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Optical manipulation reveals cell junction mechanics

Epithelial tissues under tension: a study explores how individual cells deform and respond to forces.
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Under too much stretch, a rubber band yields and undergoes irreversible deformation. To which extent does a cell-cell junction behave similarly under mechanical stress? This question is of interest to understanding embryogenesis, where the cell-based living material undergoes a series of irreversible deformation. 

In a recently accepted work, Kenji Nishizawa, Claire Chardès, and Pierre-François Lenne designed an optical system to stretch cell-cell junction in vivo during early Drosophila embryogenesis. The idea is to split a laser beam into two beams, moved separately to produce two independent traps. These two optical traps are then used to put cell-cell junctions under tension or compression. The method is non-invasive in that forces are exerted directly on the cell endogenous material, unlike alternative methods, which rely on injecting beads. The Lenne team turned to theoreticians Shao-Zhen Lin & Jean-François Rupprecht at CPT, who adapted a mechanical model of cellular assemblies, called the vertex-based models. The model showed that the measured cell-cell junction length could only be explained through a combination of irreversible, viscous elongation and Myosin-II activation when the junction was put under compression. This research sheds light on how individual cells within epithelial tissue deform and respond to forces.  

Figure legend

Two-point optical manipulation of cell-cell contacts in the early epithelium of Drosophila embryo

To know more

Nishizawa K, Lin SZ, Chardès C, Rupprecht JF, Lenne PF. Two-point optical manipulation reveals mechanosensitive remodeling of cell-cell contacts in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Mar 28;120(13):e2212389120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2212389120. Epub 2023 Mar 22. PMID: 36947511.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2212389120

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The Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM) is inviting applications for group leader positions. We are seeking innovative researchers who aim to address fundamental questions in biology, including the development, function, and dynamics of complex biological systems.