Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos
Published on: April 14, 2023
Rho/Rho-associated kinase-II signaling mediates disassembly of epithelial apical junctions
Stanislav N Samarin1, Andrei I Ivanov, Gilles Flatau
1Epithelial Pathobiology Research Unit, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Abstract:
Apical junctional complex (AJC) plays a vital role in regulation of epithelial barrier function. Disassembly of the AJC is observed in diverse physiological and pathological states; however, mechanisms governing this process are not well understood. We previously reported that the AJC disassembly is driven by the formation of apical contractile acto-myosin rings. In the present study, we analyzed the signaling pathways regulating acto-myosin-dependent disruption of AJC by using a model of extracellular calcium depletion. Pharmacological inhibition analysis revealed a critical role of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) in AJC disassembly in calcium-depleted epithelial cells. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of ROCK-II, but not ROCK-I, attenuated the disruption of the AJC. Interestingly, AJC disassembly was not dependent on myosin light chain kinase and myosin phosphatase. Calcium depletion resulted in activation of Rho GTPase and transient colocalization of Rho with internalized AJC proteins. Pharmacological inhibition of Rho prevented AJC disassembly. Additionally, Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF)-H1 translocated to contractile F-actin rings after calcium depletion, and siRNA-mediated depletion of GEF-H1 inhibited AJC disassembly. Thus, our findings demonstrate a central role of the GEF-H1/Rho/ROCK-II signaling pathway in the disassembly of AJC in epithelial cells.
More Related Videos
07:15A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility via the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in Drosophila S2R+ Cells
Published on: August 19, 2018
10:57Examining the Dynamics of Cellular Adhesion and Spreading of Epithelial Cells on Fibronectin During Oxidative Stress
Published on: October 13, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments
Keratin proteins, found at the cell periphery near cell junctions, undergo a cycle of assembly and disassembly. In Type...