1
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Sui L, Dahmann C. A cellular tilting mechanism important for dynamic tissue shape changes and cell differentiation in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1794-1808.e5. [PMID: 38692272 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Dynamic changes in three-dimensional cell shape are important for tissue form and function. In the developing Drosophila eye, photoreceptor differentiation requires the progression across the tissue of an epithelial fold known as the morphogenetic furrow. Morphogenetic furrow progression involves apical cell constriction and movement of apical cell edges. Here, we show that cells progressing through the morphogenetic furrow move their basal edges in opposite direction to their apical edges, resulting in a cellular tilting movement. We further demonstrate that cells generate, at their basal side, oriented, force-generating protrusions. Knockdown of the protein kinase Src42A or photoactivation of a dominant-negative form of the small GTPase Rac1 reduces protrusion formation. Impaired protrusion formation stalls basal cell movement and slows down morphogenetic furrow progression and photoreceptor differentiation. This work identifies a cellular tilting mechanism important for the generation of dynamic tissue shape changes and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Sui
- School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Dahmann
- School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
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2
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Li X, Huebner RJ, Williams MLK, Sawyer J, Peifer M, Wallingford JB, Thirumalai D. Emergence of cellular nematic order is a conserved feature of gastrulation in animal embryos. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603175. [PMID: 39071444 PMCID: PMC11275887 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Cells undergo dramatic changes in morphology during embryogenesis, yet how these changes affect the formation of ordered tissues remains elusive. Here we find that the emergence of a nematic liquid crystal phase occurs in cells during gastrulation in the development of embryos of fish, frogs, and fruit flies. Moreover, the spatial correlations in all three organisms are long-ranged and follow a similar power-law decay( y ∼ x - α ) with α less than unity for the nematic order parameter, suggesting a common underlying physical mechanism unifies events in these distantly related species. All three species exhibit similar propagation of the nematic phase, reminiscent of nucleation and growth phenomena. Finally, we use a theoretical model along with disruptions of cell adhesion and cell specification to characterize the minimal features required for formation of the nematic phase. Our results provide a framework for understanding a potentially universal features of metazoan embryogenesis and shed light on the advent of ordered structures during animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Margot L K Williams
- Center for Precision Environmental Health & Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jessica Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Mark Peifer
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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3
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Li X, Huebner RJ, Williams MLK, Sawyer J, Peifer M, Wallingford JB, Thirumalai D. Emergence of cellular nematic order is a conserved feature of gastrulation in animal embryos. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2407.12124v1. [PMID: 39070041 PMCID: PMC11275694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Cells undergo dramatic changes in morphology during embryogenesis, yet how these changes affect the formation of ordered tissues remains elusive. Here we find that the emergence of a nematic liquid crystal phase occurs in cells during gastrulation in the development of embryos of fish, frogs, and fruit flies. Moreover, the spatial correlations in all three organisms are long-ranged and follow a similar power-law decay( y ∼ x - α ) with α less than unity for the nematic order parameter, suggesting a common underlying physical mechanism unifies events in these distantly related species. All three species exhibit similar propagation of the nematic phase, reminiscent of nucleation and growth phenomena. Finally, we use a theoretical model along with disruptions of cell adhesion and cell specification to characterize the minimal features required for formation of the nematic phase. Our results provide a framework for understanding a potentially universal features of metazoan embryogenesis and shed light on the advent of ordered structures during animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Robert J Huebner
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Margot L K Williams
- Center for Precision Environmental Health & Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jessica Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Mark Peifer
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - D Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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4
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Ray T, Shi D, Harris TJC. Confinement promotes nematic alignment of spindle-shaped cells during Drosophila embryogenesis. Development 2024; 151:dev202577. [PMID: 38864272 PMCID: PMC11234378 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202577] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Tissue morphogenesis is often controlled by actomyosin networks pulling on adherens junctions (AJs), but junctional myosin levels vary. At an extreme, the Drosophila embryo amnioserosa forms a horseshoe-shaped strip of aligned, spindle-shaped cells lacking junctional myosin. What are the bases of amnioserosal cell interactions and alignment? Compared with surrounding tissue, we find that amnioserosal AJ continuity has lesser dependence on α-catenin, the mediator of AJ-actomyosin association, and greater dependence on Bazooka/Par-3, a junction-associated scaffold protein. Microtubule bundles also run along amnioserosal AJs and support their long-range curvilinearity. Amnioserosal confinement is apparent from partial overlap of its spindle-shaped cells, its outward bulging from surrounding tissue and from compressive stress detected within the amnioserosa. Genetic manipulations that alter amnioserosal confinement by surrounding tissue also result in amnioserosal cells losing alignment and gaining topological defects characteristic of nematically ordered systems. With Bazooka depletion, confinement by surrounding tissue appears to be relatively normal and amnioserosal cells align despite their AJ fragmentation. Overall, the fully elongated amnioserosa appears to form through tissue-autonomous generation of spindle-shaped cells that nematically align in response to confinement by surrounding tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tirthankar Ray
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Damo Shi
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Tony J. C. Harris
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
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5
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Blanchard GB, Scarpa E, Muresan L, Sanson B. Mechanical stress combines with planar polarised patterning during metaphase to orient embryonic epithelial cell divisions. Development 2024; 151:dev202862. [PMID: 38639390 PMCID: PMC11165716 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The planar orientation of cell division (OCD) is important for epithelial morphogenesis and homeostasis. Here, we ask how mechanics and antero-posterior (AP) patterning combine to influence the first divisions after gastrulation in the Drosophila embryonic epithelium. We analyse hundreds of cell divisions and show that stress anisotropy, notably from compressive forces, can reorient division directly in metaphase. Stress anisotropy influences the OCD by imposing metaphase cell elongation, despite mitotic rounding, and overrides interphase cell elongation. In strongly elongated cells, the mitotic spindle adapts its length to, and hence its orientation is constrained by, the cell long axis. Alongside mechanical cues, we find a tissue-wide bias of the mitotic spindle orientation towards AP-patterned planar polarised Myosin-II. This spindle bias is lost in an AP-patterning mutant. Thus, a patterning-induced mitotic spindle orientation bias overrides mechanical cues in mildly elongated cells, whereas in strongly elongated cells the spindle is constrained close to the high stress axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy B Blanchard
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Elena Scarpa
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Leila Muresan
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Bénédicte Sanson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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6
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Lye CM, Blanchard GB, Evans J, Nestor-Bergmann A, Sanson B. Polarised cell intercalation during Drosophila axis extension is robust to an orthogonal pull by the invaginating mesoderm. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002611. [PMID: 38683880 PMCID: PMC11081494 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
As tissues grow and change shape during animal development, they physically pull and push on each other, and these mechanical interactions can be important for morphogenesis. During Drosophila gastrulation, mesoderm invagination temporally overlaps with the convergence and extension of the ectodermal germband; the latter is caused primarily by Myosin II-driven polarised cell intercalation. Here, we investigate the impact of mesoderm invagination on ectoderm extension, examining possible mechanical and mechanotransductive effects on Myosin II recruitment and polarised cell intercalation. We find that the germband ectoderm is deformed by the mesoderm pulling in the orthogonal direction to germband extension (GBE), showing mechanical coupling between these tissues. However, we do not find a significant change in Myosin II planar polarisation in response to mesoderm invagination, nor in the rate of junction shrinkage leading to neighbour exchange events. We conclude that the main cellular mechanism of axis extension, polarised cell intercalation, is robust to the mesoderm invagination pull. We find, however, that mesoderm invagination slows down the rate of anterior-posterior cell elongation that contributes to axis extension, counteracting the tension from the endoderm invagination, which pulls along the direction of GBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M. Lye
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Guy B. Blanchard
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Evans
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Nestor-Bergmann
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bénédicte Sanson
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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7
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Sun X, Decker J, Sanchez-Luege N, Rebay I. Inter-plane feedback coordinates cell morphogenesis and maintains 3D tissue organization in the Drosophila pupal retina. Development 2024; 151:dev201757. [PMID: 38533736 PMCID: PMC11006395 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
How complex organs coordinate cellular morphogenetic events to achieve three-dimensional (3D) form is a central question in development. The question is uniquely tractable in the late Drosophila pupal retina, where cells maintain stereotyped contacts as they elaborate the specialized cytoskeletal structures that pattern the apical, basal and longitudinal planes of the epithelium. In this study, we combined cell type-specific genetic manipulation of the cytoskeletal regulator Abelson (Abl) with 3D imaging to explore how the distinct cellular morphogenetic programs of photoreceptors and interommatidial pigment cells (IOPCs) organize tissue pattern to support retinal integrity. Our experiments show that photoreceptor and IOPC terminal differentiation is unexpectedly interdependent, connected by an intercellular feedback mechanism that coordinates and promotes morphogenetic change across orthogonal tissue planes to ensure correct 3D retinal pattern. We propose that genetic regulation of specialized cellular differentiation programs combined with inter-plane mechanical feedback confers spatial coordination to achieve robust 3D tissue morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Sun
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jacob Decker
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicelio Sanchez-Luege
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ilaria Rebay
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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8
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Santarelli P, Rosti V, Vivo M, Lanzuolo C. Chromatin organization of muscle stem cell. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 158:375-406. [PMID: 38670713 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The proper functioning of skeletal muscles is essential throughout life. A crucial crosstalk between the environment and several cellular mechanisms allows striated muscles to perform successfully. Notably, the skeletal muscle tissue reacts to an injury producing a completely functioning tissue. The muscle's robust regenerative capacity relies on the fine coordination between muscle stem cells (MuSCs or "satellite cells") and their specific microenvironment that dictates stem cells' activation, differentiation, and self-renewal. Critical for the muscle stem cell pool is a fine regulation of chromatin organization and gene expression. Acquiring a lineage-specific 3D genome architecture constitutes a crucial modulator of muscle stem cell function during development, in the adult stage, in physiological and pathological conditions. The context-dependent relationship between genome structure, such as accessibility and chromatin compartmentalization, and their functional effects will be analysed considering the improved 3D epigenome knowledge, underlining the intimate liaison between environmental encounters and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philina Santarelli
- INGM Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Rosti
- INGM Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan, Italy; CNR Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Vivo
- Università degli studi di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy.
| | - Chiara Lanzuolo
- INGM Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan, Italy; CNR Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Milan, Italy.
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9
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Mira-Osuna M, Borgne RL. Assembly, dynamics and remodeling of epithelial cell junctions throughout development. Development 2024; 151:dev201086. [PMID: 38205947 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201086] [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: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Cell junctions play key roles in epithelial integrity. During development, when epithelia undergo extensive morphogenesis, these junctions must be remodeled in order to maintain mechanochemical barriers and ensure the cohesion of the tissue. In this Review, we present a comprehensive and integrated description of junctional remodeling mechanisms in epithelial cells during development, from embryonic to adult epithelia. We largely focus on Drosophila, as quantitative analyses in this organism have provided a detailed characterization of the molecular mechanisms governing cell topologies, and discuss the conservation of these mechanisms across metazoans. We consider how changes at the molecular level translate to tissue-scale irreversible deformations, exploring the composition and assembly of cellular interfaces to unveil how junctions are remodeled to preserve tissue homeostasis during cell division, intercalation, invagination, ingression and extrusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mira-Osuna
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), Université de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Roland Le Borgne
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), Université de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
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10
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Lefebvre M, Colen J, Claussen N, Brauns F, Raich M, Mitchell N, Fruchart M, Vitelli V, Streichan SJ. Learning a conserved mechanism for early neuroectoderm morphogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573058. [PMID: 38187670 PMCID: PMC10769415 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Morphogenesis is the process whereby the body of an organism develops its target shape. The morphogen BMP is known to play a conserved role across bilaterian organisms in determining the dorsoventral (DV) axis. Yet, how BMP governs the spatio-temporal dynamics of cytoskeletal proteins driving morphogenetic flow remains an open question. Here, we use machine learning to mine a morphodynamic atlas of Drosophila development, and construct a mathematical model capable of predicting the coupled dynamics of myosin, E-cadherin, and morphogenetic flow. Mutant analysis shows that BMP sets the initial condition of this dynamical system according to the following signaling cascade: BMP establishes DV pair-rule-gene patterns that set-up an E-cadherin gradient which in turn creates a myosin gradient in the opposite direction through mechanochemical feedbacks. Using neural tube organoids, we argue that BMP, and the signaling cascade it triggers, prime the conserved dynamics of neuroectoderm morphogenesis from fly to humans.
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11
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Burda I, Martin AC, Roeder AHK, Collins MA. The dynamics and biophysics of shape formation: Common themes in plant and animal morphogenesis. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2850-2866. [PMID: 38113851 PMCID: PMC10752614 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of tissue form in multicellular organisms results from the complex interplay between genetics and physics. In both plants and animals, cells must act in concert to pattern their behaviors. Our understanding of the factors sculpting multicellular form has increased dramatically in the past few decades. From this work, common themes have emerged that connect plant and animal morphogenesis-an exciting connection that solidifies our understanding of the developmental basis of multicellular life. In this review, we will discuss the themes and the underlying principles that connect plant and animal morphogenesis, including the coordination of gene expression, signaling, growth, contraction, and mechanical and geometric feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Burda
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Genetic Genomics and Development Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Adam C Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Adrienne H K Roeder
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Genetic Genomics and Development Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Mary Ann Collins
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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12
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Kuebler CA, Paré AC. Striped Expression of Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins Coordinates Cell Intercalation and Compartment Boundary Formation in the Early Drosophila Embryo. Symmetry (Basel) 2023; 15:1490. [PMID: 38650964 PMCID: PMC11034934 DOI: 10.3390/sym15081490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Planar polarity is a commonly observed phenomenon in which proteins display a consistent asymmetry in their subcellular localization or activity across the plane of a tissue. During animal development, planar polarity is a fundamental mechanism for coordinating the behaviors of groups of cells to achieve anisotropic tissue remodeling, growth, and organization. Therefore, a primary focus of developmental biology research has been to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying planar polarity in a variety of systems to identify conserved principles of tissue organization. In the early Drosophila embryo, the germband neuroectoderm epithelium rapidly doubles in length along the anterior-posterior axis through a process known as convergent extension (CE); it also becomes subdivided into tandem tissue compartments through the formation of compartment boundaries (CBs). Both processes are dependent on the planar polarity of proteins involved in cellular tension and