The Drosophila Afadin and ZO-1 homologues Canoe and Polychaetoid act in parallel to maintain epithelial integrity when challenged by adherens junction remodeling

C. elegans Afadin is required for epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with the cadherin-catenin complex and RhoGAP PAC-1/ARHGAP21

During epithelial morphogenesis, the apical junctions connecting cells must remodel as cells change shape and make new connections with their neighbors. In the C. elegans embryo, new apical junctions form when epidermal cells migrate and seal with one another to encase the embryo in skin ('ventral enclosure'), and junctions remodel when epidermal cells change shape to squeeze the embryo into a worm shape ('elongation'). The junctional cadherin-catenin complex (CCC), which links epithelial cells to each other and to cortical actomyosin, is essential for C. elegans epidermal morphogenesis. RNAi genetic enhancement screens have identified several genes encoding proteins that interact with the CCC to promote epidermal morphogenesis, including the scaffolding protein Afadin (AFD-1), whose depletion alone results in only minor morphogenesis defects. Here, by creating a null mutation in afd-1, we show that afd-1 provides a significant contribution to ventral enclosure and elongation on its own. Unexpectedly, we find that afd-1 mutant phenotypes are strongly modified by diet, revealing a previously unappreciated parental nutritional input to morphogenesis. We identify functional interactions between AFD-1 and the CCC by demonstrating that E-cadherin is required for the polarized distribution of AFD-1 to cell contact sites in early embryos. Finally, we show that afd-1 promotes the enrichment of polarity regulator, and CCC-interacting protein, PAC-1/ARHGAP21 to cell contact sites, and we identify genetic interactions suggesting that afd-1 and pac-1 regulate epidermal morphogenesis at least in part through parallel mechanisms. Our findings reveal that C. elegans AFD-1 makes a significant contribution to epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with core and associated CCC proteins.

The Dilute domain in Canoe is not essential for linking cell junctions to the cytoskeleton but supports morphogenesis robustness

Robust linkage between adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton allows cells to change shape and move during morphogenesis without tearing tissues apart. The Drosophila multidomain protein Canoe and its mammalian homolog afadin are crucial for this, as in their absence many events of morphogenesis fail. To define the mechanism of action for Canoe, we are taking it apart. Canoe has five folded protein domains and a long intrinsically disordered region. The largest is the Dilute domain, which is shared by Canoe and myosin V. To define the roles of this domain in Canoe, we combined biochemical, genetic and cell biological assays. AlphaFold was used to predict its structure, providing similarities and contrasts with Myosin V. Biochemical data suggested one potential shared function - the ability to dimerize. We generated Canoe mutants with the Dilute domain deleted (CnoΔDIL). Surprisingly, they were viable and fertile. CnoΔDIL localized to adherens junctions and was enriched at junctions under tension. However, when its dose was reduced, CnoΔDIL did not provide fully wild-type function. Furthermore, canoeΔDIL mutants had defects in the orchestrated cell rearrangements of eye development. This reveals the robustness of junction-cytoskeletal connections during morphogenesis and highlights the power of natural selection to maintain protein structure.

SAX-7/L1CAM acts with the adherens junction proteins MAGI-1, HMR-1/Cadherin, and AFD-1/Afadin to promote glial-mediated dendrite extension

Adherens junctions (AJs) are a fundamental organizing structure for multicellular life. Although AJs are studied mainly in epithelia, their core function - stabilizing cell contacts by coupling adhesion molecules to the cytoskeleton - is important in diverse tissues. We find that two C. elegans sensory neurons, URX and BAG, require conserved AJ proteins for dendrite morphogenesis. We previously showed that URX and BAG dendrites attach to the embryonic nose via the adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM, acting both in neurons and glia, and then extend by stretch during embryo elongation. Here, we find that a PDZ-binding motif (PB) in the SAX-7 cytoplasmic tail acts with other interaction motifs to promote dendrite extension. Using pull-down assays, we find that the SAX-7 PB binds the multi-PDZ scaffolding protein MAGI-1, which bridges it to the cadherin-catenin complex protein HMP-2/β-catenin. Using cell-specific rescue and depletion, we find that both MAGI-1 and HMR-1/Cadherin act in glia to non-autonomously promote dendrite extension. Double mutant analysis indicates that each protein can act independently of SAX-7, suggesting a multivalent adhesion complex. The SAX-7 PB motif also binds AFD-1/Afadin, loss of which further enhances sax-7 BAG dendrite defects. As MAGI-1, HMR-1, and AFD-1 are all found in epithelial AJs, we propose that an AJ-like complex in glia promotes dendrite extension.

The Dilute domain of Canoe is not essential for Canoe's role in linking adherens junctions to the cytoskeleton but contributes to robustness of morphogenesis

Robust linkage between cell-cell adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton allows cells to change shape and move during morphogenesis without tearing tissues apart. The multidomain protein Drosophila Canoe and its mammalian homolog Afadin are critical for this linkage, and in their absence many events of morphogenesis fail. To define underlying mechanisms, we are taking Canoe apart, using Drosophila as our model. Canoe and Afadin share five folded protein domains, followed by a large intrinsically disordered region. The largest of these folded domains is the Dilute domain, which is found in Canoe/Afadin, their paralogs, and members of the MyosinV family. To define the roles of Canoe's Dilute domain we have combined biochemical, genetic and cell biological assays. Use of the AlphaFold tools revealed the predicted structure of the Canoe/Afadin Dilute domain, providing similarities and contrasts with that of MyosinV. Our biochemical data suggest one potential shared function: the ability to dimerize. We next generated Drosophila mutants with the Dilute domain cleanly deleted. Surprisingly, these mutants are viable and fertile, and CanoeΔDIL protein localizes to adherens junctions and is enriched at junctions under tension. However, when we reduce the dose of CanoeΔDIL protein in a sensitized assay, it becomes clear it does not provide full wildtype function. Further, canoeΔDIL mutants have defects in pupal eye development, another process that requires orchestrated cell rearrangements. Together, these data reveal the robustness in AJ-cytoskeletal connections during multiple embryonic and postembryonic events, and the power of natural selection to maintain protein structure even in robust systems.

