scholarly journals Orchestrating morphogenesis: building the body plan by cell shape changes and movements

Development ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (17) ◽  
pp. dev191049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kia Z. Perez-Vale ◽  
Mark Peifer
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Body Plan ◽  
The Body ◽  
Collective Cell Migration ◽  
Convergent Extension ◽  
Apical Constriction ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

ABSTRACTDuring embryonic development, a simple ball of cells re-shapes itself into the elaborate body plan of an animal. This requires dramatic cell shape changes and cell movements, powered by the contractile force generated by actin and myosin linked to the plasma membrane at cell-cell and cell-matrix junctions. Here, we review three morphogenetic events common to most animals: apical constriction, convergent extension and collective cell migration. Using the fruit fly Drosophila as an example, we discuss recent work that has revealed exciting new insights into the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to change shape and move without tearing tissues apart. We also point out parallel events at work in other animals, which suggest that the mechanisms underlying these morphogenetic processes are conserved.

scholarly journals A genetic screen for temperature-sensitive morphogenesis-defectiveCaenorhabditis elegansmutants

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly C Jud ◽  
Josh Lowry ◽  
Thalia Padilla ◽  
Erin Clifford ◽  
Yuqi Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
The Body ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Restrictive Temperature ◽  
Fundamental Biological Process ◽  
Embryonic Morphogenesis ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Development Temperature ◽  
Multicellular Organisms ◽  
Shape Changes

AbstractMorphogenesis involves coordinated cell migrations and cell shape changes that generate tissues and organs, and organize the body plan. Cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton are important for executing morphogenesis, but their regulation remains poorly understood. As genes required for embryonic morphogenesis may have earlier roles in development, temperature-sensitive embryonic-lethal mutations are useful tools for investigating this process. From a collection of ∼200 such Caenorhabditis elegans mutants, we have identified 17 that have highly penetrant embryonic morphogenesis defects after upshifts from the permissive to the restrictive temperature, just prior to the cell shape changes that mediate elongation of the ovoid embryo into a vermiform larva. Using whole genome sequencing, we identified the causal mutations in seven affected genes. These include three genes that have roles in producing the extracellular matrix, which is known to affect the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues in multicellular organisms: the rib-1 and rib-2 genes encode glycosyltransferases, and the emb-9 gene encodes a collagen subunit. We also used live imaging to characterize epidermal cell shape dynamics in one mutant, or1219ts, and observed cell elongation defects during dorsal intercalation and ventral enclosure that may be responsible for the body elongation defects. These results indicate that our screen has identified factors that influence morphogenesis and provides a platform for advancing our understanding of this fundamental biological process.

scholarly journals Apical Constriction Reversal upon Mitotic Entry Underlies Different Morphogenetic Outcomes of Cell Division

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clint S. Ko ◽  
Prateek Kalakuntla ◽  
Adam C. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Mitotic Cell ◽  
Signal Interference ◽  
Apical Constriction ◽  
Mitotic Entry ◽  
Cell Divisions ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes ◽  
Mitotic Cells

AbstractDuring development, coordinated cell shape changes and cell divisions sculpt tissues. While these individual cell behaviors have been extensively studied, how cell shape changes and cell divisions that occur concurrently in epithelia influence tissue shape is less understood. We addressed this question in two contexts of the early Drosophila embryo: premature cell division during mesoderm invagination, and native ectodermal cell divisions with ectopic activation of apical contractility. Using quantitative live-cell imaging, we demonstrated that mitotic entry reverses apical contractility by interfering with medioapical RhoA signaling. While premature mitotic entry inhibits mesoderm invagination, which relies on apical constriction, mitotic entry in an artificially contractile ectoderm induced ectopic tissue invaginations. Ectopic invaginations resulted from medioapical myosin loss in neighboring mitotic cells. This myosin loss enabled non-mitotic cells to apically constrict through mitotic cell stretching. Thus, the spatial pattern of mitotic entry can differentially regulate tissue shape through signal interference between apical contractility and mitosis.

scholarly journals Claudins are essential for cell shape changes and convergent extension movements during neural tube closure

2017 ◽  
Vol 428 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda I. Baumholtz ◽  
Annie Simard ◽  
Evanthia Nikolopoulou ◽  
Marcus Oosenbrug ◽  
Michelle M. Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Tube ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Neural Tube Closure ◽  
Convergent Extension ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes ◽  
Tube Closure

scholarly journals broad controls leg imaginal disc morphogenesis in Drosophila via regulation of cell shape changes and remodeling of extracellular matrix

