Spatial and temporal integration of the actomyosin contractile machinery during tissue patterning

Franck Pichaud (primary)
LMCB
University College London
Shiladitya Banerjee (secondary)
Physics & Astronomy
University College London

Abstract

The actomyosin cytoskeleton is a main regulator of cell shapes in developing epithelia. The aim of this project is to understand how this cellular contractile machinery is integrated at the tissue level to generate complex organs. This aim will be achieved by using a combination of live-cell imaging, computer simulations, and state-of-the-art quantitative approaches. Experimental approaches will use live super resolution imaging of the actomyosin cytoskeleton during multicellular patterning, optogenetics and mechanical experiments designed at perturbating the contractility of actomyosin meshworks. Together, these approaches will examine how the dynamics of the actomyosin contractile machinery enables complex tissue patterning during development.


References

  1. Cooperativity between medial myosin contractile machineries enables heterogeneous tissue patterning. Blackie L, Tozluoglu M, Banerjee S, Mao Y Pichaud F Under review in EMBO journal. 2
  2. Biomechanical regulation of contractility: spatial control and dynamics. Levayer R and Lecuit T (2012) Trends in Cell Biology 22(2), 61-81.
  3. Disordered actomyosin networks are sufficient to produce cooperative and telescopic contractility. Linsmeier, I., Banerjee, S., Oakes, P.W., Jung, W., Kim, T., & Murrell, M.P. (2016) Nature Communications 7, 12615.

BBSRC Area
Genes, development and STEM* approaches to biology
Area of Biology
Cell BiologyDevelopment
Techniques & Approaches
BiochemistryGeneticsImage ProcessingMathematics / StatisticsMicroscopy / ElectrophysiologyMolecular BiologySimulation / Modelling