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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Middelkoop TC, Neipel J, Cornell CE, Naumann R, Pimpale LG, Jülicher F, Grill SW. A cytokinetic ring-driven cell rotation achieves Hertwig's rule in early development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318838121. [PMID: 38870057 PMCID: PMC11194556 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318838121] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Hertwig's rule states that cells divide along their longest axis, usually driven by forces acting on the mitotic spindle. Here, we show that in contrast to this rule, microtubule-based pulling forces in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos align the spindle with the short axis of the cell. We combine theory with experiments to reveal that in order to correct this misalignment, inward forces generated by the constricting cytokinetic ring rotate the entire cell until the spindle is aligned with the cell's long axis. Experiments with slightly compressed mouse zygotes indicate that this cytokinetic ring-driven mechanism of ensuring Hertwig's rule is general for cells capable of rotating inside a confining shell, a scenario that applies to early cell divisions of many systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teije C. Middelkoop
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Laboratory of Developmental Mechanobiology, Division Biocev, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jonas Neipel
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187Dresden, Germany
| | - Caitlin E. Cornell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Lokesh G. Pimpale
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technical University Dresden, 01062Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan W. Grill
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technical University Dresden, 01062Dresden, Germany
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3
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Craig EM, Oprea F, Alam S, Grodsky A, Miller KE. A simple active fluid model unites cytokinesis, cell crawling, and axonal outgrowth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.22.595337. [PMID: 38826455 PMCID: PMC11142150 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Axonal outgrowth, cell crawling, and cytokinesis utilize actomyosin, microtubule-based motors, cytoskeletal dynamics, and substrate adhesions to produce traction forces and bulk cellular motion. While it has long been appreciated that growth cones resemble crawling cells and that the mechanisms that drive cytokinesis help power cell crawling, they are typically viewed as unique processes. To better understand the relationship between these modes of motility, here, we developed a unified active fluid model of cytokinesis, amoeboid migration, mesenchymal migration, neuronal migration, and axonal outgrowth in terms of cytoskeletal flow, adhesions, viscosity, and force generation. Using numerical modeling, we fit subcellular velocity profiles of the motions of cytoskeletal structures and docked organelles from previously published studies to infer underlying patterns of force generation and adhesion. Our results indicate that, during cytokinesis, there is a primary converge zone at the cleavage furrow that drives flow towards it; adhesions are symmetric across the cell, and as a result, cells are stationary. In mesenchymal, amoeboid, and neuronal migration, the site of the converge zone shifts, and differences in adhesion between the front and back of the cell drive crawling. During neuronal migration and axonal outgrowth, the primary convergence zone lies within the growth cone, which drives actin retrograde flow in the P-domain and bulk anterograde flow of the axonal shaft. They differ in that during neuronal migration, the cell body is weakly attached to the substrate and thus moves forward at the same velocity as the axon. In contrast, during axonal outgrowth, the cell body strongly adheres to the substrate and remains stationary, resulting in a decrease in flow velocity away from the growth cone. The simplicity with which cytokinesis, cell crawling, and axonal outgrowth can be modeled by varying coefficients in a simple model suggests a deep connection between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Craig
- Central Washington University, Department of Physics, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7422, USA
| | - Francesca Oprea
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Sajid Alam
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ania Grodsky
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kyle E Miller
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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4
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Goupil E, Lacroix L, Brière J, Guga S, Saba-El-Leil MK, Meloche S, Labbé JC. OSGN-1 is a conserved flavin-containing monooxygenase required to stabilize the intercellular bridge in late cytokinesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308570121. [PMID: 38442170 PMCID: PMC10945809 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308570121] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division and is regulated by the small GTPase RhoA. RhoA activity is required for all steps of cytokinesis, including prior to abscission when daughter cells are ultimately physically separated. Like germ cells in all animals, the Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic germline founder cell initiates cytokinesis but does not complete abscission, leaving a stable intercellular bridge between the two daughter cells. Here, we identify and characterize C. elegans OSGN-1 as a cytokinetic regulator that promotes RhoA activity during late cytokinesis. Sequence analyses and biochemical reconstitutions reveal that OSGN-1 is a flavin-containing monooxygenase (MO). Genetic analyses indicate that the MO activity of OSGN-1 is required to maintain active RhoA at the end of cytokinesis in the germline founder cell and to stabilize the intercellular bridge. Deletion of OSGIN1 in human cells results in an increase in binucleation as a result of cytokinetic furrow regression, and this phenotype can be rescued by expressing a catalytically active form of C. elegans OSGN-1, indicating that OSGN-1 and OSGIN1 are functional orthologs. We propose that OSGN-1 and OSGIN1 are conserved MO enzymes required to maintain RhoA activity at the intercellular bridge during late cytokinesis and thus favor its stability, enabling proper abscission in human cells and bridge stabilization in C. elegans germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugénie Goupil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Léa Lacroix
