1
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Werner ME, Ray DD, Breen C, Staddon MF, Jug F, Banerjee S, Maddox AS. Mechanical and biochemical feedback combine to generate complex contractile oscillations in cytokinesis. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00821-2. [PMID: 38991614 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.037] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The actomyosin cortex is an active material that generates force to drive shape changes via cytoskeletal remodeling. Cytokinesis is the essential cell division event during which a cortical actomyosin ring closes to separate two daughter cells. Our active gel theory predicted that actomyosin systems controlled by a biochemical oscillator and experiencing mechanical strain would exhibit complex spatiotemporal behavior. To test whether active materials in vivo exhibit spatiotemporally complex kinetics, we imaged the C. elegans embryo with unprecedented temporal resolution and discovered that sections of the cytokinetic cortex undergo periodic phases of acceleration and deceleration. Contractile oscillations exhibited a range of periodicities, including those much longer periods than the timescale of RhoA pulses, which was shorter in cytokinesis than in any other biological context. Modifying mechanical feedback in vivo or in silico revealed that the period of contractile oscillation is prolonged as a function of the intensity of mechanical feedback. Fast local ring ingression occurs where speed oscillations have long periods, likely due to increased local stresses and, therefore, mechanical feedback. Fast ingression also occurs where material turnover is high, in vivo and in silico. We propose that downstream of initiation by pulsed RhoA activity, mechanical feedback, including but not limited to material advection, extends the timescale of contractility beyond that of biochemical input and, therefore, makes it robust to fluctuations in activation. Circumferential propagation of contractility likely allows for sustained contractility despite cytoskeletal remodeling necessary to recover from compaction. Thus, like biochemical feedback, mechanical feedback affords active materials responsiveness and robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Werner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dylan D Ray
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Coleman Breen
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael F Staddon
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Jug
- Computational Biology Research Centre, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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2
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Middelkoop TC, Neipel J, Cornell CE, Naumann R, Pimpale LG, Jülicher F, Grill SW. A cytokinetic ring-driven cell rotation achieves Hertwig's rule in early development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318838121. [PMID: 38870057 PMCID: PMC11194556 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318838121] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Hertwig's rule states that cells divide along their longest axis, usually driven by forces acting on the mitotic spindle. Here, we show that in contrast to this rule, microtubule-based pulling forces in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos align the spindle with the short axis of the cell. We combine theory with experiments to reveal that in order to correct this misalignment, inward forces generated by the constricting cytokinetic ring rotate the entire cell until the spindle is aligned with the cell's long axis. Experiments with slightly compressed mouse zygotes indicate that this cytokinetic ring-driven mechanism of ensuring Hertwig's rule is general for cells capable of rotating inside a confining shell, a scenario that applies to early cell divisions of many systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teije C. Middelkoop
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Laboratory of Developmental Mechanobiology, Division Biocev, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jonas Neipel
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187Dresden, Germany
| | - Caitlin E. Cornell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Lokesh G. Pimpale
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technical University Dresden, 01062Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan W. Grill
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technical University Dresden, 01062Dresden, Germany
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3
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Wang G, Guasp R, Salam S, Chuang E, Morera A, Smart AJ, Jimenez D, Shekhar S, Friedman E, Melentijevic I, Nguyen KC, Hall DH, Grant BD, Driscoll M. Mechanical force of uterine occupation enables large vesicle extrusion from proteostressed maternal neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.13.565361. [PMID: 38014134 PMCID: PMC10680645 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.565361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Large vesicle extrusion from neurons may contribute to spreading pathogenic protein aggregates and promoting inflammatory responses, two mechanisms leading to neurodegenerative disease. Factors that regulate extrusion of large vesicles, such as exophers produced by proteostressed C. elegans touch neurons, are poorly understood. Here we document that mechanical force can significantly potentiate exopher extrusion from proteostressed neurons. Exopher production from the C. elegans ALMR neuron peaks at adult day 2 or 3, coinciding with the C. elegans reproductive peak. Genetic disruption of C. elegans germline, sperm, oocytes, or egg/early embryo production can strongly suppress exopher extrusion from the ALMR neurons during the peak period. Conversely, restoring egg production at the late reproductive phase through mating with males or inducing egg retention via genetic interventions that block egg-laying can strongly increase ALMR exopher production. Overall, genetic interventions that promote ALMR exopher production are associated with expanded uterus lengths and genetic interventions that suppress ALMR exopher production are associated with shorter uterus lengths. In addition to the impact of fertilized eggs, ALMR exopher production can be enhanced by filling the uterus with oocytes, dead eggs, or even fluid, supporting that distention consequences, rather than the presence of fertilized eggs, constitute the exopher-inducing stimulus. We conclude that the mechanical force of uterine occupation potentiates exopher extrusion from proximal proteostressed maternal neurons. Our observations draw attention to the potential importance of mechanical signaling in extracellular vesicle production and in aggregate spreading mechanisms, making a case for enhanced attention to mechanobiology in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Ryan Guasp
