Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2025
10:41
Generation of Dispersed Presomitic Mesoderm Cell Cultures for Imaging of the Zebrafish Segmentation Clock in Single Cells
Published on: July 24, 2014
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Cell-Fibronectin Interactions and Actomyosin Contractility Regulate the Segmentation Clock and Spatio-Temporal Somite
Patrícia Gomes de Almeida1,2,3, Pedro Rifes1, Ana P Martins-Jesus2,3
1cE3c-CHANGE, Departmento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1740-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Cells
|July 9, 2022
Summary
The fibronectin matrix and actomyosin contractility are crucial for vertebrate somitogenesis. This study reveals how the fibronectin-integrin-ROCK-NM II axis regulates segmentation clock dynamics and somite development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Fibronectin matrix assembly is vital for vertebrate embryonic development.
- The presomitic mesoderm (PSM) is key for somitogenesis, involving segmentation clock gene oscillations and Notch signaling.
- The role of the fibronectin matrix in PSM gene regulation and somite formation is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of the fibronectin matrix in spatio-temporal regulation of chick embryo somitogenesis.
- To determine the involvement of integrin-fibronectin interactions, Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), and non-muscle myosin II (NM II) in this process.
Main Methods:
- Perturbation of extracellular fibronectin matrix assembly.
- Inhibition of integrin-fibronectin binding.
- Modulation of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) activity.
- Disruption of non-muscle myosin II (NM II) function.
Main Results:
- Integrin-fibronectin engagement and NM II activity are essential for cell polarization in developing somites.
- Disruptions led to defective somitic clefts and altered expression of meso1 and segmentation clock genes.
- Inhibition of actomyosin contractility prolonged segmentation clock gene (hairy1/hes4) oscillations.
Conclusions:
- The fibronectin-integrin-ROCK-NM II axis plays a critical role in regulating segmentation clock dynamics.
- This axis is essential for the spatio-temporal localization of somitic clefts during somitogenesis.
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