Research

Epithelial Morphogenesis

The regulation of tissue shape and shape changes is essential during development, maintenance and repair. How epithelial tissue maintains its cohesion, required to maintain organ shape and proper barrier function, while still allowing for dynamic rearrangements, required in development and wound healing, has been of longstanding interest to cell and developmental biologists.  In physical terms, this speaks to the variable solid- and fluid-like nature of epithelia that is determined, in turn, by the biophysical properties of constituent cells.  While the genes regulating epithelial cell adhesion, shape and motility are increasingly well defined, we still lack understanding of how the mechanics of epithelial tissue is controlled. Our lab seeks to understand how the mechanics of epithelial cells are regulated.

Figure (above, left) Optognetic stimulation of Rho at a cell-cell junction to drive local congration See Cavanaugh et. al.

(above, right) A patterned colony of cells, with visualization of cell membrane and traction stresses See Harmon  et. al.

Selected References

  1. Cell cycle-dependent active stress drives epithelia remodeling. Devany J, Sussman DM, Yamamoto T, Manning ML, Gardel ML. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021; 118 (10)e1917853118. (link)(pdf)
  2. RhoA Mediates Epithelial Cell Shape Changes via Mechanosensitive Endocytosis. Cavanaugh KE, Staddon MF, Munro E, Banerjee S, Gardel ML. Dev Cell. 2020; 52(2):152-166. (PMID: 31883774) (pdf)

Figure (top) Immunofluorescence image of nuclei, E-cadherin and actin in keratinocyte monolayer

(bottom) Cell dynamics of keratinocyte monolayer in a mixed population of cells to visualize cytoplasm (red) or nucleus (white). See Harmon  et. al.

Selected References

  1. Cell cycle-dependent active stress drives epithelia remodeling. Devany J, Sussman DM, Yamamoto T, Manning ML, Gardel ML. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2021; 118 (10)e1917853118. (link)(pdf)
  2. RhoA Mediates Epithelial Cell Shape Changes via Mechanosensitive Endocytosis. Cavanaugh KE, Staddon MF, Munro E, Banerjee S, Gardel ML. Dev Cell. 2020; 52(2):152-166. (PMID: 31883774) (pdf)
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