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Sangeena Salam
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Edward Chuang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Andrés Morera
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Anna J Smart
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - David Jimenez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Sahana Shekhar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Emily Friedman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Ilija Melentijevic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Ken C Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - David H Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Barth D Grant
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Nelson Biological Laboratories, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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4
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Actin polymerisation and crosslinking drive left-right asymmetry in single cell and cell collectives. Nat Commun 2023; 14:776. [PMID: 36774346 PMCID: PMC9922260 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Deviations from mirror symmetry in the development of bilateral organisms are common but the mechanisms of initial symmetry breaking are insufficiently understood. The actin cytoskeleton of individual cells self-organises in a chiral manner, but the molecular players involved remain essentially unidentified and the relationship between chirality of an individual cell and cell collectives is unclear. Here, we analysed self-organisation of the chiral actin cytoskeleton in individual cells on circular or elliptical patterns, and collective cell alignment in confined microcultures. Screening based on deep-learning analysis of actin patterns identified actin polymerisation regulators, depletion of which suppresses chirality (mDia1) or reverses chirality direction (profilin1 and CapZβ). The reversed chirality is mDia1-independent but requires the function of actin-crosslinker α-actinin1. A robust correlation between the effects of a variety of actin assembly regulators on chirality of individual cells and cell collectives is revealed. Thus, actin-driven cell chirality may underlie tissue and organ asymmetry.
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5
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Li Y, Munro E. Filament-guided filament assembly provides structural memory of filament alignment during cytokinesis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2486-2500.e6. [PMID: 34480876 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
During cytokinesis, animal cells rapidly remodel the equatorial cortex to build an aligned array of actin filaments called the contractile ring. Local reorientation of filaments by active equatorial compression is thought to underlie the emergence of filament alignment during ring assembly. Here, combining single molecule analysis and modeling in one-cell C. elegans embryos, we show that filaments turnover is far too fast for reorientation of individual filaments by equatorial compression to explain the observed alignment, even if favorably oriented filaments are selectively stabilized. By tracking single formin/CYK-1::GFP particles to monitor local filament assembly, we identify a mechanism that we call filament-guided filament assembly (FGFA), in which existing filaments serve as templates to orient the growth of new filaments. FGFA sharply increases the effective lifetime of filament orientation, providing structural memory that allows cells to build highly aligned filament arrays in response to equatorial compression, despite rapid turnover of individual filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younan Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Edwin Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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6
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Zaatri A, Perry JA, Maddox AS. Septins and a formin have distinct functions in anaphase chiral cortical rotation in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:1283-1292. [PMID: 34010018 PMCID: PMC8351551 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-09-0576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cells and tissues exhibit chirality that stems from the chirality of proteins and polymers. In the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, actomyosin contractility drives chiral rotation of the entire cortex circumferentially around the division plane during anaphase. How contractility is translated to cell-scale chirality, and what dictates handedness, are unknown. Septins are candidate contributors to cell-scale chirality because they anchor and cross-link the actomyosin cytoskeleton. We report that septins are required for anaphase cortical rotation. In contrast, the formin CYK-1, which we found to be enriched in the posterior in early anaphase, is not required for cortical rotation but contributes to its chirality. Simultaneous loss of septin and CYK-1 function led to abnormal and often reversed cortical rotation. Our results suggest that anaphase contractility leads to chiral rotation by releasing torsional stress generated during formin-based polymerization, which is polarized along the cell anterior–posterior axis and which accumulates due to actomyosin network connectivity. Our findings shed light on the molecular and physical bases for cellular chirality in the C. elegans zygote. We also identify conditions in which chiral rotation fails but animals are developmentally viable, opening avenues for future work on the relationship between early embryonic cellular chirality and animal body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adhham Zaatri
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Jenna A Perry
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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7
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CYK-1/Formin activation in cortical RhoA signaling centers promotes organismal left-right symmetry breaking. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021814118. [PMID: 33972425 PMCID: PMC8157923 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021814118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper left-right symmetry breaking is essential for animal development, and in many cases, this process is actomyosin-dependent. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos active torque generation in the actomyosin layer promotes left-right symmetry breaking by driving chiral counterrotating cortical flows. While both Formins and Myosins have been implicated in left-right symmetry breaking and both can rotate actin filaments in vitro, it remains unclear whether active torques in the actomyosin cortex are generated by Formins, Myosins, or both. We combined the strength of C. elegans genetics with quantitative imaging and thin film, chiral active fluid theory to show that, while Non-Muscle Myosin II activity drives cortical actomyosin flows, it is permissive for chiral counterrotation and dispensable for chiral symmetry breaking of cortical flows. Instead, we find that CYK-1/Formin activation in RhoA foci is instructive for chiral counterrotation and promotes in-plane, active torque generation in the actomyosin cortex. Notably, we observe that artificially generated large active RhoA patches undergo rotations with consistent handedness in a CYK-1/Formin-dependent manner. Altogether, we conclude that CYK-1/Formin-dependent active torque generation facilitates chiral symmetry breaking of actomyosin flows and drives organismal left-right symmetry breaking in the nematode worm.
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8
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Pelletier JF, Field CM, Fürthauer S, Sonnett M, Mitchison TJ. Co-movement of astral microtubules, organelles and F-actin by dynein and actomyosin forces in frog egg cytoplasm. eLife 2020; 9:e60047. [PMID: 33284105 PMCID: PMC7759381 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
How bulk cytoplasm generates forces to separate post-anaphase microtubule (MT) asters in Xenopus laevis and other large eggs remains unclear. Previous models proposed that dynein-based, inward organelle transport generates length-dependent pulling forces that move centrosomes and MTs outwards, while other components of cytoplasm are static. We imaged aster movement by dynein and actomyosin forces in Xenopus egg extracts and observed outward co-movement of MTs, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, acidic organelles, F-actin, keratin, and soluble fluorescein. Organelles exhibited a burst of dynein-dependent inward movement at the growing aster periphery, then mostly halted inside the aster, while dynein-coated beads moved to the aster center at a constant rate, suggesting organelle movement is limited by brake proteins or other sources of drag. These observations call for new models in which all components of the cytoplasm comprise a mechanically integrated aster gel that moves collectively in response to dynein and actomyosin forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Pelletier
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Christine M Field
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
| | | | - Matthew Sonnett
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Timothy J Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
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9
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Pimpale LG, Middelkoop TC, Mietke A, Grill SW. Cell lineage-dependent chiral actomyosin flows drive cellular rearrangements in early Caenorhabditis elegans development. eLife 2020; 9:54930. [PMID: 32644039 PMCID: PMC7394549 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper positioning of cells is essential for many aspects of development. Daughter cell positions can be specified via orienting the cell division axis during cytokinesis. Rotatory actomyosin flows during division have been implied in specifying and reorienting the cell division axis, but how general such reorientation events are, and how they are controlled, remains unclear. We followed the first nine divisions of Caenorhabditis elegans embryo development and demonstrate that chiral counter-rotating flows arise systematically in early AB lineage, but not in early P/EMS lineage cell divisions. Combining our experiments with thin film active chiral fluid theory we identify a mechanism by which chiral counter-rotating actomyosin flows arise in the AB lineage only, and show that they drive lineage-specific spindle skew and cell reorientation events. In conclusion, our work sheds light on the physical processes that underlie chiral morphogenesis in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokesh G Pimpale
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Teije C Middelkoop
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Mietke
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.,Chair of Scientific Computing for Systems Biology, Faculty of Computer Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Stephan W Grill
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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10
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Davison A. Flipping Shells! Unwinding LR Asymmetry in Mirror-Image Molluscs. Trends Genet 2020; 36:189-202. [PMID: 31952839 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In seeking to understand the establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry, a limiting factor is that most animals are ordinarily invariant in their asymmetry, except when manipulated or mutated. It is therefore surprising that the wider scientific field does not appear to fully appreciate the remarkable fact that normal development in molluscs, especially snails, can flip between two chiral types without pathology. Here, I describe recent progress in understanding the evolution, development, and genetics of chiral variation in snails, and place it in context with other animals. I argue that the natural variation of snails is a crucial resource towards understanding the invariance in other animal groups and, ultimately, will be key in revealing the common factors that define cellular and organismal LR asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Davison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
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11
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Singh D, Odedra D, Dutta P, Pohl C. Mechanical stress induces a scalable switch in cortical flow polarization during cytokinesis. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.231357. [PMID: 31519810 PMCID: PMC6803361 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.231357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During animal development, cells need to sense and adapt to mechanical forces from their environment. Ultimately, these forces are transduced through the actomyosin cortex. How the cortex simultaneously responds to and creates forces during cytokinesis is not well understood. Here we show that, under mechanical stress, cortical actomyosin flow can switch polarization during cytokinesis in the C. elegans embryo. In unstressed embryos, longitudinal cortical flow contributes to contractile ring formation, while rotational cortical flow is additionally induced in uniaxially loaded embryos, i.e. embryos compressed between two plates. Rotational flow depends on astral microtubule signals and is required for the redistribution of the actomyosin cortex in loaded embryos. Rupture of longitudinally aligned cortical fibers during cortex rotation releases tension, initiates orthogonal longitudinal flow and, thereby, contributes to furrowing in loaded embryos. Moreover, actomyosin regulators involved in RhoA regulation, cortical polarity and chirality are all required for rotational flow, and become essential for cytokinesis under mechanical stress. In sum, our findings extend the current framework of mechanical stress response during cell division and show scaling of orthogonal cortical flows to the amount of mechanical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Singh
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Devang Odedra
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Priyanka Dutta
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Christian Pohl
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
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12
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Abe M, Kuroda R. The development of CRISPR for a mollusc establishes the formin Lsdia1 as the long-sought gene for snail dextral/sinistral coiling. Development 2019; 146:dev.175976. [PMID: 31088796 DOI: 10.1242/dev.175976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of left-right body asymmetry is a key biological process that is tightly regulated genetically. In the first application of CRISPR/Cas9 to a mollusc, we show decisively that the actin-related diaphanous gene Lsdia1 is the single maternal gene that determines the shell coiling direction of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis Biallelic frameshift mutations of the gene produced sinistrally coiled offspring generation after generation, in the otherwise totally dextral genetic background. This is the gene sought for over a century. We also show that the gene sets the chirality at the one-cell stage, the earliest observed symmetry-breaking event linked directly to body handedness in the animal kingdom. The early intracellular chirality is superseded by the inter-cellular chirality during the 3rd cleavage, leading to asymmetric nodal and Pitx expression, and then to organismal body handedness. Thus, our findings have important implications for chiromorphogenesis in invertebrates as well as vertebrates, including humans, and for the evolution of snail chirality. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Abe
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Reiko Kuroda
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan .,Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
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13
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Namigai† EKO, Shimeld SM. Live Imaging of Cleavage Variability and Vesicle Flow Dynamics in Dextral and Sinistral Spiralian Embryos. Zoolog Sci 2019; 36:5-16. [DOI: 10.2108/zs180088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erica K. O. Namigai†
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, U. K
| | - Sebastian M. Shimeld
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, U. K
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14
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Lineage-Specific Chiral Biases of Human Embryonic Stem Cells during Differentiation. Stem Cells Int 2018; 2018:1848605. [PMID: 30627170 PMCID: PMC6304839 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1848605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right symmetry breaking is a complex developmental process and an important part of embryonic axis development. As of yet, the biophysical mechanism behind LR asymmetry establishment remains elusive for the overall asymmetry of embryos as well as for the organ-specific asymmetry. Here, we demonstrate that inherent cellular chirality is observable in the cells of early embryonic stages using a 3D Matrigel bilayer system. Differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to three lineages corresponding to heart, intestine, and neural tissues demonstrates phenotype-specific inherent chiral biases, complementing the current knowledge regarding organ development. The existence of inherent cellular chirality early in development and its correlation with organ asymmetry implicate cell chirality as a possible regulator in LR symmetry breaking.
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15
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Epithelial Cell Chirality Revealed by Three-Dimensional Spontaneous Rotation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12188-12193. [PMID: 30429314 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805932115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the left-right (LR) asymmetry of embryonic development, in particular the contribution of intrinsic handedness of the cell or cell chirality, is limited due to the confounding systematic and environmental factors during morphogenesis and a ack of physiologically relevant in vitro 3D platforms. Here we report an efficient two-layered biomaterial platform for determining the chirality of individual cells, cell aggregates, and self-organized hollow epithelial spheroids. This bioengineered niche provides a uniform defined axis allowing for cells to rotate spontaneously with a directional bias toward either clockwise or counterclockwise directions. Mechanistic studies reveal an actin-dependent, cell-intrinsic property of 3D chirality that can be mediated by actin cross-linking via α-actinin-1. Our findings suggest that the gradient of extracellular matrix is an important biophysicochemical cue influencing cell polarity and chirality. Engineered biomaterial systems can serve as an effective platform for studying developmental asymmetry and screening for environmental factors causing birth defects.
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16
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Naganathan SR, Fürthauer S, Rodriguez J, Fievet BT, Jülicher F, Ahringer J, Cannistraci CV, Grill SW. Morphogenetic degeneracies in the actomyosin cortex. eLife 2018; 7:37677. [PMID: 30346273 PMCID: PMC6226289 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the great challenges in biology is to understand the mechanisms by which morphogenetic processes arise from molecular activities. We investigated this problem in the context of actomyosin-based cortical flow in C. elegans zygotes, where large-scale flows emerge from the collective action of actomyosin filaments and actin binding proteins (ABPs). Large-scale flow dynamics can be captured by active gel theory by considering force balances and conservation laws in the actomyosin cortex. However, which molecular activities contribute to flow dynamics and large-scale physical properties such as viscosity and active torque is largely unknown. By performing a candidate RNAi screen of ABPs and actomyosin regulators we demonstrate that perturbing distinct molecular processes can lead to similar flow phenotypes. This is indicative for a ‘morphogenetic degeneracy’ where multiple molecular processes contribute to the same large-scale physical property. We speculate that morphogenetic degeneracies contribute to the robustness of bulk biological matter in development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Fürthauer
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, United States
| | - Josana Rodriguez
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Thomas Fievet
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julie Ahringer
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Carlo Vittorio Cannistraci
- BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Brain Bio-Inspired Computing (BBC) Lab, IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", Messina, Italy
| | - Stephan W Grill
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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17
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Khaliullin RN, Green RA, Shi LZ, Gomez-Cavazos JS, Berns MW, Desai A, Oegema K. A positive-feedback-based mechanism for constriction rate acceleration during cytokinesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2018; 7:36073. [PMID: 29963981 PMCID: PMC6063732 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure timely cytokinesis, the equatorial actomyosin contractile ring constricts at a relatively constant rate despite its progressively decreasing size. Thus, the per-unit-length constriction rate increases as ring perimeter decreases. To understand this acceleration, we monitored cortical surface and ring component dynamics during the first cytokinesis of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. We found that, per unit length, the amount of ring components (myosin, anillin) and the constriction rate increase with parallel exponential kinetics. Quantitative analysis of cortical flow indicated that the cortex within the ring is compressed along the axis perpendicular to the ring, and the per-unit-length rate of cortical compression increases during constriction in proportion to ring myosin. We propose that positive feedback between ring myosin and compression-driven flow of cortex into the ring drives an exponential increase in the per-unit-length amount of ring myosin to maintain a high ring constriction rate and support this proposal with an analytical mathematical model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renat N Khaliullin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Rebecca A Green
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Linda Z Shi
- Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - J Sebastian Gomez-Cavazos
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Michael W Berns
- Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Arshad Desai
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Karen Oegema
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
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18
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Menon VV, Soumya SS, Agarwal A, Naganathan SR, Inamdar MM, Sain A. Asymmetric Flows in the Intercellular Membrane during Cytokinesis. Biophys J 2018; 113:2787-2795. [PMID: 29262371 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells undergo shape changes during their division and growth. This involves flow of material both in the cell membrane and in the cytoskeletal layer beneath the membrane. Such flows result in redistribution of phospholipid at the cell surface and actomyosin in the cortex. Here we focus on the growth of the intercellular surface during cell division in a Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. The growth of this surface leads to the formation of a double-layer of separating membranes between the two daughter cells. The division plane typically has a circular periphery and the growth starts from the periphery as a membrane invagination, which grows radially inward like the shutter of a camera. The growth is typically not concentric, in the sense that the closing internal ring is located off-center. Cytoskeletal proteins anillin and septin have been found to be responsible for initiating and maintaining the asymmetry of ring closure but the role of possible asymmetry in the material flow into the growing membrane has not been investigated yet. Motivated by experimental evidence of such flow asymmetry, here we explore the patterns of internal ring closure in the growing membrane in response to asymmetric boundary fluxes. We highlight the importance of the flow asymmetry by showing that many of the asymmetric growth patterns observed experimentally can be reproduced by our model, which incorporates the viscous nature of the membrane and contractility of the associated cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya V Menon
- Center for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - S S Soumya
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Amal Agarwal
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | | | - Mandar M Inamdar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Anirban Sain
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
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19
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McDowell G, Rajadurai S, Levin M. From cytoskeletal dynamics to organ asymmetry: a nonlinear, regulative pathway underlies left-right patterning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0409. [PMID: 27821521 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent left-right (LR) asymmetry is a fundamental aspect of the bodyplan across phyla, and errors of laterality form an important class of human birth defects. Its molecular underpinning was first discovered as a sequential pathway of left- and right-sided gene expression that controlled positioning of the heart and visceral organs. Recent data have revised this picture in two important ways. First, the physical origin of chirality has been identified; cytoskeletal dynamics underlie the asymmetry of single-cell behaviour and patterning of the LR axis. Second, the pathway is not linear: early disruptions that alter the normal sidedness of upstream asymmetric genes do not necessarily induce defects in the laterality of the downstream genes or in organ situs Thus, the LR pathway is a unique example of two fascinating aspects of biology: the interplay of physics and genetics in establishing large-scale anatomy, and regulative (shape-homeostatic) pathways that correct molecular and anatomical errors over time. Here, we review aspects of asymmetry from its intracellular, cytoplasmic origins to the recently uncovered ability of the LR control circuitry to achieve correct gene expression and morphology despite reversals of key 'determinant' genes. We provide novel functional data, in Xenopus laevis, on conserved elements of the cytoskeleton that drive asymmetry, and comparatively analyse it together with previously published results in the field. Our new observations and meta-analysis demonstrate that despite aberrant expression of upstream regulatory genes, embryos can progressively normalize transcriptional cascades and anatomical outcomes. LR patterning can thus serve as a paradigm of how subcellular physics and gene expression cooperate to achieve developmental robustness of a body axis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary McDowell
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Suvithan Rajadurai
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA .,Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA
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20
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Ding WY, Ong HT, Hara Y, Wongsantichon J, Toyama Y, Robinson RC, Nédélec F, Zaidel-Bar R. Plastin increases cortical connectivity to facilitate robust polarization and timely cytokinesis. J Cell Biol 2017; 216:1371-1386. [PMID: 28400443 PMCID: PMC5412556 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201603070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Ding et al. characterize the function of the F-actin bundling protein plastin in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. They demonstrate that plastin is important for optimal connectivity in the cortical actomyosin network that drives large-scale contractile processes such as polarization and cytokinesis. The cell cortex is essential to maintain animal cell shape, and contractile forces generated within it by nonmuscle myosin II (NMY-2) drive cellular morphogenetic processes such as cytokinesis. The role of actin cross-linking proteins in cortical dynamics is still incompletely understood. Here, we show that the evolutionarily conserved actin bundling/cross-linking protein plastin is instrumental for the generation of potent cortical actomyosin contractility in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. PLST-1 was enriched in contractile structures and was required for effective coalescence of NMY-2 filaments into large contractile foci and for long-range coordinated contractility in the cortex. In the absence of PLST-1, polarization was compromised, cytokinesis was delayed or failed, and 50% of embryos died during development. Moreover, mathematical modeling showed that an optimal amount of bundling agents enhanced the ability of a network to contract. We propose that by increasing the connectivity of the F-actin meshwork, plastin enables the cortex to generate stronger and more coordinated forces to accomplish cellular morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yung Ding
