One area where this is particularly important is developing new skeletal muscle tissue systems, which could be utilized in physiological model studies and tissue regeneration. To develop vascularized approaches a microfluidic on-chip design for creating channels in polymer systems can be pursued. Current microfluidic tissue engineering methods include soft lithography, rapid prototyping, and cell printing; however, these have limitations such as having their scaffolding being inorganic, less desirable planar vasculature geometry, low fabrication efficiency, and limited resolution. Here we successfully developed a circular microfluidic channel embedded in a 3D extracellular matrix scaffolding with 3D myogenesis. We used a thermo-responsive polymer approach with micromilling-molding and designed a mixture of polyester wax and paraffin wax to fabricate the sacrificial template for microfluidic channel generation in the scaffolding. These findings will impact a number of fields including biomaterials, biomimetic structures, and personalized medicine in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (L.W.); (B.O.)
| | - James Flegle
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
| | - Burak Ozdoganlar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (L.W.); (B.O.)
| | - Philip R. LeDuc
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (L.W.); (B.O.)
- Correspondence:
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40
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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: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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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41
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Chanet S, Huynh JR. Collective Cell Sorting Requires Contractile Cortical Waves in Germline Cells. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4213-4226.e4. [PMID: 32916115 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Encapsulation of germline cells by layers of somatic cells forms the basic unit of female reproduction called primordial follicles in mammals and egg chambers in Drosophila. How germline and somatic tissues are coordinated for the morphogenesis of each separated unit remains poorly understood. Here, using improved live imaging of Drosophila ovaries, we uncovered periodic actomyosin waves at the cortex of germ cells. These contractile waves are associated with pressure release blebs, which project from germ cells into somatic cells. We demonstrate that these cortical activities, together with cadherin-based adhesion, are required to sort each germline cyst as one collective unit. Genetic perturbations of cortical contractility, bleb protrusion, or adhesion between germline and somatic cells induced encapsulation defects resulting from failures to encapsulate any germ cells, or the inclusion of too many germ cells per egg chamber, or even the mechanical split of germline cysts. Live-imaging experiments revealed that reducing contractility or adhesion in the germline reduced the stiffness of germline cysts and their proper anchoring to the somatic cells. Germline cysts can then be squeezed and passively pushed by constricting surrounding somatic cells, resulting in cyst splitting and cyst collisions during encapsulation. Increasing germline cysts activity or blocking somatic cell constriction movements can reveal active forward migration of germline cysts. Our results show that germ cells play an active role in physical coupling with somatic cells to produce the female gamete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soline Chanet
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, PSL Research University, CNRS/UMR 7241 - INSERM U1050, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-René Huynh
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, PSL Research University, CNRS/UMR 7241 - INSERM U1050, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
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42
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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: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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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43
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Özgüç Ö, Maître JL. Multiscale morphogenesis of the mouse blastocyst by actomyosin contractility. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 66:123-129. [PMID: 32711300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
During preimplantation development, the mouse embryo forms the blastocyst, which consists of a squamous epithelium enveloping a fluid-filled lumen and a cluster of pluripotent cells. The shaping of the blastocyst into its specific architecture is a prerequisite to implantation and further development of the embryo. Recent studies identified the central role of the actomyosin cortex in generating the forces driving the successive steps of blastocyst morphogenesis. As seen in other developing animals, actomyosin functions across spatial scales from the subcellular to the tissue levels. In addition, the slow development of the mouse embryo reveals that actomyosin contractility operates at multiple timescales with periodic cortical waves of contraction every ∼80 s and tissue remodeling over hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge Özgüç
- Institut Curie, 26, rue d'Ulm - 75248 Paris Cedex 05 - France
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44
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Herrera-Perez RM, Kasza KE. Manipulating the Patterns of Mechanical Forces That Shape Multicellular Tissues. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 34:381-391. [PMID: 31577169 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00018.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, spatial and temporal patterns of mechanical forces help to transform unstructured groups of cells into complex, functional tissue architectures. Here, we review emerging approaches to manipulate these patterns of forces to investigate the mechanical mechanisms that shape multicellular tissues, with a focus on recent experimental studies of epithelial tissue sheets in the embryo of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
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45
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Blackie L, Walther RF, Staddon MF, Banerjee S, Pichaud F. Cell-type-specific mechanical response and myosin dynamics during retinal lens development in Drosophila. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1355-1369. [PMID: 32320320 PMCID: PMC7353141 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-09-0523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During organogenesis, different cell types need to work together to generate functional multicellular structures. To study this process, we made use of the genetically tractable fly retina, with a focus on the mechanisms that coordinate morphogenesis between the different epithelial cell types that make up the optical lens. Our work shows that these epithelial cells present contractile apical-medial MyosinII meshworks, which control the apical area and junctional geometry of these cells during lens development. Our study also suggests that these MyosinII meshworks drive cell shape changes in response to external forces, and thus they mediate part of the biomechanical coupling that takes place between these cells. Importantly, our work, including mathematical modeling of forces and material stiffness during lens development, raises the possibility that increased cell stiffness acts as a mechanism for limiting this mechanical coupling. We propose this might be required in complex tissues, where different cell types undergo concurrent morphogenesis and where averaging out of forces across cells could compromise individual cell apical geometry and thereby organ function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael F Staddon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and
- Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, UK
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and
- Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, UK
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Franck Pichaud
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology
- Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, UK
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46
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Pulido Companys P, Norris A, Bischoff M. Coordination of cytoskeletal dynamics and cell behaviour during Drosophila abdominal morphogenesis. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs235325. [PMID: 32229579 PMCID: PMC7132776 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.235325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During morphogenesis, cells exhibit various behaviours, such as migration and constriction, which need to be coordinated. How this is achieved remains elusive. During morphogenesis of the Drosophila adult abdominal epidermis, larval epithelial cells (LECs) migrate directedly before constricting apically and undergoing apoptosis. Here, we study the mechanisms underlying the transition from migration to constriction. We show that LECs possess a pulsatile apical actomyosin network, and that a change in network polarity correlates with behavioural change. Exploring the properties of the contractile network, we find that cell contractility, as determined by myosin activity, has an impact on the behaviour of the network, as well as on cytoskeletal architecture and cell behaviour. Pulsed contractions occur only in cells with intermediate levels of contractility. Furthermore, increasing levels of the small Rho GTPase Rho1 disrupts pulsing, leading to cells that cycle between two states, characterised by a junctional cortical and an apicomedial actin network. Our results highlight that behavioural change relies on tightly controlled cellular contractility. Moreover, we show that constriction can occur without pulsing, raising questions why constricting cells pulse in some contexts but not in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Pulido Companys
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Anneliese Norris
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Marcus Bischoff
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
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47
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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: 4.8] [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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48
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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: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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49
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Francou A, Anderson KV. The Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Development and Cancer. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2019; 4:197-220. [PMID: 34113749 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-030518-055425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) are complex cellular processes where cells undergo dramatic changes in signaling, transcriptional programming, and cell shape, while directing the exit of cells from the epithelium and promoting migratory properties of the resulting mesenchyme. EMTs are essential for morphogenesis during development and are also a critical step in cancer progression and metastasis formation. Here we provide an overview of the molecular regulation of the EMT process during embryo development, focusing on chick and mouse gastrulation and neural crest development. We go on to describe how EMT regulators participate in the progression of pancreatic and breast cancer in mouse models, and discuss the parallels with developmental EMTs and how these help to understand cancer EMTs. We also highlight the differences between EMTs in tumor and in development to arrive at a broader view of cancer EMT. We conclude by discussing how further advances in the field will rely on in vivo dynamic imaging of the cellular events of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Francou
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Kathryn V Anderson
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York NY 10065 USA
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50
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Osório DS, Chan FY, Saramago J, Leite J, Silva AM, Sobral AF, Gassmann R, Carvalho AX. Crosslinking activity of non-muscle myosin II is not sufficient for embryonic cytokinesis in C. elegans. Development 2019; 146:dev.179150. [PMID: 31582415 PMCID: PMC6857588 DOI: 10.1242/dev.179150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cytokinesis in animal cells requires the assembly and constriction of a contractile actomyosin ring. Non-muscle myosin II is essential for cytokinesis, but the role of its motor activity remains unclear. Here, we examine cytokinesis in C. elegans embryos expressing non-muscle myosin motor mutants generated by genome editing. Two non-muscle motor-dead myosins capable of binding F-actin do not support cytokinesis in the one-cell embryo, and two partially motor-impaired myosins delay cytokinesis and render rings more sensitive to reduced myosin levels. Further analysis of myosin mutants suggests that it is myosin motor activity, and not the ability of myosin to crosslink F-actin, that drives the alignment and compaction of F-actin bundles during contractile ring assembly, and that myosin motor activity sets the pace of contractile ring constriction. We conclude that myosin motor activity is required at all stages of cytokinesis. Finally, characterization of the corresponding motor mutations in C. elegans major muscle myosin shows that motor activity is required for muscle contraction but is dispensable for F-actin organization in adult muscles. This article has an associated ‘The people behind the papers’ interview. Highlighted Article: The motor activity of non-muscle myosin II is essential for cytokinesis and contributes to all stages of the process in C. elegans embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Osório
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal .,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fung-Yi Chan
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Saramago
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Leite
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana M Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana F Sobral
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Reto Gassmann
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Xavier Carvalho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal .,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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