The Rap1 small GTPase affects cell fate or survival and morphogenetic patterning during Drosophila melanogaster eye development

The Drosophila melanogaster eye has been instrumental for determining both how cells communicate with one another to determine cell fate, as well as cell morphogenesis and patterning. Here, we describe the effects of the small GTPase Rap1 on the development of multiple cell types in the D. melanogaster eye. Although Rap1 has previously been linked to RTK-Ras-MAPK signaling in eye development, we demonstrate that manipulation of Rap1 activity is modified by increase or decrease of Delta/Notch signaling during several events of cell fate specification in eye development. In addition, we demonstrate that manipulating Rap1 function either in primary pigment cells or in interommatidial cells affects cone cell contact switching, primary pigment cell enwrapment of the ommatidial cluster, and sorting of secondary and tertiary pigment cells. These data suggest that Rap1 has roles in both ommatidial cell recruitment/survival and in ommatidial morphogenesis in the pupal stage. They lay groundwork for future experiments on the role of Rap1 in these events.

Exploring the evolution and function of Canoe's intrinsically disordered region in linking cell-cell junctions to the cytoskeleton during embryonic morphogenesis

One central question for cell and developmental biologists is defining how epithelial cells can change shape and move during embryonic development without tearing tissues apart. This requires robust yet dynamic connections of cells to one another, via the cell-cell adherens junction, and of junctions to the actin and myosin cytoskeleton, which generates force. The last decade revealed that these connections involve a multivalent network of proteins, rather than a simple linear pathway. We focus on Drosophila Canoe, homolog of mammalian Afadin, as a model for defining the underlying mechanisms. Canoe and Afadin are complex, multidomain proteins that share multiple domains with defined and undefined binding partners. Both also share a long carboxy-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR), whose function is less well defined. IDRs are found in many proteins assembled into large multiprotein complexes. We have combined bioinformatic analysis and the use of a series of canoe mutants with early stop codons to explore the evolution and function of the IDR. Our bioinformatic analysis reveals that the IDRs of Canoe and Afadin differ dramatically in sequence and sequence properties. When we looked over shorter evolutionary time scales, we identified multiple conserved motifs. Some of these are predicted by AlphaFold to be alpha-helical, and two correspond to known protein interaction sites for alpha-catenin and F-actin. We next identified the lesions in a series of eighteen canoe mutants, which have early stop codons across the entire protein coding sequence. Analysis of their phenotypes are consistent with the idea that the IDR, including the conserved motifs in the IDR, are critical for protein function. These data provide the foundation for further analysis of IDR function.

C. elegans Afadin is required for epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with the cadherin-catenin complex and RhoGAP PAC-1/ARHGAP21

During epithelial morphogenesis, the apical junctions connecting cells must remodel as cells change shape and make new connections with their neighbors. In the C. elegans embryo, new apical junctions form when epidermal cells migrate and seal with one another to encase the embryo in skin ('ventral enclosure'), and junctions remodel when epidermal cells change shape to squeeze the embryo into a worm shape ('elongation'). The junctional cadherin-catenin complex (CCC), which links epithelial cells to each other and to cortical actomyosin, is essential for C. elegans epidermal morphogenesis. RNAi genetic enhancement screens have identified several proteins that interact with the CCC to promote epidermal morphogenesis, including the scaffolding protein Afadin (AFD-1), whose depletion alone results in only minor morphogenesis defects. Here, by creating a null mutation in afd-1 , we show that afd-1 provides a significant contribution to ventral enclosure and elongation on its own. Unexpectedly, we find that afd-1 mutant phenotypes are strongly modified by diet, revealing a previously unappreciated maternal nutritional input to morphogenesis. We identify functional interactions between AFD-1 and the CCC by demonstrating that E-cadherin is required for the polarized distribution of AFD-1 to cell contact sites in early embryos. Finally, we show that afd-1 promotes the enrichment of polarity regulator and CCC-interacting protein PAC-1/ARHGAP21 to cell contact sites, and identify genetic interactions suggesting that afd-1 and pac-1 regulate epidermal morphogenesis at least in part through parallel mechanisms. Our findings reveal that C. elegans AFD-1 makes a significant contribution to epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with core and associated CCC proteins.

Polychaetoid/ZO-1 strengthens cell junctions under tension while localizing differently than core adherens junction proteins

During embryonic development, dramatic cell shape changes and movements reshape the embryonic body plan. These require robust but dynamic linkage between the cell-cell adherens junctions and the force-generating actomyosin cytoskeleton. Our view of this linkage has evolved, and we now realize linkage is mediated by mechanosensitive multiprotein complexes assembled via multivalent connections. Here we combine genetic, cell biological, and modeling approaches to define the mechanism of action and functions of an important player, Drosophila polychaetoid, homologue of mammalian ZO-1. Our data reveal that Pyd reinforces cell junctions under elevated tension, and facilitates cell rearrangements. Pyd is important to maintain junctional contractility and in its absence cell rearrangements stall. We next use structured illumination microscopy to define the molecular architecture of cell-cell junctions during these events. The cadherin-catenin complex and Cno both localize to puncta along the junctional membrane, but are differentially enriched in different puncta. Pyd, in contrast, exhibits a distinct localization to strands that extend out from the region occupied by core junction proteins. We then discuss the implications for the protein network at the junction-cytoskeletal interface, suggesting different proteins localize and function in distinct ways, perhaps in distinct subcomplexes, but combine to produce robust connections.

RSV infection does not induce EMT

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection does not cause severe disease in most of us despite suffering from multiple RSV infections in our lives. However, infants, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised patients are unfortunately vulnerable to RSV-associated severe diseases. A recent study suggested that RSV infection causes cell expansion, resulting in bronchial wall thickening in vitro. Whether the virus-induced changes in the lung airway resemble epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is still unknown. Here, we report that RSV does not induce EMT in three different in vitro lung models: the epithelial A549 cell line, primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells, and pseudostratified airway epithelium. We found that RSV increases the cell surface area and perimeter in the infected airway epithelium, which is distinct from the effects of a potent EMT inducer, TGF-β1-driven cell elongation-indicative of cell motility. A genome-wide transcriptome analysis revealed that both RSV and TGF-β1 have distinct modulation patterns of the transcriptome, which suggests that RSV-induced changes are distinct from EMT.

Exploring the evolution and function of Canoe’s intrinsically disordered region in linking cell-cell junctions to the cytoskeleton during embryonic morphogenesis

One central question for cell and developmental biologists is defining how epithelial cells can change shape and move during embryonic development without tearing tissues apart. This requires robust yet dynamic connections of cells to one another, via the cell-cell adherens junction, and of junctions to the actin and myosin cytoskeleton, which generates force. The last decade revealed that these connections involve a multivalent network of proteins, rather than a simple linear pathway. We focus on Drosophila Canoe, homolog of mammalian Afadin, as a model for defining the underlying mechanisms. Canoe and Afadin are complex, multidomain proteins that share multiple domains with defined and undefined binding partners. Both also share a long carboxy-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR), whose function is less well defined. IDRs are found in many proteins assembled into large multiprotein complexes. We have combined bioinformatic analysis and the use of a series of canoe mutants with early stop codons to explore the evolution and function of the IDR. Our bioinformatic analysis reveals that the IDRs of Canoe and Afadin differ dramatically in sequence and sequence properties. When we looked over shorter evolutionary time scales, we identified multiple conserved motifs. Some of these are predicted by AlphaFold to be alpha-helical, and two correspond to known protein interaction sites for alpha-catenin and F-actin. We next identified the lesions in a series of eighteen canoe mutants, which have early stop codons across the entire protein coding sequence. Analysis of their phenotypes are consistent with the idea that the IDR, including its C-terminal conserved motifs, are important for protein function. These data provide the foundation for further analysis of IDR function.

Polychaetoid/ZO-1 strengthens cell junctions under tension while localizing differently than core adherens junction proteins

During embryonic development dramatic cell shape changes and movements re-shape the embryonic body plan. These require robust but dynamic linkage between the cell-cell adherens junctions and the force-generating actomyosin cytoskeleton. Our view of this linkage has evolved, and we now realize linkage is mediated by a mechanosensitive multiprotein complex assembled via multivalent connections. Here we combine genetic, cell biological and modeling approaches to define the mechanism of action and functions of an important player, Drosophila Polychaetoid, homolog of mammalian ZO-1. Our data reveal that Pyd reinforces cell junctions under elevated tension, and facilitates cell rearrangements. Pyd is important to maintain junctional contractility and in its absence cell rearrangements stall. We next use structured illumination microscopy to define the molecular architecture of cell-cell junctions during these events. The cadherin-catenin complex and Cno both localize to puncta along the junctional membrane, but are differentially enriched in different puncta. Pyd, in contrast, exhibits a distinct localization to strands that extend out from the region occupied by core junction proteins. We then discuss the implications for the protein network at the junction-cytoskeletal interface, suggesting different proteins localize and function in distinct ways but combine to produce robust connections.

SRGP-1/srGAP and AFD-1/afadin stabilize HMP-1/⍺-catenin at rosettes to seal internalization sites following gastrulation in C. elegans

A hallmark of gastrulation is the establishment of germ layers by internalization of cells initially on the exterior. In C. elegans the end of gastrulation is marked by the closure of the ventral cleft, a structure formed as cells internalize during gastrulation, and the subsequent rearrangement of adjacent neuroblasts that remain on the surface. We found that a nonsense allele of srgp-1/srGAP leads to 10-15% cleft closure failure. Deletion of the SRGP-1/srGAP C-terminal domain led to a comparable rate of cleft closure failure, whereas deletion of the N-terminal F-BAR region resulted in milder defects. Loss of the SRGP-1/srGAP C-terminus or F-BAR domain results in defects in rosette formation and defective clustering of HMP-1/⍺-catenin in surface cells during cleft closure. A mutant form of HMP-1/⍺-catenin with an open M domain can suppress cleft closure defects in srgp-1 mutant backgrounds, suggesting that this mutation acts as a gain-of-function allele. Since SRGP-1 binding to HMP-1/⍺-catenin is not favored in this case, we sought another HMP-1 interactor that might be recruited when HMP-1/⍺-catenin is constitutively open. A good candidate is AFD-1/afadin, which genetically interacts with cadherin-based adhesion later during embryonic elongation. AFD-1/afadin is prominently expressed at the vertex of neuroblast rosettes in wildtype, and depletion of AFD-1/afadin increases cleft closure defects in srgp-1/srGAP and hmp-1R551/554A/⍺-catenin backgrounds. We propose that SRGP-1/srGAP promotes nascent junction formation in rosettes; as junctions mature and sustain higher levels of tension, the M domain of HMP-1/⍺-catenin opens, allowing maturing junctions to transition from recruitment of SRGP-1/srGAP to AFD-1/afadin. Our work identifies new roles for ⍺-catenin interactors during a process crucial to metazoan development.

