Actomyosin contractility and microtubules drive apical constriction in Xenopus bottle cells.

ABSTRACT: Cell shape changes are critical for morphogenetic events such as gastrulation, neurulation, and organogenesis. However, the cell biology driving cell shape changes is poorly understood, especially in vertebrates. The beginning of Xenopus laevis gastrulation is marked by the apical constriction of bottle cells in the dorsal marginal zone, which bends the tissue and creates a crevice at the blastopore lip. We found that bottle cells contribute significantly to gastrulation, as their shape change can generate the force required for initial blastopore formation. As actin and myosin are often implicated in contraction, we examined their localization and function in bottle cells. F-actin and activated myosin accumulate apically in bottle cells, and actin and myosin inhibitors either prevent or s

SUBMITTER: Lee JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2744900 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature