1
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Werner ME, Ray DD, Breen C, Staddon MF, Jug F, Banerjee S, Maddox AS. Mechanical and biochemical feedback combine to generate complex contractile oscillations in cytokinesis. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3201-3214.e5. [PMID: 38991614 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The actomyosin cortex is an active material that generates force to drive shape changes via cytoskeletal remodeling. Cytokinesis is the essential cell division event during which a cortical actomyosin ring closes to separate two daughter cells. Our active gel theory predicted that actomyosin systems controlled by a biochemical oscillator and experiencing mechanical strain would exhibit complex spatiotemporal behavior. To test whether active materials in vivo exhibit spatiotemporally complex kinetics, we imaged the C. elegans embryo with unprecedented temporal resolution and discovered that sections of the cytokinetic cortex undergo periodic phases of acceleration and deceleration. Contractile oscillations exhibited a range of periodicities, including those much longer periods than the timescale of RhoA pulses, which was shorter in cytokinesis than in any other biological context. Modifying mechanical feedback in vivo or in silico revealed that the period of contractile oscillation is prolonged as a function of the intensity of mechanical feedback. Fast local ring ingression occurs where speed oscillations have long periods, likely due to increased local stresses and, therefore, mechanical feedback. Fast ingression also occurs where material turnover is high, in vivo and in silico. We propose that downstream of initiation by pulsed RhoA activity, mechanical feedback, including but not limited to material advection, extends the timescale of contractility beyond that of biochemical input and, therefore, makes it robust to fluctuations in activation. Circumferential propagation of contractility likely allows for sustained contractility despite cytoskeletal remodeling necessary to recover from compaction. Thus, like biochemical feedback, mechanical feedback affords active materials responsiveness and robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Werner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dylan D Ray
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Coleman Breen
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael F Staddon
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Jug
- Computational Biology Research Centre, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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2
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Bement WM, Goryachev AB, Miller AL, von Dassow G. Patterning of the cell cortex by Rho GTPases. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:290-308. [PMID: 38172611 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00682-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The Rho GTPases - RHOA, RAC1 and CDC42 - are small GTP binding proteins that regulate basic biological processes such as cell locomotion, cell division and morphogenesis by promoting cytoskeleton-based changes in the cell cortex. This regulation results from active (GTP-bound) Rho GTPases stimulating target proteins that, in turn, promote actin assembly and myosin 2-based contraction to organize the cortex. This basic regulatory scheme, well supported by in vitro studies, led to the natural assumption that Rho GTPases function in vivo in an essentially linear matter, with a given process being initiated by GTPase activation and terminated by GTPase inactivation. However, a growing body of evidence based on live cell imaging, modelling and experimental manipulation indicates that Rho GTPase activation and inactivation are often tightly coupled in space and time via signalling circuits and networks based on positive and negative feedback. In this Review, we present and discuss this evidence, and we address one of the fundamental consequences of coupled activation and inactivation: the ability of the Rho GTPases to self-organize, that is, direct their own transition from states of low order to states of high order. We discuss how Rho GTPase self-organization results in the formation of diverse spatiotemporal cortical patterns such as static clusters, oscillatory pulses, travelling wave trains and ring-like waves. Finally, we discuss the advantages of Rho GTPase self-organization and pattern formation for cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Bement
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Andrew B Goryachev
- Center for Engineering Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Ann L Miller
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Hsu CR, Sangha G, Fan W, Zheng J, Sugioka K. Contractile ring mechanosensation and its anillin-dependent tuning during early embryogenesis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8138. [PMID: 38065974 PMCID: PMC10709429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43996-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis plays crucial roles in morphogenesis. Previous studies have examined how tissue mechanics influences the position and closure direction of the contractile ring. However, the mechanisms by which the ring senses tissue mechanics remain largely elusive. Here, we show the mechanism of contractile ring mechanosensation and its tuning during asymmetric ring closure of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Integrative analysis of ring closure and cell cortex dynamics revealed that mechanical suppression of the ring-directed cortical flow is associated with asymmetric ring closure. Consistently, artificial obstruction of ring-directed cortical flow induces asymmetric ring closure in otherwise symmetrically dividing cells. Anillin is vital for mechanosensation. Our genetic analysis suggests that the positive feedback loop among ring-directed cortical flow, myosin enrichment, and ring constriction constitutes a mechanosensitive pathway driving asymmetric ring closure. These findings and developed tools should advance the 4D mechanobiology of cytokinesis in more complex tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Rou Hsu
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Gaganpreet Sangha
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Wayne Fan
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Joey Zheng
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Kenji Sugioka
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada.
