1
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Kurup AJ, Bailet F, Fürthauer M. Myosin1G promotes Nodal signaling to control zebrafish left-right asymmetry. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6547. [PMID: 39095343 PMCID: PMC11297164 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50868-y] [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: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Myosin1D (Myo1D) has recently emerged as a conserved regulator of animal Left-Right (LR) asymmetry that governs the morphogenesis of the vertebrate central LR Organizer (LRO). In addition to Myo1D, the zebrafish genome encodes the closely related Myo1G. Here we show that while Myo1G also controls LR asymmetry, it does so through an entirely different mechanism. Myo1G promotes the Nodal-mediated transfer of laterality information from the LRO to target tissues. At the cellular level, Myo1G is associated with endosomes positive for the TGFβ signaling adapter SARA. myo1g mutants have fewer SARA-positive Activin receptor endosomes and a reduced responsiveness to Nodal ligands that results in a delay of left-sided Nodal propagation and tissue-specific laterality defects in organs that are most distant from the LRO. Additionally, Myo1G promotes signaling by different Nodal ligands in specific biological contexts. Our findings therefore identify Myo1G as a context-dependent regulator of the Nodal signaling pathway.
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2
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Lemma B, Lemma LM, Ems-McClung SC, Walczak CE, Dogic Z, Needleman DJ. Structure and dynamics of motor-driven microtubule bundles. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:5715-5723. [PMID: 38872426 PMCID: PMC11268426 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01336g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Connecting the large-scale emergent behaviors of active cytoskeletal materials to the microscopic properties of their constituents is a challenge due to a lack of data on the multiscale dynamics and structure of such systems. We approach this problem by studying the impact of depletion attraction on bundles of microtubules and kinesin-14 molecular motors. For all depletant concentrations, kinesin-14 bundles generate comparable extensile dynamics. However, this invariable mesoscopic behavior masks the transition in the microscopic motion of microtubules. Specifically, with increasing attraction, we observe a transition from bi-directional sliding with extension to pure extension with no sliding. Small-angle X-ray scattering shows that the transition in microtubule dynamics is concurrent with a structural rearrangement of microtubules from an open hexagonal to a compressed rectangular lattice. These results demonstrate that bundles of microtubules and molecular motors can display the same mesoscopic extensile behaviors despite having different internal structures and microscopic dynamics. They provide essential information for developing multiscale models of active matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bezia Lemma
- Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Physics Department, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
- Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Linnea M Lemma
- Physics Department, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
- Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Claire E Walczak
- Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Zvonimir Dogic
- Physics Department, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
- Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Biomolecular Science & Engineering Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Daniel J Needleman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Molecular & Cellular Biology Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY 10010, USA
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3
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Guerra S, Castiello U, Bonato B, Dadda M. Handedness in Animals and Plants. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:502. [PMID: 39015821 PMCID: PMC7616222 DOI: 10.3390/biology13070502] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Structural and functional asymmetries are traceable in every form of life, and some lateralities are homologous. Functionally speaking, the division of labour between the two halves of the brain is a basic characteristic of the nervous system that arose even before the appearance of vertebrates. The most well-known expression of this specialisation in humans is hand dominance, also known as handedness. Even if hand/limb/paw dominance is far more commonly associated with the presence of a nervous system, it is also observed in its own form in aneural organisms, such as plants. To date, little is known regarding the possible functional significance of this dominance in plants, and many questions remain open (among them, whether it reflects a generalised behavioural asymmetry). Here, we propose a comparative approach to the study of handedness, including plants, by taking advantage of the experimental models and paradigms already used to study laterality in humans and various animal species. By taking this approach, we aim to enrich our knowledge of the concept of handedness across natural kingdoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Guerra
- Department of General Psychology (DPG), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (U.C.); (B.B.); (M.D.)
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4
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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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5
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Markovich T, Lubensky TC. Nonreciprocity and odd viscosity in chiral active fluids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2219385121. [PMID: 38701120 PMCID: PMC11087745 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219385121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Odd viscosity couples stress to strain rate in a dissipationless way. It has been studied in plasmas under magnetic fields, superfluid [Formula: see text], quantum-Hall fluids, and recently in the context of chiral active matter. In most of these studies, odd terms in the viscosity obey Onsager reciprocal relations. Although this is expected in equilibrium systems, it is not obvious that Onsager relations hold in active materials. By directly coarse-graining the kinetic energy and independently using both the Poisson-bracket formalism and a kinetic theory derivation, we find that the appearance of a nonvanishing angular momentum density, which is a hallmark of chiral active materials, necessarily breaks Onsager reciprocal relations. This leads to a non-Hermitian dynamical matrix for the total hydrodynamic momentum and to the appearance of odd viscosity and other nondissipative contributions to the viscosity. Furthermore, by accounting for both the angular momentum density and interactions that lead to odd viscosity, we find regions in the parameter space in which 3D odd mechanical waves propagate and regions in which they are mechanically unstable. The lines separating these regions are continuous lines of exceptional points, suggesting a possible nonreciprocal phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomer Markovich
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
- Center for Physics and Chemistry of Living Systems, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Tom C. Lubensky
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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6
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Borne V, Weiss M. Robust spatiotemporal organization of mitotic events in mechanically perturbed C. elegans embryos. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00243-1. [PMID: 38576160 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Early embryogenesis of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans progresses in an autonomous fashion within a protective chitin eggshell. Cell-division timing and the subsequent mechanically guided positioning of cells is virtually invariant between individuals, especially before gastrulation. Here, we have challenged this stereotypical developmental program in early stages by mechanically perturbing the embryo without breaking its eggshell. Compressing embryos to about two-thirds of their unperturbed diameter only resulted in markedly slower cell divisions. In contrast, compressing embryos to half of their native diameter frequently resulted in a loss of cytokinesis, yielding a non-natural syncytium that still allowed for multiple divisions of nuclei. Although the orientation of mitotic axes was strongly altered in the syncytium, key features of division timing and spatial arrangement of nuclei remained surprisingly similar to those of unperturbed embryos in the first few division cycles. This suggests that few, very robust mechanisms provide a basic and resilient program for safeguarding the early embryogenesis of C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Borne
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, Bayreuth, Germany.
