Adherens junctions are involved in polarized contractile ring formation in dividing epithelial cells of Xenopus laevis embryos.

Guillaume Hatte, Claude Prigent, Jean-Pierre Tassan

Experimental cell research 2021 May 01

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Cells dividing in the plane of epithelial tissues proceed by polarized constriction of the actomyosin contractile ring, leading to asymmetric ingression of the plasma mem brane. Asymmetric cytokinesis results in the apical positioning of the actomyosin contractile ring and ultimately of the midbody. Studies have indicated that the contractile ring is associated with adherens junctions, whose role is to maintain epithelial tissue cohesion. However, it is yet unknown when the contractile ring becomes associated with adherens junctions in epithelial cells. Here, we examined contractile ring formation and activation in the epithelium of Xenopus embryos and explored the implication of adherens junctions in the contractile ring formation. We show that accumulation of proteins involved in contractile ring formation and activation is polarized, starting at apical cell-cell contacts at the presumptive division site and spreading within seconds towards the cell basal side. We also show that adherens junctions are involved in the kinetics of contractile ring formation. Our study reveals that the link between the adherens junctions and the contractile ring is established from the onset of cytokinesis. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Guillaume Hatte, Claude Prigent, Jean-Pierre Tassan. Adherens junctions are involved in polarized contractile ring formation in dividing epithelial cells of Xenopus laevis embryos. Experimental cell research. 2021 May 01;402(1):112525