adhesion. The enrichment of actomyosin-based tension and adherens junction-based adhesion at specific cell-cell contacts is required for coordinated cell intercalation, which drives CE, and the creation of highly stable cell-cell contacts at CBs. Recent studies have revealed a system for rapid cellular polarization triggered by the expression of leucine-rich-repeat (LRR) cell-surface proteins in striped patterns. In particular, the non-uniform expression of Toll-2, Toll-6, Toll-8, and Tartan generates local cellular asymmetries that allow cells to distinguish between cell-cell contacts oriented parallel or perpendicular to the anterior-posterior axis. In this review, we discuss (1) the biomechanical underpinnings of CE and CB formation, (2) how the initial symmetry-breaking events of anterior-posterior patterning culminate in planar polarity, and (3) recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms downstream of LRR receptors that lead to planar polarized tension and junctional adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Kuebler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Adam C. Paré
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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13
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Roarty K. Taking shape: Intercalation within the mammary terminal end bud. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1123-1125. [PMID: 37433279 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
In this issue of Developmental Cell, Pfannenstein and Macara leverage the experimental versatility of the mammary gland to show that intercalation within the terminal end bud is regulated by the tight junction organizing protein ZO-1 and dynamic actin cytoskeletal rearrangements to propel ductal elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Roarty
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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14
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Parveen S, Jones NW, Millerschultz I, Paré AC. Using Expansion Microscopy to Physically Enlarge Whole-Mount Drosophila Embryos for Super-Resolution Imaging. J Vis Exp 2023:10.3791/64662. [PMID: 37184263 PMCID: PMC11081397 DOI: 10.3791/64662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The workhorse of developmental biology is the confocal microscope, which allows researchers to determine the three-dimensional localization of tagged molecules within complex biological samples. While traditional confocal microscopes allow one to resolve two adjacent fluorescent point sources located a few hundred nanometers apart, observing the finer details of subcellular biology requires the ability to resolve signals in the order of tens of nanometers. Numerous hardware-based methods for super-resolution microscopy have been developed to allow researchers to sidestep such resolution limits, although these methods require specialized microscopes that are not available to all researchers. An alternative method for increasing resolving power is to isotropically enlarge the sample itself through a process known as expansion microscopy (ExM), which was first described by the Boyden group in 2015. ExM is not a type of microscopy per se but is rather a method for swelling a sample while preserving the relative spatial organization of its constituent molecules. The expanded sample can then be observed at an effectively increased resolution using a traditional confocal microscope. Here, we describe a protocol for implementing ExM in whole-mount Drosophila embryos, which is used to examine the localization of Par-3, myosin II, and mitochondria within the surface epithelial cells. This protocol yields an approximately four-fold increase in sample size, allowing for the detection of subcellular details that are not visible with conventional confocal microscopy. As proof of principle, an anti-GFP antibody is used to distinguish distinct pools of myosin-GFP between adjacent cell cortices, and fluorescently labeled streptavidin is used to detect endogenous biotinylated molecules to reveal the fine details of the mitochondrial network architecture. This protocol utilizes common antibodies and reagents for fluorescence labeling, and it should be compatible with many existing immunofluorescence protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Parveen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas
| | | | | | - Adam C Paré
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas;
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15
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Sun X, Decker J, Sanchez-Luege N, Rebay I. Orthogonal coupling of a 3D cytoskeletal scaffold coordinates cell morphogenesis and maintains tissue organization in the Drosophila pupal retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.06.531386. [PMID: 36945525 PMCID: PMC10028844 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.06.531386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
How complex three-dimensional (3D) organs coordinate cellular morphogenetic events to achieve the correct final form is a central question in development. The question is uniquely tractable in the late Drosophila pupal retina where cells maintain stereotyped contacts as they elaborate the specialized cytoskeletal structures that pattern the apical, basal and longitudinal planes of the epithelium. In this study, we combined cell type-specific genetic manipulation of the cytoskeletal regulator Abelson (Abl) with 3D imaging to explore how the distinct cellular morphogenetic programs of photoreceptors and interommatidial pigment cells coordinately organize tissue pattern to support retinal integrity. Our experiments revealed an unanticipated intercellular feedback mechanism whereby correct cellular differentiation of either cell type can non-autonomously induce cytoskeletal remodeling in the other Abl mutant cell type, restoring retinal pattern and integrity. We propose that genetic regulation of specialized cellular differentiation programs combined with inter-plane mechanical feedback confers spatial coordination to achieve robust 3D tissue morphogenesis.