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7
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Li ZY, Chen YP, Liu HY, Li B. Three-Dimensional Chiral Morphogenesis of Active Fluids. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:138401. [PMID: 38613297 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.138401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Chirality is an essential nature of biological systems. However, it remains obscure how the handedness at the microscale is translated into chiral morphogenesis at the tissue level. Here, we investigate three-dimensional (3D) tissue morphogenesis using an active fluid theory invoking chirality. We show that the coordination of achiral and chiral stresses, arising from microscopic interactions and energy input of individual cells, can engender the self-organization of 3D papillary and helical structures. The achiral active stress drives the nucleation of asterlike topological defects, which initiate 3D out-of-plane budding, followed by rodlike elongation. The chiral active stress excites vortexlike topological defects, which favor the tip spheroidization and twisting of the elongated rod. These results unravel the chiral morphogenesis observed in our experiments of 3D organoids generated by human embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yi Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yun-Ping Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hao-Yu Liu
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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8
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Neahring L, He Y, Cho NH, Liu G, Fernandes J, Rux CJ, Nakos K, Subramanian R, Upadhyayula S, Yildiz A, Dumont S. Torques within and outside the human spindle balance twist at anaphase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.10.570990. [PMID: 38405786 PMCID: PMC10888964 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.10.570990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
At each cell division, nanometer-scale motors and microtubules give rise to the micron-scale spindle. Many mitotic motors step helically around microtubules in vitro, and most are predicted to twist the spindle in a left-handed direction. However, the human spindle exhibits only slight global twist, raising the question of how these molecular torques are balanced. Here, using lattice light sheet microscopy, we find that anaphase spindles in the epithelial cell line MCF10A have a high baseline twist, and we identify factors that both increase and decrease this twist. The midzone motors KIF4A and MKLP1 are redundantly required for left-handed twist at anaphase, and we show that KIF4A generates left-handed torque in vitro. The actin cytoskeleton also contributes to left-handed twist, but dynein and its cortical recruitment factor LGN counteract it. Together, our work demonstrates that force generators regulate twist in opposite directions from both within and outside the spindle, preventing strong spindle twist during chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lila Neahring
- Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yifei He
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nathan H. Cho
- Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gaoxiang Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Fernandes
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Caleb J. Rux
- Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Konstantinos Nakos
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Radhika Subramanian
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Srigokul Upadhyayula
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildiz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Physics Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sophie Dumont
- Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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9
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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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10
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Li W, Chung WL, Kozlov MM, Medalia O, Geiger B, Bershadsky AD. Chiral growth of adherent filopodia. Biophys J 2023; 122:3704-3721. [PMID: 37301982 PMCID: PMC10541518 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Adherent filopodia are elongated finger-like membrane protrusions, extending from the edges of diverse cell types and participating in cell adhesion, spreading, migration, and environmental sensing. The formation and elongation of filopodia are driven by the polymerization of parallel actin filaments, comprising the filopodia cytoskeletal core. Here, we report that adherent filopodia, formed during the spreading of cultured cells on galectin-8-coated substrates, tend to change the direction of their extension in a chiral fashion, acquiring a left-bent shape. Cryoelectron tomography examination indicated that turning of the filopodia tip to the left is accompanied by the displacement of the actin core bundle to the right of the filopodia midline. Reduction of the adhesion to galectin-8 by treatment with thiodigalactoside abolished this filopodia chirality. By modulating the expression of a variety of actin-associated filopodia proteins, we identified myosin-X and formin DAAM1 as major filopodia chirality promoting factors. Formin mDia1, actin filament elongation factor VASP, and actin filament cross-linker fascin were also shown to be involved. Thus, the simple actin cytoskeleton of filopodia, together with a small number of associated proteins are sufficient to drive a complex navigation process, manifested by the development of left-right asymmetry in these cellular protrusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhong Li
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Wen-Lu Chung
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael M Kozlov
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Geiger
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Alexander D Bershadsky
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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11
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Haldar A, Sarkar A, Chatterjee S, Basu A. Active XY model on a substrate: Density fluctuations and phase ordering. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:034114. [PMID: 37849142 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.034114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
We explore the generic long-wavelength properties of an active XY model on a substrate, consisting of a collection of nearly phase-ordered active XY spins in contact with a diffusing, conserved species, as a representative system of active spinners with a conservation law. The spins rotate actively in response to the local density fluctuations and local phase differences, on a solid substrate. We investigate this system by Monte Carlo simulations of an agent-based model, which we set up, complemented by the hydrodynamic theory for the system. We demonstrate that this system can phase-synchronize without any hydrodynamic interactions. Our combined numerical and analytical studies show that this model, when stable, displays hitherto unstudied scaling behavior: As a consequence of the interplay between the mobility, active rotation, and number conservation, such a system can be stable over a wide range of the model parameters characterized by a novel correspondence between the phase and density fluctuations. In different regions of the phase space where the phase-ordered system is stable, it displays generalized quasi-long-range order (QLRO): It shows phase ordering which is generically either logarithmically stronger than the conventional QLRO found in its equilibrium limit, together with "miniscule number fluctuations," or logarithmically weaker than QLRO along with "giant number fluctuations," showing a novel one-to-one correspondence between phase ordering and density fluctuations in the ordered states. Intriguingly, these scaling exponents are found to depend explicitly on the model parameters. We further show that in other parameter regimes there are no stable, ordered phases. Instead, two distinct types of disordered states with short-range phase order are found, characterized by the presence or absence of stable clusters of finite sizes. In a surprising connection, the hydrodynamic theory for this model also describes the fluctuations in a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) surface with a conserved species on it, or an active fluid membrane with a finite tension, without momentum conservation and a conserved species living on it. This implies the existence of stable fluctuating surfaces that are only logarithmically smoother or rougher than the Edward-Wilkinson surface at two dimensions (2D) can exist, in contrast to the 2D pure KPZ-like "rough" surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astik Haldar
- Theory Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, A CI of Homi Bhabha National Institute, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Calcutta 700064, West Bengal, India
| | - Apurba Sarkar
- School of Mathematical & Computational Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata-700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Swarnajit Chatterjee
- Center for Biophysics & Department for Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Abhik Basu
- Theory Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, A CI of Homi Bhabha National Institute, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Calcutta 700064, West Bengal, India
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12
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Cuvelier M, Vangheel J, Thiels W, Ramon H, Jelier R, Smeets B. Stability of asymmetric cell division: A deformable cell model of cytokinesis applied to C. elegans. Biophys J 2023; 122:1858-1867. [PMID: 37085996 PMCID: PMC10209142 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division during early embryogenesis is linked to key morphogenic events such as embryo symmetry breaking and tissue patterning. It is thought that the physical surrounding of cells together with cell intrinsic cues act as a mechanical "mold," guiding cell division to ensure these events are robust. To quantify how cell division is affected by the mechanical and geometrical environment, we present a novel computational mechanical model of cytokinesis, the final phase of cell division. Simulations with the model reproduced experimentally observed furrow dynamics and describe the volume ratio of daughter cells in asymmetric cell divisions, based on the position and orientation of the mitotic spindle. For dividing cells in geometrically confined environments, we show how the orientation of confinement relative to the division axis modulates the volume ratio in asymmetric cell division. Further, we quantified how cortex viscosity and surface tension determine the shape of a dividing cell and govern bubble-instabilities in asymmetric cell division. Finally, we simulated the formation of the three body axes via sequential (a)symmetric divisions up until the six-cell stage of early C. elegans development, which proceeds within the confines of an eggshell. We demonstrate how model input parameters spindle position and orientation provide sufficient information to reliably predict the volume ratio of daughter cells during the cleavage phase of development. However, for egg geometries perturbed by compression, the model predicts that a change in confinement alone is insufficient to explain experimentally observed differences in cell volume. This points to an effect of the compression on the spindle positioning mechanism. Additionally, the model predicts that confinement stabilizes asymmetric cell divisions against bubble-instabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Cuvelier
- MeBioS, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium; Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jef Vangheel
- MeBioS, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium; Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Thiels
- CMPG, M2S Department, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Herman Ramon
- MeBioS, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Rob Jelier
- CMPG, M2S Department, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Bart Smeets
- MeBioS, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium; Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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13
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Nakamura M, Hui J, Parkhurst SM. Bending actin filaments: twists of fate. Fac Rev 2023; 12:7. [PMID: 37081903 PMCID: PMC10111394 DOI: 10.12703/r/12-7] [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] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In many cellular contexts, intracellular actomyosin networks must generate directional forces to carry out cellular tasks such as migration and endocytosis, which play important roles during normal developmental processes. A number of different actin binding proteins have been identified that form linear or branched actin, and that regulate these filaments through activities such as bundling, crosslinking, and depolymerization to create a wide variety of functional actin assemblies. The helical nature of actin filaments allows them to better accommodate tensile stresses by untwisting, as well as to bend to great curvatures without breaking. Interestingly, this latter property, the bending of actin filaments, is emerging as an exciting new feature for determining dynamic actin configurations and functions. Indeed, recent studies using in vitro assays have found that proteins including IQGAP, Cofilin, Septins, Anillin, α-Actinin, Fascin, and Myosins-alone or in combination-can influence the bending or curvature of actin filaments. This bending increases the number and types of dynamic assemblies that can be generated, as well as the spectrum of their functions. Intriguingly, in some cases, actin bending creates directionality within a cell, resulting in a chiral cell shape. This actin-dependent cell chirality is highly conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates and is essential for cell migration and breaking L-R symmetry of tissues/organs. Here, we review how different types of actin binding protein can bend actin filaments, induce curved filament geometries, and how they impact on cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsutoshi Nakamura
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA 98109
| | - Justin Hui
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA 98109
| | - Susan M Parkhurst
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA 98109
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14
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Hui J, Nakamura M, Dubrulle J, Parkhurst SM. Coordinated efforts of different actin filament populations are needed for optimal cell wound repair. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar15. [PMID: 36598808 PMCID: PMC10011732 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-05-0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells are subjected to a barrage of daily insults that often lead to their cortices being ripped open and requiring immediate repair. An important component of the cell's repair response is the formation of an actomyosin ring at the wound periphery to mediate its closure. Here we show that inhibition of myosin or the linear actin nucleation factors Diaphanous and/or dishevelled associated activator of morphogenesis results in a disrupted contractile apparatus and delayed wound closure. We also show that the branched actin nucleators WASp and SCAR function nonredundantly as scaffolds to assemble and maintain this contractile actomyosin cable. Removing branched actin leads to the formation of smaller circular actin-myosin structures at the cell cortex and to slow wound closure. Removing linear and branched actin simultaneously results in failed wound closure. Surprisingly, removal of branched actin and myosin results in the formation of parallel linear F-actin filaments that undergo a chiral swirling movement to close the wound, uncovering a new mechanism of cell wound closure. Taken together, we demonstrate the roles of different actin substructures that are required for optimal actomyosin ring formation and the extraordinary resilience of the cell to undergo wound repair when it is unable to form different subsets of these substructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Hui
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109
| | | | - Julien Dubrulle
- Cellular Imaging Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Susan M Parkhurst
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109
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15
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Actin polymerisation and crosslinking drive left-right asymmetry in single cell and cell collectives. Nat Commun 2023; 14:776. [PMID: 36774346 PMCID: PMC9922260 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Deviations from mirror symmetry in the development of bilateral organisms are common but the mechanisms of initial symmetry breaking are insufficiently understood. The actin cytoskeleton of individual cells self-organises in a chiral manner, but the molecular players involved remain essentially unidentified and the relationship between chirality of an individual cell and cell collectives is unclear. Here, we analysed self-organisation of the chiral actin cytoskeleton in individual cells on circular or elliptical patterns, and collective cell alignment in confined microcultures. Screening based on deep-learning analysis of actin patterns identified actin polymerisation regulators, depletion of which suppresses chirality (mDia1) or reverses chirality direction (profilin1 and CapZβ). The reversed chirality is mDia1-independent but requires the function of actin-crosslinker α-actinin1. A robust correlation between the effects of a variety of actin assembly regulators on chirality of individual cells and cell collectives is revealed. Thus, actin-driven cell chirality may underlie tissue and organ asymmetry.
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16
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Abstract
Actin cytoskeleton force generation, sensing, and adaptation are dictated by the bending and twisting mechanics of filaments. Here, we use magnetic tweezers and microfluidics to twist and pull individual actin filaments and evaluate their response to applied loads. Twisted filaments bend and dissipate torsional strain by adopting a supercoiled plectoneme. Pulling prevents plectoneme formation, which causes twisted filaments to sever. Analysis over a range of twisting and pulling forces and direct visualization of filament and single subunit twisting fluctuations yield an actin filament torsional persistence length of ~10 µm, similar to the bending persistence length. Filament severing by cofilin is driven by local twist strain at boundaries between bare and decorated segments and is accelerated by low pN pulling forces. This work explains how contractile forces generated by myosin motors accelerate filament severing by cofilin and establishes a role for filament twisting in the regulation of actin filament stability and assembly dynamics.
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17
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Hiraiwa T, Akiyama R, Inoue D, Kabir AMR, Kakugo A. Collision-induced torque mediates the transition of chiral dynamic patterns formed by active particles. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:28782-28787. [PMID: 36382471 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03879j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Controlling the patterns formed by self-propelled particles through dynamic self-organization is a challenging task. Although varieties of patterns associated with chiral self-propelled particles have been reported, essential factors that determine the morphology of the patterns have remained unclear. Here, we explore theoretically how torque formed upon collision of the particles affects the dynamic self-organization of the particles and determine the patterns. Based on a particle-based model with collision-induced torque and torque associated with self-propulsion, we find that introducing collision-induced torque turns the homogeneous bi-directionally aligned particles into rotating mono-polar flocks, which helps resolve a discrepancy in the earlier observations in microfilament gliding assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Hiraiwa
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411, Singapore. .,Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryo Akiyama
- Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Daisuke Inoue
- Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
| | | | - Akira Kakugo
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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18
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Three-dimensional chiral morphodynamics of chemomechanical active shells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206159119. [PMID: 36442097 PMCID: PMC9894169 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206159119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis of active shells such as cells is a fundamental chemomechanical process that often exhibits three-dimensional (3D) large deformations and chemical pattern dynamics simultaneously. Here, we establish a chemomechanical active shell theory accounting for mechanical feedback and biochemical regulation to investigate the symmetry-breaking and 3D chiral morphodynamics emerging in the cell cortex. The active bending and stretching of the elastic shells are regulated by biochemical signals like actomyosin and RhoA, which, in turn, exert mechanical feedback on the biochemical events via deformation-dependent diffusion and inhibition. We show that active deformations can trigger chemomechanical bifurcations, yielding pulse spiral waves and global oscillations, which, with increasing mechanical feedback, give way to traveling or standing waves subsequently. Mechanical feedback is also found to contribute to stabilizing the polarity of emerging patterns, thus ensuring robust morphogenesis. Our results reproduce and unravel the experimentally observed solitary and multiple spiral patterns, which initiate asymmetric cleavage in Xenopus and starfish embryogenesis. This study underscores the crucial roles of mechanical feedback in cell development and also suggests a chemomechanical framework allowing for 3D large deformation and chemical signaling to explore complex morphogenesis in living shell-like structures.
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19
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Petri N, Nordbrink R, Tsikolia N, Kremnyov S. Abnormal left-right organizer and laterality defects in Xenopus embryos after formin inhibitor SMIFH2 treatment. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275164. [PMCID: PMC9639825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right symmetry breaking in most studied vertebrates makes use of so-called leftward flow, a mechanism which was studied in detail especially in mouse and Xenopus laevis embryos and is based on rotation of monocilia on specialized epithelial surface designated as left-right organizer or laterality coordinator. However, it has been argued that prior to emergence of leftward flow an additional mechanism operates during early cleavage stages in Xenopus embryo which is based on cytoskeletal processes. Evidence in favour of this early mechanism was supported by left-right abnormalities after chemical inhibition of cytoskeletal protein formin. Here we analyzed temporal dimension of this effect in detail and found that reported abnormalities arise only after treatment at gastrula-neurula stages, i.e. just prior to and during the operation of left-right organizer. Moreover, molecular and morphological analysis of the left-right organizer reveals its abnormal development. Our results strongly indicate that left-right abnormalities reported after formin inhibition cannot serve as support of models based on early symmetry breaking event in Xenopus embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Petri
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Rhea Nordbrink
- Anatomy and Embryology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nikoloz Tsikolia
- Anatomy and Embryology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (NT); (SK)
| | - Stanislav Kremnyov
- Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis Evolution, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology RAS, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail: (NT); (SK)
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20
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Floyd C, Ni H, Gunaratne RS, Erban R, Papoian GA. On Stretching, Bending, Shearing, and Twisting of Actin Filaments I: Variational Models. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:4865-4878. [PMID: 35895330 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mechanochemical simulations of actomyosin networks are traditionally based on one-dimensional models of actin filaments having zero width. Here, and in the follow up paper (arXiv, DOI 10.48550/arXiv.2203.01284), approaches are presented for more efficient modeling that incorporates stretching, shearing, and twisting of actin filaments. Our modeling of a semiflexible filament with a small but finite width is based on the Cosserat theory of elastic rods, which allows for six degrees of freedom at every point on the filament's backbone. In the variational models presented in this paper, a small and discrete set of parameters is used to describe a smooth filament shape having all degrees of freedom allowed in the Cosserat theory. Two main approaches are introduced: one where polynomial spline functions describe the filament's configuration, and one in which geodesic curves in the space of the configurational degrees of freedom are used. We find that in the latter representation the strain energy function can be calculated without resorting to a small-angle expansion, so it can describe arbitrarily large filament deformations without systematic error. These approaches are validated by a dynamical model of a Cosserat filament, which can be further extended by using multiresolution methods to allow more detailed monomer-based resolution in certain parts of the actin filament, as introduced in the follow up paper. The presented framework is illustrated by showing how torsional compliance in a finite-width filament can induce broken chiral symmetry in the structure of a cross-linked bundle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Floyd
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Haoran Ni
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Ravinda S Gunaratne
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
| | - Radek Erban
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
| | - Garegin A Papoian
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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21
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Abstract
Active crystals are highly ordered structures that emerge from the self-organization of motile objects, and have been widely studied in synthetic1,2 and bacterial3,4 active matter. Whether persistent crystalline order can emerge in groups of autonomously developing multicellular organisms is currently unknown. Here we show that swimming starfish embryos spontaneously assemble into chiral crystals that span thousands of spinning organisms and persist for tens of hours. Combining experiments, theory and simulations, we demonstrate that the formation, dynamics and dissolution of these living crystals are controlled by the hydrodynamic properties and the natural development of embryos. Remarkably, living chiral crystals exhibit self-sustained chiral oscillations as well as various unconventional deformation response behaviours recently predicted for odd elastic materials5,6. Our results provide direct experimental evidence for how non-reciprocal interactions between autonomous multicellular components may facilitate non-equilibrium phases of chiral active matter.
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22
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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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23
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Najafabadi FR, Leaver M, Grill SW. Orchestrating Non-muscle myosin II filament assembly at the onset of cytokinesis. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar74. [PMID: 35544301 PMCID: PMC9635286 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-12-0599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Contractile forces in the actomyosin cortex are required for cellular morphogenesis. This includes the invagination of the cell membrane during division, where filaments of nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) are responsible for generating contractile forces in the cortex. However, how NMII heterohexamers form filaments in vivo is not well understood. To quantify NMII filament assembly dynamics, we imaged the cortex of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos at high spatial resolution around the time of the first division. We show that during the assembly of the cytokinetic ring, the number of NMII filaments in the cortex increases and more NMII motors are assembled into each filament. These dynamics are influenced by two proteins in the RhoA GTPase pathway, the RhoA-dependent kinase LET-502 and the myosin phosphatase MEL-11. We find that these two proteins differentially regulate NMII activity at the anterior and at the division site. We show that the coordinated action of these regulators generates a gradient of free NMII in the cytoplasm driving a net diffusive flux of NMII motors toward the cytokinetic ring. Our work highlights how NMII filament assembly and disassembly dynamics are orchestrated over space and time to facilitate the up-regulation of cortical contractility during cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Leaver
- Biotechnology Centre, Technische Universität, Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden 01307.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, Dresden
| | - Stephan W Grill
- Biotechnology Centre, Technische Universität, Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden 01307.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, Dresden.,Excellence Cluster Physics of Life, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany 01307
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24
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Lier R, Armas J, Bo S, Duclut C, Jülicher F, Surówka P. Passive odd viscoelasticity. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:054607. [PMID: 35706288 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.054607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Active chiral viscoelastic materials exhibit elastic responses perpendicular to the applied stresses, referred to as odd elasticity. We use a covariant formulation of viscoelasticity combined with an entropy production analysis to show that odd elasticity is not only present in active systems but also in broad classes of passive chiral viscoelastic fluids. In addition, we demonstrate that linear viscoelastic chiral solids require activity in order to manifest odd elastic responses. To model the phenomenon of passive odd viscoelasticity we propose a chiral extension of Jeffreys model. We apply our covariant formalism in order to derive the dispersion relations of hydrodynamic modes and obtain clear imprints of odd viscoelastic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Lier
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jay Armas
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena (DIEP), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stefano Bo
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Charlie Duclut
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Piotr Surówka
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena (DIEP), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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25
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Filopodia rotate and coil by actively generating twist in their actin shaft. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1636. [PMID: 35347113 PMCID: PMC8960877 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28961-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Filopodia are actin-rich structures, present on the surface of eukaryotic cells. These structures play a pivotal role by allowing cells to explore their environment, generate mechanical forces or perform chemical signaling. Their complex dynamics includes buckling, pulling, length and shape changes. We show that filopodia additionally explore their 3D extracellular space by combining growth and shrinking with axial twisting and buckling. Importantly, the actin core inside filopodia performs a twisting or spinning motion which is observed for a range of cell types spanning from earliest development to highly differentiated tissue cells. Non-equilibrium physical modeling of actin and myosin confirm that twist is an emergent phenomenon of active filaments confined in a narrow channel which is supported by measured traction forces and helical buckles that can be ascribed to accumulation of sufficient twist. These results lead us to conclude that activity induced twisting of the actin shaft is a general mechanism underlying fundamental functions of filopodia. The authors show how tubular surface structures in all cell types, have the ability to twist and perform rotary sweeping motion to explore the extracellular environment. This has implications for migration, sensing and cell communication.
