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 […]
Forces applied at the periphery of a cell causes actin remodeling around the nucleus, leading to the formation of a transient perinuclear actin rim. The formation of this actin structure is dependent on the force-induced release of Ca2+ ions in the cytoplasm, […]
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 […]
NIH3T3 fibroblasts respond to TNFα-mediated signaling in a geometry-dependent manner, which is essential for maintaining their cellular homeostasis. In cells of different geometries (circular vs rectangular), TNFα induces differential translocation of transcription factors and the expression of different set of target genes.
This study was published in […]
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. […]
Nuclear phosphoinositides, specifically PIP2 and PIP3, play essential roles in mediating the recruitment of the ATR-ATRIP-pChk signaling axis to sites of DNA repair.
These findings were published in Nature Communications in 2017.
Wang YH et al. DNA damage causes rapid accumulation of phosphoinositides for ATR signaling. Nature Communications. […]
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 […]
Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) occurs as periodic traveling waves, being co-ordinated spatially and temporally through the nucleation of actin waves. The link between endocytosis and generation of cortical actin waves may provide deeper insight into how cells maintain the composition and dynamics of the plasma membrane
These findings were […]
As stiffness of the extracellular matrix increases, the mechanical properties of the actin cytoskeleton shifts from fluid to solid.
These findings were published in Nature Communications in 2015.
Gupta M, Sarangi BR, Deschamps J, Nematbakhsh Y, Callan-Jones A, Margadant F, Mège RM, Lim […]
This study addresses the role of formins at epithelial junctions. A major formin, mDia1, is shown to be recruited to Adherens Junctions (AJs) by E-Cadherin and RhoA. This leads to the organization of actomyosin filaments around the AJs which causes an increase in junctional contractility. […]
