1
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Hall AE, Klompstra D, Nance J. C. elegans Afadin is required for epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with the cadherin-catenin complex and RhoGAP PAC-1/ARHGAP21. Dev Biol 2024; 511:12-25. [PMID: 38556137 PMCID: PMC11088504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2024.03.007] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
During epithelial morphogenesis, the apical junctions connecting cells must remodel as cells change shape and make new connections with their neighbors. In the C. elegans embryo, new apical junctions form when epidermal cells migrate and seal with one another to encase the embryo in skin ('ventral enclosure'), and junctions remodel when epidermal cells change shape to squeeze the embryo into a worm shape ('elongation'). The junctional cadherin-catenin complex (CCC), which links epithelial cells to each other and to cortical actomyosin, is essential for C. elegans epidermal morphogenesis. RNAi genetic enhancement screens have identified several genes encoding proteins that interact with the CCC to promote epidermal morphogenesis, including the scaffolding protein Afadin (AFD-1), whose depletion alone results in only minor morphogenesis defects. Here, by creating a null mutation in afd-1, we show that afd-1 provides a significant contribution to ventral enclosure and elongation on its own. Unexpectedly, we find that afd-1 mutant phenotypes are strongly modified by diet, revealing a previously unappreciated parental nutritional input to morphogenesis. We identify functional interactions between AFD-1 and the CCC by demonstrating that E-cadherin is required for the polarized distribution of AFD-1 to cell contact sites in early embryos. Finally, we show that afd-1 promotes the enrichment of polarity regulator, and CCC-interacting protein, PAC-1/ARHGAP21 to cell contact sites, and we identify genetic interactions suggesting that afd-1 and pac-1 regulate epidermal morphogenesis at least in part through parallel mechanisms. Our findings reveal that C. elegans AFD-1 makes a significant contribution to epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with core and associated CCC proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison E Hall
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA; Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA; Regis University, Biology Department, Denver, CO, 80221, USA.
| | - Diana Klompstra
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA; Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jeremy Nance
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA; Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA; University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology and Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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2
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Yoon J, Kumar S, Lee H, Rehman ZU, Park S, Lee U, Kim J. Sizzled (Frzb3) physically interacts with noncanonical Wnt ligands to inhibit gastrulation cell movement. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100068. [PMID: 38759887 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2024.100068] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The coordinated movement of germ layer progenitor cells reaches its peak at the dorsal side, where the Bmp signaling gradient is low, and minimum at the ventral side, where the Bmp gradient is high. This dynamic cell movement is regulated by the interplay of various signaling pathways. The noncanonical Wnt signaling cascade serves as a pivotal regulator of convergence and extension cell movement, facilitated by the activation of small GTPases such as Rho, Rab, and Rac. However, the underlying cause of limited cell movement at the ventral side remains elusive. To explore the functional role of a key regulator in constraining gastrulation cell movement at the ventral side, we investigated the Bmp4-direct target gene, sizzled (szl), to assess its potential role in inhibiting noncanonical Wnt signaling. In our current study, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of szl led to gastrulation defects in a dose-dependent manner without altering cell fate specification. Overexpression of szl resulted in decreased elongation of Activin-treated animal cap and Keller explants. Furthermore, our immunoprecipitation assay unveiled the physical interaction of Szl with noncanonical Wnt ligand proteins (Wnt5 and Wnt11). Additionally, the activation of small GTPases involved in Wnt signaling mediation (RhoA and Rac1) was diminished upon szl overexpression. In summary, our findings suggest that Bmp4 signaling negatively modulates cell movement from the ventral side of the embryo by inducing szl expression during early Xenopus gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeho Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Haeryung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Zia Ur Rehman
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Soochul Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, Republic of Korea
| | - Unjoo Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaebong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Cell Differentiation and Aging, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
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3
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Asai R, Prakash VN, Sinha S, Prakash M, Mikawa T. Coupling and uncoupling of midline morphogenesis and cell flow in amniote gastrulation. eLife 2024; 12:RP89948. [PMID: 38727576 PMCID: PMC11087055 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89948] [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: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Large-scale cell flow characterizes gastrulation in animal development. In amniote gastrulation, particularly in avian gastrula, a bilateral vortex-like counter-rotating cell flow, called 'polonaise movements', appears along the midline. Here, through experimental manipulations, we addressed relationships between the polonaise movements and morphogenesis of the primitive streak, the earliest midline structure in amniotes. Suppression of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway maintains the polonaise movements along a deformed primitive streak. Mitotic arrest leads to diminished extension and development of the primitive streak and maintains the early phase of the polonaise movements. Ectopically induced Vg1, an axis-inducing morphogen, generates the polonaise movements, aligned to the induced midline, but disturbs the stereotypical cell flow pattern at the authentic midline. Despite the altered cell flow, induction and extension of the primitive streak are preserved along both authentic and induced midlines. Finally, we show that ectopic axis-inducing morphogen, Vg1, is capable of initiating the polonaise movements without concomitant PS extension under mitotic arrest conditions. These results are consistent with a model wherein primitive streak morphogenesis is required for the maintenance of the polonaise movements, but the polonaise movements are not necessarily responsible for primitive streak morphogenesis. Our data describe a previously undefined relationship between the large-scale cell flow and midline morphogenesis in gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Asai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Vivek N Prakash
- Department of Physics, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Shubham Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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4
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Yu P, Li Y, Fang W, Feng XQ, Li B. Mechanochemical dynamics of collective cells and hierarchical topological defects in multicellular lumens. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn0172. [PMID: 38691595 PMCID: PMC11062584 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Collective cell dynamics is essential for tissue morphogenesis and various biological functions. However, it remains incompletely understood how mechanical forces and chemical signaling are integrated to direct collective cell behaviors underlying tissue morphogenesis. Here, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) mechanochemical theory accounting for biochemical reaction-diffusion and cellular mechanotransduction to investigate the dynamics of multicellular lumens. We show that the interplay between biochemical signaling and mechanics can trigger either pitchfork or Hopf bifurcation to induce diverse static mechanochemical patterns or generate oscillations with multiple modes both involving marked mechanical deformations in lumens. We uncover the crucial role of mechanochemical feedback in emerging morphodynamics and identify the evolution and morphogenetic functions of hierarchical topological defects including cell-level hexatic defects and tissue-level orientational defects. Our theory captures the common mechanochemical traits of collective dynamics observed in experiments and could provide a mechanistic context for understanding morphological symmetry breaking in 3D lumen-like tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Yu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Li
- Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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5
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Horo U, Clarke DN, Martin AC. Drosophila Fog/Cta and T48 pathways have overlapping and distinct contributions to mesoderm invagination. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar69. [PMID: 38536475 PMCID: PMC11151099 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e24-02-0050] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of the cytoskeleton by multiple signaling pathways, sometimes in parallel, is a common principle of morphogenesis. A classic example of regulation by parallel pathways is Drosophila gastrulation, where the inputs from the Folded gastrulation (Fog)/Concertina (Cta) and the T48 pathways induce apical constriction and mesoderm invagination. Whether there are distinct roles for these separate pathways in regulating the complex spatial and temporal patterns of cytoskeletal activity that accompany early embryo development is still poorly understood. We investigated the roles of the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways and found that, by themselves, the Cta and T48 pathways both promote timely mesoderm invagination and apical myosin II accumulation, with Cta being required for timely cell shape change ahead of mitotic cell division. We also identified distinct functions of T48 and Cta in regulating cellularization and the uniformity of the apical myosin II network, respectively. Our results demonstrate that both redundant and distinct functions for the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzuki Horo
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - D. Nathaniel Clarke
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Adam C. Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
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6
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Asai R, Sinha S, Prakash VN, Mikawa T. Cellular flows initiate left-right patterning prior to laterality gene expression in amniotes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.21.590437. [PMID: 38712212 PMCID: PMC11071402 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.21.590437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
A bilateral body plan is predominant throughout the animal kingdom. Bilaterality of amniote embryos becomes recognizable as midline morphogenesis begins at gastrulation, bisecting an embryonic field into the left and right sides. Soon after, left-right asymmetry also starts. While a series of laterality genes expressed after the left-right compartmentalization has been extensively studied, the laterality patterning prior to and during midline morphogenesis has remained unclear. Here, through a biophysical quantification in a high spatial and temporal resolution, applied to a chick model system, we show that a large-scale bilateral counter-rotating cell flow, termed as 'polonaise movements', display left-right asymmetries in early gastrulation. This cell movement starts prior to the formation of the primitive streak, which is the earliest midline structure, and earlier than expression of laterality genes. The cell flow speed and vorticity unravel the location and timing of the left-right asymmetries. The bilateral cell flow exhibited a Left side asymmetry at the beginning, but a transition towards Right dominance. Mitotic arrest that diminishes primitive streak formation resulted in changes in the bilateral flow pattern, but the Right dominance persisted. Our data indicate that the left-right asymmetry in amniote gastrula becomes detectable prior to the point when the asymmetric regulation of the laterality signals at the node leads to the left-right patterning. More broadly, our results suggest that physical processes can play an unexpected but significant role in influencing left-right laterality during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Asai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, USA