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26
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Sutlive J, Xiu H, Chen Y, Gou K, Xiong F, Guo M, Chen Z. Generation, Transmission, and Regulation of Mechanical Forces in Embryonic Morphogenesis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2103466. [PMID: 34837328 PMCID: PMC8831476 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202103466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic morphogenesis is a biological process which depicts shape forming of tissues and organs during development. Unveiling the roles of mechanical forces generated, transmitted, and regulated in cells and tissues through these processes is key to understanding the biophysical mechanisms governing morphogenesis. To this end, it is imperative to measure, simulate, and predict the regulation and control of these mechanical forces during morphogenesis. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the recent advances on mechanical properties of cells and tissues, generation of mechanical forces in cells and tissues, the transmission processes of these generated forces during cells and tissues, the tools and methods used to measure and predict these mechanical forces in vivo, in vitro, or in silico, and to better understand the corresponding regulation and control of generated forces. Understanding the biomechanics and mechanobiology of morphogenesis will not only shed light on the fundamental physical mechanisms underlying these concerted biological processes during normal development, but also uncover new information that will benefit biomedical research in preventing and treating congenital defects or tissue engineering and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Sutlive
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Haning Xiu
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Yunfeng Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Kun Gou
- Department of Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78224
| | - Fengzhu Xiong
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Zi Chen
- Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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27
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Sugioka K. Symmetry-breaking of animal cytokinesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 127:100-109. [PMID: 34955355 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cytokinesis is a mechanism that separates dividing cells via constriction of a supramolecular structure, the contractile ring. In animal cells, three modes of symmetry-breaking of cytokinesis result in unilateral cytokinesis, asymmetric cell division, and oriented cell division. Each mode of cytokinesis plays a significant role in tissue patterning and morphogenesis by the mechanisms that control the orientation and position of the contractile ring relative to the body axis. Despite its significance, the mechanisms involved in the symmetry-breaking of cytokinesis remain unclear in many cell types. Classical embryologists have identified that the geometric relationship between the mitotic spindle and cell cortex induces cytokinesis asymmetry; however, emerging evidence suggests that a concerted flow of compressional cell-cortex materials (cortical flow) is a spindle-independent driving force in spatial cytokinesis control. This review provides an overview of both classical and emerging mechanisms of cytokinesis asymmetry and their roles in animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Sugioka
- Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada; Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada.
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28
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Bacterial Filamentation Drives Colony Chirality. mBio 2021; 12:e0154221. [PMID: 34724813 PMCID: PMC8561393 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01542-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chirality is ubiquitous in nature, with consequences at the cellular and tissue scales. As Escherichia coli colonies expand radially, an orthogonal component of growth creates a pinwheel-like pattern that can be revealed by fluorescent markers. To elucidate the mechanistic basis of this colony chirality, we investigated its link to left-handed, single-cell twisting during E. coli elongation. While chemical and genetic manipulation of cell width altered single-cell twisting handedness, colonies ceased to be chiral rather than switching handedness, and anaerobic growth altered colony chirality without affecting single-cell twisting. Chiral angle increased with increasing temperature even when growth rate decreased. Unifying these findings, we discovered that colony chirality was associated with the propensity for cell filamentation. Inhibition of cell division accentuated chirality under aerobic growth and generated chirality under anaerobic growth. Thus, regulation of cell division is intrinsically coupled to colony chirality, providing a mechanism for tuning macroscale spatial patterning. IMPORTANCE Chiral objects, such as amino acids, are distinguishable from their mirror image. For living systems, the fundamental mechanisms relating cellular handedness to chirality at the multicellular scale remain largely mysterious. Here, we use chemical, genetic, and environmental perturbations of Escherichia coli to investigate whether pinwheel patterns in bacterial colonies are directly linked to single-cell growth behaviors. We discover that chirality can be abolished without affecting single-cell twisting; instead, the degree of chirality was linked to the proportion of highly elongated cells at the colony edge. Inhibiting cell division boosted the degree of chirality during aerobic growth and even introduced chirality to otherwise achiral colonies during anaerobic growth. These findings reveal a fascinating connection between cell division and macroscopic colony patterning.