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada.
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4
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Werner ME, Ray DD, Breen C, Staddon MF, Jug F, Banerjee S, Maddox AS. Mechanical positive feedback and biochemical negative feedback combine to generate complex contractile oscillations in cytokinesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.01.569672. [PMID: 38076901 PMCID: PMC10705528 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.01.569672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Contractile force generation by the cortical actomyosin cytoskeleton is essential for a multitude of biological processes. The actomyosin cortex behaves as an active material that drives local and large-scale shape changes via cytoskeletal remodeling in response to biochemical cues and feedback loops. Cytokinesis is the essential cell division event during which a cortical actomyosin ring generates contractile force to change cell shape and separate two daughter cells. Our recent work with active gel theory predicts that actomyosin systems under the control of a biochemical oscillator and experiencing mechanical strain will exhibit complex spatiotemporal behavior, but cytokinetic contractility was thought to be kinetically simple. To test whether active materials in vivo exhibit spatiotemporally complex kinetics, we used 4-dimensional imaging with unprecedented temporal resolution and discovered sections of the cytokinetic cortex undergo periodic phases of acceleration and deceleration. Quantification of ingression speed oscillations revealed wide ranges of oscillation period and amplitude. In the cytokinetic ring, activity of the master regulator RhoA pulsed with a timescale of approximately 20 seconds, shorter than that reported for any other biological context. Contractility oscillated with 20-second periodicity and with much longer periods. A combination of in vivo and in silico approaches to modify mechanical feedback revealed that the period of contractile oscillation is prolonged as a function of the intensity of mechanical feedback. Effective local ring ingression is characterized by slower speed oscillations, likely due to increased local stresses and therefore mechanical feedback. Fast ingression also occurs where material turnover is high, in vivo and in silico . We propose that downstream of initiation by pulsed RhoA activity, mechanical positive feedback, including but not limited to material advection, extends the timescale of contractility beyond that of biochemical input and therefore makes it robust to fluctuations in activation. Circumferential propagation of contractility likely allows sustained contractility despite cytoskeletal remodeling necessary to recover from compaction. Our work demonstrates that while biochemical feedback loops afford systems responsiveness and robustness, mechanical feedback must also be considered to describe and understand the behaviors of active materials in vivo .
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5
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Lebedev M, Chan FY, Lochner A, Bellessem J, Osório DS, Rackles E, Mikeladze-Dvali T, Carvalho AX, Zanin E. Anillin forms linear structures and facilitates furrow ingression after septin and formin depletion. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113076. [PMID: 37665665 PMCID: PMC10548094 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113076] [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: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During cytokinesis, a contractile ring consisting of unbranched filamentous actin (F-actin) and myosin II constricts at the cell equator. Unbranched F-actin is generated by formin, and without formin no cleavage furrow forms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, depletion of septin restores furrow ingression in formin mutants. How the cleavage furrow ingresses without a detectable unbranched F-actin ring is unknown. We report that, in this setting, anillin (ANI-1) forms a meshwork of circumferentially aligned linear structures decorated by non-muscle myosin II (NMY-2). Analysis of ANI-1 deletion mutants reveals that its disordered N-terminal half is required for linear structure formation and sufficient for furrow ingression. NMY-2 promotes the circumferential alignment of the linear ANI-1 structures and interacts with various lipids, suggesting that NMY-2 links the ANI-1 network with the plasma membrane. Collectively, our data reveal a compensatory mechanism, mediated by ANI-1 linear structures and membrane-bound NMY-2, that promotes furrowing when unbranched F-actin polymerization is compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Lebedev
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department Biologie, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Department Biologie, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Fung-Yi Chan
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Anna Lochner
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department Biologie, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jennifer Bellessem
- Department Biologie, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Daniel S Osório
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisabeth Rackles
- Department Biologie, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tamara Mikeladze-Dvali
- Department Biologie, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ana Xavier Carvalho
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Esther Zanin
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department Biologie, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Department Biologie, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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6
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Tong CS, Xǔ XJ, Wu M. Periodicity, mixed-mode oscillations, and multiple timescales in a phosphoinositide-Rho GTPase network. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112857. [PMID: 37494180 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
While rhythmic contractile behavior is commonly observed at the cellular cortex, the primary focus has been on excitable or periodic events described by simple activator-delayed inhibitor mechanisms. We show that Rho GTPase activation in nocodazole-treated mitotic cells exhibits both simple oscillations and complex mixed-mode oscillations. Rho oscillations with a 20- to 30-s period are regulated by phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) via an activator-delayed inhibitor mechanism, while a slow reaction with period of minutes is regulated by phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase via an activator-substrate depletion mechanism. Conversion from simple to complex oscillations can be induced by modulating PIP3 metabolism or altering membrane contact site protein E-Syt1. PTEN depletion results in a period-doubling intermediate, which, like mixed-mode oscillations, is an intermediate state toward chaos. In sum, this system operates at the edge of chaos. Small changes in phosphoinositide metabolism can confer cells with the flexibility to rapidly enter ordered states with different periodicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee San Tong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - X J Xǔ
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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7
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Perry JA, Werner ME, Rivenbark L, Maddox AS. Caenorhabditis elegans septins contribute to the development and structure of the oogenic germline. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2023; 80:215-227. [PMID: 37265173 PMCID: PMC10524836 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21763] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Oocytes must be exceptionally large cells in order to support embryonic development. Throughout animal phylogeny, a specialized cell called a syncytium, wherein many nuclei share a continuous cytoplasm, achieves oogenesis. The syncytial nature of germline architecture is key to its function and depends on conserved components of the cortical cytoskeleton. Septins form non-polar cytoskeletal polymers that associate with membranes. In the syncytial germline of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, septins are highly enriched on the cortex and generally required for fertility, but the role of septins in the germline is poorly understood. We report that the C. elegans septins, UNC-59 and UNC-61, are important for germline extension during development, the maintenance of its syncytial architecture, and production of oocytes. While much of our findings substantiate the idea that the two C. elegans septins act together, we also found evidence that they have distinct functions. Loss of UNC-61 perturbed germline extension during germline development, while the loss of UNC-59 function severely affected germline architecture in adult hermaphrodites. Consultation of clustering results from a large-scale high-throughput screen suggested that septins are involved in germ cell proliferation and/or differentiation. In sum, our findings implicate a conserved cytoskeletal component in the complex architecture of a germline syncytium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna A Perry
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael E Werner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Larry Rivenbark
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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8
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Ozugergin I, Piekny A. Diversity is the spice of life: An overview of how cytokinesis regulation varies with cell type. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1007614. [PMID: 36420142 PMCID: PMC9676254 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1007614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is required to physically cleave a cell into two daughters at the end of mitosis. Decades of research have led to a comprehensive understanding of the core cytokinesis machinery and how it is regulated in animal cells, however this knowledge was generated using single cells cultured in vitro, or in early embryos before tissues develop. This raises the question of how cytokinesis is regulated in diverse animal cell types and developmental contexts. Recent studies of distinct cell types in the same organism or in similar cell types from different organisms have revealed striking differences in how cytokinesis is regulated, which includes different threshold requirements for the structural components and the mechanisms that regulate them. In this review, we highlight these differences with an emphasis on pathways that are independent of the mitotic spindle, and operate through signals associated with the cortex, kinetochores, or chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imge Ozugergin
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alisa Piekny
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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9
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Michaud A, Leda M, Swider ZT, Kim S, He J, Landino J, Valley JR, Huisken J, Goryachev AB, von Dassow G, Bement WM. A versatile cortical pattern-forming circuit based on Rho, F-actin, Ect2, and RGA-3/4. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213290. [PMID: 35708547 PMCID: PMC9206115 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202203017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cells can generate complementary traveling waves of actin filaments (F-actin) and cytoskeletal regulators. This phenomenon, termed cortical excitability, results from coupled positive and negative feedback loops of cytoskeletal regulators. The nature of these feedback loops, however, remains poorly understood. We assessed the role of the Rho GAP RGA-3/4 in the cortical excitability that accompanies cytokinesis in both frog and starfish. RGA-3/4 localizes to the cytokinetic apparatus, “chases” Rho waves in an F-actin–dependent manner, and when coexpressed with the Rho GEF Ect2, is sufficient to convert the normally quiescent, immature Xenopus oocyte cortex into a dramatically excited state. Experiments and modeling show that changing the ratio of RGA-3/4 to Ect2 produces cortical behaviors ranging from pulses to complex waves of Rho activity. We conclude that RGA-3/4, Ect2, Rho, and F-actin form the core of a versatile circuit that drives a diverse range of cortical behaviors, and we demonstrate that the immature oocyte is a powerful model for characterizing these dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Michaud
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Marcin Leda
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zachary T Swider
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Songeun Kim
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Jiaye He
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Jennifer Landino
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Jenna R Valley
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, OR
| | - Jan Huisken
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Andrew B Goryachev
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - George von Dassow
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, OR
| | - William M Bement
- Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
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10
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Costache V, Prigent Garcia S, Plancke CN, Li J, Begnaud S, Suman SK, Reymann AC, Kim T, Robin FB. Rapid assembly of a polar network architecture drives efficient actomyosin contractility. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110868. [PMID: 35649363 PMCID: PMC9210446 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110868] [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] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin network architecture and dynamics play a central role in cell contractility and tissue morphogenesis. RhoA-driven pulsed contractions are a generic mode of actomyosin contractility, but the mechanisms underlying how their specific architecture emerges and how this architecture supports the contractile function of the network remain unclear. Here we show that, during pulsed contractions, the actin network is assembled by two subpopulations of formins: a functionally inactive population (recruited) and formins actively participating in actin filament elongation (elongating). We then show that elongating formins assemble a polar actin network, with barbed ends pointing out of the pulse. Numerical simulations demonstrate that this geometry favors rapid network contraction. Our results show that formins convert a local RhoA activity gradient into a polar network architecture, causing efficient network contractility, underlying the key function of kinetic controls in the assembly and mechanics of cortical network architectures. RhoA-driven actomyosin contractility plays a key role in driving cell and tissue contractility during morphogenesis. Tracking individual formins, Costache et al. show that the network assembled downstream of RhoA displays a polar architecture, barbed ends pointing outward, a feature that supports efficient contractility and force transmission during pulsed contractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Costache
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France
| | - Serena Prigent Garcia
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France
| | - Camille N Plancke
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France
| | - Jing Li
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Simon Begnaud
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France
| | - Shashi Kumar Suman
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Cécile Reymann
- IGBMC, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, and Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Taeyoon Kim
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - François B Robin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Paris, France.
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11
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Yao B, Donoughe S, Michaux J, Munro E. Modulating RhoA effectors induces transitions to oscillatory and more wavelike RhoA dynamics in C. elegans zygotes. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar58. [PMID: 35138935 PMCID: PMC9265151 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-11-0542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulsatile RhoA dynamics underlie a wide range of cell and tissue behaviors. The circuits that produce these dynamics in different cells share common architectures based on fast positive and delayed negative feedback through F-actin, but they can produce very different spatiotemporal patterns of RhoA activity. However, the underlying causes of this variation remain poorly understood. Here we asked how this variation could arise through modulation of actin network dynamics downstream of active RhoA in early C. elegans embryos. We find that perturbing two RhoA effectors - formin and anillin - induce transitions from non-recurrent focal pulses to either large noisy oscillatory pulses (formin depletion) or noisy oscillatory waves (anillin depletion). In both cases these transitions could be explained by changes in local F-actin levels and depletion dynamics, leading to changes in spatial and temporal patterns of RhoA inhibition. However, the underlying mechanisms for F-actin depletion are distinct, with different dependencies on myosin II activity. Thus, modulating actomyosin network dynamics could shape the spatiotemporal dynamics of RhoA activity for different physiological or morphogenetic functions. [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Baixue Yao
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.,Committee on Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Seth Donoughe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.,Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | | | - Edwin Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.,Committee on Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.,Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.,Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
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12
