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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Deep and Spatially Controlled Volume Ablations using a Two-Photon Microscope in the Zebrafish Gastrula

Deep and Spatially Controlled Volume Ablations using a Two-Photon Microscope in the Zebrafish Gastrula

Published on: July 15, 2021

Forces driving epithelial spreading in zebrafish gastrulation.

Martin Behrndt¹, Guillaume Salbreux, Pedro Campinho

¹Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|October 16, 2012

Summary

Actomyosin rings drive cell layer spreading via circumferential contraction and a novel flow-friction mechanism. This flow-friction mechanism, resisting actomyosin flow, is sufficient for epithelial morphogenesis.

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Area of Science:

Cell biology
Developmental biology
Biophysics

Background:

Contractile actomyosin rings are crucial for cell division and tissue repair.
They are typically understood to function through circumferential contraction.
The precise mechanisms driving epithelial morphogenesis are still under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the mechanism by which the enveloping cell layer (EVL) spreads over the yolk cell during zebrafish gastrulation.
To determine the role of actomyosin rings in this process.
To explore alternative functions of actomyosin rings beyond simple circumferential contraction.

Main Methods:

Live imaging of zebrafish embryos during gastrulation.
Perturbation of actomyosin ring function.
Analysis of EVL spreading dynamics.

Main Results:

A contractile actomyosin ring drives EVL spreading during zebrafish gastrulation.
The ring functions through both circumferential contraction and a flow-friction mechanism.
The flow-friction mechanism, generated by resistance to actomyosin flow, is sufficient for EVL spreading, even when circumferential contraction is impaired.

Conclusions:

Actomyosin rings can utilize a combination of cable-constriction and flow-friction mechanisms for epithelial morphogenesis.
The flow-friction mechanism represents a novel mode of force generation for actomyosin rings.
This finding expands our understanding of how cellular structures contribute to developmental processes.