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29
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Caroti F, Thiels W, Vanslambrouck M, Jelier R. Wnt Signaling Induces Asymmetric Dynamics in the Actomyosin Cortex of the C. elegans Endomesodermal Precursor Cell. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:702741. [PMID: 34604213 PMCID: PMC8484649 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.702741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During asymmetrical division of the endomesodermal precursor cell EMS, a cortical flow arises, and the daughter cells, endodermal precursor E and mesodermal precursor MS, have an enduring difference in the levels of F-actin and non-muscular myosin. Ablation of the cell cortex suggests that these observed differences lead to differences in cortical tension. The higher F-actin and myosin levels in the MS daughter coincide with cell shape changes and relatively lower tension, indicating a soft, actively moving cell, whereas the lower signal in the E daughter cell is associated with higher tension and a more rigid, spherical shape. The cortical flow is under control of the Wnt signaling pathway. Perturbing the pathway removes the asymmetry arising during EMS division and induces subtle defects in the cellular movements at the eight-cell stage. The perturbed cellular movement appears to be associated with an asymmetric distribution of E-cadherin across the EMS cytokinesis groove. ABpl forms a lamellipodium which preferentially adheres to MS by the E-cadherin HMR-1. The HMR-1 asymmetry across the groove is complete just at the moment cytokinesis completes. Perturbing Wnt signaling equalizes the HMR-1 distribution across the lamellipodium. We conclude that Wnt signaling induces a cortical flow during EMS division, which results in a transition in the cortical contractile network for the daughter cells, as well as an asymmetric distribution of E-cadherin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Caroti
- Predictive Genetics and Multicellular Systems, CMPG, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Thiels
- Predictive Genetics and Multicellular Systems, CMPG, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michiel Vanslambrouck
- Predictive Genetics and Multicellular Systems, CMPG, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rob Jelier
- Predictive Genetics and Multicellular Systems, CMPG, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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30
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Abstract
In the context of animal or plant development, we tend to think of cells as small, simple, building blocks, such that complex patterns or shapes can only be constructed from large numbers of cells, with cells in different parts of the organism taking on different fates. However, cells themselves are far from simple, and often take on complex shapes with a remarkable degree of intracellular patterning. How do these patterns arise? As in embryogenesis, the development of structure inside a cell can be broken down into a number of basic processes. For each part of the cell, morphogenetic processes create internal structures such as organelles, which might correspond to organs at the level of a whole organism. Given that mechanisms exist to generate parts, patterning processes are required to ensure that the parts are distributed in the correct arrangement relative to the rest of the cell. Such patterning processes make reference to global polarity axes, requiring mechanisms for axiation which, in turn, require processes to break symmetry. These fundamental processes of symmetry breaking, axiation, patterning, and morphogenesis have been extensively studied in developmental biology but less so at the subcellular level. This review will focus on developmental processes that give eukaryotic cells their complex structures, with a focus on cytoskeletal organization in free-living cells, ciliates in particular, in which these processes are most readily apparent.
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31
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Thiels W, Smeets B, Cuvelier M, Caroti F, Jelier R. spheresDT/Mpacts-PiCS: Cell Tracking and Shape Retrieval in Membrane-labeled Embryos. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:4851-4856. [PMID: 34329378 PMCID: PMC8665764 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation Uncovering the cellular and mechanical processes that drive embryo formation requires an accurate read out of cell geometries over time. However, automated extraction of 3D cell shapes from time-lapse microscopy remains challenging, especially when only membranes are labeled. Results We present an image analysis framework for automated tracking and three-dimensional cell segmentation in confocal time lapses. A sphere clustering approach allows for local thresholding and application of logical rules to facilitate tracking and unseeded segmentation of variable cell shapes. Next, the segmentation is refined by a discrete element method simulation where cell shapes are constrained by a biomechanical cell shape model. We apply the framework on Caenorhabditis elegans embryos in various stages of early development and analyze the geometry of the 7- and 8-cell stage embryo, looking at volume, contact area and shape over time. Availability and implementation The Python code for the algorithm and for measuring performance, along with all data needed to recreate the results is freely available at 10.5281/zenodo.5108416 and 10.5281/zenodo.4540092. The most recent version of the software is maintained at https://bitbucket.org/pgmsembryogenesis/sdt-pics. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Thiels
- CMPG, KU Leuven, Heverlee, 3001, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Rob Jelier
- CMPG, KU Leuven, Heverlee, 3001, Belgium
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32
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Al-Izzi SC, Morris RG. Active flows and deformable surfaces in development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:44-52. [PMID: 34266757 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We review progress in active hydrodynamic descriptions of flowing media on curved and deformable manifolds: the state-of-the-art in continuum descriptions of single-layers of epithelial and/or other tissues during development. First, after a brief overview of activity, flows and hydrodynamic descriptions, we highlight the generic challenge of identifying the dependence on dynamical variables of so-called active kinetic coefficients- active counterparts to dissipative Onsager coefficients. We go on to describe some of the subtleties concerning how curvature and active flows interact, and the issues that arise when surfaces are deformable. We finish with a broad discussion around the utility of such theories in developmental biology. This includes limitations to analytical techniques, challenges associated with numerical integration, fitting-to-data and inference, and potential tools for the future, such as discrete differential geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami C Al-Izzi
- School of Physics and EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales - Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Richard G Morris
- School of Physics and EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales - Sydney, 2052, Australia.
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33
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Afroze F, Inoue D, Farhana TI, Hiraiwa T, Akiyama R, Kabir AMR, Sada K, Kakugo A. Monopolar flocking of microtubules in collective motion. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 563:73-78. [PMID: 34062389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Flocking is a fascinating coordinated behavior of living organisms or self-propelled particles (SPPs). Particularly, monopolar flocking has been attractive due to its potential applications in various fields. However, the underlying mechanism behind flocking and emergence of monopolar motion in flocking of SPPs has remained obscured. Here, we demonstrate monopolar flocking of kinesin-driven microtubules, a self-propelled biomolecular motor system. Microtubules with an intrinsic structural chirality preferentially move towards counter-clockwise direction. At high density, the CCW motion of microtubules facilitates monopolar flocking and formation of a spiral pattern. The monopolar flocking of microtubules is accounted for by a torque generated when the motion of microtubules was obstructed due to collisions. Our results shed light on flocking and emergence of monopolar motion in flocking of chiral active matters. This work will help regulate the polarity in collective motion of SPPs which in turn will widen their applications in nanotechnology, materials science and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Afroze
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Daisuke Inoue
- Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 815-8540, Japan
| | - Tamanna Ishrat Farhana
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hiraiwa
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117411, Singapore; Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryo Akiyama
- Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | | | - Kazuki Sada
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan; Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Akira Kakugo
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan; Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan.
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34
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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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35
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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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36
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Yao X, Wang X, Ding J. Exploration of possible cell chirality using material techniques of surface patterning. Acta Biomater 2021; 126:92-108. [PMID: 33684535 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Consistent left-right (LR) asymmetry or chirality is critical for embryonic development and function maintenance. While chirality on either molecular or organism level has been well established, that on the cellular level has remained an open question for a long time. Although it remains unclear whether chirality exists universally on the cellular level, valuable efforts have recently been made to explore this fundamental topic pertinent to both cell biology and biomaterial science. The development of material fabrication techniques, surface patterning, in particular, has afforded a unique platform to study cell-material interactions. By using patterning techniques, chirality on the cellular level has been examined for cell clusters and single cells in vitro in well-designed experiments. In this review, we first introduce typical fabrication techniques of surface patterning suitable for cell studies and then summarize the main aspects of preliminary evidence of cell chirality on patterned surfaces to date. We finally indicate the limitations of the studies conducted thus far and describe the perspectives of future research in this challenging field. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: While both biomacromolecules and organisms can exhibit chirality, it is not yet conclusive whether a cell has left-right (LR) asymmetry. It is important yet challenging to study and reveal the possible existence of cell chirality. By using the technique of surface patterning, the recent decade has witnessed progress in the exploration of possible cell chirality within cell clusters and single cells. Herein, some important preliminary evidence of cell chirality is collected and analyzed. The open questions and perspectives are also described to promote further investigations of cell chirality in biomaterials.