Identification of the genes encoding candidate septate junction components expressed during early development of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, and evidence of a role for Mesh in the formation of the gut barrier

Septate junctions (SJs) evolved as cell-cell junctions that regulate the paracellular barrier and integrity of epithelia in invertebrates. Multiple morphological variants of SJs exist specific to different epithelia and/or phyla but the biological significance of varied SJ morphology is unclear because the knowledge of the SJ associated proteins and their functions in non-insect invertebrates remains largely unknown. Here we report cell-specific expression of nine candidate SJ genes in the early life stages of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. By use of in situ RNA hybridization and single cell RNA-seq we found that the expression of selected genes encoding putatively SJ associated transmembrane and cytoplasmic scaffold molecules was dynamically regulated during epithelial development in the embryos and larvae with different epithelia expressing different cohorts of SJ genes. We focused a functional analysis on SpMesh, a homolog of the Drosophila smooth SJ component Mesh, which was highly enriched in the endodermal epithelium of the mid- and hindgut. Functional perturbation of SpMesh by both CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis and vivo morpholino-mediated knockdown shows that loss of SpMesh does not disrupt the formation of the gut epithelium during gastrulation. However, loss of SpMesh resulted in a severely reduced gut-paracellular barrier as quantitated by increased permeability to 3-5 ​kDa FITC-dextran. Together, these studies provide a first look at the molecular SJ physiology during the development of a marine organism and suggest a shared role for Mesh-homologous proteins in forming an intestinal barrier in invertebrates. Results have implications for consideration of the traits underlying species-specific sensitivity of marine larvae to climate driven ocean change.

Rap1 regulates apical contractility to allow embryonic morphogenesis without tissue disruption and acts in part via Canoe-independent mechanisms

Embryonic morphogenesis is powered by dramatic changes in cell shape and arrangement driven by the cytoskeleton and its connections to adherens junctions. This requires robust linkage allowing morphogenesis without disrupting tissue integrity. The small GTPase Rap1 is a key regulator of cell adhesion, controlling both cadherin-mediated and integrin-mediated processes. We have defined multiple roles in morphogenesis for one Rap1 effector, Canoe/Afadin, which ensures robust junction-cytoskeletal linkage. We now ask what mechanisms regulate Canoe and other junction-cytoskeletal linkers during Drosophila morphogenesis, defining roles for Rap1 and one of its guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) regulators, Dizzy. Rap1 uses Canoe as one effector, regulating junctional planar polarity. However, Rap1 has additional roles in junctional protein localization and balanced apical constriction-in its absence, Bazooka/Par3 localization is fragmented, and cells next to mitotic cells apically constrict and invaginate, disrupting epidermal integrity. In contrast, the GEF Dizzy has phenotypes similar to but slightly less severe than Canoe loss, suggesting that this GEF regulates Rap1 action via Canoe. Taken together, these data reveal that Rap1 is a crucial regulator of morphogenesis, likely acting in parallel via Canoe and other effectors, and that different Rap1 GEFs regulate distinct functions of Rap1.

The α-Catenin mechanosensing M region is required for cell adhesion during tissue morphogenesis

α-Catenin couples the cadherin-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton. The mechanosensitive α-Catenin M region undergoes conformational changes upon application of force to recruit interaction partners. Here, we took advantage of the tension landscape in the Drosophila embryo to define three different states of α-Catenin mechanosensing in support of cell adhesion. Low-, medium-, and high-tension contacts showed a corresponding recruitment of Vinculin and Ajuba, which was dependent on the α-Catenin M region. In contrast, the Afadin homolog Canoe acts in parallel to α-Catenin at bicellular low- and medium-tension junctions but requires an interaction with α-Catenin for its tension-sensitive enrichment at high-tension tricellular junctions. Individual M region domains make complex contributions to cell adhesion through their impact on interaction partner recruitment, and redundancies with the function of Canoe. Our data argue that α-Catenin and its interaction partners are part of a cooperative and partially redundant mechanoresponsive network that supports AJs remodeling during morphogenesis.

aPKC regulates apical constriction to prevent tissue rupture in the Drosophila follicular epithelium

Apical-basal polarity is an essential epithelial trait controlled by the evolutionarily conserved PAR-aPKC polarity network. Dysregulation of polarity proteins disrupts tissue organization during development and in disease, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear due to the broad implications of polarity loss. Here, we uncover how Drosophila aPKC maintains epithelial architecture by directly observing tissue disorganization after fast optogenetic inactivation in living adult flies and ovaries cultured ex vivo. We show that fast aPKC perturbation in the proliferative follicular epithelium produces large epithelial gaps that result from increased apical constriction, rather than loss of apical-basal polarity. Accordingly, we can modulate the incidence of epithelial gaps by increasing and decreasing actomyosin-driven contractility. We traced the origin of these large epithelial gaps to tissue rupture next to dividing cells. Live imaging shows that aPKC perturbation induces apical constriction in non-mitotic cells within minutes, producing pulling forces that ultimately detach dividing and neighboring cells. We further demonstrate that epithelial rupture requires a global increase of apical constriction, as it is prevented by the presence of non-constricting cells. Conversely, a global induction of apical tension through light-induced recruitment of RhoGEF2 to the apical side is sufficient to produce tissue rupture. Hence, our work reveals that the roles of aPKC in polarity and actomyosin regulation are separable and provides the first in vivo evidence that excessive tissue stress can break the epithelial barrier during proliferation.

