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Rac1 orientates epithelial apical polarity through effects on basolateral laminin assembly.

L E O'Brien1, T S Jou, A L Pollack

  • 1Department of Anatomy, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

Nature Cell Biology
|September 5, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular polarity orientation in epithelial cysts relies on Rac1 and laminin. Rac1 influences laminin assembly, guiding apical polarity and tissue architecture coordination.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Cellular polarization establishes intracellular asymmetry, crucial for tissue development.
  • Coordinating cellular polarity with tissue architecture is vital but poorly understood.
  • Epithelial tissues require precise alignment of cellular polarity with tissue structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms coupling cellular polarization to tissue morphogenesis in epithelial cysts.
  • To identify key molecular players involved in apical polarity orientation in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cysts.
  • To elucidate the role of the small GTPase Rac1 and laminin in this process.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cyst models.
  • Employed dominant-negative Rac1 to disrupt Rac1 function.
  • Assessed apical polarity and laminin assembly using immunofluorescence and microscopy.

Main Results:

  • Rac1 and laminin are essential for correct apical polarity orientation in MDCK cysts.
  • Disruption of Rac1 altered endogenous laminin assembly and inverted apical polarity.
  • Exogenous laminin addition rescued the apical polarity defect.

Conclusions:

  • Rac1-mediated laminin assembly is critical for apical pole orientation in epithelial cysts.
  • Epithelial cells link apical orientation to basement membrane generation, coordinating polarity with tissue architecture.
  • This study provides insights into the molecular basis of epithelial tissue morphogenesis.