Cofilin-Mediated Actin Stress Response Is Maladaptive in Heat-Stressed Embryos.

Environmental stress threatens the fidelity of embryonic morphogenesis. Heat, for example, is a teratogen. Yet how heat affects morphogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we identify a heat-inducible actin stress response (ASR) in Drosophila embryos that is mediated by the activation of the actin regulator Cofilin. Similar to ASR in adult mammalian cells, heat stress in fly embryos triggers the assembly of intra-nuclear actin rods. Rods measure up to a few microns in length, and their assembly depends on elevated free nuclear actin concentration and Cofilin. Outside the nucleus, heat stress causes Cofilin-dependent destabilization of filamentous actin (F-actin) in actomyosin networks required for morphogenesis. F-actin destabilization increases the chance of morphogenesis mistakes. Blocking the ASR by reducing Cofilin dosage improves the viability of heat-stressed embryos. However, improved viability correlates with restoring F-actin stability, not rescuing morphogenesis. Thus, ASR endangers embryos, perhaps by shifting actin from cytoplasmic filaments to an elevated nuclear pool. Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Lauren Figard, Liuliu Zheng, Natalie Biel, Zenghui Xue, Hasan Seede, Seth Coleman, Ido Golding, Anna Marie Sokac. Cofilin-Mediated Actin Stress Response Is Maladaptive in Heat-Stressed Embryos. Cell reports. 2019 Mar 26;26(13):3493-3501.e4

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PMID: 30917306

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