Septate junction proteins are required for cell shape changes, actomyosin reorganization and cell adhesion during dorsal closure in Drosophila

Septate junctions (SJs) serve as occluding barriers in invertebrate epithelia. In Drosophila, at least 30 genes are required for the formation or maintenance of SJs. Interestingly, loss-of-function mutations in core SJ components are embryonic lethal, with defects in developmental events such as head involution and dorsal closure (DC) that occur prior to the formation of a mature SJ, indicating a role for these proteins in mid-embryogenesis independent of their occluding function. To understand this novel function in development, we examined loss-of-function mutations in three core SJ proteins during the process of DC. DC occurs during mid-embryogenesis to seal a dorsal gap in the epidermis following germ band retraction. Closure is driven by contraction of the extraembryonic amnioserosa cells that temporarily cover the dorsal surface and by cell shape changes (elongation) of lateral epidermal cells that bring the contralateral sheets together at the dorsal midline. Using live imaging and examination of fixed tissues, we show that early events in DC occur normally in SJ mutant embryos, but during later closure, coracle, Macroglobulin complement-related and Neurexin-IV mutant embryos exhibit slower rates of closure and display aberrant cells shapes in the dorsolateral epidermis, including dorsoventral length and apical surface area. SJ mutant embryos also show mild defects in actomyosin structures along the leading edge, but laser cutting experiments suggest similar tension and viscoelastic properties in SJ mutant versus wild type epidermis. In a high percentage of SJ mutant embryos, the epidermis tears free from the amnioserosa near the end of DC and live imaging and immunostaining reveal reduced levels of E-cadherin, suggesting that defective adhesion may be responsible for these tears. Supporting this notion, reducing E-cadherin by half significantly enhances the penetrance of DC defects in coracle mutant embryos.

Apical-basal polarity and the control of epithelial form and function

Epithelial cells are the most common cell type in all animals, forming the sheets and tubes that compose most organs and tissues. Apical-basal polarity is essential for epithelial cell form and function, as it determines the localization of the adhesion molecules that hold the cells together laterally and the occluding junctions that act as barriers to paracellular diffusion. Polarity must also target the secretion of specific cargoes to the apical, lateral or basal membranes and organize the cytoskeleton and internal architecture of the cell. Apical-basal polarity in many cells is established by conserved polarity factors that define the apical (Crumbs, Stardust/PALS1, aPKC, PAR-6 and CDC42), junctional (PAR-3) and lateral (Scribble, DLG, LGL, Yurt and RhoGAP19D) domains, although recent evidence indicates that not all epithelia polarize by the same mechanism. Research has begun to reveal the dynamic interactions between polarity factors and how they contribute to polarity establishment and maintenance. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential to better understand the roles of apical-basal polarity in morphogenesis and how defects in polarity contribute to diseases such as cancer.

Powering morphogenesis: multiscale challenges at the interface of cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton

Among the defining features of the animal kingdom is the ability of cells to change shape and move. This underlies embryonic and postembryonic development, tissue homeostasis, regeneration, and wound healing. Cell shape change and motility require linkage of the cell's force-generating machinery to the plasma membrane at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix junctions. Connections of the actomyosin cytoskeleton to cell-cell adherens junctions need to be both resilient and dynamic, preventing tissue disruption during the dramatic events of embryonic morphogenesis. In the past decade, new insights radically altered the earlier simple paradigm that suggested simple linear linkage via the cadherin-catenin complex as the molecular mechanism of junction-cytoskeleton interaction. In this Perspective we provide a brief overview of our current state of knowledge and then focus on selected examples highlighting what we view as the major unanswered questions in our field and the approaches that offer exciting new insights at multiple scales from atomic structure to tissue mechanics.

The Lateral Epidermis Actively Counteracts Pulling by the Amnioserosa During Dorsal Closure

Dorsal closure is a prominent morphogenetic process during Drosophila embryogenesis, which involves two epithelial tissues, that is, the squamous amnioserosa and the columnar lateral epidermis. Non-muscle myosin II-driven constriction in the amnioserosa leads to a decrease in the apical surface area and pulls on the adjacent lateral epidermis, which subsequently moves dorsally. The pull by the amnioserosa becomes obvious in an elongation of the epidermal cells, especially of those in the first row. The contribution of the epidermal cell elongation has remained unclear to dorsal closure. Cell elongation may be a mere passive consequence or an active response to the pulling by the amnioserosa. Here, we found that the lateral epidermis actively responds. We analyzed tensions within tissues and cell junctions by laser ablation before and during dorsal closure, the elliptical and dorsal closure stages, respectively. Furthermore, we genetically and optochemically induced chronic and acute cell contraction, respectively. In this way, we found that tension in the epidermis increased during dorsal closure. A correspondingly increased tension was not observed at individual junctions, however. Junctional tension even decreased during dorsal closure in the epidermis. We strikingly observed a strong increase of the microtubule amount in the epidermis, while non-muscle myosin II increased in both tissues. Our data suggest that the epidermis actively antagonizes the pull from the amnioserosa during dorsal closure and the increased microtubules might help the epidermis bear part of the mechanical force.

Lmo7 recruits myosin II heavy chain to regulate actomyosin contractility and apical domain size in Xenopus ectoderm

Apical constriction, or a reduction in size of the apical domain, underlies many morphogenetic events during development. Actomyosin complexes play an essential role in apical constriction; however, the detailed analysis of molecular mechanisms is still pending. Here, we show that Lim domain only protein 7 (Lmo7), a multidomain adaptor at apical junctions, promotes apical constriction in the Xenopus superficial ectoderm, whereas apical domain size increases in Lmo7-depleted cells. Lmo7 is primarily localized at apical junctions and promotes the formation of the dense circumferential actomyosin belt. Strikingly, Lmo7 binds non-muscle myosin II (NMII) and recruits it to apical junctions and the apical cortex. This NMII recruitment is essential for Lmo7-mediated apical constriction. Lmo7 knockdown decreases NMIIA localization at apical junctions and delays neural tube closure in Xenopus embryos. Our findings suggest that Lmo7 serves as a scaffold that regulates actomyosin contractility and apical domain size.