| | - Shubham Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Vivek N. Prakash
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, USA
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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7
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Liu W, Xiu L, Zhou M, Li T, Jiang N, Wan Y, Qiu C, Li J, Hu W, Zhang W, Wu J. The Critical Role of the Shroom Family Proteins in Morphogenesis, Organogenesis and Disease. PHENOMICS (CHAM, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 4:187-202. [PMID: 38884059 PMCID: PMC11169129 DOI: 10.1007/s43657-023-00119-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The Shroom (Shrm) family of actin-binding proteins has a unique and highly conserved Apx/Shrm Domain 2 (ASD2) motif. Shroom protein directs the subcellular localization of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), which remodels the actomyosin cytoskeleton and changes cellular morphology via its ability to phosphorylate and activate non-muscle myosin II. Therefore, the Shrm-ROCK complex is critical for the cellular shape and the development of many tissues, including the neural tube, eye, intestines, heart, and vasculature system. Importantly, the structure and expression of Shrm proteins are also associated with neural tube defects, chronic kidney disease, metastasis of carcinoma, and X-link mental retardation. Therefore, a better understanding of Shrm-mediated signaling transduction pathways is essential for the development of new therapeutic strategies to minimize damage resulting in abnormal Shrm proteins. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the various Shrm proteins and their roles in morphogenesis and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanling Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Lei Xiu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Mingzhe Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Ning Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Yanmin Wan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Chao Qiu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Monglia University, Hohhot, 010030 China
| | - Wenhong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- Shanghai Huashen Institute of Microbes and Infections, Shanghai, 200052 China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
- Shanghai Huashen Institute of Microbes and Infections, Shanghai, 200052 China
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8
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Wei J, Zhang W, Jiang A, Peng H, Zhang Q, Li Y, Bi J, Wang L, Liu P, Wang J, Ge Y, Zhang L, Yu H, Li L, Wang S, Leng L, Chen K, Dong B. Temporospatial hierarchy and allele-specific expression of zygotic genome activation revealed by distant interspecific urochordate hybrids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2395. [PMID: 38493164 PMCID: PMC10944513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46780-0] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is a universal process in early embryogenesis of metazoan, when the quiescent zygotic nucleus initiates global transcription. However, the mechanisms related to massive genome activation and allele-specific expression (ASE) remain not well understood. Here, we develop hybrids from two deeply diverged (120 Mya) ascidian species to symmetrically document the dynamics of ZGA. We identify two coordinated ZGA waves represent early developmental and housekeeping gene reactivation, respectively. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals that the major expression wave exhibits spatial heterogeneity and significantly correlates with cell fate. Moreover, allele-specific expression occurs in a species- rather than parent-related manner, demonstrating the divergence of cis-regulatory elements between the two species. These findings provide insights into ZGA in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankai Wei
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266237, China
- MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - An Jiang
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Hongzhe Peng
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Quanyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research and Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Yuting Li
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Jianqing Bi
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Linting Wang
- National Center of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Penghui Liu
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yonghang Ge
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Liya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research and Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Lei Li
- National Center of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shi Wang
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Liang Leng
- Institute of Herbgenomics, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
| | - Kai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research and Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), No. 1119 Haibin Rd, Nansha Dist., Guangzhou, 511458, China.
| | - Bo Dong
- Fang Zongxi Center for Marine EvoDevo, MoE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266237, China.
- MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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9
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Asai R, Prakash VN, Sinha S, Prakash M, Mikawa T. Coupling and uncoupling of midline morphogenesis and cell flow in amniote gastrulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.26.542486. [PMID: 37293063 PMCID: PMC10245986 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.542486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale cell flow characterizes gastrulation in animal development. In amniote gastrulation, particularly in avian gastrula, a bilateral vortex-like counter-rotating cell flow, called 'polonaise movements', appears along the midline. Here, through experimental manipulations, we addressed relationships between the polonaise movements and morphogenesis of the primitive streak, the earliest midline structure in amniotes. Suppression of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway maintains the polonaise movements along a deformed primitive streak. Mitotic arrest leads to diminished extension and development of the primitive streak and maintains the early phase of the polonaise movements. Ectopically induced Vg1, an axis-inducing morphogen, generates the polonaise movements, aligned to the induced midline, but disturbs the stereotypical cell flow pattern at the authentic midline. Despite the altered cell flow, induction and extension of the primitive streak are preserved along both authentic and induced midlines. Finally, we show that ectopic axis-inducing morphogen, Vg1, is capable of initiating the polonaise movements without concomitant PS extension under mitotic arrest conditions. These results are consistent with a model wherein primitive streak morphogenesis is required for the maintenance of the polonaise movements, but the polonaise movements are not necessarily responsible for primitive streak morphogenesis. Our data describe a previously undefined relationship between the large-scale cell flow and midline morphogenesis in gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Asai
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Vivek N. Prakash
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Shubham Sinha
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Takashi Mikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco. San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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10
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Clarke DN, Martin AC. EGFR-dependent actomyosin patterning coordinates morphogenetic movements between tissues. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573057. [PMID: 38187543 PMCID: PMC10769333 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The movements that give rise to the body's structure are powered by cell shape changes and rearrangements that are coordinated at supracellular scales. How such cellular coordination arises and integrates different morphogenetic programs is unclear. Using quantitative imaging, we found a complex pattern of adherens junction (AJ) levels in the ectoderm prior to gastrulation onset in Drosophila. AJ intensity exhibited a double-sided gradient, with peaks at the dorsal midline and ventral neuroectoderm. We show that this dorsal-ventral AJ pattern is regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling and that this signal is required for ectoderm cell movement during mesoderm invagination and axis extension. We identify AJ levels and junctional actomyosin as downstream effectors of EGFR signaling. Overall, our study demonstrates a mechanism of coordination between tissue folding and convergent extension that facilitates embryo-wide gastrulation movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam C Martin
- Dept. of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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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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Zhao A, Varady S, O'Kelley-Bangsberg M, Deng V, Platenkamp A, Wijngaard P, Bern M, Gormley W, Kushkowski E, Thompson K, Tibbetts L, Conner AT, Noeckel D, Teran A, Ritz A, Applewhite DA. From network analysis to experimental validation: identification of regulators of non-muscle myosin II contractility using the folded-gastrulation signaling pathway. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:32. [PMID: 37821823 PMCID: PMC10568788 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-023-00492-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The morphogenetic process of apical constriction, which relies on non-muscle myosin II (NMII) generated constriction of apical domains of epithelial cells, is key to the development of complex cellular patterns. Apical constriction occurs in almost all multicellular organisms, but one of the most well-characterized systems is the Folded-gastrulation (Fog)-induced apical constriction that occurs in Drosophila. The binding of Fog to its cognizant receptors Mist/Smog results in a signaling cascade that leads to the activation of NMII-generated contractility. Despite our knowledge of key molecular players involved in Fog signaling, we sought to explore whether other proteins have an undiscovered role in its regulation. We developed a computational method to predict unidentified candidate NMII regulators using a network of pairwise protein-protein interactions called an interactome. We first constructed a Drosophila interactome of over 500,000 protein-protein interactions from several databases that curate high-throughput experiments. Next, we implemented several graph-based algorithms that predicted 14 proteins potentially involved in Fog signaling. To test these candidates, we used RNAi depletion in combination with a cellular contractility assay in Drosophila S2R + cells, which respond to Fog by contracting in a stereotypical manner. Of the candidates we screened using this assay, two proteins, the serine/threonine phosphatase Flapwing and the putative guanylate kinase CG11811 were demonstrated to inhibit cellular contractility when depleted, suggestive of their roles as novel regulators of the Fog pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Zhao
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Sophia Varady
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | | | - Vicki Deng
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Amy Platenkamp
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Petra Wijngaard
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Miriam Bern
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Wyatt Gormley
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Elaine Kushkowski
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Kat Thompson
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Logan Tibbetts
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - A Tamar Conner
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - David Noeckel
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Aidan Teran
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA
| | - Anna Ritz
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA.
| | - Derek A Applewhite
- Reed College Department of Biology, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97202, USA.
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13
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Bai Y, Zhao F, Wu T, Chen F, Pang X. Actin polymerization and depolymerization in developing vertebrates. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1213668. [PMID: 37745245 PMCID: PMC10515290 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1213668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Development is a complex process that occurs throughout the life cycle. F-actin, a major component of the cytoskeleton, is essential for the morphogenesis of tissues and organs during development. F-actin is formed by the polymerization of G-actin, and the dynamic balance of polymerization and depolymerization ensures proper cellular function. Disruption of this balance results in various abnormalities and defects or even embryonic lethality. Here, we reviewed recent findings on the structure of G-actin and F-actin and the polymerization of G-actin to F-actin. We also focused on the functions of actin isoforms and the underlying mechanisms of actin polymerization/depolymerization in cellular and organic morphogenesis during development. This information will extend our understanding of the role of actin polymerization in the physiologic or pathologic processes during development and may open new avenues for developing therapeutics for embryonic developmental abnormalities or tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bai
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingting Wu
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Fangchun Chen
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Pang
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China
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14
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Hall AE, Klompstra D, Nance J. C. elegans Afadin is required for epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with the cadherin-catenin complex and RhoGAP PAC-1/ARHGAP21. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.28.551013. [PMID: 37546884 PMCID: PMC10402129 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.28.551013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
During epithelial morphogenesis, the apical junctions connecting cells must remodel as cells change shape and make new connections with their neighbors. In the C. elegans embryo, new apical junctions form when epidermal cells migrate and seal with one another to encase the embryo in skin ('ventral enclosure'), and junctions remodel when epidermal cells change shape to squeeze the embryo into a worm shape ('elongation'). The junctional cadherin-catenin complex (CCC), which links epithelial cells to each other and to cortical actomyosin, is essential for C. elegans epidermal morphogenesis. RNAi genetic enhancement screens have identified several proteins that interact with the CCC to promote epidermal morphogenesis, including the scaffolding protein Afadin (AFD-1), whose depletion alone results in only minor morphogenesis defects. Here, by creating a null mutation in afd-1 , we show that afd-1 provides a significant contribution to ventral enclosure and elongation on its own. Unexpectedly, we find that afd-1 mutant phenotypes are strongly modified by diet, revealing a previously unappreciated maternal nutritional input to morphogenesis. We identify functional interactions between AFD-1 and the CCC by demonstrating that E-cadherin is required for the polarized distribution of AFD-1 to cell contact sites in early embryos. Finally, we show that afd-1 promotes the enrichment of polarity regulator and CCC-interacting protein PAC-1/ARHGAP21 to cell contact sites, and identify genetic interactions suggesting that afd-1 and pac-1 regulate epidermal morphogenesis at least in part through parallel mechanisms. Our findings reveal that C. elegans AFD-1 makes a significant contribution to epidermal morphogenesis and functionally interfaces with core and associated CCC proteins.
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15
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Yoder MD, Van Osten S, Weber GF. Gene expression analysis of the Tao kinase family of Ste20p-like map kinase kinase kinases during early embryonic development in Xenopus laevis. Gene Expr Patterns 2023; 48:119318. [PMID: 37011704 PMCID: PMC10453956 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2023.119318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Development of the vertebrate embryo requires strict coordination of a highly complex series of signaling cascades, that drive cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and the general morphogenetic program. Members of the Map kinase signaling pathway are repeatedly required throughout development to activate the downstream effectors, ERK, p38, and JNK. Regulation of these pathways occurs at many levels in the signaling cascade, with the Map3Ks playing an essential role in target selection. The thousand and one amino acid kinases (Taoks) are Map3Ks that have been shown to activate both p38 and JNK and are linked to neurodevelopment in both invertebrate and vertebrate organisms. In vertebrates, there are three Taok paralogs (Taok1, Taok2, and Taok3) which have not yet been ascribed a role in early development. Here we describe the spatiotemporal expression of Taok1, Taok2, and Taok3 in the model organism Xenopus laevis. The X. laevis Tao kinases share roughly 80% identity to each other, with the bulk of the conservation in the kinase domain. Taok1 and Taok3 are highly expressed in pre-gastrula and gastrula stage embryos, with initial expression localized to the animal pole and later expression in the ectoderm and mesoderm. All three Taoks are expressed in the neural and tailbud stages, with overlapping expression in the neural tube, notochord, and many anterior structures (including branchial arches, brain, otic vesicles, and eye). The expression patterns described here provide evidence that the Tao kinases may play a central role in early development, in addition to their function during neural development, and establish a framework to better understand the developmental roles of Tao kinase signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Yoder
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA.
| | - Steven Van Osten
- Sciences Division, Brandywine Campus, The Pennsylvania State University, Media, PA, 19063, USA.
| | - Gregory F Weber
- Department of Biology, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46227, USA.