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16
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Lefebvre MF, Claussen NH, Mitchell NP, Gustafson HJ, Streichan SJ. Geometric control of myosin II orientation during axis elongation. eLife 2023; 12:78787. [PMID: 36715100 PMCID: PMC9940909 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The actomyosin cytoskeleton is a crucial driver of morphogenesis. Yet how the behavior of large-scale cytoskeletal patterns in deforming tissues emerges from the interplay of geometry, genetics, and mechanics remains incompletely understood. Convergent extension in Drosophila melanogaster embryos provides the opportunity to establish a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of anisotropic non-muscle myosin II. Cell-scale analysis of protein localization in fixed embryos suggests that gene expression patterns govern myosin anisotropy via complex rules. However, technical limitations have impeded quantitative and dynamic studies of this process at the whole embryo level, leaving the role of geometry open. Here, we combine in toto live imaging with quantitative analysis of molecular dynamics to characterize the distribution of myosin anisotropy and the corresponding genetic patterning. We found pair rule gene expression continuously deformed, flowing with the tissue frame. In contrast, myosin anisotropy orientation remained approximately static and was only weakly deflected from the stationary dorsal-ventral axis of the embryo. We propose that myosin is recruited by a geometrically defined static source, potentially related to the embryo-scale epithelial tension, and account for transient deflections by cytoskeletal turnover and junction reorientation by flow. With only one parameter, this model quantitatively accounts for the time course of myosin anisotropy orientation in wild-type, twist, and even-skipped embryos, as well as embryos with perturbed egg geometry. Geometric patterning of the cytoskeleton suggests a simple physical strategy to ensure a robust flow and formation of shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Lefebvre
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Nikolas H Claussen
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Noah P Mitchell
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Hannah J Gustafson
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Sebastian J Streichan
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
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17
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Chandran L, Backer W, Schleutker R, Kong D, Beati SAH, Luschnig S, Müller HAJ. Src42A is required for E-cadherin dynamics at cell junctions during Drosophila axis elongation. Development 2023; 150:286529. [PMID: 36628974 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Src kinases are important regulators of cell adhesion. Here, we have explored the function of Src42A in junction remodelling during Drosophila gastrulation. Src42A is required for tyrosine phosphorylation at bicellular (bAJ) and tricellular (tAJ) junctions in germband cells, and localizes to hotspots of mechanical tension. The role of Src42A was investigated using maternal RNAi and CRISPR-Cas9-induced germline mosaics. We find that, during cell intercalations, Src42A is required for the contraction of junctions at anterior-posterior cell interfaces. The planar polarity of E-cadherin is compromised and E-cadherin accumulates at tricellular junctions after Src42A knockdown. Furthermore, we show that Src42A acts in concert with Abl kinase, which has also been implicated in cell intercalations. Our data suggest that Src42A is involved in two related processes: in addition to establishing tension generated by the planar polarity of MyoII, it may also act as a signalling factor at tAJs to control E-cadherin residence time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenin Chandran
- Developmental Genetics, Institut für Biologie, Universität Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Wilko Backer
- Institute for Integrative Cell Biology and Physiology, Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Raphael Schleutker
- Institute for Integrative Cell Biology and Physiology, Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Deqing Kong
- Developmental Genetics, Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps Universität Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Seyed A H Beati
- Developmental Genetics, Institut für Biologie, Universität Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Stefan Luschnig
- Institute for Integrative Cell Biology and Physiology, Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - H-Arno J Müller
- Developmental Genetics, Institut für Biologie, Universität Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
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18
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Sheppard L, Green DG, Lerchbaumer G, Rothenberg KE, Fernandez-Gonzalez R, Tepass U. The α-Catenin mechanosensing M region is required for cell adhesion during tissue morphogenesis. J Cell Biol 2022; 222:213759. [PMID: 36520419 PMCID: PMC9757846 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202108091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Sheppard
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - David G. Green
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gerald Lerchbaumer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Katheryn E. Rothenberg
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ulrich Tepass
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Correspondence to Ulrich Tepass:
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19
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Gustafson HJ, Claussen N, De Renzis S, Streichan SJ. Patterned mechanical feedback establishes a global myosin gradient. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7050. [PMID: 36396633 PMCID: PMC9672098 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34518-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis, the coordinated execution of developmental programs that shape embryos, raises many fundamental questions at the interface between physics and biology. In particular, how the dynamics of active cytoskeletal processes are coordinated across the surface of entire embryos to generate global cell flows is poorly understood. Two distinct regulatory principles have been identified: genetic programs and dynamic response to mechanical stimuli. Despite progress, disentangling these two contributions remains challenging. Here, we combine in toto light sheet microscopy with genetic and optogenetic perturbations of tissue mechanics to examine theoretically predicted dynamic recruitment of non-muscle myosin II to cell junctions during Drosophila embryogenesis. We find dynamic recruitment has a long-range impact on global myosin configuration, and the rate of junction deformation sets the rate of myosin recruitment. Mathematical modeling and high frequency analysis reveal myosin fluctuations on junctions around a mean value set by mechanical feedback. Our model accounts for the early establishment of the global myosin pattern at 80% fidelity. Taken together our results indicate spatially modulated mechanical feedback as a key regulatory input in the establishment of long-range gradients of cytoskeletal configurations and global tissue flow patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J. Gustafson