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Koh SP, Pham NP, Piekny A. Seeing is believing: tools to study the role of Rho GTPases during cytokinesis. Small GTPases 2022; 13:211-224. [PMID: 34405757 PMCID: PMC9707540 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2021.1957384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is required to cleave the daughter cells at the end of mitosis and relies on the spatiotemporal control of RhoA GTPase. Cytokinesis failure can lead to changes in cell fate or aneuploidy, which can be detrimental during development and/or can lead to cancer. However, our knowledge of the pathways that regulate RhoA during cytokinesis is limited, and the role of other Rho family GTPases is not clear. This is largely because the study of Rho GTPases presents unique challenges using traditional cell biological and biochemical methods, and they have pleiotropic functions making genetic studies difficult to interpret. The recent generation of optogenetic tools and biosensors that control and detect active Rho has overcome some of these challenges and is helping to elucidate the role of RhoA in cytokinesis. However, improvements are needed to reveal the role of other Rho GTPases in cytokinesis, and to identify the molecular mechanisms that control Rho activity. This review examines some of the outstanding questions in cytokinesis, and explores tools for the imaging and control of Rho GTPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Pin Koh
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nhat Phi Pham
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alisa Piekny
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada,CONTACT Alisa Piekny Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montreal, QC, Canada
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13
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Michaud A, Swider ZT, Landino J, Leda M, Miller AL, von Dassow G, Goryachev AB, Bement WM. Cortical excitability and cell division. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R553-R559. [PMID: 34033789 PMCID: PMC8358936 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
As the interface between the cell and its environment, the cell cortex must be able to respond to a variety of external stimuli. This is made possible in part by cortical excitability, a behavior driven by coupled positive and negative feedback loops that generate propagating waves of actin assembly in the cell cortex. Cortical excitability is best known for promoting cell protrusion and allowing the interpretation of and response to chemoattractant gradients in migrating cells. It has recently become apparent, however, that cortical excitability is involved in the response of the cortex to internal signals from the cell-cycle regulatory machinery and the spindle during cell division. Two overlapping functions have been ascribed to cortical excitability in cell division: control of cell division plane placement, and amplification of the activity of the small GTPase Rho at the equatorial cortex during cytokinesis. Here, we propose that cortical excitability explains several important yet poorly understood features of signaling during cell division. We also consider the potential advantages that arise from the use of cortical excitability as a signaling mechanism to regulate cortical dynamics in cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Michaud
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Zachary T Swider
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer Landino
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 5264 Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1085, USA
| | - Marcin Leda
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, 2.03 C.H. Waddington Building, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Ann L Miller
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 5264 Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1085, USA
| | - George von Dassow
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, 63466 Boat Basin Road, Charleston, OR 97420, USA
| | - Andrew B Goryachev
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, 2.03 C.H. Waddington Building, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - William M Bement
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1117 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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14
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CYK-1/Formin activation in cortical RhoA signaling centers promotes organismal left-right symmetry breaking. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021814118. [PMID: 33972425 PMCID: PMC8157923 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021814118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper left-right symmetry breaking is essential for animal development, and in many cases, this process is actomyosin-dependent. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos active torque generation in the actomyosin layer promotes left-right symmetry breaking by driving chiral counterrotating cortical flows. While both Formins and Myosins have been implicated in left-right symmetry breaking and both can rotate actin filaments in vitro, it remains unclear whether active torques in the actomyosin cortex are generated by Formins, Myosins, or both. We combined the strength of C. elegans genetics with quantitative imaging and thin film, chiral active fluid theory to show that, while Non-Muscle Myosin II activity drives cortical actomyosin flows, it is permissive for chiral counterrotation and dispensable for chiral symmetry breaking of cortical flows. Instead, we find that CYK-1/Formin activation in RhoA foci is instructive for chiral counterrotation and promotes in-plane, active torque generation in the actomyosin cortex. Notably, we observe that artificially generated large active RhoA patches undergo rotations with consistent handedness in a CYK-1/Formin-dependent manner. Altogether, we conclude that CYK-1/Formin-dependent active torque generation facilitates chiral symmetry breaking of actomyosin flows and drives organismal left-right symmetry breaking in the nematode worm.
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