1
|
Wang X, Cupo CM, Ostvar S, Countryman AD, Kasza KE. E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanical behavior before and during morphogenetic tissue flows. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3367-3379.e5. [PMID: 39013464 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.038] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion between epithelial cells enables the remarkable mechanical behavior of epithelial tissues during morphogenesis. However, it remains unclear how cell-cell adhesion influences mechanics in both static and dynamically flowing confluent epithelial tissues. Here, we systematically modulate E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in the Drosophila embryo and study the effects on the mechanical behavior of the germband epithelium before and during dramatic tissue remodeling and flow associated with body axis elongation. Before axis elongation, we find that increasing E-cadherin levels produces tissue comprising more elongated cells and predicted to be more fluid-like, providing reduced resistance to tissue flow. During axis elongation, we find that the dominant effect of E-cadherin is tuning the speed at which cells proceed through rearrangement events. Before and during axis elongation, E-cadherin levels influence patterns of actomyosin-dependent forces, supporting the notion that E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanics in part through effects on actomyosin. Notably, the effects of ∼4-fold changes in E-cadherin levels on overall tissue structure and flow are relatively weak, suggesting that the system is tolerant to changes in absolute E-cadherin levels over this range where an intact tissue is formed. Taken together, these findings reveal dual-and sometimes opposing-roles for E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in controlling tissue structure and dynamics in vivo, which result in unexpected relationships between adhesion and flow in confluent tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xun Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Christian M Cupo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Sassan Ostvar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Andrew D Countryman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shultz KD, Al Anbari YF, Wright NT. I told you to stop: obscurin's role in epithelial cell migration. Biochem Soc Trans 2024:BST20240564. [PMID: 39051125 DOI: 10.1042/bst20240564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The giant cytoskeletal protein obscurin contains multiple cell signaling domains that influence cell migration. Here, we follow each of these pathways, examine how these pathways modulate epithelial cell migration, and discuss the cross-talk between these pathways. Specifically, obscurin uses its PH domain to inhibit phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent migration and its RhoGEF domain to activate RhoA and slow cell migration. While obscurin's effect on the PI3K pathway agrees with the literature, obscurin's effect on the RhoA pathway runs counter to most other RhoA effectors, whose activation tends to lead to enhanced motility. Obscurin also phosphorylates cadherins, and this may also influence cell motility. When taken together, obscurin's ability to modulate three independent cell migration pathways is likely why obscurin knockout cells experience enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and why obscurin is a frequently mutated gene in several types of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamrin D Shultz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, James Madison University, 901 Carrier Dr., Harrisonburg, VA 22807, U.S.A
| | - Yasmin F Al Anbari
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, James Madison University, 901 Carrier Dr., Harrisonburg, VA 22807, U.S.A
| | - Nathan T Wright
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, James Madison University, 901 Carrier Dr., Harrisonburg, VA 22807, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Urbanska M, Guck J. Single-Cell Mechanics: Structural Determinants and Functional Relevance. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:367-395. [PMID: 38382116 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-030629] [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] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of a cell determines its ability to deform under force and is therefore relevant to cellular functions that require changes in cell shape, such as migration or circulation through the microvasculature. On the practical level, the mechanical phenotype can be used as a global readout of the cell's functional state, a marker for disease diagnostics, or an input for tissue modeling. We focus our review on the current knowledge of structural components that contribute to the determination of the cellular mechanical properties and highlight the physiological processes in which the mechanical phenotype of the cells is of critical relevance. The ongoing efforts to understand how to efficiently measure and control the mechanical properties of cells will define the progress in the field and drive mechanical phenotyping toward clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Urbanska
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jara O, Maripillán J, Momboisse F, Cárdenas AM, García IE, Martínez AD. Differential Regulation of Hemichannels and Gap Junction Channels by RhoA GTPase and Actin Cytoskeleton: A Comparative Analysis of Cx43 and Cx26. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7246. [PMID: 39000353 PMCID: PMC11242593 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Connexins (Cxs) are transmembrane proteins that assemble into gap junction channels (GJCs) and hemichannels (HCs). Previous researches support the involvement of Rho GTPases and actin microfilaments in the trafficking of Cxs, formation of GJCs plaques, and regulation of channel activity. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether distinct types of Cxs HCs and GJCs respond differently to Rho GTPases or changes in actin polymerization/depolymerization dynamics. Our investigation revealed that inhibiting RhoA, a small GTPase that controls actin polymerization, or disrupting actin microfilaments with cytochalasin B (Cyto-B), resulted in reduced GJCs plaque size at appositional membranes and increased transport of HCs to non-appositional plasma membrane regions. Notably, these effects were consistent across different Cx types, since Cx26 and Cx43 exhibited similar responses, despite having distinct trafficking routes to the plasma membrane. Functional assessments showed that RhoA inhibition and actin depolymerization decreased the activity of Cx43 GJCs while significantly increasing HC activity. However, the functional status of GJCs and HCs composed of Cx26 remained unaffected. These results support the hypothesis that RhoA, through its control of the actin cytoskeleton, facilitates the transport of HCs to appositional cell membranes for GJCs formation while simultaneously limiting the positioning of free HCs at non-appositional cell membranes, independently of Cx type. This dynamic regulation promotes intercellular communications and reduces non-selective plasma membrane permeability through a Cx-type dependent mechanism, whereby the activity of Cx43 HCs and GJCs are differentially affected but Cx26 channels remain unchanged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Jara
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jaime Maripillán
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
| | - Fanny Momboisse
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Ana María Cárdenas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
| | - Isaac E García
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Biofísica, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360004, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Odontológicas y Médicas, CICOM, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360004, Chile
| | - Agustín D Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362807, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang X, Cupo CM, Ostvar S, Countryman AD, Kasza KE. E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanical behavior before and during morphogenetic tissue flows. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.592778. [PMID: 38766260 PMCID: PMC11100719 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.592778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion between epithelial cells enables the remarkable mechanical behavior of epithelial tissues during morphogenesis. However, it remains unclear how cell-cell adhesion influences mechanics in static as well as in dynamically flowing epithelial tissues. Here, we systematically modulate E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in the Drosophila embryo and study the effects on the mechanical behavior of the germband epithelium before and during dramatic tissue remodeling and flow associated with body axis elongation. Before axis elongation, we find that increasing E-cadherin levels produces tissue comprising more elongated cells and predicted to be more fluid-like, providing reduced resistance to tissue flow. During axis elongation, we find that the dominant effect of E-cadherin is tuning the speed at which cells proceed through rearrangement events, revealing potential roles for E-cadherin in generating friction between cells. Before and during axis elongation, E-cadherin levels influence patterns of actomyosin-dependent forces, supporting the notion that E-cadherin tunes tissue mechanics in part through effects on actomyosin. Taken together, these findings reveal dual-and sometimes opposing-roles for E-cadherin-mediated adhesion in controlling tissue structure and dynamics in vivo that result in unexpected relationships between adhesion and flow.
Collapse
|
6
|
Campàs O, Noordstra I, Yap AS. Adherens junctions as molecular regulators of emergent tissue mechanics. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:252-269. [PMID: 38093099 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00688-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Tissue and organ development during embryogenesis relies on the collective and coordinated action of many cells. Recent studies have revealed that tissue material properties, including transitions between fluid and solid tissue states, are controlled in space and time to shape embryonic structures and regulate cell behaviours. Although the collective cellular flows that sculpt tissues are guided by tissue-level physical changes, these ultimately emerge from cellular-level and subcellular-level molecular mechanisms. Adherens junctions are key subcellular structures, built from clusters of classical cadherin receptors. They mediate physical interactions between cells and connect biochemical signalling to the physical characteristics of cell contacts, hence playing a fundamental role in tissue morphogenesis. In this Review, we take advantage of the results of recent, quantitative measurements of tissue mechanics to relate the molecular and cellular characteristics of adherens junctions, including adhesion strength, tension and dynamics, to the emergent physical state of embryonic tissues. We focus on systems in which cell-cell interactions are the primary contributor to morphogenesis, without significant contribution from cell-matrix interactions. We suggest that emergent tissue mechanics is an important direction for future research, bridging cell biology, developmental biology and mechanobiology to provide a holistic understanding of morphogenesis in health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Otger Campàs
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Ivar Noordstra
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Quintanilla MA, Patel H, Wu H, Sochacki KA, Chandrasekar S, Akamatsu M, Rotty JD, Korobova F, Bear JE, Taraska JW, Oakes PW, Beach JR. Local monomer levels and established filaments potentiate non-muscle myosin 2 assembly. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202305023. [PMID: 38353656 PMCID: PMC10866686 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202305023] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to dynamically assemble contractile networks is required throughout cell physiology, yet direct biophysical mechanisms regulating non-muscle myosin 2 filament assembly in living cells are lacking. Here, we use a suite of dynamic, quantitative imaging approaches to identify deterministic factors that drive myosin filament appearance and amplification. We find that actin dynamics regulate myosin assembly, but that the static actin architecture plays a less clear role. Instead, remodeling of actin networks modulates the local myosin monomer levels and facilitates assembly through myosin:myosin-driven interactions. Using optogenetically controlled myosin, we demonstrate that locally concentrating myosin is sufficient to both form filaments and jump-start filament amplification and partitioning. By counting myosin monomers within filaments, we demonstrate a myosin-facilitated assembly process that establishes filament stacks prior to partitioning into clusters that feed higher-order networks. Together, these findings establish the biophysical mechanisms regulating the assembly of non-muscle contractile structures that are ubiquitous throughout cell biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Quintanilla
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Hiral Patel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Huini Wu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Kem A. Sochacki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shreya Chandrasekar
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Akamatsu
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeremy D. Rotty
- Department of Biochemistry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Farida Korobova
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James E. Bear
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Justin W. Taraska
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick W. Oakes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Jordan R. Beach
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Mira-Osuna M, Borgne RL. Assembly, dynamics and remodeling of epithelial cell junctions throughout development. Development 2024; 151:dev201086. [PMID: 38205947 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Cell junctions play key roles in epithelial integrity. During development, when epithelia undergo extensive morphogenesis, these junctions must be remodeled in order to maintain mechanochemical barriers and ensure the cohesion of the tissue. In this Review, we present a comprehensive and integrated description of junctional remodeling mechanisms in epithelial cells during development, from embryonic to adult epithelia. We largely focus on Drosophila, as quantitative analyses in this organism have provided a detailed characterization of the molecular mechanisms governing cell topologies, and discuss the conservation of these mechanisms across metazoans. We consider how changes at the molecular level translate to tissue-scale irreversible deformations, exploring the composition and assembly of cellular interfaces to unveil how junctions are remodeled to preserve tissue homeostasis during cell division, intercalation, invagination, ingression and extrusion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mira-Osuna
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), Université de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Roland Le Borgne
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), Université de Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Peussa H, Fedele C, Tran H, Marttinen M, Fadjukov J, Mäntylä E, Priimägi A, Nymark S, Ihalainen TO. Light-Induced Nanoscale Deformation in Azobenzene Thin Film Triggers Rapid Intracellular Ca 2+ Increase via Mechanosensitive Cation Channels. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206190. [PMID: 37946608 PMCID: PMC10724422 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cells are in continuous dynamic biochemical and physical interaction with their extracellular environment. Ultimately, this interplay guides fundamental physiological processes. In these interactions, cells generate fast local and global transients of Ca2+ ions, which act as key intracellular messengers. However, the mechanical triggers initiating these responses have remained unclear. Light-responsive materials offer intriguing possibilities to dynamically modify the physical niche of the cells. Here, a light-sensitive azobenzene-based glassy material that can be micropatterned with visible light to undergo spatiotemporally controlled deformations is used. Real-time monitoring of consequential rapid intracellular Ca2+ signals reveals that the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1 has a major role in generating the Ca2+ transients after nanoscale mechanical deformation of the cell culture substrate. Furthermore, the studies indicate that Piezo1 preferably responds to shear deformation at the cell-material interphase rather than to absolute topographical change of the substrate. Finally, the experimentally verified computational model suggests that Na+ entering alongside Ca2+ through the mechanosensitive cation channels modulates the duration of Ca2+ transients, influencing differently the directly stimulated cells and their neighbors. This highlights the complexity of mechanical signaling in multicellular systems. These results give mechanistic understanding on how cells respond to rapid nanoscale material dynamics and deformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Peussa
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Chiara Fedele
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural SciencesTampere UniversityKorkeakoulunkatu 3Tampere33720Finland
| | - Huy Tran
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Mikael Marttinen
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Julia Fadjukov
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Elina Mäntylä
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Arri Priimägi
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural SciencesTampere UniversityKorkeakoulunkatu 3Tampere33720Finland
| | - Soile Nymark
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| | - Teemu O. Ihalainen
- BioMediTechFaculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
- Tampere Institute for Advanced StudyTampere UniversityArvo Ylpön katu 34Tampere33520Finland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Khan AK, Muñoz-Castro G, Muñoz JJ. Single and two-cells shape analysis from energy functionals for three-dimensional vertex models. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 39:e3766. [PMID: 37551449 DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Vertex models have been extensively used for simulating the evolution of multicellular systems, and have given rise to important global properties concerning their macroscopic rheology or jamming transitions. These models are based on the definition of an energy functional, which fully determines the cellular response and conclusions. While two-dimensional vertex models have been widely employed, three-dimensional models are far more scarce, mainly due to the large amount of configurations that they may adopt and the complex geometrical transitions they undergo. We here investigate the shape of single and two-cells configurations as a function of the energy terms, and we study the dependence of the final shape on the model parameters: namely the exponent of the term penalising cell-cell adhesion and surface contractility. In single cell analysis, we deduce analytically the radius and limit values of the contractility for linear and quadratic surface energy terms, in 2D and 3D. In two-cells systems, symmetrical and asymmetrical, we deduce the evolution of the aspect ratio and the relative radius. While in functionals with linear surface terms yield the same aspect ratio in 2D and 3D, the configurations when using quadratic surface terms are distinct. We relate our results with well-known solutions from capillarity theory, and verify our analytical findings with a three-dimensional vertex model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad K Khan
- Department of Mathematics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillem Muñoz-Castro
- Department of Mathematics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose J Muñoz
- Department of Mathematics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numèric (LaCàN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria (CIMNE), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Matemàtiques de la UPC-BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sun F, Fang C, Shao X, Gao H, Lin Y. A mechanism-based theory of cellular and tissue plasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305375120. [PMID: 37871208 PMCID: PMC10622945 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305375120] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastic deformation in cells and tissues has been found to play crucial roles in collective cell migration, cancer metastasis, and morphogenesis. However, the fundamental question of how plasticity is initiated in individual cells and then propagates within the tissue remains elusive. Here, we develop a mechanism-based theory of cellular and tissue plasticity that accounts for all key processes involved, including the activation and development of active contraction at different scales as well as the formation of endocytic vesicles on cell junctions and show that this theory achieves quantitative agreement with all existing experiments. Specifically, it reveals that, in response to optical or mechanical stimuli, the myosin contraction and thermal fluctuation-assisted formation and pinching of endocytic vesicles could lead to permanent shortening of cell junctions and that such plastic constriction can stretch neighboring cells and trigger their active contraction through mechanochemical feedbacks and eventually their plastic deformations as well. Our theory predicts that endocytic vesicles with a size around 1 to 2 µm will most likely be formed and a higher irreversible shortening of cell junctions could be achieved if a long stimulation is split into multiple short ones, all in quantitative agreement with experiments. Our analysis also shows that constriction of cells in tissue can undergo elastic/unratcheted to plastic/ratcheted transition as the magnitude and duration of active contraction increases, ultimately resulting in the propagation of plastic deformation waves within the monolayer with a constant speed which again is consistent with experimental observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen518057, China