Sidekick dynamically rebalances contractile and protrusive forces to control tissue morphogenesis

Contractile actomyosin and protrusive branched F-actin networks interact in a dynamic balance, repeatedly contracting and expanding apical cell contacts to organize the epithelium of the developing fly retina. Previously we showed that the immunoglobulin superfamily protein Sidekick (Sdk) contributes to contraction by recruiting the actin binding protein Polychaetoid (Pyd) to vertices. Here we show that as tension increases during contraction, Sdk progressively accumulates at vertices, where it toggles to recruit the WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) to promote actin branching and protrusion. Sdk alternately interacts with the WRC and Pyd using the same C-terminal motif. With increasing protrusion, levels of Sdk and the WRC decrease at vertices while levels of Pyd increase paving the way for another round of contraction. Thus, by virtue of dynamic association with vertices and interchangeable associations with contractile and protrusive effectors, Sdk is central to controlling the balance between contraction and expansion that shapes this epithelium.

SCAR/WAVE complex recruitment to a supracellular actomyosin cable by myosin activators and a junctional Arf-GEF during Drosophila dorsal closure

Expansive Arp2/3 actin networks and contractile actomyosin networks can be spatially and temporally segregated within the cell, but the networks also interact closely at various sites, including adherens junctions. However, molecular mechanisms coordinating these interactions remain unclear. We found that the SCAR/WAVE complex, an Arp2/3 activator, is enriched at adherens junctions of the leading edge actomyosin cable during Drosophila dorsal closure. Myosin activators were both necessary and sufficient for SCAR/WAVE accumulation at leading edge junctions. The same myosin activators were previously shown to recruit the cytohesin Arf-GEF Steppke to these sites, and mammalian studies have linked Arf small G protein signaling to SCAR/WAVE activation. During dorsal closure, we find that Steppke is required for SCAR/WAVE enrichment at the actomyosin-linked junctions. Arp2/3 also localizes to adherens junctions of the leading edge cable. We propose that junctional actomyosin activity acts through Steppke to recruit SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 for regulation of the leading edge supracellular actomyosin cable during dorsal closure.

ASPP2 maintains the integrity of mechanically stressed pseudostratified epithelia during morphogenesis

During development, pseudostratified epithelia undergo large scale morphogenetic events associated with increased mechanical stress. Using a variety of genetic and imaging approaches, we uncover that in the mouse E6.5 epiblast, where apical tension is highest, ASPP2 safeguards tissue integrity. It achieves this by preventing the most apical daughter cells from delaminating apically following division events. In this context, ASPP2 maintains the integrity and organisation of the filamentous actin cytoskeleton at apical junctions. ASPP2 is also essential during gastrulation in the primitive streak, in somites and in the head fold region, suggesting that it is required across a wide range of pseudostratified epithelia during morphogenetic events that are accompanied by intense tissue remodelling. Finally, our study also suggests that the interaction between ASPP2 and PP1 is essential to the tumour suppressor function of ASPP2, which may be particularly relevant in the context of tissues that are subject to increased mechanical stress.

The early embryo maintains its structure in the face of large mechanical stresses during morphogenesis. Here they show that ASPP2 acts to preserve epithelial integrity in regions of high apical tension during early development.

Multivalent interactions make adherens junction-cytoskeletal linkage robust during morphogenesis

Embryogenesis requires cells to change shape and move without disrupting epithelial integrity. This requires robust, responsive linkage between adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton. Using Drosophila morphogenesis, we define molecular mechanisms mediating junction–cytoskeletal linkage and explore the role of mechanosensing. We focus on the junction–cytoskeletal linker Canoe, a multidomain protein. We engineered the canoe locus to define how its domains mediate its mechanism of action. To our surprise, the PDZ and FAB domains, which we thought connected junctions and F-actin, are not required for viability or mechanosensitive recruitment to junctions under tension. The FAB domain stabilizes junctions experiencing elevated force, but in its absence, most cells recover, suggesting redundant interactions. In contrast, the Rap1-binding RA domains are critical for all Cno functions and enrichment at junctions under tension. This supports a model in which junctional robustness derives from a large protein network assembled via multivalent interactions, with proteins at network nodes and some node connections more critical than others.

An asymmetric junctional mechanoresponse coordinates mitotic rounding with epithelial integrity

Epithelia are continuously self-renewed, but how epithelial integrity is maintained during the morphological changes that cells undergo in mitosis is not well understood. Here, we show that as epithelial cells round up when they enter mitosis, they exert tensile forces on neighboring cells. We find that mitotic cell-cell junctions withstand these tensile forces through the mechanosensitive recruitment of the actin-binding protein vinculin to cadherin-based adhesions. Surprisingly, vinculin that is recruited to mitotic junctions originates selectively from the neighbors of mitotic cells, resulting in an asymmetric composition of cadherin junctions. Inhibition of junctional vinculin recruitment in neighbors of mitotic cells results in junctional breakage and weakened epithelial barrier. Conversely, the absence of vinculin from the cadherin complex in mitotic cells is necessary to successfully undergo mitotic rounding. Our data thus identify an asymmetric mechanoresponse at cadherin adhesions during mitosis, which is essential to maintain epithelial integrity while at the same time enable the shape changes of mitotic cells.