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Hui Ting Ong
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Yusuke Hara
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore.,Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Jantana Wongsantichon
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology, and Research), Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Yusuke Toyama
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore.,Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Robert C Robinson
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology, and Research), Singapore 138673, Singapore.,Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - François Nédélec
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ronen Zaidel-Bar
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
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21
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Ferreira RR, Vermot J. The balancing roles of mechanical forces during left-right patterning and asymmetric morphogenesis. Mech Dev 2017; 144:71-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Non-junctional E-Cadherin Clusters Regulate the Actomyosin Cortex in the C. elegans Zygote. Curr Biol 2017; 27:103-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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23
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Abstract
The midbody is a protein-dense assembly that forms during cytokinesis when the actomyosin ring constricts around bundling central spindle microtubules. After its initial description by Walther Flemming in the late nineteenth century and its rediscovery through electron microscopy in the 1960s and 1970s, its ultrastructural organization and the sequential recruitment of its molecular constituents has only been elucidated in the past decade. Recently, it has become clear that the midbody can serve as a polarity cue during asymmetric cell division, cell polarization, and spindle orientation by coordinating cytoskeletal organization, vesicular transport, and localized cortical cues. In this chapter, these newly emerging functions will be discussed as well as asymmetries during midbody formation and their consequences for cellular organization in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Pohl
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University Medical School, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438, Frankfurt (Main), Germany.
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24
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Alcorn MR, Callander DC, López-Santos A, Torres Cleuren YN, Birsoy B, Joshi PM, Santure AW, Rothman JH. Heterotaxy in Caenorhabditis: widespread natural variation in left-right arrangement of the major organs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150404. [PMID: 27821534 PMCID: PMC5104504 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the arrangement of internal organs in most metazoans is profoundly left-right (L/R) asymmetric with a predominant handedness, rare individuals show full (mirror-symmetric) or partial (heterotaxy) reversals. While the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is known for its highly determinate development, including stereotyped L/R organ handedness, we found that L/R asymmetry of the major organs, the gut and gonad, varies among natural isolates of the species in both males and hermaphrodites. In hermaphrodites, heterotaxy can involve one or both bilaterally asymmetric gonad arms. Male heterotaxy is probably not attributable to relaxed selection in this hermaphroditic species, as it is also seen in gonochoristic Caenorhabditis species. Heterotaxy increases in many isolates at elevated temperature, with one showing a pregastrulation temperature-sensitive period, suggesting a very early embryonic or germline effect on this much later developmental outcome. A genome-wide association study of 100 isolates showed that male heterotaxy is associated with three genomic regions. Analysis of recombinant inbred lines suggests that a small number of loci are responsible for the observed variation. These findings reveal that heterotaxy is a widely varying quantitative trait in an animal with an otherwise highly stereotyped anatomy, demonstrating unexpected plasticity in an L/R arrangement of the major organs even in a simple animal.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R Alcorn
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Davon C Callander
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Yamila N Torres Cleuren
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bilge Birsoy
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of MCD Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347, USA
| | - Pradeep M Joshi
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Anna W Santure
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joel H Rothman
- Department of MCD Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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25
