Repeated extrinsic and anisotropic mechanical inputs promote C. elegans polarized adherens junction elongation.

ABSTRACT: A key challenge in development is understanding how complex organisms physically coordinate the morphogenesis of multiple tissues. Here, using biophysical approaches, we investigate how muscles under the epidermis specifically stimulate the extension of anterior-posterior (AP)-oriented epidermal adherens junctions during late C. elegans embryonic elongation. First, light-sheet imaging shows that asynchronous patterns of muscle contractions drive embryo rotations. In turn, junctions between the lateral and dorso-ventral epidermis repeatedly oscillate between a folded, hypotensed state and an extended, hypertensed state. Second, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis of an E-cadherin::GFP construct shows that muscle contractions stimulate E-cadherin turnover. Moreover, a

SUBMITTER: Yang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12549353 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature