Cellular forces, such as the tension generated by the contraction of the actomyosin cortex, establishes polarity by facilitating the clustering of polarity (PAR) proteins and passively transporting these proteins clusters to one side of the cell along with the cortical flow.
These findings were published in Nature Cell […]
In Drosophila pupae, the detachment and expulsion of apoptotic cells from the epithelium is driven by: remodeling of adherens junctions between the apoptotic and neighboring cell surfaces, the contraction of actomyosin structures in both apoptotic and neighboring cells, and the modulation of […]
Non-junctional E-cadherin clusters play a non-canonical role in stabilizing the cortex and resisting its flow, in addition to their well-characterized role in mediating cell-cell junctions.
This study was published in Current Biology in 2017.
Padmanabhan A et al. Non-junctional E-cadherin clusters regulate the actomyosin cortex in the C. […]
Geometric constraints affect three-dimensional cell morphologies and packing within epithelial tissues. Cells in confining geometries skew or deform and change their neighbors frequently in order to arrange within limited available space.
These findings were published in the Molecular Biology of the Cell […]
A study published in Nature Cell Biology reveals concerted roles of both apical actomyosin contractions and basolateral actin-based protrusions in facilitating cell intercalation during Drosophila germband extension.
These findings were published in Nature Cell Biology in 2017.
Sun Z, Amourda C, Shagirov M, […]
When actin filaments are depolymerized by latrunculin A, DAAM1 becomes free to move, and it associates with the newly formed actin nodes and stabilizes them. At these nodes, DAAM1 organizes short actin filaments, providing the foundation for the regrowth of actin filaments and stress fiber
These […]
Plastin, an actin cross-linking protein, has been shown to be instrumental for efficient cytokinesis and polarization in C. elegans zygotes. By increasing connectivity within the cortical actomyosin network, plastin provides strength to the network, to enable a coordinated cortical flow required to segregate proteins during zygote polarization. Similarly, […]