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jonathan Brière
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Sandra Guga
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Marc K. Saba-El-Leil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Sylvain Meloche
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Labbé
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QCH3C 3J7, Canada
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5
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Caballero-Mancebo S, Shinde R, Bolger-Munro M, Peruzzo M, Szep G, Steccari I, Labrousse-Arias D, Zheden V, Merrin J, Callan-Jones A, Voituriez R, Heisenberg CP. Friction forces determine cytoplasmic reorganization and shape changes of ascidian oocytes upon fertilization. NATURE PHYSICS 2024; 20:310-321. [PMID: 38370025 PMCID: PMC10866705 DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-02302-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Contraction and flow of the actin cell cortex have emerged as a common principle by which cells reorganize their cytoplasm and take shape. However, how these cortical flows interact with adjacent cytoplasmic components, changing their form and localization, and how this affects cytoplasmic organization and cell shape remains unclear. Here we show that in ascidian oocytes, the cooperative activities of cortical actomyosin flows and deformation of the adjacent mitochondria-rich myoplasm drive oocyte cytoplasmic reorganization and shape changes following fertilization. We show that vegetal-directed cortical actomyosin flows, established upon oocyte fertilization, lead to both the accumulation of cortical actin at the vegetal pole of the zygote and compression and local buckling of the adjacent elastic solid-like myoplasm layer due to friction forces generated at their interface. Once cortical flows have ceased, the multiple myoplasm buckles resolve into one larger buckle, which again drives the formation of the contraction pole-a protuberance of the zygote's vegetal pole where maternal mRNAs accumulate. Thus, our findings reveal a mechanism where cortical actomyosin network flows determine cytoplasmic reorganization and cell shape by deforming adjacent cytoplasmic components through friction forces.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rushikesh Shinde
- Laboratoire de Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université de Paris Cité and CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Matilda Peruzzo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Irene Steccari
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Vanessa Zheden
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jack Merrin
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Andrew Callan-Jones
- Laboratoire de Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université de Paris Cité and CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Voituriez
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Sorbonne Université and CNRS, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, Sorbonne Université and CNRS, Paris, France
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6
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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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7
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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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8
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Lehmann C, Pohl C. A Maternal-Effect Toxin Affects Epithelial Differentiation and Tissue Mechanics in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:743496. [PMID: 34722524 PMCID: PMC8551626 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.743496] [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: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Selfish genetic elements that act as post-segregation distorters cause lethality in non-carrier individuals after fertilization. Two post-segregation distorters have been previously identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, the peel-1/zeel-1 and the sup-35/pha-1 elements. These elements seem to act as modification-rescue systems, also called toxin/antidote pairs. Here we show that the maternal-effect toxin/zygotic antidote pair sup-35/pha-1 is required for proper expression of apical junction (AJ) components in epithelia and that sup-35 toxicity increases when pathways that establish and maintain basal epithelial characteristics, die-1, elt-1, lin-26, and vab-10, are compromised. We demonstrate that pha-1(e2123) embryos, which lack the antidote, are defective in epidermal morphogenesis and frequently fail to elongate. Moreover, seam cells are frequently misshaped and mispositioned and cell bond tension is reduced in pha-1(e2123) embryos, suggesting altered tissue material properties in the epidermis. Several aspects of this phenotype can also be induced in wild-type embryos by exerting mechanical stress through uniaxial loading. Seam cell shape, tissue mechanics, and elongation can be restored in pha-1(e2123) embryos if expression of the AJ molecule DLG-1/Discs large is reduced. Thus, our experiments suggest that maternal-effect toxicity disrupts proper development of the epidermis which involves distinct transcriptional regulators and AJ components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lehmann
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian Pohl
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Institute of Biochemistry II, Medical Faculty, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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9
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Li Y, Munro E. Filament-guided filament assembly provides structural memory of filament alignment during cytokinesis. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2486-2500.e6. [PMID: 34480876 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
During cytokinesis, animal cells rapidly remodel the equatorial cortex to build an aligned array of actin filaments called the contractile ring. Local reorientation of filaments by active equatorial compression is thought to underlie the emergence of filament alignment during ring assembly. Here, combining single molecule analysis and modeling in one-cell C. elegans embryos, we show that filaments turnover is far too fast for reorientation of individual filaments by equatorial compression to explain the observed alignment, even if favorably oriented filaments are selectively stabilized. By tracking single formin/CYK-1::GFP particles to monitor local filament assembly, we identify a mechanism that we call filament-guided filament assembly (FGFA), in which existing filaments serve as templates to orient the growth of new filaments. FGFA sharply increases the effective lifetime of filament orientation, providing structural memory that allows cells to build highly aligned filament arrays in response to equatorial compression, despite rapid turnover of individual filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younan Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Edwin Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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10
