1
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Balaghi N, Fernandez-Gonzalez R. Waves of change: Dynamic actomyosin networks in embryonic development. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 91:102435. [PMID: 39378575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 08/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
As animals develop, molecules, cells, and cell ensembles move in beautifully orchestrated choreographies. Movement at each of these scales requires generation of mechanical force. In eukaryotic cells, the actomyosin cytoskeleton generates mechanical forces. Continuous advances in in vivo microscopy have enabled visualization and quantitative assessment of actomyosin dynamics and force generation, within and across cells, in living embryos. Recent studies reveal that actomyosin networks can form periodic waves in vivo. Here, we highlight contributions of actomyosin waves to molecular transport, cell movement, and cell coordination in developing embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Balaghi
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada. https://twitter.com/negberry
| | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, 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.
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2
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Chua XL, Tong CS, Su M, Xǔ XJ, Xiao S, Wu X, Wu M. Competition and synergy of Arp2/3 and formins in nucleating actin waves. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114423. [PMID: 38968072 PMCID: PMC11378572 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Actin assembly and dynamics are crucial for maintaining cell structure and changing physiological states. The broad impact of actin on various cellular processes makes it challenging to dissect the specific role of actin regulatory proteins. Using actin waves that propagate on the cortex of mast cells as a model, we discovered that formins (FMNL1 and mDia3) are recruited before the Arp2/3 complex in actin waves. GTPase Cdc42 interactions drive FMNL1 oscillations, with active Cdc42 and the constitutively active mutant of FMNL1 capable of forming waves on the plasma membrane independently of actin waves. Additionally, the delayed recruitment of Arp2/3 antagonizes FMNL1 and active Cdc42. This antagonism is not due to competition for monomeric actin but rather for their common upstream regulator, active Cdc42, whose levels are negatively regulated by Arp2/3 via SHIP1 recruitment. Collectively, our study highlights the complex feedback loops in the dynamic control of the actin cytoskeletal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Le Chua
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore 117557, Singapore
| | - Chee San Tong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore 117557, Singapore
| | - Maohan Su
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore 117557, Singapore; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - X J Xǔ
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Shengping Xiao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore 117557, Singapore
| | - Xudong Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore 117557, Singapore; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore.
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3
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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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4
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Qiao E, Fulmore CA, Schaffer DV, Kumar S. Substrate stress relaxation regulates neural stem cell fate commitment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317711121. [PMID: 38968101 PMCID: PMC11252819 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317711121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and their capacity to generate neurons and glia plays a role in learning and memory. In addition, neurodegenerative diseases are known to be caused by a loss of neurons and glial cells, resulting in a need to better understand stem cell fate commitment processes. We previously showed that NSC fate commitment toward a neuronal or glial lineage is strongly influenced by extracellular matrix stiffness, a property of elastic materials. However, tissues in vivo are not purely elastic and have varying degrees of viscous character. Relatively little is known about how the viscoelastic properties of the substrate impact NSC fate commitment. Here, we introduce a polyacrylamide-based cell culture platform that incorporates mismatched DNA oligonucleotide-based cross-links as well as covalent cross-links. This platform allows for tunable viscous stress relaxation properties via variation in the number of mismatched base pairs. We find that NSCs exhibit increased astrocytic differentiation as the degree of stress relaxation is increased. Furthermore, culturing NSCs on increasingly stress-relaxing substrates impacts cytoskeletal dynamics by decreasing intracellular actin flow rates and stimulating cyclic activation of the mechanosensitive protein RhoA. Additionally, inhibition of motor-clutch model components such as myosin II and focal adhesion kinase partially or completely reverts cells to lineage distributions observed on elastic substrates. Collectively, our results introduce a unique system for controlling matrix stress relaxation properties and offer insight into how NSCs integrate viscoelastic cues to direct fate commitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Qiao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Camille A. Fulmore
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - David V. Schaffer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
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5
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Jackson JA, Denk-Lobnig M, Kitzinger KA, Martin AC. Change in RhoGAP and RhoGEF availability drives transitions in cortical patterning and excitability in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2132-2146.e5. [PMID: 38688282 PMCID: PMC11111359 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Actin cortex patterning and dynamics are critical for cell shape changes. These dynamics undergo transitions during development, often accompanying changes in collective cell behavior. Although mechanisms have been established for individual cells' dynamic behaviors, the mechanisms and specific molecules that result in developmental transitions in vivo are still poorly understood. Here, we took advantage of two developmental systems in Drosophila melanogaster to identify conditions that altered cortical patterning and dynamics. We identified a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF) and Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) pair required for actomyosin waves in egg chambers. Specifically, depletion of the RhoGEF, Ect2, or the RhoGAP, RhoGAP15B, disrupted actomyosin wave induction, and both proteins relocalized from the nucleus to the cortex preceding wave formation. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of a different RhoGEF and RhoGAP pair, RhoGEF2 and Cumberland GAP (C-GAP), resulted in actomyosin waves in the early embryo, during which RhoA activation precedes actomyosin assembly by ∼4 s. We found that C-GAP was recruited to actomyosin waves, and disrupting F-actin polymerization altered the spatial organization of both RhoA signaling and the cytoskeleton in waves. In addition, disrupting F-actin dynamics increased wave period and width, consistent with a possible role for F-actin in promoting delayed negative feedback. Overall, we showed a mechanism involved in inducing actomyosin waves that is essential for oocyte development and is general to other cell types, such as epithelial and syncytial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Jackson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, 86 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marlis Denk-Lobnig
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Katherine A Kitzinger
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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6
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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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7
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Tong CS, Su M, Sun H, Chua XL, Xiong D, Guo S, Raj R, Ong NWP, Lee AG, Miao Y, Wu M. Collective dynamics of actin and microtubule and its crosstalk mediated by FHDC1. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1261117. [PMID: 38567385 PMCID: PMC10985548 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1261117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The coordination between actin and microtubule network is crucial, yet this remains a challenging problem to dissect and our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains limited. In this study, we used travelling waves in the cell cortex to characterize the collective dynamics of cytoskeletal networks. Our findings show that Cdc42 and F-BAR-dependent actin waves in mast cells are mainly driven by formin-mediated actin polymerization, with the microtubule-binding formin FH2 domain-containing protein 1 (FHDC1) as an early regulator. Knocking down FHDC1 inhibits actin wave formation, and this inhibition require FHDC1's interaction with both microtubule and actin. The phase of microtubule depolymerization coincides with the nucleation of actin waves and microtubule stabilization inhibit actin waves, leading us to propose that microtubule shrinking and the concurrent release of FHDC1 locally regulate actin nucleation. Lastly, we show that FHDC1 is crucial for multiple cellular processes such as cell division and migration. Our data provided molecular insights into the nucleation mechanisms of actin waves and uncover an antagonistic interplay between microtubule and actin polymerization in their collective dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee San Tong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maohan Su
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - He Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiang Le Chua
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ding Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Su Guo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ravin Raj
- Special Programme in Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicole Wen Pei Ong
- Special Programme in Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ann Gie Lee
- Special Programme in Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yansong Miao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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8
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Qian W, Yamaguchi N, Lis P, Cammer M, Knaut H. Pulses of RhoA signaling stimulate actin polymerization and flow in protrusions to drive collective cell migration. Curr Biol 2024; 34:245-259.e8. [PMID: 38096821 PMCID: PMC10872453 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.044] [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: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
In animals, cells often move as collectives to shape organs, close wounds, or-in the case of disease-metastasize. To accomplish this, cells need to generate force to propel themselves forward. The motility of singly migrating cells is driven largely by an interplay between Rho GTPase signaling and the actin network. Whether cells migrating as collectives use the same machinery for motility is unclear. Using the zebrafish posterior lateral line primordium as a model for collective cell migration, we find that active RhoA and myosin II cluster on the basal sides of the primordium cells and are required for primordium motility. Positive and negative feedbacks cause RhoA and myosin II activities to pulse. These pulses of RhoA signaling stimulate actin polymerization at the tip of the protrusions and myosin-II-dependent actin flow and protrusion retraction at the base of the protrusions and deform the basement membrane underneath the migrating primordium. This suggests that RhoA-induced actin flow on the basal sides of the cells constitutes the motor that pulls the primordium forward, a scenario that likely underlies collective migration in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Qian
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Naoya Yamaguchi
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Patrycja Lis
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michael Cammer
- Microscopy Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Holger Knaut
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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9
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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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10
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Jackson JA, Denk-Lobnig M, Kitzinger KA, Martin AC. Change in RhoGAP and RhoGEF availability drives transitions in cortical patterning and excitability in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.06.565883. [PMID: 37986763 PMCID: PMC10659369 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.565883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Actin cortex patterning and dynamics are critical for cell shape changes. These dynamics undergo transitions during development, often accompanying changes in collective cell behavior. While mechanisms have been established for individual cells' dynamic behaviors, mechanisms and specific molecules that result in developmental transitions in vivo are still poorly understood. Here, we took advantage of two developmental systems in Drosophila melanogaster to identify conditions that altered cortical patterning and dynamics. We identified a RhoGEF and RhoGAP pair whose relocalization from nucleus to cortex results in actomyosin waves in egg chambers. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of a different RhoGEF and RhoGAP pair resulted in actomyosin waves in the early embryo, during which RhoA activation precedes actomyosin assembly and RhoGAP recruitment by ~4 seconds. Overall, we showed a mechanism involved in inducing actomyosin waves that is essential for oocyte development and is general to other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A. Jackson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University
| | | | | | - Adam C. Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Lead contact
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11
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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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12
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Beta C, Edelstein-Keshet L, Gov N, Yochelis A. From actin waves to mechanism and back: How theory aids biological understanding. eLife 2023; 12:e87181. [PMID: 37428017 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Actin dynamics in cell motility, division, and phagocytosis is regulated by complex factors with multiple feedback loops, often leading to emergent dynamic patterns in the form of propagating waves of actin polymerization activity that are poorly understood. Many in the actin wave community have attempted to discern the underlying mechanisms using experiments and/or mathematical models and theory. Here, we survey methods and hypotheses for actin waves based on signaling networks, mechano-chemical effects, and transport characteristics, with examples drawn from Dictyostelium discoideum, human neutrophils, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Xenopus laevis oocytes. While experimentalists focus on the details of molecular components, theorists pose a central question of universality: Are there generic, model-independent, underlying principles, or just boundless cell-specific details? We argue that mathematical methods are equally important for understanding the emergence, evolution, and persistence of actin waves and conclude with a few challenges for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Beta
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Nir Gov
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Arik Yochelis
- Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
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13
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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:e202203017. [PMID: 35708547 PMCID: PMC9206115 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202203017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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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