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37
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Plan ELCVM, Yeomans JM, Doostmohammadi A. Activity pulses induce spontaneous flow reversals in viscoelastic environments. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210100. [PMID: 33849330 PMCID: PMC8086915 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex interactions between cellular systems and their surrounding extracellular matrices are emerging as important mechanical regulators of cell functions, such as proliferation, motility and cell death, and such cellular systems are often characterized by pulsating actomyosin activities. Here, using an active gel model, we numerically explore spontaneous flow generation by activity pulses in the presence of a viscoelastic medium. The results show that cross-talk between the activity-induced deformations of the viscoelastic surroundings and the time-dependent response of the active medium to these deformations can lead to the reversal of spontaneously generated active flows. We explain the mechanism behind this phenomenon based on the interaction between the active flow and the viscoelastic medium. We show the importance of relaxation time scales of both the polymers and the active particles and provide a phase space over which such spontaneous flow reversals can be observed. Our results suggest new experiments investigating the role of controlled pulses of activity in living systems ensnared in complex mircoenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel L C Vi M Plan
- Institute of Theoretical and Applied Research, Duy Tan University, Ha Noi 100 000, Viet Nam.,Faculty of Natural Science, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550 000, Viet Nam
| | - Julia M Yeomans
- The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Amin Doostmohammadi
- The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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38
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Banerjee D, Vitelli V, Jülicher F, Surówka P. Active Viscoelasticity of Odd Materials. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:138001. [PMID: 33861116 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.138001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical response of active media ranging from biological gels to living tissues is governed by a subtle interplay between viscosity and elasticity. We generalize the canonical Kelvin-Voigt and Maxwell models to active viscoelastic media that break both parity and time-reversal symmetries. The resulting continuum theories exhibit viscous and elastic tensors that are both antisymmetric, or odd, under exchange of pairs of indices. We analyze how these parity violating viscoelastic coefficients determine the relaxation mechanisms and wave-propagation properties of odd materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debarghya Banerjee
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Vincenzo Vitelli
- James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Piotr Surówka
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
- Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, Germany
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39
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The Actomyosin Cortex of Cells: A Thin Film of Active Matter. J Indian Inst Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-020-00220-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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40
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Strauss RE, Gourdie RG. Cx43 and the Actin Cytoskeleton: Novel Roles and Implications for Cell-Cell Junction-Based Barrier Function Regulation. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1656. [PMID: 33321985 PMCID: PMC7764618 DOI: 10.3390/biom10121656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Barrier function is a vital homeostatic mechanism employed by epithelial and endothelial tissue. Diseases across a wide range of tissue types involve dynamic changes in transcellular junctional complexes and the actin cytoskeleton in the regulation of substance exchange across tissue compartments. In this review, we focus on the contribution of the gap junction protein, Cx43, to the biophysical and biochemical regulation of barrier function. First, we introduce the structure and canonical channel-dependent functions of Cx43. Second, we define barrier function and examine the key molecular structures fundamental to its regulation. Third, we survey the literature on the channel-dependent roles of connexins in barrier function, with an emphasis on the role of Cx43 and the actin cytoskeleton. Lastly, we discuss findings on the channel-independent roles of Cx43 in its associations with the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion structures highlighted by PI3K signaling, in the potential modulation of cellular barriers. Mounting evidence of crosstalk between connexins, the cytoskeleton, focal adhesion complexes, and junctional structures has led to a growing appreciation of how barrier-modulating mechanisms may work together to effect solute and cellular flux across tissue boundaries. This new understanding could translate into improved therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of barrier-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy E. Strauss
- Virginia Tech, Translational Biology Medicine and Health (TBMH) Program, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Robert G. Gourdie
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
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41
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Statistical Validation Verifies That Enantiomorphic States of Chiral Cells Are Determinant Dictating the Left- or Right-Handed Direction of the Hindgut Rotation in Drosophila. Symmetry (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/sym12121991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the left–right (LR) asymmetric development of invertebrates, cell chirality is crucial. A left- or right-handed cell structure directs morphogenesis with corresponding LR-asymmetry. In Drosophila, cell chirality is thought to drive the LR-asymmetric development of the embryonic hindgut and other organs. This hypothesis is supported only by an apparent concordance between the LR-directionality of cell chirality and hindgut rotation and by computer simulations that connect the two events. In this article, we mathematically evaluated the causal relationship between the chirality of the hindgut epithelial cells and the LR-direction of hindgut rotation. Our logistic model, drawn from several Drosophila genotypes, significantly explained the correlation between the enantiomorphic (sinistral or dextral) state of chiral cells and the LR-directionality of hindgut rotation—even in individual live mutant embryos with stochastically determined cell chirality and randomized hindgut rotation, suggesting that the mechanism by which cell chirality forms is irrelevant to the direction of hindgut rotation. Thus, our analysis showed that cell chirality, which forms before hindgut rotation, is both sufficient and required for the subsequent rotation, validating the hypothesis that cell chirality causally defines the LR-directionality of hindgut rotation.