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Rice ◽  
Stuart Macdonald ◽  
Xiaochen Wang ◽  
Robert E Ward
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Imaginal Disc ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Matrix Remodeling ◽  
Ecm Remodeling ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

AbstractImaginal disc morphogenesis during metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent model to uncover molecular mechanisms by which hormonal signals effect physical changes during development. The broad (br) Z2 isoform encodes a transcription factor required for disc morphogenesis in response to 20-hydroxyecdysone, yet how it accomplishes this remains largely unknown. Here, we show that amorphic br5 mutant discs fail to remodel their basal extracellular matrix (ECM) after puparium formation and do not undergo necessary cell shape changes. RNA sequencing of wild type and mutant leg discs identified 717 genes differentially regulated by br; functional studies reveal that several are required for adult leg formation, particularly those involved in remodeling the ECM. Additionally, br Z2 expression is abruptly shut down at the onset of metamorphosis, and expressing it beyond this time results in failure of leg development during the late prepupal and pupal stages. Taken together, our results suggest that br Z2 is required to drive ECM remodeling, change cell shape, and maintain metabolic activity through the mid prepupal stage, but must be switched off to allow expression of pupation genes.Summary StatementThe Drosophila melanogaster ecdysone-responding transcription factor broad controls morphogenetic processes in leg imaginal discs during metamorphosis through regulation of genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolism, and cell shape changes and rearrangements.

scholarly journals Hyperactivation of the folded gastrulation pathway induces specific cell shape changes

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Morize ◽  
A.E. Christiansen ◽  
M. Costa ◽  
S. Parks ◽  
E. Wieschaus
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Inducible Promoter ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Apical Surface ◽  
Apical Constriction ◽  
Cellular Effects ◽  
Ventral Furrow ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

During Drosophila gastrulation, mesodermal precursors are brought into the interior of the embryo by formation of the ventral furrow. The first steps of ventral furrow formation involve a flattening of the apical surface of the presumptive mesodermal cells and a constriction of their apical diameters. In embryos mutant for folded gastrulation (fog), these cell shape changes occur but the timing and synchrony of the constrictions are abnormal. A similar phenotype is seen in a maternal effect mutant, concertina (cta). fog encodes a putative secreted protein whereas cta encodes an (alpha)-subunit of a heterotrimeric G protein. We have proposed that localized expression of the fog signaling protein induces apical constriction by interacting with a receptor whose downstream cellular effects are mediated by the cta G(alpha)protein. <P> In order to test this model, we have ectopically expressed fog at the blastoderm stage using an inducible promoter. In addition, we have examined the constitutive activation of cta protein by blocking GTP hydrolysis using both in vitro synthesized mutant alleles and cholera toxin treatment. Activation of the fog/cta pathway by any of these procedures results in ectopic cell shape changes in the gastrula. Uniform fog expression rescues the gastrulation defects of fog null embryos but not cta mutant embryos, arguing that cta functions downstream of fog expression. The normal location of the ventral furrow in embryos with uniformly expressed fog suggests the existence of a fog-independent pathway determining mesoderm-specific cell behaviors and invagination. Epistasis experiments indicate that this pathway requires snail but not twist expression.

scholarly journals A Genetic Screen for Temperature-sensitive Morphogenesis-defective Caenorhabditis elegans Mutants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Christine Jud ◽  
Josh Lowry ◽  
Thalia Padilla ◽  
Erin Clifford ◽  
Yuqi Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Epidermal Cell ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
The Body ◽  
Forward Genetics ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Embryonic Lethal ◽  
Embryonic Morphogenesis ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

ABSTRACTMorphogenesis involves coordinated cell migrations and cell shape changes that generate tissues and organs, and organize the body plan. Cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton are important for executing morphogenesis, but their regulation remains poorly understood. As genes required for embryonic morphogenesis may have earlier roles in development, temperature-sensitive embryonic-lethal mutations are useful tools for investigating this process. From a collection of ∼200 such Caenorhabditis elegans mutants, we have identified 17 that have highly penetrant embryonic morphogenesis defects after upshifts from the permissive to the restrictive temperature, just prior to the cell shape changes that mediate elongation of the ovoid embryo into a vermiform larva. Using whole genome sequencing, we identified the causal mutations in seven affected genes. These include three genes that have roles in producing the extracellular matrix, which is known to affect the morphogenesis of epithelial tissues in multicellular organisms. The rib-1 and rib-2 genes encode glycosyltransferases, and the emb-9 gene encodes a collagen subunit. We also used live imaging to characterize epidermal cell shape dynamics in one mutant, or1219ts, and observed cell elongation defects during dorsal intercalation and ventral enclosure that may be responsible for the body elongation defects. These results indicate that our screen has identified factors that influence morphogenesis and provides a platform for advancing our understanding of this fundamental biological process.SUMMARYWe performed a systematic, forward genetics screen for temperature-sensitive embryonic-lethal (TS-EL) Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that are specifically defective in embryonic morphogenesis. By taking advantage of temperature-upshifts, we identified several essential genes influencing morphogenesis. We also demonstrated that one mutant has defects in epidermal cell shape changes that likely account for the failure in morphogenesis. The TS-EL mutants we identified will be useful tools for advancing our understanding of the gene networks controlling cell shape changes and movements during morphogenesis.

Real-time imaging of cell-cell adherens junctions reveals that Drosophila mesoderm invagination begins with two phases of apical constriction of cells

2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Oda ◽  
S. Tsukita
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Adherens Junctions ◽  
Cell Sheet ◽  
Apical Surface ◽  
Apical Constriction ◽  
Real Time Imaging ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes ◽  
Cell Cell

Invagination of the epithelial cell sheet of the prospective mesoderm in Drosophila gastrulation is a well-studied, relatively simple morphogenetic event that results from dynamic cell shape changes and cell movements. However, these cell behaviors have not been followed at a sufficiently short time resolution. We examined mesoderm invagination in living wild-type embryos by real-time imaging of fluorescently labeled cell-cell adherens junctions, which are located at the apical zones of cell-cell contact. Low-light fluorescence video microscopy directly visualized the onset and progression of invagination. In an initial period of approximately 2 minutes, cells around the ventral midline reduced their apical surface areas slowly in a rather synchronous manner. Next, the central and more lateral cells stochastically accelerated or initiated their apical constriction, giving rise to random arrangements of cells with small and relatively large apices. Thus, we found that mesoderm invagination began with slow synchronous and subsequent fast stochastic phases of cell apex constriction. Furthermore, we showed that the mesoderm invagination of folded gastrulation mutant embryos lacked the normal two constriction phases, and instead began with asynchronous, feeble cell shape changes. Our observations suggested that Folded gastrulation-mediated signaling enabled synchronous activation of the contractile cortex, causing competition among the individual mesodermal cells for apical constriction. Movies available on-line: http://www.biologists.com/JCS/movies/jcs2073.html

scholarly journals Cell shape changes during larval body plan development in Clytia hemisphaerica

2020 ◽  
Vol 468 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 59-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Kraus ◽  
Sandra Chevalier ◽  
Evelyn Houliston
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Body Plan ◽  
Larval Body ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

scholarly journals The plastic cell: mechanical deformation of cells and tissues

Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 210006
Author(s):  
Kelly Molnar ◽  
Michel Labouesse
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Magnetic Beads ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Permanent Cell ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Actin Remodelling ◽  
Fine Tune ◽  
Shape Changes

Epithelial cells possess the ability to change their shape in response to mechanical stress by remodelling their junctions and their cytoskeleton. This property lies at the heart of tissue morphogenesis in embryos. A key feature of embryonic cell shape changes is that they result from repeated mechanical inputs that make them partially irreversible at each step. Past work on cell rheology has rarely addressed how changes can become irreversible in a complex tissue. Here, we review new and exciting findings dissecting some of the physical principles and molecular mechanisms accounting for irreversible cell shape changes. We discuss concepts of mechanical ratchets and tension thresholds required to induce permanent cell deformations akin to mechanical plasticity. Work in different systems has highlighted the importance of actin remodelling and of E-cadherin endocytosis. We also list some novel experimental approaches to fine-tune mechanical tension, using optogenetics, magnetic beads or stretching of suspended epithelial tissues. Finally, we discuss some mathematical models that have been used to describe the quantitative aspects of accounting for mechanical cell plasticity and offer perspectives on this rapidly evolving field.

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