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McDowell GS, Lemire JM, Paré JF, Cammarata G, Lowery LA, Levin M. Conserved roles for cytoskeletal components in determining laterality. Integr Biol (Camb) 2016; 8:267-86. [PMID: 26928161 DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00281h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Consistently-biased left-right (LR) patterning is required for the proper placement of organs including the heart and viscera. The LR axis is especially fascinating as an example of multi-scale pattern formation, since here chiral events at the subcellular level are integrated and amplified into asymmetric transcriptional cascades and ultimately into the anatomical patterning of the entire body. In contrast to the other two body axes, there is considerable controversy about the earliest mechanisms of embryonic laterality. Many molecular components of asymmetry have not been widely tested among phyla with diverse bodyplans, and it is unknown whether parallel (redundant) pathways may exist that could reverse abnormal asymmetry states at specific checkpoints in development. To address conservation of the early steps of LR patterning, we used the Xenopus laevis (frog) embryo to functionally test a number of protein targets known to direct asymmetry in plants, fruit fly, and rodent. Using the same reagents that randomize asymmetry in Arabidopsis, Drosophila, and mouse embryos, we show that manipulation of the microtubule and actin cytoskeleton immediately post-fertilization, but not later, results in laterality defects in Xenopus embryos. Moreover, we observed organ-specific randomization effects and a striking dissociation of organ situs from effects on the expression of left side control genes, which parallel data from Drosophila and mouse. Remarkably, some early manipulations that disrupt laterality of transcriptional asymmetry determinants can be subsequently "rescued" by the embryo, resulting in normal organ situs. These data reveal the existence of novel corrective mechanisms, demonstrate that asymmetric expression of Nodal is not a definitive marker of laterality, and suggest the existence of amplification pathways that connect early cytoskeletal processes to control of organ situs bypassing Nodal. Counter to alternative models of symmetry breaking during neurulation (via ciliary structures absent in many phyla), our data suggest a widely-conserved role for the cytoskeleton in regulating left-right axis formation immediately after fertilization of the egg. The novel mechanisms that rescue organ situs, even after incorrect expression of genes previously considered to be left-side master regulators, suggest LR patterning as a new context in which to explore multi-scale redundancy and integration of patterning from the subcellular structure to the entire bodyplan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary S McDowell
- Biology Department, and Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA. and Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Joan M Lemire
- Biology Department, and Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.
| | - Jean-Francois Paré
- Biology Department, and Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.
| | | | | | - Michael Levin
- Biology Department, and Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155-4243, USA.
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26
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Naganathan SR, Middelkoop TC, Fürthauer S, Grill SW. Actomyosin-driven left-right asymmetry: from molecular torques to chiral self organization. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2016; 38:24-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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27
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Cytoskeletal Symmetry Breaking and Chirality: From Reconstituted Systems to Animal Development. Symmetry (Basel) 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/sym7042062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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28
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Naganathan SR, Fürthauer S, Nishikawa M, Jülicher F, Grill SW. Active torque generation by the actomyosin cell cortex drives left-right symmetry breaking. eLife 2014; 3:e04165. [PMID: 25517077 PMCID: PMC4269833 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many developmental processes break left-right (LR) symmetry with a consistent handedness. LR asymmetry emerges early in development, and in many species the primary determinant of this asymmetry has been linked to the cytoskeleton. However, the nature of the underlying chirally asymmetric cytoskeletal processes has remained elusive. In this study, we combine thin-film active chiral fluid theory with experimental analysis of the C. elegans embryo to show that the actomyosin cortex generates active chiral torques to facilitate chiral symmetry breaking. Active torques drive chiral counter-rotating cortical flow in the zygote, depend on myosin activity, and can be altered through mild changes in Rho signaling. Notably, they also execute the chiral skew event at the 4-cell stage to establish the C. elegans LR body axis. Taken together, our results uncover a novel, large-scale physical activity of the actomyosin cytoskeleton that provides a fundamental mechanism for chiral morphogenesis in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sundar Ram Naganathan
- Biotechnology Center, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Fürthauer
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Masatoshi Nishikawa
- Biotechnology Center, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan W Grill
- Biotechnology Center, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
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