Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
15:19
Effect of Male Accessory Gland Products on Egg Laying in Gastropod Molluscs
Published on: June 22, 2014
11.3K
Muscle versus Snail: Muscle wins
Sergio Simoes1, Ulrich Tepass2
1Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|January 13, 2016
Summary
Actomyosin contractility strengthens cell junctions, overriding Snail-driven disassembly and delaying epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) during fruit fly gastrulation. This finding reveals a new mechanism regulating cell shape changes in development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) are crucial for development and disease.
- The transcription factor Snail drives EMT by promoting junctional disassembly.
- Apical junctions maintain epithelial integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of actomyosin contractility in regulating EMT.
- To understand how cell junction stability influences Snail-dependent EMT.
- To elucidate mechanisms controlling cell shape changes during Drosophila gastrulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.
- Observed cell junction dynamics during gastrulation.
- Manipulated actomyosin contractility and Snail expression.
Main Results:
- Actomyosin contractility reinforces epithelial cell junctions.
- Increased contractility counteracts Snail-induced junctional disassembly.
- EMT and gastrulation movements are postponed when junctions are strengthened.
Conclusions:
- Actomyosin-mediated junctional strengthening is a key regulator of EMT timing.
- This mechanism provides a counterbalance to Snail's pro-EMT activity.
- Findings offer insights into developmental processes and potential disease interventions.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Muscle Contraction
100.4K
100.4K
01:10Muscle Contraction
9.3K
In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor endplate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. The binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive...
9.3K
01:25Smooth Muscle Contraction
9.3K
Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
9.3K
01:13Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles
10.6K
Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue that can be found lining various vital organs in the human body, including the lungs, blood vessels, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. This type of tissue is responsible for regulating the movements of these organs, playing crucial roles in the functioning of various systems, including the vascular, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems.
Structure of smooth muscle cell
Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with tapering ends and a...
Structure of smooth muscle cell
Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with tapering ends and a...
10.6K
01:13Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
28.1K
Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers, are distinctly elongated, multi-nucleated, slender biological units. They are packed with specialized structures designed to facilitate their primary function, which is contraction.
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
28.1K
01:14Design Example: Frog Muscle Response
713
A student is tasked to work on an intriguing experiment involving an RL (Resistor-Inductor) circuit to study the muscle response of a frog's leg to electrical stimulation. The RL circuit plays a crucial role in this experiment, providing the means to control and measure the electrical impulses that trigger muscle contraction.
When the switch connecting the RL circuit is closed, a brief muscle contraction is observed. This is because, at a steady state, the inductor acts like a short...
When the switch connecting the RL circuit is closed, a brief muscle contraction is observed. This is because, at a steady state, the inductor acts like a short...
713