Syncytial germline architecture is actively maintained by contraction of an internal actomyosin corset

Agarwal Priti, Hui Ting Ong, Yusuke Toyama, Anup Padmanabhan, Sabyasachi Dasgupta, Matej Krajnc and Ronen Zaidel-Bar ()
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Agarwal Priti: National University of Singapore
Hui Ting Ong: National University of Singapore
Yusuke Toyama: National University of Singapore
Anup Padmanabhan: National University of Singapore
Sabyasachi Dasgupta: National University of Singapore
Matej Krajnc: Princeton University
Ronen Zaidel-Bar: National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Syncytial architecture is an evolutionarily-conserved feature of the germline of many species and plays a crucial role in their fertility. However, the mechanism supporting syncytial organization is largely unknown. Here, we identify a corset-like actomyosin structure within the syncytial germline of Caenorhabditis elegans, surrounding the common rachis. Using laser microsurgery, we demonstrate that actomyosin contractility within this structure generates tension both in the plane of the rachis surface and perpendicular to it, opposing membrane tension. Genetic and pharmacological perturbations, as well as mathematical modeling, reveal a balance of forces within the gonad and show how changing the tension within the actomyosin corset impinges on syncytial germline structure, leading, in extreme cases, to sterility. Thus, our work highlights a unique tissue-level cytoskeletal structure, and explains the critical role of actomyosin contractility in the preservation of a functional germline.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07149-2

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