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Zaatri A, Perry JA, Maddox AS. Septins and a formin have distinct functions in anaphase chiral cortical rotation in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:1283-1292. [PMID: 34010018 PMCID: PMC8351551 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-09-0576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cells and tissues exhibit chirality that stems from the chirality of proteins and polymers. In the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, actomyosin contractility drives chiral rotation of the entire cortex circumferentially around the division plane during anaphase. How contractility is translated to cell-scale chirality, and what dictates handedness, are unknown. Septins are candidate contributors to cell-scale chirality because they anchor and cross-link the actomyosin cytoskeleton. We report that septins are required for anaphase cortical rotation. In contrast, the formin CYK-1, which we found to be enriched in the posterior in early anaphase, is not required for cortical rotation but contributes to its chirality. Simultaneous loss of septin and CYK-1 function led to abnormal and often reversed cortical rotation. Our results suggest that anaphase contractility leads to chiral rotation by releasing torsional stress generated during formin-based polymerization, which is polarized along the cell anterior–posterior axis and which accumulates due to actomyosin network connectivity. Our findings shed light on the molecular and physical bases for cellular chirality in the C. elegans zygote. We also identify conditions in which chiral rotation fails but animals are developmentally viable, opening avenues for future work on the relationship between early embryonic cellular chirality and animal body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adhham Zaatri
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Jenna A Perry
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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11
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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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12
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Chapa-Y-Lazo B, Hamanaka M, Wray A, Balasubramanian MK, Mishima M. Polar relaxation by dynein-mediated removal of cortical myosin II. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:151836. [PMID: 32497213 PMCID: PMC7401816 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201903080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly six decades ago, Lewis Wolpert proposed the relaxation of the polar cell cortex by the radial arrays of astral microtubules as a mechanism for cleavage furrow induction. While this mechanism has remained controversial, recent work has provided evidence for polar relaxation by astral microtubules, although its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using C. elegans embryos, we show that polar relaxation is achieved through dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes. Mutants that position centrosomes closer to the polar cortex accelerated furrow induction, whereas suppression of dynein activity delayed furrowing. We show that dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes triggers a bidirectional cortical flow toward the cell equator, which induces the assembly of the actomyosin contractile ring. These results provide a molecular mechanism for the aster-dependent polar relaxation, which works in parallel with equatorial stimulation to promote robust cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Chapa-Y-Lazo
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Motonari Hamanaka
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.,Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Alexander Wray
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.,University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mohan K Balasubramanian
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Masanori Mishima
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
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13
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Gubieda AG, Packer JR, Squires I, Martin J, Rodriguez J. Going with the flow: insights from Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190555. [PMID: 32829680 PMCID: PMC7482210 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular components along a defined axis. Polarity relies on complex signalling networks between conserved patterning proteins, including the PAR (partitioning defective) proteins, which become segregated in response to upstream symmetry breaking cues. Although the mechanisms that drive the asymmetric localization of these proteins are dependent upon cell type and context, in many cases the regulation of actomyosin cytoskeleton dynamics is central to the transport, recruitment and/or stabilization of these polarity effectors into defined subcellular domains. The transport or advection of PAR proteins by an actomyosin flow was first observed in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote more than a decade ago. Since then a multifaceted approach, using molecular methods, high-throughput screens, and biophysical and computational models, has revealed further aspects of this flow and how polarity regulators respond to and modulate it. Here, we review recent findings on the interplay between actomyosin flow and the PAR patterning networks in the polarization of the C. elegans zygote. We also discuss how these discoveries and developed methods are shaping our understanding of other flow-dependent polarizing systems. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Josana Rodriguez
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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14
