Article
Developmental Biology
Jin Man Kim, YoungJu Jo, Ju Won Jung, Kyungpyo Park
Summary: The study reported a mechanogenetic role of the actomyosin complex in branching morphogenesis, revealing the importance of force distribution for promoting the branching process, and the crucial genes regulated by YAP and TAZ for the distribution of epithelial progenitor cells in epithelial organs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ariadna Marin-Llaurado, Sohan Kale, Adam Ouzeri, Tom Golde, Raimon Sunyer, Alejandro Torres-Sanchez, Ernest Latorre, Manuel Gomez-Gonzalez, Pere Roca-Cusachs, Marino Arroyo, Xavier Trepat
Summary: Marin-Llaurado and colleagues engineered curved epithelial monolayers with controlled geometry and developed a new technique to map their stress state. They discovered that significant stress anisotropies influence cell alignment. This study is important for understanding how the three-dimensional geometry of epithelia affects organ function.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Vivek K. Gupta, Ovijit Chaudhuri
Summary: Cell-cycle progression and division in animal cells are regulated not only by biochemical factors, but also by mechanical interactions with the microenvironment. This review summarizes recent research on how cells interpret physical cues to promote cell-cycle progression and initiate cell division, as well as how dividing cells generate forces to successfully divide. Additionally, it discusses the potential contribution of force generation during division to larger tissue-scale processes involved in development and homeostasis.
TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Dina J. Ashour, Clinton H. Durney, Vicente J. Planelles-Herrero, Tim J. Stevens, James J. Feng, Katja Roper
Summary: During embryogenesis, the coordination of large-scale changes in tissue primordia is important for development. In Drosophila, supracellular actomyosin cables, composed of the protein Zasp52, are involved in this coordination, particularly in regions such as the ventral midline and the boundary of the salivary gland placode. Zasp52 interacts with junctional components and actomyosin regulators, and its absence leads to severe embryonic defects. These findings suggest that Zasp52-containing cables aid in insulating morphogenetic changes from one another during embryogenesis.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Harry Liu, Di Zhou, Leyou Zhang, David K. Lubensky, Xiaoming Mao
Summary: Recent advances in topological mechanics reveal unusual phenomena such as topologically protected floppy modes and states of self-stress localized at boundaries and interfaces of mechanical networks. The study explores the topological mechanics of epithelial tissues and finds that the appearance of boundary and interface modes could play a role in morphogenesis.
Article
Cell Biology
Vivek K. Gupta, Sungmin Nam, Donghyun Yim, Jaclyn Camuglia, Judy Lisette Martin, Erin Nicole Sanders, Lucy Erin O'Brien, Adam C. Martin, Taeyoon Kim, Ovijit Chaudhuri
Summary: Epithelial cells undergo significant morphological changes during division, driven by extracellular forces. Two distinct stages of division force generation follow rounding: protrusive forces along the division axis driving division elongation, and outward forces facilitating postdivision spreading. Forces from division elongation represent a universal mechanism powering cell division in confining epithelia.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Miho Matsuda, Chih-Wen Chu, Sergei Y. Sokol
Summary: This study demonstrates that Lim domain only protein 7 (Lmo7) promotes apical constriction in the Xenopus superficial ectoderm, while its depletion leads to an increase in apical domain size. Lmo7 functions as a scaffold that regulates actomyosin contractility and apical domain size by modulating the localization of non-muscle myosin II (NMII) at apical junctions.
Article
Cell Biology
Lisa Donker, Ronja Houtekamer, Marjolein Vliem, Francois Sipieter, Helena Canever, Manuel Gomez-Gonzalez, Miquel Bosch-Padros, Willem-Jan Pannekoek, Xavier Trepat, Nicolas Borghi, Martijn Gloerich
Summary: Epithelial cells adapt their rate of cell division by sensing changes in cell number through mechanosensitive E-cadherin adhesions, which control G2/M cell-cycle progression.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mostafa Kianfar, Anna Balcerak, Mateusz Chmielarczyk, Leszek Tarnowski, Ewa A. Grzybowska
Summary: Although the process of entosis has been extensively studied, there is still controversy regarding its molecular mechanisms and clinical significance. Actomyosin contractility of the invading cell and autophagy induced in the outer cell have been identified as the driving force and degradation mechanism, respectively. However, the diversity of triggering factors and molecular pathways involved in entosis regulation make interpretations difficult, and the physiological role of entosis remains unclear.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saad Rasool, Anupriya M. Geethakumari, Kabir H. Biswas
Summary: The cellular cytoskeleton composed of microtubules, intermediate filaments, and actin filaments provides shape and structural stability to cells. The actin cytoskeleton, in particular, is crucial in sensing and responding to mechanical forces in cells. It is involved in various cellular processes such as cell motility, cytokinesis, phagocytosis, and plays a key role in cell-cell adhesion.
JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nafsika Chala, Xinyu Zhang, Tomaso Zambelli, Ziyi Zhang, Teseo Schneider, Daniele Panozzo, Dimos Poulikakos, Aldo Ferrari
Summary: Mechanical signals establish communication between mammalian cells and their environment. Cells exert forces and transmit them at focal adhesion points. External stimuli affect the adhesion-free cell surface. The integration of Fluidic Force Microscopy and confocal Traction Force Microscopy enables precise force probing of individual cells, allowing the investigation of cellular mechanisms in response to mechanical stimuli.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jinghan Qiao, Hongzhe Peng, Bo Dong
Summary: In this study, a tool called MLCP-BcLOV4 was developed to control membrane elongation and contraction in Ciona larval epidermal cells, providing the capability to manipulate cell mechanical activity at the subcellular level. The experiments in Ciona larvae demonstrated that by suppressing the activity of phosphorylated myosin on the apical surface of atrial siphon primordium cells, apical contraction was disrupted, resulting in the failure of the invagination process. These findings establish an effective technique and system for studying the biomechanical mechanisms driving morphogenesis in marine organisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Robert J. Huebner, Abdul Naseer Malmi-Kakkada, Shinuo Weng, D. Thirumalai, John B. Wallingford
Summary: Morphogenesis is regulated by the interaction of molecular signals and mechanical forces, with key factors being the local mechanical heterogeneity of cell-cell junctions. The patterning of cadherins and local mechanics along cell-cell junctions is controlled by Planar Cell Polarity signaling, a crucial genetic module for convergent extension.
Review
Cell Biology
Yanina Alvarez, Michael Smutny
Summary: Mechanical forces play a crucial role in embryonic development by influencing cell fate decisions and tissue patterning. The generation and transduction of actomyosin-contractile force are particularly important in regulating tissue morphogenesis and cell fate in the embryo.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Charlotte Mallart, Fabienne Chalvet, Sophie Netter, Alba Yurani Torres, Mickael Poidevin, Jacques Montagne, Anne-Marie Pret, Marianne Malartre
Summary: The JAK-STAT pathway plays an important role in Drosophila, but its regulation mechanism is not fully understood. This study discovered that JAK-STAT signaling displays dynamic asymmetry during Drosophila oogenesis, similar to the accumulation of the adherens junction protein E-cadherin. The study also revealed the critical role of E-cadherin in regulating JAK-STAT activity throughout oogenesis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Rashmi Priya, Xuan Liang, Jessica L. Teo, Kinga Duszyc, Alpha S. Yap, Guillermo A. Gomez
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2017)
Article
Cell Biology
Alpha S. Yap, Kinga Duszyc, Virgile Viasnoff
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Cell Biology
Bipul R. Acharya, Selwin K. Wu, Zi Zhao Lieu, Robert G. Parton, Stephan W. Grill, Alexander D. Bershadsky, Guillermo A. Gomez, Alpha S. Yap
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guillaume Charras, Alpha S. Yap
Article
Immunology
Dave Boucher, Mercedes Monteleone, Rebecca C. Coll, Kaiwen W. Chen, Connie M. Ross, Jessica L. Teo, Guillermo A. Gomez, Caroline L. Holley, Damien Bierschenk, Katryn J. Stacey, Alpha S. Yap, Jelena S. Bezbradica, Kate Schroder
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2018)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Anne K. Lagendijk, Alpha S. Yap, Benjamin M. Hogan
TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Cell Biology
Bipul R. Acharya, Alexander Nestor-Bergmann, Xuan Liang, Shafali Gupta, Kinga Duszyc, Estelle Gauquelin, Guillermo A. Gomez, Srikanth Budnar, Philippe Marcq, Oliver E. Jensen, Zev Bryant, Alpha S. Yap
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2018)
Review
Cell Biology
Selwin K. Wu, Rashmi Priya
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Selwin K. Wu, Guillermo A. Gomez, Samantha J. Stehbens, Michael Smutny
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Selwin K. Wu, Juliana Ariffin, Shu Chian Tay, Remigio Picone
Summary: Centrosome amplification induces a non-canonical senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that activates paracrine invasion pathway. This SASP lacks DNA damage and NF-kappa B activation, but involves Rac activation and production of reactive oxygen species. It induces the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and associated genes, including pro-migratory factors such as ANGPTL4. Therefore, the centrosome amplification-induced SASP may explain why extra centrosomes promote malignancy in some experimental models but are neutral in others.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Selwin K. Wu, Guillermo A. Gomez, Samantha Stehbens, Bipul R. Acharya, Aparna Ratheesh, Rashmi Priya, Anne Lagendijk, Alexander Bershadsky
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luke Coburn, Hender Lopez, Irin-Maya Schouwenaar, Alpha S. Yap, Vladimir Lobaskin, Guillermo A. Gomez
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ye-Wheen Lim, Harriet P. Lo, Charles Ferguson, Nick Martel, Jean Giacomotto, Guillermo A. Gomez, Alpha S. Yap, Thomas E. Hall, Robert G. Parton
Correction
Cell Biology
Jessica E. De Angelis, Anne K. Lagendijk, Huijun Chen, Alisha Tromp, Neil I. Bower, Kathryn A. Tunny, Andrew J. Brooks, Jeroen Bakkers, Mathias Francois, Alpha S. Yap, Cas Simons, Carol Wicking, Benjamin M. Hogan, Kelly A. Smith
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2017)
Article
Cell Biology
Xuan Liang, Sajini Kiru, Guillermo A. Gomez, Alpha S. Yap