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA ,grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Nikolas Claussen
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Stefano De Renzis
- grid.4709.a0000 0004 0495 846XEMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian J. Streichan
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA ,grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
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20
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Sharrock TE, Evans J, Blanchard GB, Sanson B. Different temporal requirements for tartan and wingless in the formation of contractile interfaces at compartmental boundaries. Development 2022; 149:dev200292. [PMID: 36178136 PMCID: PMC9687003 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Compartmental boundaries physically separate developing tissues into distinct regions, which is fundamental for the organisation of the body plan in both insects and vertebrates. In many examples, this physical segregation is caused by a regulated increase in contractility of the actomyosin cortex at boundary cell-cell interfaces, a property important in developmental morphogenesis beyond compartmental boundary formation. We performed an unbiased screening approach to identify cell surface receptors required for actomyosin enrichment and polarisation at parasegmental boundaries (PSBs) in early Drosophila embryos, from the start of germband extension at gastrulation and throughout the germband extended stages (stages 6 to 11). First, we find that Tartan is required during germband extension for actomyosin enrichment at PSBs, confirming an earlier report. Next, by following in real time the dynamics of loss of boundary straightness in tartan mutant embryos compared with wild-type and ftz mutant embryos, we show that Tartan is required during germband extension but not beyond. We identify candidate genes that could take over from Tartan at PSBs and confirm that at germband extended stages, actomyosin enrichment at PSBs requires Wingless signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. Sharrock
- Departmentof Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Jenny Evans
- Departmentof Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Guy B. Blanchard
- Departmentof Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Bénédicte Sanson
- Departmentof Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Anatomy Building, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK
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21
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Devenport D. A squash and a squeeze. eLife 2022; 11:80416. [PMID: 35771125 PMCID: PMC9246364 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced imaging techniques reveal details of the interactions between the two layers of the embryonic midgut that influence its ultimate shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danelle Devenport
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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22
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Hunt EL, Rai H, Harris TJC. SCAR/WAVE complex recruitment to a supracellular actomyosin cable by myosin activators and a junctional Arf-GEF during Drosophila dorsal closure. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33. [DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-03-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Hunt
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto
| | - Hrishika Rai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata
- International Visiting Graduate Students Study Abroad Program, University of Toronto
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23
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Abstract
Embryonic cells grow in environments that provide a plethora of physical cues, including mechanical forces that shape the development of the entire embryo. Despite their prevalence, the role of these forces in embryonic development and their integration with chemical signals have been mostly neglected, and scrutiny in modern molecular embryology tilted, instead, towards the dissection of molecular pathways involved in cell fate determination and patterning. It is now possible to investigate how mechanical signals induce downstream genetic regulatory networks to regulate key developmental processes in the embryo. Here, we review the insights into mechanical control of early vertebrate development, including the role of forces in tissue patterning and embryonic axis formation. We also highlight recent in vitro approaches using individual embryonic stem cells and self-organizing multicellular models of human embryos, which have been instrumental in expanding our understanding of how mechanics tune cell fate and cellular rearrangements during human embryonic development.
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24
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Abstract
The molecular complexes underlying planar cell polarity (PCP) were first identified in Drosophila through analysis of mutant phenotypes in the adult cuticle and the orientation of associated polarized protrusions such as wing hairs and sensory bristles. The same molecules are conserved in vertebrates and are required for the localization of polarized protrusions such as primary or sensory cilia and the orientation of hair follicles. Not only is PCP signaling required to align cellular structures across a tissue, it is also required to coordinate movement during embryonic development and adult homeostasis. PCP signaling allows cells to interpret positional cues within a tissue to move in the appropriate direction and to coordinate this movement with their neighbors. In this review we outline the molecular basis of the core Wnt-Frizzled/PCP pathway, and describe how this signaling orchestrates collective motility in Drosophila and vertebrates. Here we cover the paradigms of ommatidial rotation and border cell migration in Drosophila, and convergent extension in vertebrates. The downstream cell biological processes that underlie polarized motility include cytoskeletal reorganization, and adherens junctional and extracellular matrix remodeling. We discuss the contributions of these processes in the respective cell motility contexts. Finally, we address examples of individual cell motility guided by PCP factors during nervous system development and in cancer disease contexts.
