Microtubule-dependent balanced cell contraction and luminal-matrix modification accelerate epithelial tube fusion

Kagayaki Kato, Bo Dong, Housei Wada, Miho Tanaka-Matakatsu, Yoshimasa Yagi and Shigeo Hayashi ()
Additional contact information
Kagayaki Kato: Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Bo Dong: Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Housei Wada: Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Miho Tanaka-Matakatsu: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Yoshimasa Yagi: Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University
Shigeo Hayashi: Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Connection of tubules into larger networks is the key process for the development of circulatory systems. In Drosophila development, tip cells of the tracheal system lead the migration of each branch and connect tubules by adhering to each other and simultaneously changing into a torus-shape. We show that as adhesion sites form between fusion cells, myosin and microtubules form polarized bundles that connect the new adhesion site to the cells’ microtubule-organizing centres, and that E-cadherin and retrograde recycling endosomes are preferentially deposited at the new adhesion site. We demonstrate that microtubules help balancing tip cell contraction, which is driven by myosin, and is required for adhesion and tube fusion. We also show that retrograde recycling and directed secretion of a specific matrix protein into the fusion-cell interface promote fusion. We propose that microtubule bundles connecting these cell–cell interfaces coordinate cell contractility and apical secretion to facilitate tube fusion.

Date: 2016
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11141 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms11141

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11141

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().