| | - Chao Fang
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Xueying Shao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huajian Gao
- College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore639798, Singapore
| | - Yuan Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen518057, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Anjum S, Turner L, Atieh Y, Eisenhoffer GT, Davidson L. Assessing mechanical agency during apical apoptotic cell extrusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564227. [PMID: 37961593 PMCID: PMC10634859 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial tissues maintain homeostasis through the continual addition and removal of cells. Homeostasis is necessary for epithelia to maintain barrier function and prevent the accumulation of defective cells. Unfit, excess, and dying cells can be removed from epithelia by the process of extrusion. Controlled cell death and extrusion in the epithelium of the larval zebrafish tail fin coincides with oscillation of cell area, both in the extruding cell and its neighbors. Both cell-autonomous and non-autonomous factors have been proposed to contribute to extrusion but have been challenging to test by experimental approaches. Here we develop a dynamic cell-based biophysical model that recapitulates the process of oscillatory cell extrusion to test and compare the relative contributions of these factors. Our model incorporates the mechanical properties of individual epithelial cells in a two-dimensional simulation as repelling active particles. The area of cells destined to extrude oscillates with varying durations or amplitudes, decreasing their mechanical contribution to the epithelium and surrendering their space to surrounding cells. Quantitative variations in cell shape and size during extrusion are visualized by a hybrid weighted Voronoi tessellation technique that renders individual cell mechanical properties directly into an epithelial sheet. To explore the role of autonomous and non-autonomous mechanics, we vary the biophysical properties and behaviors of extruding cells and neighbors such as the period and amplitude of repulsive forces, cell density, and tissue viscosity. Our data suggest that cell autonomous processes are major contributors to the dynamics of extrusion, with the mechanical microenvironment providing a less pronounced contribution. Our computational model based on in vivo data serves as a tool to provide insights into the cellular dynamics and localized changes in mechanics that promote elimination of unwanted cells from epithelia during homeostatic tissue maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sommer Anjum
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Llaran Turner
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youmna Atieh
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - George T. Eisenhoffer
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lance Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Chandrasekar S, Beach JR, Oakes PW. Shining a light on RhoA: Optical control of cell contractility. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 161:106442. [PMID: 37348811 PMCID: PMC10530351 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2023.106442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
In addition to biochemical and electrochemical signaling, cells also rely extensively on mechanical signaling to regulate their behavior. While a number of tools have been adapted from physics and engineering to manipulate cell mechanics, they typically require specialized equipment or lack spatiotemporal precision. Alternatively, a recent, more elegant approach is to use light itself to modulate the mechanical equilibrium inside the cell. This approach leverages the power of optogenetics, which can be controlled in a fully reversible manner in both time and space, to tune RhoA signaling, the master regulator of cellular contractility. We review here the fundamentals of this approach, including illustrating the tunability and flexibility that optogenetics offers, and demonstrate how this tool can be used to modulate both internal cytoskeletal flows and contractile force generation. Together these features highlight the advantages that optogenetics offers for investigating mechanical interactions in cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Chandrasekar
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Jordan R Beach
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Patrick W Oakes
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Higashi T, Stephenson RE, Schwayer C, Huljev K, Higashi AY, Heisenberg CP, Chiba H, Miller AL. ZnUMBA - a live imaging method to detect local barrier breaches. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260668. [PMID: 37461809 PMCID: PMC10445723 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260668] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial barrier function is commonly analyzed using transepithelial electrical resistance, which measures ion flux across a monolayer, or by adding traceable macromolecules and monitoring their passage across the monolayer. Although these methods measure changes in global barrier function, they lack the sensitivity needed to detect local or transient barrier breaches, and they do not reveal the location of barrier leaks. Therefore, we previously developed a method that we named the zinc-based ultrasensitive microscopic barrier assay (ZnUMBA), which overcomes these limitations, allowing for detection of local tight junction leaks with high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we present expanded applications for ZnUMBA. ZnUMBA can be used in Xenopus embryos to measure the dynamics of barrier restoration and actin accumulation following laser injury. ZnUMBA can also be effectively utilized in developing zebrafish embryos as well as cultured monolayers of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II epithelial cells. ZnUMBA is a powerful and flexible method that, with minimal optimization, can be applied to multiple systems to measure dynamic changes in barrier function with spatiotemporal precision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomohito Higashi
- Department of Basic Pathology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Rachel E. Stephenson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Cornelia Schwayer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Karla Huljev
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Atsuko Y. Higashi
- Department of Basic Pathology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | | | - Hideki Chiba
- Department of Basic Pathology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Ann L. Miller
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Nagasawa Y, Ueda HH, Kawabata H, Murakoshi H. LOV2-based photoactivatable CaMKII and its application to single synapses: Local Optogenetics. Biophys Physicobiol 2023; 20:e200027. [PMID: 38496236 PMCID: PMC10941968 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v20.0027] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic techniques offer a high spatiotemporal resolution to manipulate cellular activity. For instance, Channelrhodopsin-2 with global light illumination is the most widely used to control neuronal activity at the cellular level. However, the cellular scale is much larger than the diffraction limit of light (<1 μm) and does not fully exploit the features of the "high spatial resolution" of optogenetics. For instance, until recently, there were no optogenetic methods to induce synaptic plasticity at the level of single synapses. To address this, we developed an optogenetic tool named photoactivatable CaMKII (paCaMKII) by fusing a light-sensitive domain (LOV2) to CaMKIIα, which is a protein abundantly expressed in neurons of the cerebrum and hippocampus and essential for synaptic plasticity. Combining photoactivatable CaMKII with two-photon excitation, we successfully activated it in single spines, inducing synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation) in hippocampal neurons. We refer to this method as "Local Optogenetics", which involves the local activation of molecules and measurement of cellular responses. In this review, we will discuss the characteristics of LOV2, the recent development of its derivatives, and the development and application of paCaMKII.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Nagasawa
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hiromi H Ueda
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Haruka Kawabata
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hideji Murakoshi
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Dow LP, Parmar T, Marchetti MC, Pruitt BL. Engineering tools for quantifying and manipulating forces in epithelia. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021303. [PMID: 38510344 PMCID: PMC10903508 DOI: 10.1063/5.0142537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The integrity of epithelia is maintained within dynamic mechanical environments during tissue development and homeostasis. Understanding how epithelial cells mechanosignal and respond collectively or individually is critical to providing insight into developmental and (patho)physiological processes. Yet, inferring or mimicking mechanical forces and downstream mechanical signaling as they occur in epithelia presents unique challenges. A variety of in vitro approaches have been used to dissect the role of mechanics in regulating epithelia organization. Here, we review approaches and results from research into how epithelial cells communicate through mechanical cues to maintain tissue organization and integrity. We summarize the unique advantages and disadvantages of various reduced-order model systems to guide researchers in choosing appropriate experimental systems. These model systems include 3D, 2D, and 1D micromanipulation methods, single cell studies, and noninvasive force inference and measurement techniques. We also highlight a number of in silico biophysical models that are informed by in vitro and in vivo observations. Together, a combination of theoretical and experimental models will aid future experiment designs and provide predictive insight into mechanically driven behaviors of epithelial dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshi Parmar
- Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Quintanilla MA, Patel H, Wu H, Sochacki KA, Akamatsu M, Rotty JD, Korobova F, Bear JE, Taraska JW, Oakes PW, Beach JR. Local Monomer Levels and Established Filaments Potentiate Non-Muscle Myosin 2 Assembly. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.26.538303. [PMID: 37162845 PMCID: PMC10168331 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.26.538303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The ability to dynamically assemble contractile networks is required throughout cell physiology, yet the biophysical mechanisms regulating non-muscle myosin 2 filament assembly in living cells are lacking. Here we use a suite of dynamic, quantitative imaging approaches to identify deterministic factors that drive myosin filament appearance and amplification. We find that actin dynamics regulate myosin assembly, but that the actin architecture plays a minimal direct role. Instead, remodeling of actin networks modulates the local myosin monomer levels and facilitates assembly through myosin:myosin driven interactions. Using optogenetically controlled myosin, we demonstrate that locally concentrating myosin is sufficient to both form filaments and jump-start filament amplification and partitioning. By counting myosin monomers within filaments, we demonstrate a myosin-facilitated assembly process that establishes sub-resolution filament stacks prior to partitioning into clusters that feed higher-order networks. Together these findings establish the biophysical mechanisms regulating the assembly of non-muscle contractile structures that are ubiquitous throughout cell biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Quintanilla
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Hiral Patel
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Huini Wu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Kem A Sochacki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Jeremy D Rotty
- Department of Biochemistry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
| | - Farida Korobova
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - James E Bear
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Justin W Taraska
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick W Oakes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| | - Jordan R Beach
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Nishizawa K, Lin SZ, Chardès C, Rupprecht JF, Lenne PF. Two-point optical manipulation reveals mechanosensitive remodeling of cell-cell contacts in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2212389120. [PMID: 36947511 PMCID: PMC10068846 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212389120] [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: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological tissues acquire reproducible shapes during development through dynamic cell behaviors. Most of these behaviors involve the remodeling of cell-cell contacts. During epithelial morphogenesis, contractile actomyosin networks remodel cell-cell contacts by shrinking and extending junctions between lateral cell surfaces. However, actomyosin networks not only generate mechanical stresses but also respond to them, confounding our understanding of how mechanical stresses remodel cell-cell contacts. Here, we develop a two-point optical manipulation method to impose different stress patterns on cell-cell contacts in the early epithelium of the Drosophila embryo. The technique allows us to produce junction extension and shrinkage through different push and pull manipulations at the edges of junctions. We use these observations to expand classical vertex-based models of tissue mechanics, incorporating negative and positive mechanosensitive feedback depending on the type of remodeling. In particular, we show that Myosin-II activity responds to junction strain rate and facilitates full junction shrinkage. Altogether our work provides insight into how stress produces efficient deformation of cell-cell contacts in vivo and identifies unanticipated mechanosensitive features of their remodeling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Nishizawa
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille UMR 7288, France
| | - Shao-Zhen Lin
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, CPT, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille UMR 7332, France
| | - Claire Chardès
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille UMR 7288, France
| | - Jean-François Rupprecht
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, CPT, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille UMR 7332, France
| | - Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Centre for Living systems, Marseille UMR 7288, France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Andersen T, Wörthmüller D, Probst D, Wang I, Moreau P, Fitzpatrick V, Boudou T, Schwarz US, Balland M. Cell size and actin architecture determine force generation in optogenetically activated cells. Biophys J 2023; 122:684-696. [PMID: 36635962 PMCID: PMC9989885 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adherent cells use actomyosin contractility to generate mechanical force and to sense the physical properties of their environment, with dramatic consequences for migration, division, differentiation, and fate. However, the organization of the actomyosin system within cells is highly variable, with its assembly and function being controlled by small GTPases from the Rho family. To understand better how activation of these regulators translates into cell-scale force generation in the context of different physical environments, here we combine recent advances in non-neuronal optogenetics with micropatterning and traction force microscopy on soft elastic substrates. We find that, after whole-cell RhoA activation by the CRY2/CIBN optogenetic system with a short pulse of 100 ms, single cells contract on a minute timescale in proportion to their original traction force, before returning to their original tension setpoint with near perfect precision, on a longer timescale of several minutes. To decouple the biochemical and mechanical elements of this response, we introduce a mathematical model that is parametrized by fits to the dynamics of the substrate deformation energy. We find that the RhoA response builds up quickly on a timescale of 20 s, but decays slowly on a timescale of 50 s. The larger the cells and the more polarized their actin cytoskeleton, the more substrate deformation energy is generated. RhoA activation starts to saturate if optogenetic pulse length exceeds 50 ms, revealing the intrinsic limits of biochemical activation. Together our results suggest that adherent cells establish tensional homeostasis by the RhoA system, but that the setpoint and the dynamics around it are strongly determined by cell size and the architecture of the actin cytoskeleton, which both are controlled by the extracellular environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Andersen
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - D Wörthmüller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; BioQuant-Center for Quantitative Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - D Probst
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; BioQuant-Center for Quantitative Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - I Wang
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - P Moreau
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - V Fitzpatrick
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - T Boudou
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - U S Schwarz
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; BioQuant-Center for Quantitative Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - M Balland
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Noordstra I, Morris RG, Yap AS. Cadherins and the cortex: A matter of time? Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023; 80:102154. [PMID: 36822056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Cell adhesion systems commonly operate in close partnership with the cytoskeleton. Adhesion receptors bind to the cortex and regulate its dynamics, organization and mechanics; conversely, the cytoskeleton influences aspects of adhesion, including strength, stability and ductility. In this review we consider recent advances in elucidating such cooperation, focusing on interactions between classical cadherins and actomyosin. The evidence presents an apparent paradox. Molecular mechanisms of mechanosensation by the cadherin-actin apparatus imply that adhesion strengthens under tension. However, this does not always translate to the broader setting of confluent tissues, where increases in fluctuations of tension can promote intercalation due to the shrinkage of adherens junctions. Emerging evidence suggests that understanding of timescales may be important in resolving this issue, but that further work is needed to understand the role of adhesive strengthening across scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Noordstra
- Centre for Cell Biology of Chronic Disease, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072 Australia
| | - Richard G Morris
- School of Physics, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Centre for Cell Biology of Chronic Disease, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072 Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Crellin HA, Buckley CE. Using Optogenetics to Investigate the Shared Mechanisms of Apical-Basal Polarity and Mitosis. Cells Tissues Organs 2023; 213:161-180. [PMID: 36599311 DOI: 10.1159/000528796] [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: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The initiation of apical-basal (AB) polarity and the process of mitotic cell division are both characterised by the generation of specialised plasma membrane and cortical domains. These are generated using shared mechanisms, such as asymmetric protein accumulation, Rho GTPase signalling, cytoskeletal reorganisation, vesicle trafficking, and asymmetric phosphoinositide distribution. In epithelial tissue, the coordination of AB polarity and mitosis in space and time is important both during initial epithelial development and to maintain tissue integrity and ensure appropriate cell differentiation at later stages. Whilst significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying cell division and AB polarity, it has so far been challenging to fully unpick the complex interrelationship between polarity, signalling, morphogenesis, and cell division. However, the recent emergence of optogenetic protein localisation techniques is now allowing researchers to reversibly control protein activation, localisation, and signalling with high spatiotemporal resolution. This has the potential to revolutionise our understanding of how subcellular processes such as AB polarity are integrated with cell behaviours such as mitosis and how these processes impact whole tissue morphogenesis. So far, these techniques have been used to investigate processes such as cleavage furrow ingression, mitotic spindle positioning, and in vivo epithelial morphogenesis. This review describes some of the key shared mechanisms of cell division and AB polarity establishment, how they are coordinated during development and how the advance of optogenetic techniques is furthering this research field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena A Crellin
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Clare E Buckley
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Cell polarity and extrusion: How to polarize extrusion and extrude misspolarized cells? Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:131-167. [PMID: 37100516 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The barrier function of epithelia is one of the cornerstones of the body plan organization of metazoans. It relies on the polarity of epithelial cells which organizes along the apico-basal axis the mechanical properties, signaling as well as transport. This barrier function is however constantly challenged by the fast turnover of epithelia occurring during morphogenesis or adult tissue homeostasis. Yet, the sealing property of the tissue can be maintained thanks to cell extrusion: a series of remodeling steps involving the dying cell and its neighbors leading to seamless cell expulsion. Alternatively, the tissue architecture can also be challenged by local damages or the emergence of mutant cells that may alter its organization. This includes mutants of the polarity complexes which can generate neoplastic overgrowths or be eliminated by cell competition when surrounded by wild type cells. In this review, we will provide an overview of the regulation of cell extrusion in various tissues focusing on the relationship between cell polarity, cell organization and the direction of cell expulsion. We will then describe how local perturbations of polarity can also trigger cell elimination either by apoptosis or by cell exclusion, focusing specifically on how polarity defects can be directly causal to cell elimination. Overall, we propose a general framework connecting the influence of polarity on cell extrusion and its contribution to aberrant cell elimination.
Collapse
|
25
|
Ginsenoside compound K increases glucagon-like peptide-1 release and L-cell abundance in db/db mice through TGR5/YAP signaling. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109405. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
26
|
McEvoy E, Sneh T, Moeendarbary E, Javanmardi Y, Efimova N, Yang C, Marino-Bravante GE, Chen X, Escribano J, Spill F, Garcia-Aznar JM, Weeraratna AT, Svitkina TM, Kamm RD, Shenoy VB. Feedback between mechanosensitive signaling and active forces governs endothelial junction integrity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7089. [PMID: 36402771 PMCID: PMC9675837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34701-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation and recovery of gaps in the vascular endothelium governs a wide range of physiological and pathological phenomena, from angiogenesis to tumor cell extravasation. However, the interplay between the mechanical and signaling processes that drive dynamic behavior in vascular endothelial cells is not well understood. In this study, we propose a chemo-mechanical model to investigate the regulation of endothelial junctions as dependent on the feedback between actomyosin contractility, VE-cadherin bond turnover, and actin polymerization, which mediate the forces exerted on the cell-cell interface. Simulations reveal that active cell tension can stabilize cadherin bonds, but excessive RhoA signaling can drive bond dissociation and junction failure. While actin polymerization aids gap closure, high levels of Rac1 can induce junction weakening. Combining the modeling framework with experiments, our model predicts the influence of pharmacological treatments on the junction state and identifies that a critical balance between RhoA and Rac1 expression is required to maintain junction stability. Our proposed framework can help guide the development of therapeutics that target the Rho family of GTPases and downstream active mechanical processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eoin McEvoy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Biomedical Engineering, University of Galway, Galway, H91 HX31, Ireland
| | - Tal Sneh
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Nadia Efimova
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Changsong Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Gloria E Marino-Bravante
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Xingyu Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.,Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jorge Escribano
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ashani T Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Tatyana M Svitkina
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Roger D Kamm
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Vivek B Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. .,Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chumki SA, van den Goor LM, Hall BN, Miller AL. p115RhoGEF activates RhoA to support tight junction maintenance and remodeling. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar136. [PMID: 36200892 PMCID: PMC9727809 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-06-0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, epithelial cell-cell junctions must rapidly remodel to maintain barrier function as cells undergo dynamic shape-change events. Consequently, localized leaks sometimes arise within the tight junction (TJ) barrier, which are repaired by short-lived activations of RhoA, called "Rho flares." However, how RhoA is activated at leak sites remains unknown. Here we asked which guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) localizes to TJs to initiate Rho activity at Rho flares. We find that p115RhoGEF locally activates Rho flares at sites of TJ loss. Knockdown of p115RhoGEF leads to diminished Rho flare intensity and impaired TJ remodeling. p115RhoGEF knockdown also decreases junctional active RhoA levels, thus compromising the apical actomyosin array and junctional complex. Furthermore, p115RhoGEF is necessary to promote local leak repair to maintain TJ barrier function. In all, our work demonstrates a central role for p115RhoGEF in activating junctional RhoA to preserve barrier function and direct local TJ remodeling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahana A. Chumki
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Lotte M. van den Goor
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Benjamin N. Hall
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Ann L. Miller
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,*Address correspondence to: Ann L. Miller ()
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ribeiro IMA, Eßbauer W, Kutlesa R, Borst A. Spatial and temporal control of expression with light-gated LOV-LexA. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6649684. [PMID: 35876796 PMCID: PMC9526042 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The ability to drive expression of exogenous genes in different tissues and cell types, under the control of specific enhancers, has been crucial for discovery in biology. While many enhancers drive expression broadly, several genetic tools were developed to obtain access to isolated cell types. Studies of spatially organized neuropiles in the central nervous system of fruit flies have raised the need for a system that targets subsets of cells within a single neuronal type, a feat currently dependent on stochastic flip-out methods. To access the same cells within a given expression pattern consistently across fruit flies, we developed the light-gated expression system LOV-LexA. We combined the bacterial LexA transcription factor with the plant-derived light, oxygen, or voltage photosensitive domain and a fluorescent protein. Exposure to blue light uncages a nuclear localizing signal in the C-terminal of the light, oxygen, or voltage domain and leads to the translocation of LOV-LexA to the nucleus, with the subsequent initiation of transcription. LOV-LexA enables spatial and temporal control of expression of transgenes under LexAop sequences in larval fat body and pupal and adult neurons with blue light. The LOV-LexA tool is ready to use with GAL4 and Split-GAL4 drivers in its current form and constitutes another layer of intersectional genetics that provides light-controlled genetic access to specific cells across flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inês M A Ribeiro
- Department of Circuits-Computations-Models, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology , 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Eßbauer
- Department of Circuits-Computations-Models, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology , 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Romina Kutlesa
- Department of Circuits-Computations-Models, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology , 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Alexander Borst
- Department of Circuits-Computations-Models, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology , 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Optogenetic control of apical constriction induces synthetic morphogenesis in mammalian tissues. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5400. [PMID: 36104355 PMCID: PMC9474505 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33115-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe emerging field of synthetic developmental biology proposes bottom-up approaches to examine the contribution of each cellular process to complex morphogenesis. However, the shortage of tools to manipulate three-dimensional (3D) shapes of mammalian tissues hinders the progress of the field. Here we report the development of OptoShroom3, an optogenetic tool that achieves fast spatiotemporal control of apical constriction in mammalian epithelia. Activation of OptoShroom3 through illumination in an epithelial Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell sheet reduces the apical surface of the stimulated cells and causes displacements in the adjacent regions. Light-induced apical constriction provokes the folding of epithelial cell colonies on soft gels. Its application to murine and human neural organoids leads to thickening of neuroepithelia, apical lumen reduction in optic vesicles, and flattening in neuroectodermal tissues. These results show that spatiotemporal control of apical constriction can trigger several types of 3D deformation depending on the initial tissue context.
Collapse
|
30
|
Mechanical coupling of supracellular stress amplification and tissue fluidization during exit from quiescence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201328119. [PMID: 35914175 PMCID: PMC9371707 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201328119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Most cells in the human body reside in a dormant state characterized by slow growth and minimal motility. During episodes such as wound healing, stem cell activation, and cancer growth, cells adapt to a more dynamic behavior characterized by proliferation and migration. However, little is known about the mechanical forces controlling the transition from static to motile following exit from dormancy. We demonstrate that keratinocyte monolayers install a mechanical system during dormancy that produces a coordinated burst of intercellular mechanical tension only minutes after dormancy exit. The activated forces are essential for large-scale displacements of otherwise motility-restricted cell sheets. Thus, cells sustain a mechanical system during dormancy that idles in anticipation of cell cycle entry and prompt activation of motion. Cellular quiescence is a state of reversible cell cycle arrest that is associated with tissue dormancy. Timely regulated entry into and exit from quiescence is important for processes such as tissue homeostasis, tissue repair, stem cell maintenance, developmental processes, and immunity. However, little is known about processes that control the mechanical adaption to cell behavior changes during the transition from quiescence to proliferation. Here, we show that quiescent human keratinocyte monolayers sustain an actinomyosin-based system that facilitates global cell sheet displacements upon serum-stimulated exit from quiescence. Mechanistically, exposure of quiescent cells to serum-borne mitogens leads to rapid amplification of preexisting contractile sites, leading to a burst in monolayer tension that subsequently drives large-scale displacements of otherwise motility-restricted monolayers. The stress level after quiescence exit correlates with the level of quiescence depth at the time of activation, and a critical stress magnitude must be reached to overcome the cell sheet displacement barrier. The study shows that static quiescent cell monolayers are mechanically poised for motility, and it identifies global stress amplification as a mechanism for overcoming motility restrictions in confined confluent cell monolayers.
Collapse
|
31
|
Toh PJY, Lai JKH, Hermann A, Destaing O, Sheetz MP, Sudol M, Saunders TE. Optogenetic control of YAP cellular localisation and function. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54401. [PMID: 35876586 PMCID: PMC9442306 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202154401] [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: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
YAP, an effector of the Hippo signalling pathway, promotes organ growth and regeneration. Prolonged YAP activation results in uncontrolled proliferation and cancer. Therefore, exogenous regulation of YAP activity has potential translational applications. We present a versatile optogenetic construct (optoYAP) for manipulating YAP localisation, and consequently its activity and function. We attach a LOV2 domain that photocages a nuclear localisation signal (NLS) to the N-terminus of YAP. In 488 nm light, the LOV2 domain unfolds, exposing the NLS, which shuttles optoYAP into the nucleus. Nuclear import of optoYAP is reversible and tuneable by light intensity. In cell culture, activated optoYAP promotes YAP target gene expression and cell proliferation. Similarly, optofYap can be used in zebrafish embryos to modulate target genes. We demonstrate that optoYAP can override a cell's response to substrate stiffness to generate anchorage-independent growth. OptoYAP is functional in both cell culture and in vivo, providing a powerful tool to address basic research questions and therapeutic applications in regeneration and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pearlyn J Y Toh
- Mechanobiology InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingapore
| | - Jason K H Lai
- Mechanobiology InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingapore
| | - Anke Hermann
- Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and RheumatologyUniversity Hospital MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Olivier Destaing
- Institute for Advanced BiosciencesUniversité Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance,INSERM U1209Institute for Advanced BiosciencesLa TroncheFrance,CNRS UMR 5039Institute for Advanced BiosciencesLa TroncheFrance
| | - Michael P Sheetz
- Mechanobiology InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingapore,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTXUSA
| | - Marius Sudol
- Mechanobiology InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingapore,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York CityNYUSA
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingapore,Institute of Molecular and Cell BiologyA*STARSingapore,Warwick Medical SchoolUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Fernandez-Gonzalez R, Peifer M. Powering morphogenesis: multiscale challenges at the interface of cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33. [PMID: 35696393 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-09-0452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the defining features of the animal kingdom is the ability of cells to change shape and move. This underlies embryonic and postembryonic development, tissue homeostasis, regeneration, and wound healing. Cell shape change and motility require linkage of the cell's force-generating machinery to the plasma membrane at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix junctions. Connections of the actomyosin cytoskeleton to cell-cell adherens junctions need to be both resilient and dynamic, preventing tissue disruption during the dramatic events of embryonic morphogenesis. In the past decade, new insights radically altered the earlier simple paradigm that suggested simple linear linkage via the cadherin-catenin complex as the molecular mechanism of junction-cytoskeleton interaction. In this Perspective we provide a brief overview of our current state of knowledge and then focus on selected examples highlighting what we view as the major unanswered questions in our field and the approaches that offer exciting new insights at multiple scales from atomic structure to tissue mechanics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada.,Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Mark Peifer
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Simões S, Lerchbaumer G, Pellikka M, Giannatou P, Lam T, Kim D, Yu J, ter Stal D, Al Kakouni K, Fernandez-Gonzalez R, Tepass U. Crumbs complex-directed apical membrane dynamics in epithelial cell ingression. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213229. [PMID: 35588693 PMCID: PMC9123285 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202108076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cells often leave their tissue context and ingress to form new cell types or acquire migratory ability to move to distant sites during development and tumor progression. Cells lose their apical membrane and epithelial adherens junctions during ingression. However, how factors that organize apical-basal polarity contribute to ingression is unknown. Here, we show that the dynamic regulation of the apical Crumbs polarity complex is crucial for normal neural stem cell ingression. Crumbs endocytosis and recycling allow ingression to occur in a normal timeframe. During early ingression, Crumbs and its complex partner the RhoGEF Cysts support myosin and apical constriction to ensure robust ingression dynamics. During late ingression, the E3-ubiquitin ligase Neuralized facilitates the disassembly of the Crumbs complex and the rapid endocytic removal of the apical cell domain. Our findings reveal a mechanism integrating cell fate, apical polarity, endocytosis, vesicle trafficking, and actomyosin contractility to promote cell ingression, a fundamental morphogenetic process observed in animal development and cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Simões
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gerald Lerchbaumer
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Milena Pellikka
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paraskevi Giannatou
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas Lam
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dohyun Kim
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Yu
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David ter Stal
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenana Al Kakouni
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ulrich Tepass
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Correspondence to Ulrich Tepass:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Morris T, Sue E, Geniesse C, Brieher WM, Tang VW. Synaptopodin stress fiber and contractomere at the epithelial junction. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213132. [PMID: 35416930 PMCID: PMC9011326 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202011162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The apical junction of epithelial cells can generate force to control cell geometry and perform contractile processes while maintaining barrier function and adhesion. Yet, the structural basis for force generation at the apical junction is not fully understood. Here, we describe two synaptopodin-dependent actomyosin structures that are spatially, temporally, and structurally distinct. The first structure is formed by the retrograde flow of synaptopodin initiated at the apical junction, creating a sarcomeric stress fiber that lies parallel to the apical junction. Contraction of the apical stress fiber is associated with either clustering of membrane components or shortening of junctional length. Upon junction maturation, apical stress fibers are disassembled. In mature epithelial monolayer, a motorized “contractomere” capable of “walking the junction” is formed at the junctional vertex. Actomyosin activities at the contractomere produce a compressive force evident by actin filament buckling and measurement with a new α-actinin-4 force sensor. The motility of contractomeres can adjust junctional length and change cell packing geometry during cell extrusion and intercellular movement. We propose a model of epithelial homeostasis that utilizes contractomere motility to support junction rearrangement while preserving the permeability barrier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Morris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
| | - Eva Sue
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
| | - Caleb Geniesse
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
| | - William M Brieher
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
| | - Vivian W Tang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Condensation of the Drosophila nerve cord is oscillatory and depends on coordinated mechanical interactions. Dev Cell 2022; 57:867-882.e5. [PMID: 35413236 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
During development, organs reach precise shapes and sizes. Organ morphology is not always obtained through growth; a classic counterexample is the condensation of the nervous system during Drosophila embryogenesis. The mechanics underlying such condensation remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize the condensation of the embryonic ventral nerve cord (VNC) at both subcellular and tissue scales. This analysis reveals that condensation is not a unidirectional continuous process but instead occurs through oscillatory contractions. The VNC mechanical properties spatially and temporally vary, and forces along its longitudinal axis are spatially heterogeneous. We demonstrate that the process of VNC condensation is dependent on the coordinated mechanical activities of neurons and glia. These outcomes are consistent with a viscoelastic model of condensation, which incorporates time delays and effective frictional interactions. In summary, we have defined the progressive mechanics driving VNC condensation, providing insights into how a highly viscous tissue can autonomously change shape and size.
Collapse
|
36
|
Cavanaugh KE, Staddon MF, Chmiel TA, Harmon R, Budnar S, Yap AS, Banerjee S, Gardel ML. Force-dependent intercellular adhesion strengthening underlies asymmetric adherens junction contraction. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1986-2000.e5. [PMID: 35381185 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Tissue morphogenesis arises from the culmination of changes in cell-cell junction length. Mechanochemical signaling in the form of RhoA underlies these ratcheted contractions, which occur asymmetrically. The underlying mechanisms of asymmetry remain unknown. We use optogenetically controlled RhoA in model epithelia together with biophysical modeling to uncover the mechanism lending to asymmetric vertex motion. Using optogenetic and pharmacological approaches, we find that both local and global RhoA activation can drive asymmetric junction contraction in the absence of tissue-scale patterning. We find that standard vertex models with homogeneous junction properties are insufficient to recapitulate the observed junction dynamics. Furthermore, these experiments reveal a local coupling of RhoA activation with E-cadherin accumulation. This motivates a coupling of RhoA-mediated increases in tension and E-cadherin-mediated adhesion strengthening. We then demonstrate that incorporating this force-sensitive adhesion strengthening into a continuum model is successful in capturing the observed junction dynamics. Thus, we find that a force-dependent intercellular "clutch" at tricellular vertices stabilizes vertex motion under increasing tension and is sufficient to generate asymmetries in junction contraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Cavanaugh
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, James Franck Institute, Department of Physics, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Michael F Staddon
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Theresa A Chmiel
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, James Franck Institute, Department of Physics, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Robert Harmon
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, James Franck Institute, Department of Physics, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Srikanth Budnar
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Margaret L Gardel
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, James Franck Institute, Department of Physics, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Staddon MF, Munro EM, Banerjee S. Pulsatile contractions and pattern formation in excitable actomyosin cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009981. [PMID: 35353813 PMCID: PMC9000090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The actin cortex is an active adaptive material, embedded with complex regulatory networks that can sense, generate, and transmit mechanical forces. The cortex exhibits a wide range of dynamic behaviours, from generating pulsatory contractions and travelling waves to forming organised structures. Despite the progress in characterising the biochemical and mechanical components of the actin cortex, the emergent dynamics of this mechanochemical system is poorly understood. Here we develop a reaction-diffusion model for the RhoA signalling network, the upstream regulator for actomyosin assembly and contractility, coupled to an active actomyosin gel, to investigate how the interplay between chemical signalling and mechanical forces regulates stresses and patterns in the cortex. We demonstrate that mechanochemical feedback in the cortex acts to destabilise homogeneous states and robustly generate pulsatile contractions. By tuning active stress in the system, we show that the cortex can generate propagating contraction pulses, form network structures, or exhibit topological turbulence. The cellular actin cortex is a dynamic sub-membranous network of filamentous actin, myosin motors, and other accessory proteins that regulates the ability of cells to maintain or change shapes. While the key molecular components and mechanical properties of the actin cortex have been characterized, the ways in which biochemical signalling and mechanical forces interact to regulate cortex behaviours remain poorly understood. In this article, we develop a mathematical model for the actomyosin cortex that combines the reaction-diffusion dynamics of signalling proteins with active force generation by actomyosin networks. Using this model, we investigate how the feedback between mechanics and biochemical signalling regulates the propagation of actomyosin flows, mechanical stresses, and pattern formation in the cortex. Our work reveals a variety of ways in which the cortex can tune the dynamic coupling between biochemical activity, force production, and advective transport to control mechanical behaviours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Staddon
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Edwin M. Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Yu-Kemp HC, Szymanski RA, Cortes DB, Gadda NC, Lillich ML, Maddox AS, Peifer M. Micron-scale supramolecular myosin arrays help mediate cytoskeletal assembly at mature adherens junctions. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:212872. [PMID: 34812842 PMCID: PMC8614156 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202103074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cells assemble specialized actomyosin structures at E-Cadherin–based cell–cell junctions, and the force exerted drives cell shape change during morphogenesis. The mechanisms that build this supramolecular actomyosin structure remain unclear. We used ZO-knockdown MDCK cells, which assemble a robust, polarized, and highly organized actomyosin cytoskeleton at the zonula adherens, combining genetic and pharmacologic approaches with superresolution microscopy to define molecular machines required. To our surprise, inhibiting individual actin assembly pathways (Arp2/3, formins, or Ena/VASP) did not prevent or delay assembly of this polarized actomyosin structure. Instead, as junctions matured, micron-scale supramolecular myosin arrays assembled, with aligned stacks of myosin filaments adjacent to the apical membrane, overlying disorganized actin filaments. This suggested that myosin arrays might bundle actin at mature junctions. Consistent with this idea, inhibiting ROCK or myosin ATPase disrupted myosin localization/organization and prevented actin bundling and polarization. We obtained similar results in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest a novel role for myosin self-assembly, helping drive actin organization to facilitate cell shape change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chia Yu-Kemp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Rachel A Szymanski
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Daniel B Cortes
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Nicole C Gadda
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Madeline L Lillich
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Amy S Maddox
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Mark Peifer
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Wang Q, Xie J, Zhou C, Lai W. Substrate stiffness regulates the differentiation profile and functions of osteoclasts via cytoskeletal arrangement. Cell Prolif 2021; 55:e13172. [PMID: 34953003 PMCID: PMC8780927 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Aging and common diseases alter the stiffness of bone tissue, causing changes to the microenvironment of the mechanosensitive bone cells. Osteoclasts, the sole bone‐resorbing cells, play a vital role in bone remodeling. This study was performed to elucidate the mechanism through which osteoclasts sense and react to substrate stiffness signals. Materials and methods We fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates of different stiffness degrees for osteoclast formation progressed from osteoclast precursors including bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMMs) and RAW264.7 monocytes. Osteoclast differentiation in response to the stiffness signals was determined by examining the cell morphology, fusion/fission activities, transcriptional profile, and resorption function. Cytoskeletal changes and mechanosensitive adhesion molecules were also assessed. Results Stiffer PDMS substrates accelerated osteoclast differentiation, firstly observed by variations in their morphology and fusion/fission activities. Upregulation of canonical osteoclast markers (Nfatc1, Acp5, Ctsk, Camk2a, Mmp9, Rela, and Traf6) and the fusion master regulator DC‐stamp were detected on stiffer substrates, with similar increases in their bone resorption functions. Additionally, the activation of cytoskeleton‐associated adhesion molecules, including fibronectin and integrin αvβ3, followed by biochemical signaling cascades of paxillin, FAK, PKC, and RhoA, was detected on the stiffer substrates. Conclusions This is the first study to provide evidence proving that extracellular substrate stiffness is a strong determinant of osteoclast differentiation and functions. Higher stiffness upregulated the differentiation profile and activity of osteoclasts, revealing the mechanical regulation of osteoclast activity in bone homeostasis and diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenchen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenli Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Stability bounds of a delay visco-elastic rheological model with substrate friction. J Math Biol 2021; 83:71. [PMID: 34870766 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-021-01699-8] [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: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Cells and tissues exhibit sustained oscillatory deformations during remodelling, migration or embryogenesis. Although it has been shown that these oscillations correlate with intracellular biochemical signalling, the role of these oscillations is as yet unclear, and whether they may trigger drastic cell reorganisation events or instabilities remains unknown. Here, we present a rheological model that incorporates elastic, viscous and frictional components, and that is able to generate oscillatory response through a delay adaptive process of the rest-length. We analyse its stability as a function of the model parameters and deduce analytical bounds of the stable domain. While increasing values of the delay and remodelling rate render the model unstable, we also show that increasing friction with the substrate destabilises the oscillatory response. This fact was unexpected and still needs to be verified experimentally. Furthermore, we numerically verify that the extension of the model with non-linear deformation measures is able to generate sustained oscillations converging towards a limit cycle. We interpret this sustained regime in terms of non-linear time varying stiffness parameters that alternate between stable and unstable regions of the linear model. We also note that this limit cycle is not present in the linear model. We study the phase diagram and the bifurcations of the non-linear model, based on our conclusions on the linear one. Such dynamic analysis of the delay visco-elastic model in the presence of friction is absent in the literature for both linear and non-linear rheologies. Our work also shows how increasing values of some parameters such as delay and friction decrease its stability, while other parameters such as stiffness stabilise the oscillatory response.
Collapse
|
41
|
Miao H, Vanderleest TE, Budhathoki R, Loerke D, Blankenship JT. A PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 dispersal switch engages cell ratcheting at specific cell surfaces. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2579-2591.e4. [PMID: 34525342 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.016] [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: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Force generation in epithelial tissues is often pulsatile, with actomyosin networks generating contractile forces before cyclically disassembling. This pulsed nature of cytoskeletal forces implies that there must be ratcheting mechanisms that drive processive transformations in cell shape. Previous work has shown that force generation is coordinated with endocytic remodeling; however, how ratcheting becomes engaged at specific cell surfaces remains unclear. Here, we report that PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 is a critical lipid-based cue for ratcheting engagement. The Sbf RabGEF binds to PIP3, and disruption of PIP3 reveals a dramatic switching behavior in which medial ratcheting is activated and epithelial cells begin globally constricting apical surfaces. PIP3 enrichments are developmentally regulated, with mesodermal cells having high apical PIP3 while germband cells have higher interfacial PIP3. Finally, we show that JAK/STAT signaling constitutes a second pathway that combinatorially regulates Sbf/Rab35 recruitment. Our results elucidate a complex lipid-dependent regulatory machinery that directs ratcheting engagement in epithelial tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Miao
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | | | - Rashmi Budhathoki
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Dinah Loerke
- Department of Physics, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - J Todd Blankenship
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mechanics of neural tube morphogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 130:56-69. [PMID: 34561169 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The neural tube is an important model system of morphogenesis representing the developmental module of out-of-plane epithelial deformation. As the embryonic precursor of the central nervous system, the neural tube also holds keys to many defects and diseases. Recent advances begin to reveal how genetic, cellular and environmental mechanisms work in concert to ensure correct neural tube shape. A physical model is emerging where these factors converge at the regulation of the mechanical forces and properties within and around the tissue that drive tube formation towards completion. Here we review the dynamics and mechanics of neural tube morphogenesis and discuss the underlying cellular behaviours from the viewpoint of tissue mechanics. We will also highlight some of the conceptual and technical next steps.
