Integrin is required for basement membrane crossing and branching of an invading intracellular tube.

ABSTRACT: The narrowest biological tubes are formed by cells that hollow to form an intracellular lumen. Here, we examine early lumenogenesis of the C. elegans excretory cell, which branches to form an H-shaped intracellular tube spanning the length of the worm. Using genetically paralyzed embryos to freeze movement, we describe lumen initiation and branching for the first time using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. We show that the excretory cell lumen forms through a plasma membrane invasion mechanism when a nascent lumen grows from the plasma membrane into the cytoplasm. The lumen subsequently extends along the left-right axis before branching to form anterior-posterior projections. Through a genetic screen, we identify mutations in ina-1 (α-integrin) and pat-3 (β-integrin) that block lumenoge

SUBMITTER: Meyer LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12710419 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature