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Zhang N, Häring M, Wolf F, Großhans J, Kong D. Dynamics and functions of E-cadherin complexes in epithelial cell and tissue morphogenesis. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 5:585-601. [PMID: 38045551 PMCID: PMC10689684 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00206-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Cell-cell adhesion is at the center of structure and dynamics of epithelial tissue. E-cadherin-catenin complexes mediate Ca2+-dependent trans-homodimerization and constitute the kernel of adherens junctions. Beyond the basic function of cell-cell adhesion, recent progress sheds light the dynamics and interwind interactions of individual E-cadherin-catenin complex with E-cadherin superclusters, contractile actomyosin and mechanics of the cortex and adhesion. The nanoscale architecture of E-cadherin complexes together with cis-interactions and interactions with cortical actomyosin adjust to junctional tension and mechano-transduction by reinforcement or weakening of specific features of the interactions. Although post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and glycosylation have been implicated, their role for specific aspects of in E-cadherin function has remained unclear. Here, we provide an overview of the E-cadherin complex in epithelial cell and tissue morphogenesis focusing on nanoscale architectures by super-resolution approaches and post-translational modifications from recent, in particular in vivo, studies. Furthermore, we review the computational modelling in E-cadherin complexes and highlight how computational modelling has contributed to a deeper understanding of the E-cadherin complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Häring
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Großhans
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Deqing Kong
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), Georg August University Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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Lin AJ, Sihorwala AZ, Belardi B. Engineering Tissue-Scale Properties with Synthetic Cells: Forging One from Many. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1889-1907. [PMID: 37417657 PMCID: PMC11017731 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00061] [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] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
In metazoans, living cells achieve capabilities beyond individual cell functionality by assembling into multicellular tissue structures. These higher-order structures represent dynamic, heterogeneous, and responsive systems that have evolved to regenerate and coordinate their actions over large distances. Recent advances in constructing micrometer-sized vesicles, or synthetic cells, now point to a future where construction of synthetic tissue can be pursued, a boon to pressing material needs in biomedical implants, drug delivery systems, adhesives, filters, and storage devices, among others. To fully realize the potential of synthetic tissue, inspiration has been and will continue to be drawn from new molecular findings on its natural counterpart. In this review, we describe advances in introducing tissue-scale features into synthetic cell assemblies. Beyond mere complexation, synthetic cells have been fashioned with a variety of natural and engineered molecular components that serve as initial steps toward morphological control and patterning, intercellular communication, replication, and responsiveness in synthetic tissue. Particular attention has been paid to the dynamics, spatial constraints, and mechanical strengths of interactions that drive the synthesis of this next-generation material, describing how multiple synthetic cells can act as one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Ahmed Z Sihorwala
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Brian Belardi
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Skamrahl M, Schünemann J, Mukenhirn M, Pang H, Gottwald J, Jipp M, Ferle M, Rübeling A, Oswald T, Honigmann A, Janshoff A. Cellular segregation in cocultures is driven by differential adhesion and contractility on distinct timescales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213186120. [PMID: 37011207 PMCID: PMC10104523 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213186120] [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: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular sorting and pattern formation are crucial for many biological processes such as development, tissue regeneration, and cancer progression. Prominent physical driving forces for cellular sorting are differential adhesion and contractility. Here, we studied the segregation of epithelial cocultures containing highly contractile, ZO1/2-depleted MDCKII cells (dKD) and their wild-type (WT) counterparts using multiple quantitative, high-throughput methods to monitor their dynamical and mechanical properties. We observe a time-dependent segregation process governed mainly by differential contractility on short (<5 h) and differential adhesion on long (>5 h) timescales. The overly contractile dKD cells exert strong lateral forces on their WT neighbors, thereby apically depleting their surface area. Concomitantly, the tight junction-depleted, contractile cells exhibit weaker cell-cell adhesion and lower traction force. Drug-induced contractility reduction and partial calcium depletion delay the initial segregation but cease to change the final demixed state, rendering differential adhesion the dominant segregation force at longer timescales. This well-controlled model system shows how cell sorting is accomplished through a complex interplay between differential adhesion and contractility and can be explained largely by generic physical driving forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Skamrahl
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Justus Schünemann
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Mukenhirn
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics,01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Hongtao Pang
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jannis Gottwald
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcel Jipp
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maximilian Ferle
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
| | - Angela Rübeling
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Göttingen37077, Germany
| | - Tabea A. Oswald
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Göttingen37077, Germany
| | - Alf Honigmann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics,01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Janshoff
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Physical Chemistry,37077Göttingen, Germany
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Grandy C, Port F, Pfeil J, Oliva MAG, Vassalli M, Gottschalk KE. Cell shape and tension alter focal adhesion structure. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 145:213277. [PMID: 36621197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cells are not only anchored to the extracellular matrix via the focal adhesion complex, the focal adhesion complex also serves as a sensor for force transduction. How tension influences the structure of focal adhesions is not well understood. Here, we analyse the effect of tension on the location of key focal adhesion proteins, namely vinculin, paxillin and actin. We use micropatterning on gold surfaces to manipulate the cell shape, to create focal adhesions at specific cell areas, and to perform metal-induced energy transfer (MIET) measurements on the patterned cells. MIET resolves the different protein locations with respect to the gold surface with nanometer accuracy. Further, we use drugs influencing the cellular motor protein myosin or mechanosensitive ion channels to get deeper insight into focal adhesions at different tension states. We show here that in particular actin is affected by the rationally tuned force balance. Blocking mechanosensitive ion channels has a particularly high influence on the actin and focal adhesion architecture, resulting in larger focal adhesions with elevated paxillin and vinculin and strongly lowered actin stress fibres. Our results can be explained by a balance of adhesion tension with cellular tension together with ion channel-controlled focal adhesion homeostasis, where high cellular tension leads to an elevation of vinculin and actin, while high adhesion tension lowers these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Grandy
- University Ulm, Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, 89081, Germany
| | - Fabian Port
- University Ulm, Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, 89081, Germany
| | - Jonas Pfeil
- University Ulm, Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, 89081, Germany
| | | | - Massimo Vassalli
- University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
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Lv Z, Zhang N, Zhang X, Großhans J, Kong D. The Lateral Epidermis Actively Counteracts Pulling by the Amnioserosa During Dorsal Closure. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:865397. [PMID: 35652100 PMCID: PMC9148979 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.865397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Lv
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Xiaozhu Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro-Structured Materials and School of Physics Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute for Theoretical Physics and Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jörg Großhans
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Deqing Kong
- Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Deqing Kong,
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