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16
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Nishida HY, Hamada K, Koshita M, Ohta Y, Nishida H. Ascidian gastrulation and blebbing activity of isolated endoderm blastomeres. Dev Biol 2023; 496:24-35. [PMID: 36702215 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.01.007] [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: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation is the first dynamic cell movement during embryogenesis. Endoderm and mesoderm cells are internalized into embryos during this process. Ascidian embryos provide a simple system for studying gastrulation in chordates. Gastrulation starts in spherical late 64-cell embryos with 10 endoderm blastomeres. The mechanisms of gastrulation in ascidians have been investigated, and a two-step model has been proposed. The first step involves apical constriction of endoderm cells, followed by apicobasal shortening in the second step. In this study, isolated ascidian endoderm progenitor cells displayed dynamic blebbing activity at the gastrula stage, although such a dynamic cell-shape change was not recognized in toto. Blebbing is often observed in migrating animal cells. In ascidians, endoderm cells displayed blebbing activity, while mesoderm and ectoderm cells did not. The timing of blebbing of isolated endoderm cells coincided with that of cell invagination. The constriction rate of apical surfaces correlated with the intensity of blebbing activity in each endoderm-lineage cell. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling was both necessary and sufficient for inducing blebbing activity, independent of cell fate specification. In contrast, the timing of initiation of blebbing and intensity of blebbing response to FGF signaling were controlled by intrinsic cellular factors. It is likely that the difference in intensity of blebbing activity between the anterior A-line and posterior B-line cells could account for the anteroposterior difference in the steepness of the archenteron wall. Inhibition of zygotic transcription, FGF signaling, and Rho kinase, all of which suppressed blebbing activity, resulted in incomplete apical constriction and failure of the eventual formation of cup-shaped gastrulae. Blebbing activity was involved in the progression and maintenance of apical constriction, but not in apicobasal shortening in whole embryos. Apical constriction is mediated by distinct blebbing-dependent and blebbing-independent mechanisms. Surface tension and consequent membrane contraction may not be the sole mechanical force for apical constriction and formation of cup-shaped gastrulae. The present study reveals the hidden cellular potential of endodermal cells during gastrulation and discusses the possible roles of blebbing in the invagination process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Y Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kaho Hamada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Mika Koshita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yuki Ohta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
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17
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Paramore SV, Goodwin K, Nelson CM. How to build an epithelial tree. Phys Biol 2022; 19. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac9e38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Nature has evolved a variety of mechanisms to build epithelial trees of diverse architectures within different organs and across species. Epithelial trees are elaborated through branch initiation and extension, and their morphogenesis ends with branch termination. Each of these steps of the branching process can be driven by the actions of epithelial cells themselves (epithelial-intrinsic mechanisms) or by the cells of their surrounding tissues (epithelial-extrinsic mechanisms). Here, we describe examples of how these mechanisms drive each stage of branching morphogenesis, drawing primarily from studies of the lung, kidney, salivary gland, mammary gland, and pancreas, all of which contain epithelial trees that form through collective cell behaviors. Much of our understanding of epithelial branching comes from experiments using mice, but we also include examples here from avian and reptilian models. Throughout, we highlight how distinct mechanisms are employed in different organs and species to build epithelial trees. We also highlight how similar morphogenetic motifs are used to carry out conserved developmental programs or repurposed to support novel ones. Understanding the unique strategies used by nature to build branched epithelia from across the tree of life can help to inspire creative solutions to problems in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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18
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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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19
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Saraswathibhatla A, Zhang J, Notbohm J. Coordination of contractile tension and cell area changes in an epithelial cell monolayer. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:024404. [PMID: 35291100 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.024404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During tissue development and repair, cells contract and expand in coordination with their neighbors, giving rise to tissue deformations that occur on length scales far larger than that of a single cell. The biophysical mechanisms by which the contractile forces of each cell cause deformations on multicellular length scales are not fully clear. To investigate this question, we began with the principle of force equilibrium, which dictates a balance of tensile forces between neighboring cells. Based on this principle, we hypothesized that coordinated changes in cell area result from tension transmitted across the cell layer. To test this hypothesis, spatial correlations of both contractile tension and the divergence of cell velocities were measured as readouts of coordinated contractility and collective area changes, respectively. Experiments were designed to alter the spatial correlation of contractile tension using three different methods, including disrupting cell-cell adhesions, modulating the alignment of actomyosin stress fibers between neighboring cells, and changing the size of the cell monolayer. In all experiments, the spatial correlations of both tension and divergence increased or decreased together, in agreement with our hypothesis. To relate our findings to the intracellular mechanism connecting changes in cell area to contractile tension, we disrupted activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which is known to mediate the intracellular relationship between cell area and contraction. Consistent with prior knowledge, a temporal cross-correlation between cell area and tension revealed that ERK was responsible for a proportional relationship between cell area and contraction. Inhibition of ERK activation reduced the spatial correlations of the divergence of cell velocity but not of tension. Together, our findings suggest that coordination of cell contraction and expansion requires transfer of cell tension over space and ERK-mediated coordination between cell area and contraction in time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Jacob Notbohm
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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20
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Liu H, Zhou D, Zhang L, Lubensky DK, Mao X. Topological floppy modes in models of epithelial tissues. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:8624-8641. [PMID: 34505853 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00637a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in topological mechanics have revealed unusual phenomena such as topologically protected floppy modes and states of self-stress that are exponentially localized at boundaries and interfaces of mechanical networks. In this paper, we explore the topological mechanics of epithelial tissues, where the appearance of these boundary and interface modes could lead to localized soft or stressed spots and play a role in morphogenesis. We consider both a simple vertex model (VM) governed by an effective elastic energy and its generalization to an active tension network (ATN) which incorporates active adaptation of the cytoskeleton. By analyzing spatially periodic lattices at the Maxwell point of mechanical instability, we find topologically polarized phases with exponential localization of floppy modes and states of self-stress in the ATN when cells are allowed to become concave, but not in the VM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Liu
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USA.
| | - Di Zhou
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USA.
- School of Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Leyou Zhang
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USA.
| | - David K Lubensky
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USA.
| | - Xiaoming Mao
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, USA.
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21
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Ákos Z, Dunipace L, Stathopoulos A. NaNuTrap: a technique for in vivo cell nucleus labelling using nanobodies. Development 2021; 148:dev199822. [PMID: 34328170 PMCID: PMC10656463 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In vivo cell labelling is challenging in fast developmental processes because many cell types differentiate more quickly than the maturation time of fluorescent proteins, making visualization of these tissues impossible with standard techniques. Here, we present a nanobody-based method, Nanobody Nuclear Trap (NaNuTrap), which works with the existing Gal4/UAS system in Drosophila and allows for early in vivo cell nuclei labelling independently of the maturation time of the fluorescent protein. This restores the utility of fluorescent proteins that have longer maturation times, such as those used in two-photon imaging, for live imaging of fast or very early developmental processes. We also present a more general application of this system, whereby NaNuTrap can convert cytoplasmic GFP expressed in any existing transgenic fly line into a nuclear label. This nuclear re-localization of the fluorescent signal can improve the utility of the GFP label, e.g. in cell counting, as well as resulting in a general increase in intensity of the live fluorescent signal. We demonstrate these capabilities of NaNuTrap by effectively tracking subsets of cells during the fast movements associated with gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsa Ákos
- California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Leslie Dunipace
- California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Angelike Stathopoulos
- California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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22
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Anlas K, Trivedi V. Studying evolution of the primary body axis in vivo and in vitro. eLife 2021; 10:e69066. [PMID: 34463611 PMCID: PMC8456739 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The metazoan body plan is established during early embryogenesis via collective cell rearrangements and evolutionarily conserved gene networks, as part of a process commonly referred to as gastrulation. While substantial progress has been achieved in terms of characterizing the embryonic development of several model organisms, underlying principles of many early patterning processes nevertheless remain enigmatic. Despite the diversity of (pre-)gastrulating embryo and adult body shapes across the animal kingdom, the body axes, which are arguably the most fundamental features, generally remain identical between phyla. Recently there has been a renewed appreciation of ex vivo and in vitro embryo-like systems to model early embryonic patterning events. Here, we briefly review key examples and propose that similarities in morphogenesis and associated gene expression dynamics may reveal an evolutionarily conserved developmental mode as well as provide further insights into the role of external or extraembryonic cues in shaping the early embryo. In summary, we argue that embryo-like systems can be employed to inform previously uncharted aspects of animal body plan evolution as well as associated patterning rules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikas Trivedi
- EMBL BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- EMBL Heidelberg, Developmental BiologyHeidelbergGermany
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23
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Fiuza UM, Lemaire P. Mechanical and genetic control of ascidian endoderm invagination during gastrulation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:108-118. [PMID: 34393069 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation is a near universal developmental process of animal embryogenesis, during which dramatic morphogenetic events take place: the mesodermal and endodermal tissues are internalized, the ectoderm spreads to cover the embryo surface, and the animal body plan and germ layers are established. Morphogenesis during gastrulation has long been considered the result of spatio-temporally localised forces driven by the transcriptional programme of the embryo. Recent work has shown that tissue rheological properties, which define the mechanical response of tissues to internally-generated or external forces, are also important dynamic regulators of gastrulation. Here, we first introduce how embryonic mechanics can be represented, before outlining current knowledge of the mechanical and genetic control of gastrulation in ascidians, invertebrate marine chordates which develop with invariant cell lineages and a solid-like rheological behaviour until the neurula stages. We discuss the potential of these organisms for the experimental and computational whole-embryo characterisation of the mechanisms shaping gastrulation, and how they may inform the more complex tissue internalization strategies used by other model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulla-Maj Fiuza
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- Centre de Recherches de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, France.