Collapse
|
43
|
Gupta S, Duszyc K, Verma S, Budnar S, Liang X, Gomez GA, Marcq P, Noordstra I, Yap AS. Enhanced RhoA signalling stabilizes E-cadherin in migrating epithelial monolayers. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:272015. [PMID: 34368835 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelia migrate as physically coherent populations of cells. Previous studies have revealed that mechanical stress accumulates in these cellular layers as they move. These stresses are characteristically tensile in nature and have often been inferred to arise when moving cells pull upon the cell-cell adhesions that hold them together. We now report that epithelial tension at adherens junctions between migrating cells also increases due to an increase in RhoA-mediated junctional contractility. We found that active RhoA levels were stimulated by p114 RhoGEF (also known as ARHGEF18) at the junctions between migrating MCF-7 monolayers, and this was accompanied by increased levels of actomyosin and mechanical tension. Applying a strategy to restore active RhoA specifically at adherens junctions by manipulating its scaffold, anillin, we found that this junctional RhoA signal was necessary to stabilize junctional E-cadherin (CDH1) during epithelial migration and promoted orderly collective movement. We suggest that stabilization of E-cadherin by RhoA serves to increase cell-cell adhesion to protect against the mechanical stresses of migration. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shafali Gupta
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Kinga Duszyc
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Suzie Verma
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Srikanth Budnar
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Xuan Liang
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Guillermo A Gomez
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Philippe Marcq
- Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Ivar Noordstra
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Alpha S Yap
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sigismund S, Lanzetti L, Scita G, Di Fiore PP. Endocytosis in the context-dependent regulation of individual and collective cell properties. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:625-643. [PMID: 34075221 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00375-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Endocytosis allows cells to transport particles and molecules across the plasma membrane. In addition, it is involved in the termination of signalling through receptor downmodulation and degradation. This traditional outlook has been substantially modified in recent years by discoveries that endocytosis and subsequent trafficking routes have a profound impact on the positive regulation and propagation of signals, being key for the spatiotemporal regulation of signal transmission in cells. Accordingly, endocytosis and membrane trafficking regulate virtually every aspect of cell physiology and are frequently subverted in pathological conditions. Two key aspects of endocytic control over signalling are coming into focus: context-dependency and long-range effects. First, endocytic-regulated outputs are not stereotyped but heavily dependent on the cell-specific regulation of endocytic networks. Second, endocytic regulation has an impact not only on individual cells but also on the behaviour of cellular collectives. Herein, we will discuss recent advancements in these areas, highlighting how endocytic trafficking impacts complex cell properties, including cell polarity and collective cell migration, and the relevance of these mechanisms to disease, in particular cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sigismund
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Lanzetti
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Torino, Italy.,Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO - IRCCS, Candiolo, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Scita
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,IFOM, the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Pier Paolo Di Fiore
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy. .,Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Herrera-Perez RM, Cupo C, Allan C, Lin A, Kasza KE. Using optogenetics to link myosin patterns to contractile cell behaviors during convergent extension. Biophys J 2021; 120:4214-4229. [PMID: 34293302 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct patterns of actomyosin contractility are often associated with particular epithelial tissue shape changes during development. For example, a planar-polarized pattern of myosin II localization regulated by Rho1 signaling during Drosophila body axis elongation is thought to drive cell behaviors that contribute to convergent extension. However, it is not well understood how specific aspects of a myosin pattern influence the multiple cell behaviors, including cell intercalation, cell shape changes, and apical cell area fluctuations, that simultaneously occur during morphogenesis. Here, we developed two optogenetic tools, optoGEF and optoGAP, to activate or deactivate Rho1 signaling, respectively. We used these tools to manipulate myosin patterns at the apical side of the germband epithelium during Drosophila axis elongation and analyzed the effects on contractile cell behaviors. We show that uniform activation or inactivation of Rho1 signaling across the apical surface of the germband is sufficient to disrupt the planar-polarized pattern of myosin at cell junctions on the timescale of 3-5 min, leading to distinct changes in junctional and medial myosin patterns in optoGEF and optoGAP embryos. These two perturbations to Rho1 activity both disrupt axis elongation and cell intercalation but have distinct effects on cell area fluctuations and cell packings that are linked with changes in the medial and junctional myosin pools. These studies demonstrate that acute optogenetic perturbations to Rho1 activity are sufficient to rapidly override the endogenous planar-polarized myosin pattern in the germband during axis elongation. Moreover, our results reveal that the levels of Rho1 activity and the balance between medial and junctional myosin play key roles not only in organizing the cell rearrangements that are known to directly contribute to axis elongation but also in regulating cell area fluctuations and cell packings, which have been proposed to be important factors influencing the mechanics of tissue deformation and flow.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Cupo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Cole Allan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Annie Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Karen E Kasza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Farahani PE, Reed EH, Underhill EJ, Aoki K, Toettcher JE. Signaling, Deconstructed: Using Optogenetics to Dissect and Direct Information Flow in Biological Systems. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2021; 23:61-87. [PMID: 33722063 PMCID: PMC10436267 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-083120-111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cells receive enormous amounts of information from their environment. How they act on this information-by migrating, expressing genes, or relaying signals to other cells-comprises much of the regulatory and self-organizational complexity found across biology. The "parts list" involved in cell signaling is generally well established, but how do these parts work together to decode signals and produce appropriate responses? This fundamental question is increasingly being addressed with optogenetic tools: light-sensitive proteins that enable biologists to manipulate the interaction, localization, and activity state of proteins with high spatial and temporal precision. In this review, we summarize how optogenetics is being used in the pursuit of an answer to this question, outlining the current suite of optogenetic tools available to the researcher and calling attention to studies that increase our understanding of and improve our ability to engineer biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Payam E Farahani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Ellen H Reed
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
| | - Evan J Underhill
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Aoki
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
- Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Jared E Toettcher
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- International Research Collaboration Center (IRCC), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Rich A, Glotzer M. Small GTPases modulate intrinsic and extrinsic forces that control epithelial folding in Drosophila embryos. Small GTPases 2021; 12:416-428. [PMID: 33985411 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2021.1926879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial folding is a common means to execute morphogenetic movements. The gastrulating Drosophila embryo offers many examples of epithelial folding events, including the ventral, cephalic, and dorsal furrows. Each of these folding events is associated with changes in intracellular contractility and/or cytoskeleton structures that autonomously promote epithelial folding. Here, we review accumulating evidence that suggests the progression and final form of ventral, cephalic, and dorsal furrows are also influenced by the behaviour of cells neighbouring these folds. We further discuss the prevalence and importance of junctional rearrangements during epithelial folding events, suggesting adherens junction components are prime candidates to modulate the transmission of the intercellular forces that influence folding events. Finally, we discuss how recently developed methods that enable precise spatial and/or temporal control of protein activity allow direct testing of molecular models of morphogenesis in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Rich
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael Glotzer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Cavanaugh KE, Oakes PW, Gardel ML. Optogenetic Control of RhoA to Probe Subcellular Mechanochemical Circuitry. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 86:e102. [PMID: 32031760 DOI: 10.1002/cpcb.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Spatiotemporal localization of protein function is essential for physiological processes from subcellular to tissue scales. Genetic and pharmacological approaches have played instrumental roles in isolating molecular components necessary for subcellular machinery. However, these approaches have limited capabilities to reveal the nature of the spatiotemporal regulation of subcellular machineries like those of cytoskeletal organelles. With the recent advancement of optogenetic probes, the field now has a powerful tool to localize cytoskeletal stimuli in both space and time. Here, we detail the use of tunable light-controlled interacting protein tags (TULIPs) to manipulate RhoA signaling in vivo. This is an optogenetic dimerization system that rapidly, reversibly, and efficiently directs a cytoplasmic RhoGEF to the plasma membrane for activation of RhoA using light. We first compare this probe to other available optogenetic systems and outline the engineering logic for the chosen recruitable RhoGEFs. We also describe how to generate the cell line, spatially control illumination, confirm optogenetic control of RhoA, and mechanically induce cell-cell junction deformation in cultured tissues. Together, these protocols detail how to probe the mechanochemical circuitry downstream of RhoA signaling. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Generation of a stable cell line expressing TULIP constructs Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of collagen substrate for imaging Basic Protocol 3: Transient transfection for visualization of downstream effectors Basic Protocol 4: Calibration of spatial illumination Basic Protocol 5: Optogenetic activation of a region of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Cavanaugh
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Patrick W Oakes
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Margaret L Gardel
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kramer MM, Lataster L, Weber W, Radziwill G. Optogenetic Approaches for the Spatiotemporal Control of Signal Transduction Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5300. [PMID: 34069904 PMCID: PMC8157557 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological signals are sensed by their respective receptors and are transduced and processed by a sophisticated intracellular signaling network leading to a signal-specific cellular response. Thereby, the response to the signal depends on the strength, the frequency, and the duration of the stimulus as well as on the subcellular signal progression. Optogenetic tools are based on genetically encoded light-sensing proteins facilitating the precise spatiotemporal control of signal transduction pathways and cell fate decisions in the absence of natural ligands. In this review, we provide an overview of optogenetic approaches connecting light-regulated protein-protein interaction or caging/uncaging events with steering the function of signaling proteins. We briefly discuss the most common optogenetic switches and their mode of action. The main part deals with the engineering and application of optogenetic tools for the control of transmembrane receptors including receptor tyrosine kinases, the T cell receptor and integrins, and their effector proteins. We also address the hallmarks of optogenetics, the spatial and temporal control of signaling events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus M. Kramer
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.M.K.); (L.L.); (W.W.)
- SGBM—Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Levin Lataster
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.M.K.); (L.L.); (W.W.)
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.M.K.); (L.L.); (W.W.)
- SGBM—Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gerald Radziwill
- Faculty of Biology and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.M.K.); (L.L.); (W.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Mast Cell Proteases Tryptase and Chymase Induce Migratory and Morphological Alterations in Bronchial Epithelial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105250. [PMID: 34065716 PMCID: PMC8156481 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic respiratory diseases are often characterized by impaired epithelial function and remodeling. Mast cells (MCs) are known to home into the epithelium in respiratory diseases, but the MC-epithelial interactions remain less understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of MC proteases on bronchial epithelial morphology and function. Bronchial epithelial cells were stimulated with MC tryptase and/or chymase. Morphology and epithelial function were performed using cell tracking analysis and holographic live-cell imaging. Samples were also analyzed for motility-associated gene expression. Immunocytochemistry was performed to compare cytoskeletal arrangement. Stimulated cells showed strong alterations on gene, protein and functional levels in several parameters important for maintaining epithelial function. The most significant increases were found in cell motility, cellular speed and cell elongation compared to non-stimulated cells. Also, cell morphology was significantly altered in chymase treated compared to non-stimulated cells. In the current study, we show that MC proteases can induce cell migration and morphological and proliferative alterations in epithelial cells. Thus, our data imply that MC release of proteases may play a critical role in airway epithelial remodeling and disruption of epithelial function.
Collapse
|