A mechanical model of early somite segmentation

Somitogenesis is often described using the clock-and-wavefront (CW) model, which does not explain how molecular signaling rearranges the pre-somitic mesoderm (PSM) cells into somites. Our scanning electron microscopy analysis of chicken embryos reveals a caudally-progressing epithelialization front in the dorsal PSM that precedes somite formation. Signs of apical constriction and tissue segmentation appear in this layer 3-4 somite lengths caudal to the last-formed somite. We propose a mechanical instability model in which a steady increase of apical contractility leads to periodic failure of adhesion junctions within the dorsal PSM and positions the future inter-somite boundaries. This model produces spatially periodic segments whose size depends on the speed of the activation front of contraction (F), and the buildup rate of contractility (Λ). The Λ/F ratio determines whether this mechanism produces spatially and temporally regular or irregular segments, and whether segment size increases with the front speed.

•

Dorsal pre-somitic mesoderm of chicken embryos epithelializes before somite formation

•

Dorsal epithelium shows signs of apical constriction and early segmentation

•

A mechanical instability model can reproduce sequential segmentation

•

A single ratio describes spatial and temporal patterns of segmentation

MAGIs regulate aPKC to enable balanced distribution of intercellular tension for epithelial sheet homeostasis

Constriction of the apical plasma membrane is a hallmark of epithelial cells that underlies cell shape changes in tissue morphogenesis and maintenance of tissue integrity in homeostasis. Contractile force is exerted by a cortical actomyosin network that is anchored to the plasma membrane by the apical junctional complexes (AJC). In this study, we present evidence that MAGI proteins, structural components of AJC whose function remained unclear, regulate apical constriction of epithelial cells through the Par polarity proteins. We reveal that MAGIs are required to uniformly distribute Partitioning defective-3 (Par-3) at AJC of cells throughout the epithelial monolayer. MAGIs recruit ankyrin-repeat-, SH3-domain- and proline-rich-region-containing protein 2 (ASPP2) to AJC, which modulates Par-3-aPKC to antagonize ROCK-driven contractility. By coupling the adhesion machinery to the polarity proteins to regulate cellular contractility, we propose that MAGIs play essential and central roles in maintaining steady state intercellular tension throughout the epithelial cell sheet.

Matsuzawa et al. show that adhesion-related molecules MAGI-1 and MAGI-3 localize partitioning defective-3 (Par-3) at apical junctional complexes of cells throughout the epithelial monolayer. This study provides insights into how tension distribution contributes to cellular contractility in epithelial tissue homeostasis.

Abelson kinase's intrinsically disordered region plays essential roles in protein function and protein stability

Background

The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Abelson (Abl) is a key player in oncogenesis, with kinase inhibitors serving as paradigms of targeted therapy. Abl also is a critical regulator of normal development, playing conserved roles in regulating cell behavior, brain development and morphogenesis. Drosophila offers a superb model for studying Abl’s normal function, because, unlike mammals, there is only a single fly Abl family member. In exploring the mechanism of action of multi-domain scaffolding proteins like Abl, one route is to define the roles of their individual domains. Research into Abl’s diverse roles in embryonic morphogenesis revealed many surprises. For instance, kinase activity, while important, is not crucial for all Abl activities, and the C-terminal F-actin binding domain plays a very modest role. This turned our attention to one of Abl’s least understood features—the long intrinsically-disordered region (IDR) linking Abl’s kinase and F-actin binding domains. The past decade revealed unexpected, important roles for IDRs in diverse cell functions, as sites of posttranslational modifications, mediating multivalent interactions and enabling assembly of biomolecular condensates via phase separation. Previous work deleting conserved regions in Abl’s IDR revealed an important role for a PXXP motif, but did not identify any other essential regions.

Methods

Here we extend this analysis by deleting the entire IDR, and asking whether Abl∆IDR rescues the diverse roles of Abl in viability and embryonic morphogenesis in Drosophila.

Results

This revealed that the IDR is essential for embryonic and adult viability, and for cell shape changes and cytoskeletal regulation during embryonic morphogenesis, and, most surprisingly, revealed a role in modulating protein stability.

Conclusion

Our data provide new insights into the role of the IDR in an important signaling protein, the non-receptor kinase Abl, suggesting that it is essential for all aspects of protein function during embryogenesis, and revealing a role in protein stability. These data will stimulate new explorations of the mechanisms by which the IDR regulates Abl stability and function, both in Drosophila and also in mammals. They also will stimulate further interest in the broader roles IDRs play in diverse signaling proteins.

Afadin regulates actomyosin organization through αE-catenin at adherens junctions

Actomyosin-undercoated adherens junctions are critical for epithelial cell integrity and remodeling. Actomyosin associates with adherens junctions through αE-catenin complexed with β-catenin and E-cadherin in vivo; however, in vitro biochemical studies in solution showed that αE-catenin complexed with β-catenin binds to F-actin less efficiently than αE-catenin that is not complexed with β-catenin. Although a "catch-bond model" partly explains this inconsistency, the mechanism for this inconsistency between the in vivo and in vitro results remains elusive. We herein demonstrate that afadin binds to αE-catenin complexed with β-catenin and enhances its F-actin-binding activity in a novel mechanism, eventually inducing the proper actomyosin organization through αE-catenin complexed with β-catenin and E-cadherin at adherens junctions.