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24
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Oya R, Tsukamoto O, Sato T, Kato H, Matsuoka K, Oshima K, Kamakura T, Ohta Y, Imai T, Takashima S, Inohara H. Phosphorylation of MYL12 by Myosin Light Chain Kinase Regulates Cellular Shape Changes in Cochlear Hair Cells. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:425-441. [PMID: 33877471 PMCID: PMC8329122 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00796-1] [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: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The organ of Corti is an auditory organ located in the cochlea, comprising hair cells (HCs) and other supporting cells. Cellular shape changes of HCs are important for the development of auditory epithelia and hearing function. It was previously observed that HCs and inner sulcus cells (ISCs) demonstrate cellular shape changes similar to the apical constriction of the neural epithelia. Apical constriction is induced via actomyosin cable contraction in the apical junctional complex and necessary for the physiological function of the epithelium. Actomyosin cable contraction is mainly regulated by myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) phosphorylation by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). However, MRLC and MLCK isoforms expressed in HCs and ISCs are unknown. Hence, we investigated the expression patterns and roles of MRLCs and MLCKs in HCs. Droplet digital PCR revealed that HCs expressed MYL12A/B and MYL9, which are non-muscle MRLC and smooth muscle MLCK (smMLCK), respectively. Immunofluorescence staining throughout the organ of Corti demonstrated that only MYL12 was expressed in the apical portion of HCs, whereas MYL12 and MYL9 were expressed on ISCs. In addition, purified MYL12B was phosphorylated by smMLCK in vitro, and the harvested HCs contained phosphorylated MYL12. Furthermore, accompanied by the expansion of the cell area of outer HCs, MYL12 phosphorylation was reduced by ML-7, which is an inhibitor of smMLCK. In conclusion, MYL12 phosphorylation by smMLCK contributed to the apical constriction-like cellular shape change of HCs possibly relating to the development of auditory epithelia and hearing function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Oya
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Frontier Biosciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Osamu Tsukamoto
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Frontier Biosciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takashi Sato
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hisakazu Kato
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Frontier Biosciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ken Matsuoka
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Frontier Biosciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuo Oshima
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kamakura
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yumi Ohta
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takao Imai
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Seiji Takashima
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine/Frontier Biosciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidenori Inohara
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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25
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Denk-Lobnig M, Totz JF, Heer NC, Dunkel J, Martin AC. Combinatorial patterns of graded RhoA activation and uniform F-actin depletion promote tissue curvature. Development 2021; 148:dev199232. [PMID: 34124762 PMCID: PMC8254875 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
During development, gene expression regulates cell mechanics and shape to sculpt tissues. Epithelial folding proceeds through distinct cell shape changes that occur simultaneously in different regions of a tissue. Here, using quantitative imaging in Drosophila melanogaster, we investigate how patterned cell shape changes promote tissue bending during early embryogenesis. We find that the transcription factors Twist and Snail combinatorially regulate a multicellular pattern of lateral F-actin density that differs from the previously described Myosin-2 gradient. This F-actin pattern correlates with whether cells apically constrict, stretch or maintain their shape. We show that the Myosin-2 gradient and F-actin depletion do not depend on force transmission, suggesting that transcriptional activity is required to create these patterns. The Myosin-2 gradient width results from a gradient in RhoA activation that is refined through the balance between RhoGEF2 and the RhoGAP C-GAP. Our experimental results and simulations of a 3D elastic shell model show that tuning gradient width regulates tissue curvature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlis Denk-Lobnig
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jan F. Totz
- Mathematics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Natalie C. Heer
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Mathematics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Adam C. Martin
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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26
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Reassembling gastrulation. Dev Biol 2021; 474:71-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Abstract
AbstractAn important goal in the fight against cancer is to understand how tumors become invasive and metastatic. A crucial early step in metastasis is thought to be the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), the process in which epithelial cells transition into a more migratory and invasive, mesenchymal state. Since the genetic regulatory networks driving EMT in tumors derive from those used in development, analysis of EMTs in genetic model organisms such as the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, can provide great insight into cancer. In this review I highlight the many ways in which studies in the fly are shedding light on cancer metastasis. The review covers both normal developmental events in which epithelial cells become migratory, as well as induced events, whereby normal epithelial cells become metastatic due to genetic manipulations. The ability to make such precise genetic perturbations in the context of a normal, in vivo environment, complete with a working innate immune system, is making the fly increasingly important in understanding metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Murray
- School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Melbourne, Australia
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28
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A two-tier junctional mechanism drives simultaneous tissue folding and extension. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1469-1483.e5. [PMID: 33891900 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.04.003] [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: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During embryo development, tissues often undergo multiple concomitant changes in shape. It is unclear which signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms are responsible for multiple simultaneous tissue shape transformations. We focus on the process of concomitant tissue folding and extension that is key during gastrulation and neurulation. We use the Drosophila embryo as model system and focus on the process of mesoderm invagination. Here, we show that the prospective mesoderm simultaneously folds and extends. We report that mesoderm cells, under the control of anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral gene patterning synergy, establish two sets of adherens junctions at different apical-basal positions with specialized functions: while apical junctions drive apical constriction initiating tissue bending, lateral junctions concomitantly drive polarized cell intercalation, resulting in tissue convergence-extension. Thus, epithelial cells devise multiple specialized junctional sets that drive composite morphogenetic processes under the synergistic control of apparently orthogonal signaling sources.
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29
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Furry is required for cell movements during gastrulation and functionally interacts with NDR1. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6607. [PMID: 33758327 PMCID: PMC7987989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86153-x] [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] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrulation is a key event in animal embryogenesis during which germ layer precursors are rearranged and the embryonic axes are established. Cell polarization is essential during gastrulation, driving asymmetric cell division, cell movements, and cell shape changes. The furry (fry) gene encodes an evolutionarily conserved protein with a wide variety of cellular functions, including cell polarization and morphogenesis in invertebrates. However, little is known about its function in vertebrate development. Here, we show that in Xenopus, Fry plays a role in morphogenetic processes during gastrulation, in addition to its previously described function in the regulation of dorsal mesoderm gene expression. Using morpholino knock-down, we demonstrate a distinct role for Fry in blastopore closure and dorsal axis elongation. Loss of Fry function drastically affects the movement and morphological polarization of cells during gastrulation and disrupts dorsal mesoderm convergent extension, responsible for head-to-tail elongation. Finally, we evaluate a functional interaction between Fry and NDR1 kinase, providing evidence of an evolutionarily conserved complex required for morphogenesis.
