scholarly journals Single-cell morphometrics reveals ancestral principles of notochord development

Development ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby G. R. Andrews ◽  
Wolfram Pönisch ◽  
Ewa Paluch ◽  
Benjamin J Steventon ◽  
Elia Benito-Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Embryonic Tissues ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Notochord Cells ◽  
Complex Scheme ◽  
Notochord Length ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

Embryonic tissues are shaped by the dynamic behaviours of their constituent cells. To understand such cell behaviours and how they evolved, new approaches are needed to map out morphogenesis across different organisms. Here, we apply a quantitative approach to learn how the notochord forms during the development of amphioxus, a basally-branching chordate. Using a single-cell morphometrics pipeline, we quantify the geometries of thousands of amphioxus notochord cells, and project them into a common mathematical space, termed morphospace. In morphospace, notochord cells disperse into branching trajectories of cell shape change, revealing a dynamic interplay between cell shape change and growth that collectively contribute to tissue elongation. By spatially mapping these trajectories, we identify conspicuous regional variation, both in developmental timing and trajectory topology. Finally, we show experimentally that, unlike ascidians but like vertebrates, posterior cell division is required in amphioxus to generate full notochord length, thereby suggesting this might be an ancestral chordate trait secondarily lost in ascidians. Altogether, our novel approach reveals that an unexpectedly complex scheme of notochord morphogenesis might have been present in the first chordates.

The role of microtubules in chick blastoderm expansion—a quantitative study using colchicine

Development ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-277
Author(s):  
J. R. Downie
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Cell Sheet ◽  
Cell Movement ◽  
Vitelline Membrane ◽  
General Context ◽  
Chick Blastoderm ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubules

Since their discovery, cytoplasmic microtubules have been much studied in the context of cell movement and cell shape change. Much of the work has used drugs, particularly colchicine and its relatives, which break down microtubules — the so-called anti-tubulins. Colchicine inhibits the orientated movements of many cell types in vitro, and disrupts cell shape change in several morphogenetic situations. The investigation reported here used chick blastoderm expansion in New culture in an attempt to quantify the colchicine effect on orientated cell movement. However, although colchicine could halt blastoderm expansion entirely, a simple interpretation was not possible. (1) Colchicine at concentrations capable of blocking mitosis, and of disrupting all or most of the cytoplasmic microtubules of the cells studied, inhibited blastoderm expansion, often resulting in an overall retraction of the cell sheet. (2) Though blastoderm expansion does normally involve considerable cell proliferation, the colchicine effect could not be ascribed to a block on cell division since aminopterin, which stops cell division without affecting microtubules, did not inhibit expansion. (3) Blastoderm expansion is effected by the locomotion of a specialized band of edge cells at the blastoderm periphery. These are the only cells normally attached to the vitelline membrane — the substrate for expansion. When most of the blastoderm was excised, leaving the band of edge cells, and the cultures then treated with colchicine, expansion occurred normally. The colchicine effect on blastoderm expansion could not therefore be ascribed to a direct effect on the edge cells. (4) An alternative site of action of the drug is the remaining cells of the blastoderm. These normally become progressively flatter as expansion proceeds. If flattening in these cells is even partially dependent on their cytoplasmic microtubules, disruption of these microtubules might result in the inherent contractility of the cells resisting and eventually halting edge cell migration. That cell shape in these cells is dependent on microtubules was demonstrated by treating flat blastoderm fragments with colchicine. On incubation, the area occupied by these fragments decreased by 25–30 % more than controls. The significance of these results in the general context of orientated cell movements and cell shape determination is discussed, with particular emphasis on the analogous system of Fundulus epiboly.

Autonomy and non-autonomy in Drosophila mesoderm determination and morphogenesis

Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 853-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Leptin ◽  
S. Roth
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Developmental Program ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Ventral Furrow ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Transplantation Experiments ◽  
Shape Changes

The mesoderm in Drosophila invaginates by a series of characteristic cell shape changes. Mosaics of wild-type cells in an environment of mutant cells incapable of making mesodermal invaginations show that this morphogenetic behaviour does not require interactions between large numbers of cells but that small patches of cells can invaginate independent of their neighbours' behaviour. While the initiation of cell shape change is locally autonomous, the shapes the cells assume are partly determined by the individual cell's environment. Cytoplasmic transplantation experiments show that areas of cells expressing mesodermal genes ectopically at any position in the egg form an invagination. We propose that ventral furrow formation is the consequence of all prospective mesodermal cells independently following their developmental program. Gene expression at the border of the mesoderm is induced by the apposition of mesodermal and non-mesodermal cells.

scholarly journals Tissue tectonics: morphogenetic strain rates, cell shape change and intercalation

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 458-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy B Blanchard ◽  
Alexandre J Kabla ◽  
Nora L Schultz ◽  
Lucy C Butler ◽  
Benedicte Sanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Strain Rates ◽  
Cell Shape Change

A dominant inhibitory version of the small GTP-binding protein Rac disrupts cytoskeletal structures and inhibits developmental cell shape changes in Drosophila

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 903-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Harden ◽  
H.Y. Loh ◽  
W. Chia ◽  
L. Lim
Keyword(s):  
Epidermal Cell ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Gtp Binding ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Germband Retraction ◽  
Shape Changes

The Rho subfamily of Ras-related small GTP-binding proteins is involved in regulation of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeletal changes induced by two members of this subfamily, Rho and Rac, in response to growth factor stimulation, have dramatic effects on cell morphology. We are interested in using Drosophila as a system for studying how such effects participate in development. We have identified two Drosophila genes, DRacA and DRacB, encoding proteins with homology to mammalian Rac1 and Rac2. We have made transgenic flies bearing dominant inhibitory (N17DRacA), and wild-type versions of the DRacA cDNA under control of an Hsp70 promoter. Expression of the N17DRacA transgene during embryonic development causes a high frequency of defects in dorsal closure which are due to disruption of cell shape changes in the lateral epidermis. Embryonic expression of N17DRacA also affects germband retraction and head involution. The epidermal cell shape defects caused by expression of N17DRacA are accompanied by disruption of a localized accumulation of actin and myosin thought to be driving epidermal cell shape change. Thus the Rho subfamily may be generating localized changes in the cytoskeleton during Drosophila development in a similar fashion to that seen in mammalian and yeast cells. The Rho subfamily is likely to be participating in a wide range of developmental processes in Drosophila through its regulation of the cytoskeleton.

Collagenase secretion accompanying changes in cell shape occurs only in the presence of a biologically active cytokine

1989 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-485
Author(s):  
I. Kuter ◽  
B. Johnson-Wint ◽  
N. Beaupre ◽  
J. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cultures ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Mixed Cell ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Cell Shape Changes ◽  
Shape Changes

We have investigated the relationship between collagenase production, cell shape and stimulatory factors in cell culture. In a homogeneous culture of primary rabbit corneal stromal cells, shape change induced by a variety of agents was not effective in stimulating collagenase secretion. Only in the presence of a biologically active cytokine or phorbol myristate acetate was a correlation seen between changes in cell shape (induced by a second agent) and collagenase secretion by these primary cells. Cell shape changes were not, however, necessary for collagenase secretion, since certain concentrations of endotoxin or lactalbumin hydrolysate effected secretion of the enzyme in the absence of morphological changes. With passaged cells or mixed cell cultures, where cell shape change did correlate with collagenase secretion without the addition of an exogenous agent, the production of an effective cytokine (autocrine or paracrine) was demonstrated. Thus cell shape change seems to be neither universally necessary nor sufficient for the stimulation of collagenase secretion. It is proposed that the function of cytokines may be more immediately related to gene expression in this system than is change in the shape of the cell. The hypothesis is presented that cell shape changes may render the target cells receptive to cytokines, perhaps by replacing the need for a natural cytokine cofactor. It is also demonstrated here that the use of passaged cells, mixed cell cultures containing endogenous cytokine-secreting cells or tissue culture additives can profoundly affect the interpretation of the effect of various agents on collagenase secretion, and may lead to observations that are not directly relevant to cell function in vivo.

Micron-scale supramolecular myosin arrays help mediate cytoskeletal assembly at mature adherens junctions

2021 ◽  
Vol 221 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Chia Yu-Kemp ◽  
Rachel A. Szymanski ◽  
Daniel B. Cortes ◽  
Nicole C. Gadda ◽  
Madeline L. Lillich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Actin Assembly ◽  
Superresolution Microscopy ◽  
Actin Organization ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Actomyosin Cytoskeleton

Epithelial cells assemble specialized actomyosin structures at E-Cadherin–based cell–cell junctions, and the force exerted drives cell shape change during morphogenesis. The mechanisms that build this supramolecular actomyosin structure remain unclear. We used ZO-knockdown MDCK cells, which assemble a robust, polarized, and highly organized actomyosin cytoskeleton at the zonula adherens, combining genetic and pharmacologic approaches with superresolution microscopy to define molecular machines required. To our surprise, inhibiting individual actin assembly pathways (Arp2/3, formins, or Ena/VASP) did not prevent or delay assembly of this polarized actomyosin structure. Instead, as junctions matured, micron-scale supramolecular myosin arrays assembled, with aligned stacks of myosin filaments adjacent to the apical membrane, overlying disorganized actin filaments. This suggested that myosin arrays might bundle actin at mature junctions. Consistent with this idea, inhibiting ROCK or myosin ATPase disrupted myosin localization/organization and prevented actin bundling and polarization. We obtained similar results in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest a novel role for myosin self-assembly, helping drive actin organization to facilitate cell shape change.

scholarly journals Apical Accumulation of Rho in the Neural Plate Is Important for Neural Plate Cell Shape Change and Neural Tube Formation

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 2289-2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagatoki Kinoshita ◽  
Noriaki Sasai ◽  
Kazuyo Misaki ◽  
Shigenobu Yonemura
Keyword(s):  
Neural Tube ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Tube Formation ◽  
Neural Plate ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
Neural Tube Formation

Although Rho-GTPases are well-known regulators of cytoskeletal reorganization, their in vivo distribution and physiological functions have remained elusive. In this study, we found marked apical accumulation of Rho in developing chick embryos undergoing folding of the neural plate during neural tube formation, with similar accumulation of activated myosin II. The timing of accumulation and biochemical activation of both Rho and myosin II was coincident with the dynamics of neural tube formation. Inhibition of Rho disrupted its apical accumulation and led to defects in neural tube formation, with abnormal morphology of the neural plate. Continuous activation of Rho also altered neural tube formation. These results indicate that correct spatiotemporal regulation of Rho is essential for neural tube morphogenesis. Furthermore, we found that a key morphogenetic signaling pathway, the Wnt/PCP pathway, was implicated in the apical accumulation of Rho and regulation of cell shape in the neural plate, suggesting that this signal may be the spatiotemporal regulator of Rho in neural tube formation.

scholarly journals Triggering a Cell Shape Change by Exploiting Preexisting Actomyosin Contractions

Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 335 (6073) ◽  
pp. 1232-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Roh-Johnson ◽  
Gidi Shemer ◽  
Christopher D. Higgins ◽  
Joseph H. McClellan ◽  
Adam D. Werts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Shape ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Cell Shape Change ◽  
A Cell
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