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Leite J, Chan FY, Osório DS, Saramago J, Sobral AF, Silva AM, Gassmann R, Carvalho AX. Equatorial Non-muscle Myosin II and Plastin Cooperate to Align and Compact F-actin Bundles in the Cytokinetic Ring. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:573393. [PMID: 33102479 PMCID: PMC7546906 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.573393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division that physically partitions the mother cell into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis requires the assembly and constriction of a contractile ring, a circumferential array of filamentous actin (F-actin), non-muscle myosin II motors (myosin), and actin-binding proteins that forms at the cell equator. Cytokinesis is accompanied by long-range cortical flows from regions of relaxation toward regions of compression. In the C. elegans one-cell embryo, it has been suggested that anterior-directed cortical flows are the main driver of contractile ring assembly. Here, we use embryos co-expressing motor-dead and wild-type myosin to show that cortical flows can be severely reduced without major effects on contractile ring assembly and timely completion of cytokinesis. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in the ingressing furrow reveals that myosin recruitment kinetics are also unaffected by the absence of cortical flows. We find that myosin cooperates with the F-actin crosslinker plastin to align and compact F-actin bundles at the cell equator, and that this cross-talk is essential for cytokinesis. Our results thus argue against the idea that cortical flows are a major determinant of contractile ring assembly. Instead, we propose that contractile ring assembly requires localized concerted action of motor-competent myosin and plastin at the cell equator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Leite
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fung-Yi Chan
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniel S Osório
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Saramago
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana F Sobral
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana M Silva
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Reto Gassmann
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana X Carvalho
- Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Cytoskeletal Dynamics Lab, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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15
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Pimpale LG, Middelkoop TC, Mietke A, Grill SW. Cell lineage-dependent chiral actomyosin flows drive cellular rearrangements in early Caenorhabditis elegans development. eLife 2020; 9:54930. [PMID: 32644039 PMCID: PMC7394549 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper positioning of cells is essential for many aspects of development. Daughter cell positions can be specified via orienting the cell division axis during cytokinesis. Rotatory actomyosin flows during division have been implied in specifying and reorienting the cell division axis, but how general such reorientation events are, and how they are controlled, remains unclear. We followed the first nine divisions of Caenorhabditis elegans embryo development and demonstrate that chiral counter-rotating flows arise systematically in early AB lineage, but not in early P/EMS lineage cell divisions. Combining our experiments with thin film active chiral fluid theory we identify a mechanism by which chiral counter-rotating actomyosin flows arise in the AB lineage only, and show that they drive lineage-specific spindle skew and cell reorientation events. In conclusion, our work sheds light on the physical processes that underlie chiral morphogenesis in early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokesh G Pimpale
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Teije C Middelkoop
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Mietke
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.,Chair of Scientific Computing for Systems Biology, Faculty of Computer Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Stephan W Grill
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Biotechnology Center, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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16
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Nguyen LTS, Robinson DN. The Unusual Suspects in Cytokinesis: Fitting the Pieces Together. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:441. [PMID: 32626704 PMCID: PMC7314909 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis is the step of the cell cycle in which the cell must faithfully separate the chromosomes and cytoplasm, yielding two daughter cells. The assembly and contraction of the contractile network is spatially and temporally coupled with the formation of the mitotic spindle to ensure the successful completion of cytokinesis. While decades of studies have elucidated the components of this machinery, the so-called usual suspects, and their functions, many lines of evidence are pointing to other unexpected proteins and sub-cellular systems as also being involved in cytokinesis. These we term the unusual suspects. In this review, we introduce recent discoveries on some of these new unusual suspects and begin to consider how these subcellular systems snap together to help complete the puzzle of cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ly T. S. Nguyen
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Douglas N. Robinson
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, MD, United States
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17
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Samandar Eweis D, Plastino J. Roles of Actin in the Morphogenesis of the Early Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103652. [PMID: 32455793 PMCID: PMC7279410 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell shape changes that ensure asymmetric cell divisions are crucial for correct development, as asymmetric divisions allow for the formation of different cell types and therefore different tissues. The first division of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo has emerged as a powerful model for understanding asymmetric cell division. The dynamics of microtubules, polarity proteins, and the actin cytoskeleton are all key for this process. In this review, we highlight studies from the last five years revealing new insights about the role of actin dynamics in the first asymmetric cell division of the early C. elegans embryo. Recent results concerning the roles of actin and actin binding proteins in symmetry breaking, cortical flows, cortical integrity, and cleavage furrow formation are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dureen Samandar Eweis
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France;
- Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Julie Plastino
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France;
- Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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