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30
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Haas PA, Goldstein RE. Morphoelasticity of large bending deformations of cell sheets during development. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:022411. [PMID: 33736073 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.022411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Deformations of cell sheets during morphogenesis are driven by developmental processes such as cell division and cell shape changes. In morphoelastic shell theories of development, these processes appear as variations of the intrinsic geometry of a thin elastic shell. However, morphogenesis often involves large bending deformations that are outside the formal range of validity of these shell theories. Here, by asymptotic expansion of three-dimensional incompressible morphoelasticity in the limit of a thin shell, we derive a shell theory for large intrinsic bending deformations and emphasize the resulting geometric material anisotropy and the elastic role of cell constriction. Taking the invagination of the green alga Volvox as a model developmental event, we show how results for this theory differ from those for a classical shell theory that is not formally valid for these large bending deformations and reveal how these geometric effects stabilize invagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre A Haas
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom.,Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond E Goldstein
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom
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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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Lemke S, Kale G, Urbansky S. Comparing gastrulation in flies: Links between cell biology and the evolution of embryonic morphogenesis. Mech Dev 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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33
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Martin AC. Self-organized cytoskeletal alignment during Drosophila mesoderm invagination. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190551. [PMID: 32829683 PMCID: PMC7482211 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During tissue morphogenesis, mechanical forces are propagated across tissues, resulting in tissue shape changes. These forces in turn can influence cell behaviour, leading to a feedback process that can be described as self-organizing. Here, I discuss cytoskeletal self-organization and point to evidence that suggests its role in directing force during morphogenesis. During Drosophila mesoderm invagination, the shape of the region of cells that initiates constriction creates a mechanical pattern that in turn aligns the cytoskeleton with the axis of greatest resistance to contraction. The wild-type direction of the force controls the shape and orientation of the invaginating mesoderm. Given the ability of the actomyosin cytoskeleton to self-organize, these types of feedback mechanisms are likely to play important roles in a range of different morphogenetic events. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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34
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Platenkamp A, Detmar E, Sepulveda L, Ritz A, Rogers SL, Applewhite DA. The Drosophila melanogaster Rab GAP RN-tre cross-talks with the Rho1 signaling pathway to regulate nonmuscle myosin II localization and function. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:2379-2397. [PMID: 32816624 PMCID: PMC7851959 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-03-0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify novel regulators of nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) we performed an image-based RNA interference screen using stable Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged regulatory light chain (RLC) of NMII and mCherry-Actin. We identified the Rab-specific GTPase-activating protein (GAP) RN-tre as necessary for the assembly of NMII RLC into contractile actin networks. Depletion of RN-tre led to a punctate NMII phenotype, similar to what is observed following depletion of proteins in the Rho1 pathway. Depletion of RN-tre also led to a decrease in active Rho1 and a decrease in phosphomyosin-positive cells by immunostaining, while expression of constitutively active Rho or Rho-kinase (Rok) rescues the punctate phenotype. Functionally, RN-tre depletion led to an increase in actin retrograde flow rate and cellular contractility in S2 and S2R+ cells, respectively. Regulation of NMII by RN-tre is only partially dependent on its GAP activity as overexpression of constitutively active Rabs inactivated by RN-tre failed to alter NMII RLC localization, while a GAP-dead version of RN-tre partially restored phosphomyosin staining. Collectively, our results suggest that RN-tre plays an important regulatory role in NMII RLC distribution, phosphorylation, and function, likely through Rho1 signaling and putatively serving as a link between the secretion machinery and actomyosin contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Detmar
- Department of Biology & Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| | - Liz Sepulveda
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202
| | - Anna Ritz
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202
| | - Stephen L Rogers
- Department of Biology & Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
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35
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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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36
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Pal DS, Li X, Banerjee T, Miao Y, Devreotes PN. The excitable signal transduction networks: movers and shapers of eukaryotic cell migration. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 63:407-416. [PMID: 31840779 DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.190265pd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In response to a variety of external cues, eukaryotic cells display varied migratory modes to perform their physiological functions during development and in the adult. Aberrations in cell migration result in embryonic defects and cancer metastasis. The molecular components involved in cell migration are remarkably conserved between the social amoeba Dictyostelium and mammalian cells. This makes the amoeba an excellent model system for studies of eukaryotic cell migration. These migration-associated components can be grouped into three networks: input, signal transduction and cytoskeletal. In migrating cells, signal transduction events such as Ras or PI3K activity occur at the protrusion tips, referred to as 'front', whereas events such as dissociation of PTEN from these regions are referred to as 'back'. Asymmetric distribution of such front and back events is crucial for establishing polarity and guiding cell migration. The triggering of these signaling events displays properties of biochemical excitability including all-or-nothing responsiveness to suprathreshold stimuli, refractoriness, and wave propagation. These signal transduction waves originate from a point and propagate towards the edge of the cell, thereby driving cytoskeletal activity and cellular protrusions. Any change in the threshold for network activation alters the range of the propagating waves and the size of cellular protrusions which gives rise to various migratory modes in cells. Thus, this review highlights excitable signal transduction networks as key players for coordinating cytoskeletal activities to drive cell migration in all eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiman S Pal
- Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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37
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Martin AC. The Physical Mechanisms of Drosophila Gastrulation: Mesoderm and Endoderm Invagination. Genetics 2020; 214:543-560. [PMID: 32132154 PMCID: PMC7054018 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical juncture in early development is the partitioning of cells that will adopt different fates into three germ layers: the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm. This step is achieved through the internalization of specified cells from the outermost surface layer, through a process called gastrulation. In Drosophila, gastrulation is achieved through cell shape changes (i.e., apical constriction) that change tissue curvature and lead to the folding of a surface epithelium. Folding of embryonic tissue results in mesoderm and endoderm invagination, not as individual cells, but as collective tissue units. The tractability of Drosophila as a model system is best exemplified by how much we know about Drosophila gastrulation, from the signals that pattern the embryo to the molecular components that generate force, and how these components are organized to promote cell and tissue shape changes. For mesoderm invagination, graded signaling by the morphogen, Spätzle, sets up a gradient in transcriptional activity that leads to the expression of a secreted ligand (Folded gastrulation) and a transmembrane protein (T48). Together with the GPCR Mist, which is expressed in the mesoderm, and the GPCR Smog, which is expressed uniformly, these signals activate heterotrimeric G-protein and small Rho-family G-protein signaling to promote apical contractility and changes in cell and tissue shape. A notable feature of this signaling pathway is its intricate organization in both space and time. At the cellular level, signaling components and the cytoskeleton exhibit striking polarity, not only along the apical-basal cell axis, but also within the apical domain. Furthermore, gene expression controls a highly choreographed chain of events, the dynamics of which are critical for primordium invagination; it does not simply throw the cytoskeletal "on" switch. Finally, studies of Drosophila gastrulation have provided insight into how global tissue mechanics and movements are intertwined as multiple tissues simultaneously change shape. Overall, these studies have contributed to the view that cells respond to forces that propagate over great distances, demonstrating that cellular decisions, and, ultimately, tissue shape changes, proceed by integrating cues across an entire embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
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38
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Fiuza UM, Negishi T, Rouan A, Yasuo H, Lemaire P. A Nodal/Eph signalling relay drives the transition from apical constriction to apico-basal shortening in ascidian endoderm invagination. Development 2020; 147:dev.186965. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.186965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Gastrulation is the first major morphogenetic event during animal embryogenesis. Ascidian gastrulation starts with the invagination of 10 endodermal precursor cells between the 64- and late 112-cell stages. This process occurs in the absence of endodermal cell division and in two steps, driven by myosin-dependent contractions of the acto-myosin network. First, endoderm precursors constrict their apex. Second, they shorten apico-basally, while retaining small apical surfaces, thereby causing invagination. The mechanisms that prevent endoderm cell division, trigger the transition between step 1 and step 2, and drive apico-basal shortening have remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate a conserved role for Nodal and Eph signalling during invagination in two distantly related ascidian species, Phallusia mammillata and Ciona intestinalis. Specifically, we show that the transition to step 2 is triggered by Nodal relayed by Eph signalling. Additionally, our results indicate that Eph signalling lengthens the endodermal cell cycle, independently of Nodal. Finally, we find that both Nodal and Eph signals are dispensable for endoderm fate specification. These results illustrate commonalities as well as differences in the action of Nodal during ascidian and vertebrate gastrulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulla-Maj Fiuza
- CRBM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Takefumi Negishi
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Alice Rouan
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Hitoyoshi Yasuo
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
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39
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Li X, Miao Y, Pal DS, Devreotes PN. Excitable networks controlling cell migration during development and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 100:133-142. [PMID: 31836289 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The directed movements of individual, groups, or sheets of cells at specific times in particular locations bring about form and complexity to developing organisms. Cells move by extending protrusions, such as macropinosomes, pseudopods, lamellipods, filopods, or blebs. Although many of the cytoskeletal components within these structures are known, less is known about the mechanisms that determine their location, number, and characteristics. Recent evidence suggests that control may be exerted by a signal transduction excitable network whose components and activities, including Ras, PI3K, TorC2, and phosphoinositides, self-organize on the plasma membrane and propagate in waves. The waves drive the various types of protrusions, which in turn, determine the modes of cell migration. Acute perturbations at specific points in the network produce abrupt shifts in protrusion type, including transitions from pseudopods to filopods or lamellipods. These observations have also contributed to a delineation of the signal transduction network, including candidate fast positive and delayed negative feedback loops. The network contains many oncogenes and tumor suppressors, and other molecules which have recently been implicated in developmental and metabolic abnormalities. Thus, the concept of signal transduction network excitability in cell migration can be used to understand disease states and morphological changes occurring in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Li
- Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yuchuan Miao
- Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Dhiman Sankar Pal
- Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Peter N Devreotes
- Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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40
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Jerry R, Sullivan-Brown J, Yoder MD. GTP binding protein 10 is a member of the OBG family of proteins and is differentially expressed in the early Xenopus embryo. Gene Expr Patterns 2019; 32:12-17. [PMID: 30831265 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Razhan Jerry
- Sciences Division, Brandywine Campus, The Pennsylvania State University, Media, PA, 19063, USA
| | | | - Michael D Yoder
- Sciences Division, Brandywine Campus, The Pennsylvania State University, Media, PA, 19063, USA.
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41
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Okuda S, Kuranaga E, Sato K. Apical Junctional Fluctuations Lead to Cell Flow while Maintaining Epithelial Integrity. Biophys J 2019; 116:1159-1170. [PMID: 30799073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial sheet integrity is robustly maintained during morphogenesis, which is essential to shape organs and embryos. While maintaining the planar monolayer in three-dimensional space, cells dynamically flow via rearranging their connections between each other. However, little is known about how cells maintain the plane sheet integrity in three-dimensional space and provide cell flow in the in-plane sheet. In this study, using a three-dimensional vertex model, we demonstrate that apical junctional fluctuations allow stable cell rearrangements while ensuring monolayer integrity. In addition to the fluctuations, direction-dependent contraction on the apical cell boundaries, which corresponds to forces from adherens junctions, induces cell flow in a definite direction. We compared the kinematic behaviors of this apical-force-driven cell flow with those of typical cell flow that is driven by forces generated on basal regions and revealed the characteristic differences between them. These differences can be used to distinguish the mechanism of epithelial cell flow observed in experiments, i.e., whether it is apical- or basal-force-driven. Our numerical simulations suggest that cells actively generate fluctuations and use them to regulate both epithelial integrity and plasticity during morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Okuda
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan; Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Erina Kuranaga
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Sato
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Global Station for Soft Matter, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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42
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Chen L, Barnett RE, Horstmann M, Bamberger V, Heberle L, Krebs N, Colbourne JK, Gómez R, Weiss LC. Mitotic activity patterns and cytoskeletal changes throughout the progression of diapause developmental program in Daphnia. BMC Cell Biol 2018; 19:30. [PMID: 30594127 PMCID: PMC6310958 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-018-0181-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diapause is a form of dormancy that is genetically predetermined to allow animals to overcome harsh environmental conditions. It is induced by predictive environmental cues bringing cellular activity levels into a state of suspended animation. Entering diapause requires organismal, molecular and cellular adaptation to severely reduced energy flows. Cells must therefore have evolved strategies that prepare them for periods with limited metabolic resources. However, changes that occur on the (sub-)cellular level have not been thoroughly described. Results We investigated mitotic activity and we monitored cytoskeletal network changes in successive stages of diapausing and non-diapausing Daphnia magna embryos using (immuno-)fluorescent labeling. We find that embryos destined to diapause show a delayed and 2.5x slower mitotic activity in comparison to continuously developing embryos. Development is halted when D. magna embryos reach ~ 3500 cells, whereupon mitotic activity is absent and cytoskeletal components are severely reduced, rendering diapause cells compact and condensed. Conclusion In the initiation phase of diapause, the slower cell division rate points to prolonged interphase duration, preparing the cells for diapause maintenance. During diapause, cytoskeletal depletion and cellular condensation may be a means to save energy resources. Our data provide insights into the sub-cellular change of diapause in Daphnia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luxi Chen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Rosemary E Barnett
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Martin Horstmann
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Verena Bamberger
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lea Heberle
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nina Krebs
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - John K Colbourne
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Rocío Gómez
- Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Linda C Weiss
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-University Bochum, NDEF 05/751, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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43
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Taniguchi K, Heemskerk I, Gumucio DL. Opening the black box: Stem cell-based modeling of human post-implantation development. J Cell Biol 2018; 218:410-421. [PMID: 30552099 PMCID: PMC6363460 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201810084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper development of the human embryo following its implantation into the uterine wall is critical for the successful continuation of pregnancy. However, the complex cellular and molecular changes that occur during this post-implantation period of human development are not amenable to study in vivo. Recently, several new embryo-like human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based platforms have emerged, which are beginning to illuminate the current black box state of early human post-implantation biology. In this review, we will discuss how these experimental models are carving a way for understanding novel molecular and cellular mechanisms during early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Taniguchi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Deborah L Gumucio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
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44
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Yu Q, Li J, Murrell MP, Kim T. Balance between Force Generation and Relaxation Leads to Pulsed Contraction of Actomyosin Networks. Biophys J 2018; 115:2003-2013. [PMID: 30389091 PMCID: PMC6303541 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin contractility regulates various biological processes, including cell migration and cytokinesis. The cell cortex underlying the membrane of eukaryote cells exhibits dynamic contractile behaviors facilitated by actomyosin contractility. Interestingly, the cell cortex shows reversible aggregation of actin and myosin called "pulsed contraction" in diverse cellular phenomena, such as embryogenesis and tissue morphogenesis. Although contractile behaviors of actomyosin machinery have been studied extensively in several in vitro experiments and computational studies, none of them successfully reproduced the pulsed contraction observed in vivo. Recent experiments have suggested the pulsed contraction is dependent upon the spatiotemporal expression of a small GTPase protein called RhoA. This only indicates the significance of biochemical signaling pathways during the pulsed contraction. In this study, we reproduced the pulsed contraction with only the mechanical and dynamic behaviors of cytoskeletal elements. First, we observed that small pulsed clusters or clusters with fluctuating sizes may appear when there is subtle balance between force generation from motors and force relaxation induced by actin turnover. However, the size and duration of these clusters differ from those of clusters observed during the cellular phenomena. We found that clusters with physiologically relevant size and duration can appear only with both actin turnover and angle-dependent F-actin severing resulting from buckling induced by motor activities. We showed how parameters governing F-actin severing events regulate the size and duration of pulsed clusters. Our study sheds light on the underestimated significance of F-actin severing for the pulsed contraction observed in physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Yu
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Jing Li
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Michael P Murrell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Taeyoon Kim
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
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Campinho P, Lamperti P, Boselli F, Vermot J. Three-dimensional microscopy and image analysis methodology for mapping and quantification of nuclear positions in tissues with approximate cylindrical geometry. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170332. [PMID: 30249780 PMCID: PMC6158202 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Organogenesis involves extensive and dynamic changes of tissue shape during development. It is associated with complex morphogenetic events that require enormous tissue plasticity and generate a large variety of transient three-dimensional geometries that are achieved by global tissue responses. Nevertheless, such global responses are driven by tight spatio-temporal regulation of the behaviours of individual cells composing these tissues. Therefore, the development of image analysis tools that allow for extraction of quantitative data concerning individual cell behaviours is central to study tissue morphogenesis. There are many image analysis tools available that permit extraction of cell parameters. Unfortunately, the majority are developed for tissues with relatively simple geometries such as flat epithelia. Problems arise when the tissue of interest assumes a more complex three-dimensional geometry. Here, we use the endothelium of the developing zebrafish dorsal aorta as an example of a tissue with cylindrical geometry and describe the image analysis routines developed to extract quantitative data on individual cells in such tissues, as well as the image acquisition and sample preparation methodology.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Mechanics of development'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Campinho
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Paola Lamperti
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Francesco Boselli
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
| | - Julien Vermot
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
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Peters KA, Detmar E, Sepulveda L, Del Valle C, Valsquier R, Ritz A, Rogers SL, Applewhite DA. A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility via the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in Drosophila S2R+ Cells. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30176023 PMCID: PMC6128210 DOI: 10.3791/58325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed a cell-based assay using Drosophila cells that recapitulates apical constriction initiated by folded gastrulation (Fog), a secreted epithelial morphogen. In this assay, Fog is used as an agonist to activate Rho through a signaling cascade that includes a G-protein-coupled receptor (Mist), a Gα12/13 protein (Concertina/Cta), and a PDZ-domain-containing guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF2). Fog signaling results in the rapid and dramatic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton to form a contractile purse string. Soluble Fog is collected from a stable cell line and applied ectopically to S2R+ cells, leading to morphological changes like apical constriction, a process observed during developmental processes such as gastrulation. This assay is amenable to high-throughput screening and, using RNAi, can facilitate the identification of additional genes involved in this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Peters
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Elizabeth Detmar
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephen L Rogers
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
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Blanchard GB, Étienne J, Gorfinkiel N. From pulsatile apicomedial contractility to effective epithelial mechanics. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2018; 51:78-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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48
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Koride S, Loza AJ, Sun SX. Epithelial vertex models with active biochemical regulation of contractility can explain organized collective cell motility. APL Bioeng 2018; 2:031906. [PMID: 31069315 PMCID: PMC6324211 DOI: 10.1063/1.5023410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective motions of groups of cells are observed in many biological settings such as embryo development, tissue formation, and cancer metastasis. To effectively model collective cell movement, it is important to incorporate cell specific features such as cell size, cell shape, and cell mechanics, as well as active behavior of cells such as protrusion and force generation, contractile forces, and active biochemical signaling mechanisms that regulate cell behavior. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive model of collective cell migration in confluent epithelia based on the vertex modeling approach. We develop a method to compute cell-cell viscous friction based on the vertex model and incorporate RhoGTPase regulation of cortical myosin contraction. Global features of collective cell migration are examined by computing the spatial velocity correlation function. As active cell force parameters are varied, we found rich dynamical behavior. Furthermore, we find that cells exhibit nonlinear phenomena such as contractile waves and vortex formation. Together our work highlights the importance of active behavior of cells in generating collective cell movement. The vertex modeling approach is an efficient and versatile approach to rigorously examine cell motion in the epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Koride
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Andrew J Loza
- Department of Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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Haas PA, Höhn SSMH, Honerkamp-Smith AR, Kirkegaard JB, Goldstein RE. The noisy basis of morphogenesis: Mechanisms and mechanics of cell sheet folding inferred from developmental variability. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005536. [PMID: 30001335 PMCID: PMC6063725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Variability is emerging as an integral part of development. It is therefore imperative to ask how to access the information contained in this variability. Yet most studies of development average their observations and, discarding the variability, seek to derive models, biological or physical, that explain these average observations. Here, we analyse this variability in a study of cell sheet folding in the green alga Volvox, whose spherical embryos turn themselves inside out in a process sharing invagination, expansion, involution, and peeling of a cell sheet with animal models of morphogenesis. We generalise our earlier, qualitative model of the initial stages of inversion by combining ideas from morphoelasticity and shell theory. Together with three-dimensional visualisations of inversion using light sheet microscopy, this yields a detailed, quantitative model of the entire inversion process. With this model, we show how the variability of inversion reveals that two separate, temporally uncoupled processes drive the initial invagination and subsequent expansion of the cell sheet. This implies a prototypical transition towards higher developmental complexity in the volvocine algae and provides proof of principle of analysing morphogenesis based on its variability. Biological noise is unavoidable in—and even necessary for—development. Here, we ask whether this variability can teach us something about the process that underlies it. We show how to access the information hidden in the variability in an analysis of the variability of cell sheet folding in the green alga Volvox globator. Through a combination of light sheet microscopy and mathematical modelling, we show how the inversion process, by which the spherical embryos of Volvox turn themselves inside out, results from two separate mechanisms of bending and stretching (expansion and subsequent contraction). Our analysis therefore uncovers a prototypical transition of developmental complexity in Volvox and the related volvocine algae, from a morphogenetic process driven by a single mechanism to one driven by two separate mechanisms. This complements the similarly prototypical transition from one cell type to two cell types that has made the volvocine algae a model system for the evolution of multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre A. Haas
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie S. M. H. Höhn
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Aurelia R. Honerkamp-Smith
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julius B. Kirkegaard
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond E. Goldstein
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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50
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Huang Y, Winklbauer R. Cell migration in the Xenopus gastrula. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:e325. [PMID: 29944210 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Xenopus gastrulation movements are in large part based on the rearrangement of cells by differential cell-on-cell migration within multilayered tissues. Different patterns of migration-based cell intercalation drive endoderm and mesoderm internalization and their positioning along their prospective body axes. C-cadherin, fibronectin, integrins, and focal contact components are expressed in all gastrula cells and play putative roles in cell-on-cell migration, but their actual functions in this respect are not yet understood. The gastrula can be subdivided into two motility domains, and in the vegetal, migratory domain, two modes of cell migration are discerned. Vegetal endoderm cells show ingression-type migration, a variant of amoeboid migration characterized by the lack of locomotory protrusions and by macropinocytosis as a mechanism of trailing edge resorption. Mesendoderm and prechordal mesoderm cells use lamellipodia in a mesenchymal mode of migration. Gastrula cell motility can be dissected into traits, such as cell polarity, adhesion, mobility, or protrusive activity, which are controlled separately yet in complex, combinatorial ways. Cells can instantaneously switch between different combinations of traits, showing plasticity as they respond to substratum properties. This article is categorized under: Early Embryonic Development > Gastrulation and Neurulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Huang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rudolf Winklbauer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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