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42
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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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43
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Bao Y, Wu S, Chu LT, Kwong HK, Hartanto H, Huang Y, Lam ML, Lam RHW, Chen TH. Early Committed Clockwise Cell Chirality Upregulates Adipogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 4:e2000161. [PMID: 32864891 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell chirality is observed with diverse forms and coordinates various left-right (LR) asymmetry in tissue morphogenesis. To give rise to such diversity, cell chirality may be coupled with cell differentiation. Here, using micropatterned human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), an early committed clockwise (CW) cell chirality that can itself upregulate the adipogenic differentiation is reported. hMSC chirality enables a positively tilted chiral orientation on micropatterned stripes. When cultured as single cells on circular micropatterns, an anticlockwise (ACW)-biased nucleus rotation and swirling pattern of actin filament are observed. Interestingly, with adipogenic induction for 3-6 days, such chirality is reversed to negative chiral orientation and CW-biased rotation, which is earlier than the maturation of other differentiation markers, and consistently expressed in terminally differentiated adipocytes. Using latrunculin A (LatA), cytochalasin D (CD), and nocodazole (Noco) that forces a CW-biased actin filament and nucleus rotation resembling the early differentiated chirality upon adipogenic induction, an upregulation of adipogenic differentiation is found. The result demonstrates that the early differentiated chirality may serve as a mechanical precursor to engage the lineage commitment, suggesting a feedback mechanism of chiral actin in regulating cell differentiation and LR morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanye Bao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Siying Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Lok Ting Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hoi Kwan Kwong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hogi Hartanto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Yaozhun Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Miu Ling Lam
- School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Raymond H W Lam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Ting-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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44
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Li ZY, Zhang DQ, Lin SZ, Li B. Pattern Formation and Defect Ordering in Active Chiral Nematics. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:098002. [PMID: 32915620 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.098002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Many biological systems display intriguing chiral patterns and dynamics. Here, we present an active nematic theory accounting for individual spin to explore the collective handedness in chiral rod-shaped aggregations. We show that coordinated individual spin and motility can engender a vortex-array pattern with chirality and drive ordering of topological defects. During this chiral process, the stationary trefoil-like defects self-organize into a periodic, hexagon-dominated polygonal network, which segregates persistently rotating cometlike defects in pairs within each polygon, leading to a translation symmetry at the global scale while a broken reflection symmetry at the local scale. Such defect ordering agrees exactly with the Voronoi tiling of two-dimensional space and the emergence of the hexagonal symmetry is deciphered in analogy with topological charge neutralization. We calculate energy barriers to the topological transition of the defect ordering and explain the existing metastable states with nonhexagonal polygons. Our findings shed light on the chiral morphodynamics in life processes and also suggest a potential route towards tuning self-organization in active materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yi Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - De-Qing Zhang
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shao-Zhen Lin
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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45
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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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Vogel SK, Wölfer C, Ramirez-Diaz DA, Flassig RJ, Sundmacher K, Schwille P. Symmetry Breaking and Emergence of Directional Flows in Minimal Actomyosin Cortices. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061432. [PMID: 32527013 PMCID: PMC7349012 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical actomyosin flows, among other mechanisms, scale up spontaneous symmetry breaking and thus play pivotal roles in cell differentiation, division, and motility. According to many model systems, myosin motor-induced local contractions of initially isotropic actomyosin cortices are nucleation points for generating cortical flows. However, the positive feedback mechanisms by which spontaneous contractions can be amplified towards large-scale directed flows remain mostly speculative. To investigate such a process on spherical surfaces, we reconstituted and confined initially isotropic minimal actomyosin cortices to the interfaces of emulsion droplets. The presence of ATP leads to myosin-induced local contractions that self-organize and amplify into directed large-scale actomyosin flows. By combining our experiments with theory, we found that the feedback mechanism leading to a coordinated directional motion of actomyosin clusters can be described as asymmetric cluster vibrations, caused by intrinsic non-isotropic ATP consumption with spatial confinement. We identified fingerprints of vibrational states as the basis of directed motions by tracking individual actomyosin clusters. These vibrations may represent a generic key driver of directed actomyosin flows under spatial confinement in vitro and in living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven K. Vogel
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany; (S.K.V.); (D.A.R.-D.)
| | - Christian Wölfer
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Sandtorstr. 1, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (C.W.); (R.J.F.); (K.S.)
| | - Diego A. Ramirez-Diaz
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany; (S.K.V.); (D.A.R.-D.)
- Graduate School of Quantitative Biosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Robert J. Flassig
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Sandtorstr. 1, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (C.W.); (R.J.F.); (K.S.)
- Department of Engineering, Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburger Str. 50, D-14770 Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Kai Sundmacher
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Sandtorstr. 1, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (C.W.); (R.J.F.); (K.S.)
- Institute for Process Engineering, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany; (S.K.V.); (D.A.R.-D.)
- Correspondence:
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47
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Bell KR, Werner ME, Doshi A, Cortes DB, Sattler A, Vuong-Brender T, Labouesse M, Maddox AS. Novel cytokinetic ring components drive negative feedback in cortical contractility. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1623-1636. [PMID: 32491957 PMCID: PMC7521795 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-05-0304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin cortical contractility drives many cell shape changes including cytokinetic furrowing. While positive regulation of contractility is well characterized, counterbalancing negative regulation and mechanical brakes are less well understood. The small GTPase RhoA is a central regulator, activating cortical actomyosin contractility during cytokinesis and other events. Here we report how two novel cytokinetic ring components, GCK-1 (germinal center kinase-1) and CCM-3 (cerebral cavernous malformations-3), participate in a negative feedback loop among RhoA and its cytoskeletal effectors to inhibit contractility. GCK-1 and CCM-3 are recruited by active RhoA and anillin to the cytokinetic ring, where they in turn limit RhoA activity and contractility. This is evidenced by increased RhoA activity, anillin and nonmuscle myosin II in the cytokinetic ring, and faster cytokinetic furrowing, following depletion of GCK-1 or CCM-3. GCK-1 or CCM-3 depletion also reduced RGA-3 levels in pulses and increased baseline RhoA activity and pulsed contractility during zygote polarization. Together, our results suggest that GCK-1 and CCM-3 regulate cortical actomyosin contractility via negative feedback. These findings have implications for the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cerebral cavernous malformation pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Rehain Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.,Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Michael E Werner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Anusha Doshi
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Daniel B Cortes
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Adam Sattler
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Thanh Vuong-Brender
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Michel Labouesse
- Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.,Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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48
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Petri ND. Evolutionary Diversity of the Mechanisms Providing the Establishment of Left-Right Asymmetry in Metazoans. Russ J Dev Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360420020058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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49
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Banerjee S, Gardel ML, Schwarz US. The Actin Cytoskeleton as an Active Adaptive Material. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS 2020; 11:421-439. [PMID: 33343823 PMCID: PMC7748259 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-031218-013231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Actin is the main protein used by biological cells to adapt their structure and mechanics to their needs. Cellular adaptation is made possible by molecular processes that strongly depend on mechanics. The actin cytoskeleton is also an active material that continuously consumes energy. This allows for dynamical processes that are possible only out of equilibrium and opens up the possibility for multiple layers of control that have evolved around this single protein.Here we discuss the actin cytoskeleton from the viewpoint of physics as an active adaptive material that can build structures superior to man-made soft matter systems. Not only can actin be used to build different network architectures on demand and in an adaptive manner, but it also exhibits the dynamical properties of feedback systems, like excitability, bistability, or oscillations. Therefore, it is a prime example of how biology couples physical structure and information flow and a role model for biology-inspired metamaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiladitya Banerjee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Margaret L Gardel
- Department of Physics, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Ulrich S Schwarz
- Institute for Theoretical Physics and BioQuant, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Tian B, Guan G, Tang LH, Tang C. Why and how the nematode's early embryogenesis can be precise and robust: a mechanical perspective. Phys Biol 2020; 17:026001. [PMID: 31851962 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ab6356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The early embryogenesis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is well-known for its stereotypic precision of cell arrangements and their lineage relationship. Much research has been focused on how biochemical processes achieve the highly reproducible cell lineage tree. However, the origin of the robustness in the cell arrangements is poorly understood. Here, we set out to provide a mechanistic explanation of how combining mechanical forces with the order and orientation of cell division ensures a robust arrangement of cells. We used a simplified mechanical model to simulate the arrangement of cells in the face of different disturbances. As a result, we revealed three fail-safe principles for cell self-organization in early nematode embryogenesis: ordering, simultaneity, and the division orientation of cell division events. Our work provides insight into the developmental strategy and contributes to the understanding of how robust or variable the cell arrangement can be in developing embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binghui Tian
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China. School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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