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25
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Perez-Vale KZ, Yow KD, Johnson RI, Byrnes AE, Finegan TM, Slep KC, Peifer M. Multivalent interactions make adherens junction-cytoskeletal linkage robust during morphogenesis. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:e202104087. [PMID: 34762121 PMCID: PMC8590279 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202104087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia Z. Perez-Vale
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Kristi D. Yow
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - Amy E. Byrnes
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tara M. Finegan
- Department of Physics and BioInspired Syracuse, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Kevin C. Slep
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Mark Peifer
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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26
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Trubuil E, D'Angelo A, Solon J. Tissue mechanics in morphogenesis: Active control of tissue material properties to shape living organisms. Cells Dev 2021; 168:203777. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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27
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Vetrova AA, Lebedeva TS, Saidova AA, Kupaeva DM, Kraus YA, Kremnyov SV. From apolar gastrula to polarized larva: Embryonic development of a marine hydroid, Dynamena pumila. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:795-825. [PMID: 34787911 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In almost all metazoans examined to this respect, the axial patterning system based on canonical Wnt (cWnt) signaling operates throughout the course of development. In most metazoans, gastrulation is polar, and embryos develop morphological landmarks of axial polarity, such as blastopore under control/regulation from cWnt signaling. However, in many cnidarian species, gastrulation is morphologically apolar. The question remains whether сWnt signaling providing the establishment of a body axis controls morphogenetic processes involved in apolar gastrulation. RESULTS In this study, we focused on the embryonic development of Dynamena pumila, a cnidarian species with apolar gastrulation. We thoroughly described cell behavior, proliferation, and ultrastructure and examined axial patterning in the embryos of this species. We revealed that the first signs of morphological polarity appear only after the end of gastrulation, while molecular prepatterning of the embryo does exist during gastrulation. We have shown experimentally that in D. pumila, the direction of the oral-aboral axis is highly robust against perturbations in cWnt activity. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that morphogenetic processes are uncoupled from molecular axial patterning during gastrulation in D. pumila. Investigation of D. pumila might significantly expand our understanding of the ways in which morphological polarization and axial molecular patterning are linked in Metazoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Vetrova
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis Evolution, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana S Lebedeva
- Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleena A Saidova
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria M Kupaeva
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis Evolution, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia A Kraus
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis Evolution, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Stanislav V Kremnyov
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis Evolution, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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28
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Chan EHY, Zhou Y, Aerne BL, Holder MV, Weston A, Barry DJ, Collinson L, Tapon N. RASSF8-mediated transport of Echinoid via the exocyst promotes Drosophila wing elongation and epithelial ordering. Development 2021; 148:dev199731. [PMID: 34532737 PMCID: PMC8572004 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell-cell junctions are dynamic structures that maintain cell cohesion and shape in epithelial tissues. During development, junctions undergo extensive rearrangements to drive the epithelial remodelling required for morphogenesis. This is particularly evident during axis elongation, where neighbour exchanges, cell-cell rearrangements and oriented cell divisions lead to large-scale alterations in tissue shape. Polarised vesicle trafficking of junctional components by the exocyst complex has been proposed to promote junctional rearrangements during epithelial remodelling, but the receptors that allow exocyst docking to the target membranes remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the adherens junction component Ras Association domain family 8 (RASSF8) is required for the epithelial re-ordering that occurs during Drosophila pupal wing proximo-distal elongation. We identify the exocyst component Sec15 as a RASSF8 interactor. Loss of RASSF8 elicits cytoplasmic accumulation of Sec15 and Rab11-containing vesicles. These vesicles also contain the nectin-like homophilic adhesion molecule Echinoid, the depletion of which phenocopies the wing elongation and epithelial packing defects observed in RASSF8 mutants. Thus, our results suggest that RASSF8 promotes exocyst-dependent docking of Echinoid-containing vesicles during morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice H. Y. Chan
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Yanxiang Zhou
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Birgit L. Aerne
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Maxine V. Holder
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Anne Weston
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David J. Barry
- Advanced Light Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Nicolas Tapon
- Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
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29
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Sigismund S, Lanzetti L, Scita G, Di Fiore PP. Endocytosis in the context-dependent regulation of individual and collective cell properties. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:625-643. [PMID: 34075221 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00375-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Endocytosis allows cells to transport particles and molecules across the plasma membrane. In addition, it is involved in the termination of signalling through receptor downmodulation and degradation. This traditional outlook has been substantially modified in recent years by discoveries that endocytosis and subsequent trafficking routes have a profound impact on the positive regulation and propagation of signals, being key for the spatiotemporal regulation of signal transmission in cells. Accordingly, endocytosis and membrane trafficking regulate virtually every aspect of cell physiology and are frequently subverted in pathological conditions. Two key aspects of endocytic control over signalling are coming into focus: context-dependency and long-range effects. First, endocytic-regulated outputs are not stereotyped but heavily dependent on the cell-specific regulation of endocytic networks. Second, endocytic regulation has an impact not only on individual cells but also on the behaviour of cellular collectives. Herein, we will discuss recent advancements in these areas, highlighting how endocytic trafficking impacts complex cell properties, including cell polarity and collective cell migration, and the relevance of these mechanisms to disease, in particular cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sigismund
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Lanzetti