Abl and Canoe/Afadin mediate mechanotransduction at tricellular junctions

Epithelial structure is generated by the dynamic reorganization of cells in response to mechanical forces. Adherens junctions transmit forces between cells, but how cells sense and respond to these forces in vivo is not well understood. We identify a mechanotransduction pathway involving the Abl tyrosine kinase and Canoe/Afadin that stabilizes cell adhesion under tension at tricellular junctions in the Drosophila embryo. Canoe is recruited to tricellular junctions in response to actomyosin contractility, and this mechanosensitivity requires Abl-dependent phosphorylation of a conserved tyrosine in the Canoe actin-binding domain. Preventing Canoe tyrosine phosphorylation destabilizes tricellular adhesion, and anchoring Canoe at tricellular junctions independently of mechanical inputs aberrantly stabilizes adhesion, arresting cell rearrangement. These results identify a force-responsive mechanism that stabilizes tricellular adhesion under tension during epithelial remodeling.

Planar Cell Polarity and E-Cadherin in Tissue-Scale Shape Changes in Drosophila Embryos

Planar cell polarity and anisotropic cell behavior play critical roles in large-scale epithelial morphogenesis, homeostasis, wound repair, and regeneration. Cell-Cell communication and mechano-transduction in the second to minute scale mediated by E-cadherin complexes play a central role in the coordination and self-organization of cellular activities, such as junction dynamics, cell shape changes, and cell rearrangement. Here we review the current understanding in the interplay of cell polarity and cell dynamics during body axis elongation and dorsal closure in Drosophila embryos with a focus on E-cadherin dynamics in linking cell and tissue polarization and tissue-scale shape changes.

The Arf-GEF Steppke promotes F-actin accumulation, cell protrusions and tissue sealing during Drosophila dorsal closure

Cytohesin Arf-GEFs promote actin polymerization and protrusions of cultured cells, whereas the Drosophila cytohesin, Steppke, antagonizes actomyosin networks in several developmental contexts. To reconcile these findings, we analyzed epidermal leading edge actin networks during Drosophila embryo dorsal closure. Here, Steppke is required for F-actin of the actomyosin cable and for actin-based protrusions. steppke mutant defects in the leading edge actin networks are associated with improper sealing of the dorsal midline, but are distinguishable from effects of myosin mis-regulation. Steppke localizes to leading edge cell-cell junctions with accumulations of the F-actin regulator Enabled emanating from either side. Enabled requires Steppke for full leading edge recruitment, and genetic interaction shows the proteins cooperate for dorsal closure. Inversely, Steppke over-expression induces ectopic, actin-rich, lamellar cell protrusions, an effect dependent on the Arf-GEF activity and PH domain of Steppke, but independent of Steppke recruitment to myosin-rich AJs via its coiled-coil domain. Thus, Steppke promotes actin polymerization and cell protrusions, effects that occur in conjunction with Steppke's previously reported regulation of myosin contractility during dorsal closure.

Neuronal immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules in epithelial morphogenesis: insights from Drosophila

In this review, we address the function of immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules (IgCAMs) in epithelia. Work in the Drosophila model system in particular has revealed novel roles for calcium-independent adhesion molecules in the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues. We review the molecular composition of lateral junctions with a focus on their IgCAM components and reconsider the functional roles of epithelial lateral junctions. The epithelial IgCAMs discussed in this review have well-defined roles in the nervous system, particularly in the process of axon guidance, suggesting functional overlap and conservation in mechanism between that process and epithelial remodelling. We expand on the hypothesis that epithelial occluding junctions and synaptic junctions are compositionally equivalent and present a novel hypothesis that the mechanism of epithelial cell (re)integration and synaptic junction formation are shared. We highlight the importance of considering non-cadherin-based adhesion in our understanding of the mechanics of epithelial tissues and raise questions to direct future work. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.

Orchestrating morphogenesis: building the body plan by cell shape changes and movements

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.

The Physical Mechanisms of Drosophila Gastrulation: Mesoderm and Endoderm Invagination

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.

Pulsed actomyosin contractions in morphogenesis

Cell and tissue shape changes are the fundamental elements of morphogenesis that drive normal development of embryos into fully functional organisms. This requires a variety of cellular processes including establishment and maintenance of polarity, tissue growth and apoptosis, and cell differentiation, rearrangement, and migration. It is widely appreciated that the cytoskeletal networks play an important role in regulating many of these processes and, in particular, that pulsed actomyosin contractions are a core cellular mechanism driving cell shape changes and cell rearrangement. In this review, we discuss the role of pulsed actomyosin contractions during developmental morphogenesis, advances in our understanding of the mechanisms regulating actomyosin pulsing, and novel techniques to probe the role of pulsed actomyosin processes in in vivo model systems.

Arf-GEF localization and function at myosin-rich adherens junctions via coiled-coil heterodimerization with an adaptor protein

Tissue dynamics require regulated interactions between adherens junctions and cytoskeletal networks. For example, myosin-rich adherens junctions recruit the cytohesin Arf-GEF Steppke, which down-regulates junctional tension and facilitates tissue stretching. We dissected this recruitment mechanism with structure–function and other analyses of Steppke and Stepping stone, an implicated adaptor protein. During Drosophila dorsal closure, Steppke’s coiled-coil domain was necessary and sufficient for junctional recruitment. Purified coiled-coil domains of Steppke and Stepping stone heterodimerized through a hydrophobic surface of the Steppke domain. This mapped surface was required for Steppke’s junctional localization and tissue regulation. Stepping stone colocalized with Steppke at junctions, and was required for junctional Steppke localization and proper tissue stretching. A second conserved region of Stepping stone was necessary and largely sufficient for junctional localization. Remarkably, this region could substitute for the Steppke coiled-coil domain for junction localization and regulation, suggesting the main role of the Steppke coiled-coil domain is linkage to the junctional targeting region of Stepping stone. Thus, coiled-coil heterodimerization with Stepping stone normally recruits Step to junctions. Intriguingly, Stepping stone’s junctional localization also seems partly dependent on Steppke.