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Torino, Italy.,Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO - IRCCS, Candiolo, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Scita
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,IFOM, the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Pier Paolo Di Fiore
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy. .,Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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30
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Tamada M, Shi J, Bourdot KS, Supriyatno S, Palmquist KH, Gutierrez-Ruiz OL, Zallen JA. Toll receptors remodel epithelia by directing planar-polarized Src and PI3K activity. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1589-1602.e9. [PMID: 33932332 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors are essential for animal development and survival, with conserved roles in innate immunity, tissue patterning, and cell behavior. The mechanisms by which Toll receptors signal to the nucleus are well characterized, but how Toll receptors generate rapid, localized signals at the cell membrane to produce acute changes in cell polarity and behavior is not known. We show that Drosophila Toll receptors direct epithelial convergent extension by inducing planar-polarized patterns of Src and PI3-kinase (PI3K) activity. Toll receptors target Src activity to specific sites at the membrane, and Src recruits PI3K to the Toll-2 complex through tyrosine phosphorylation of the Toll-2 cytoplasmic domain. Reducing Src or PI3K activity disrupts planar-polarized myosin assembly, cell intercalation, and convergent extension, whereas constitutive Src activity promotes ectopic PI3K and myosin cortical localization. These results demonstrate that Toll receptors direct cell polarity and behavior by locally mobilizing Src and PI3K activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Tamada
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jay Shi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kia S Bourdot
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara Supriyatno
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karl H Palmquist
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Omar L Gutierrez-Ruiz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer A Zallen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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31
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Kong D, Großhans J. Planar Cell Polarity and E-Cadherin in Tissue-Scale Shape Changes in Drosophila Embryos. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:619958. [PMID: 33425927 PMCID: PMC7785826 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.619958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deqing Kong
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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32
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Muncie JM, Ayad NME, Lakins JN, Xue X, Fu J, Weaver VM. Mechanical Tension Promotes Formation of Gastrulation-like Nodes and Patterns Mesoderm Specification in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Dev Cell 2020; 55:679-694.e11. [PMID: 33207224 PMCID: PMC7755684 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions and is modulated by cell tension and tissue-level forces. Whether cell tension regulates development by modifying morphogen signaling is less clear. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit an intrinsic capacity for self-organization, which motivates their use as a tractable model of early human embryogenesis. We engineered patterned substrates that recapitulate the biophysical properties of the early embryo and mediate the self-organization of "gastrulation-like" nodes in cultured hESCs. Tissue geometries that generated local nodes of high cell-adhesion tension directed the spatial patterning of the BMP4-dependent "gastrulation-like" phenotype by enhancing phosphorylation and junctional release of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling and mesoderm specification. Furthermore, direct force application via mechanical stretching promoted BMP-dependent mesoderm specification, confirming that tissue-level forces can directly regulate cell fate specification in early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon M Muncie
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nadia M E Ayad
- Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Johnathon N Lakins
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xufeng Xue
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianping Fu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Anatomy, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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33
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Perez-Vale KZ, Peifer M. Orchestrating morphogenesis: building the body plan by cell shape changes and movements. Development 2020; 147:dev191049. [PMID: 32917667 PMCID: PMC7502592 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic development, a simple ball of cells re-shapes itself into the elaborate body plan of an animal. This requires dramatic cell shape changes and cell movements, powered by the contractile force generated by actin and myosin linked to the plasma membrane at cell-cell and cell-matrix junctions. Here, we review three morphogenetic events common to most animals: apical constriction, convergent extension and collective cell migration. Using the fruit fly Drosophila as an example, we discuss recent work that has revealed exciting new insights into the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to change shape and move without tearing tissues apart. We also point out parallel events at work in other animals, which suggest that the mechanisms underlying these morphogenetic processes are conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia Z Perez-Vale
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mark Peifer
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3280, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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34
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Abstract
Gastrulation is a critical early morphogenetic process of animal development, during which the three germ layers; mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, are rearranged by internalization movements. Concurrent epiboly movements spread and thin the germ layers while convergence and extension movements shape them into an anteroposteriorly elongated body with head, trunk, tail and organ rudiments. In zebrafish, gastrulation follows the proliferative and inductive events that establish the embryonic and extraembryonic tissues and the embryonic axis. Specification of these tissues and embryonic axes are controlled by the maternal gene products deposited in the egg. These early maternally controlled processes need to generate sufficient cell numbers and establish the embryonic polarity to ensure normal gastrulation. Subsequently, after activation of the zygotic genome, the zygotic gene products govern mesoderm and endoderm induction and germ layer patterning. Gastrulation is initiated during the maternal-to-zygotic transition, a process that entails both activation of the zygotic genome and downregulation of the maternal transcripts. Genomic studies indicate that gastrulation is largely controlled by the zygotic genome. Nonetheless, genetic studies that investigate the relative contributions of maternal and zygotic gene function by comparing zygotic, maternal and maternal zygotic mutant phenotypes, reveal significant contribution of maternal gene products, transcripts and/or proteins, that persist through gastrulation, to the control of gastrulation movements. Therefore, in zebrafish, the maternally expressed gene products not only set the stage for, but they also actively participate in gastrulation morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
- Department of Developmental Biology and Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
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